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Taoism
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Taoism is an almost indefinable religion. The word Tao has numerous meanings. It could mean to speak, to guide, a pathway, a method, or simply the path. Basically Tao is the “first-cause” of the universe and it is the goal of the believer to be in harmony with the “first-cause” or the Tao. The belief is that the Tao surrounds everyone and flows through all of life; it is the goal to be enlightened to or to be one with the Tao. This is done through meditation and observation in the Taoist’s life.
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Other influences of Taoism are in the area of the Chinese health exercises known as Qi Gong. These exercises were based upon early Taoist breathing methods and postures which aimed at purifying and preserving the body. The famous physician Hua To developed a method known as the "Frolic of the Five Animals" which was based upon his observations of animals and their special attributes. This system has survived as one of the oldest methods of Qi Gong used for health and healing purposes. Current Qi Gong methods are used widely in China and the west to balance and preserve the flow of Qi through the channels and collaterals. The use of the external emission of Qi from healer to patient is ... becoming more popular and well known today.
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Taoism has its drawbacks. For example, Lao Zi promoted the idea of a return to a small state with a small population; people did not socialize though they lived so near that the barks of dogs could be heard. These ideas prevented social development. Also, Chinese intellectuals resorted to a hermitic way of life whenever they met setbacks; when they were successful, they would say "the less hermitry was to live in the remote areas while the great hermitry was to live in the court". The inner worldly and outer worldly attitudes made the Chinese intellects hover between the active Confucianism and the passive Taoism.
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As of 2005 Taoism has 31 million followers outside of China, primarily centered in Taiwan, where it is prevalent. Around 30,000 Taoists live in North America. Taoism has had a significant influence world-wide, in many Western societies it can be seen in acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation, martial arts, Feng Shui and Tai Chi.
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Taoism gained official status in China during the Tang dynasty, whose emperors claimed Laozi as their relative. However, it was forced to compete with Confucianism and Buddhism, its major rivals, for patronage and rank. Emperor Xuanzong (685–762), who ruled at the height of the Tang, wrote commentaries on texts from all three of these traditions, which exemplifies the fact that in many people's lives they were not mutually exclusive. This marks the beginning of a long-lived tendency within imperial China, in which the government supported (and simultaneously regulated) all three movements.
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The relationships between Taoism and Buddhism are complex, as they influenced each other in many ways while often competing for influence. The arrival of Buddhism forced Taoism to renew and restructure itself and address mystical questioning raised by Buddhism. Buddhism was seen as a kind of foreign Taoism and its scriptures were translated into Chinese with Taoist vocabulary. Chuang Tzu's philosophyespecially influenced the Chinese form of Buddhism known as Chan, which later developed into the Japanese form of Zen. The Bodhisattva, Kwan Yin (Kuan Yin) was an important goddess for both Buddhists and Taoists.
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Taoism