In
What Way is THE WAY “The Way”?
(The 3-Minute Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)
That’s actually hard to say…because THE WAY (The Tao in Chinese) is supposed to be
impossible to explain. But with American chutzpah,
let’s give it a try.
The Tao (pronounced
“Dow”) literally means, “the way.” It
represents the source and the driving force behind all of reality. According to
this way of seeing things, there is supposed to be a certain natural flow to
the events of the universe.
According to an article posted by the British Broadcasting
Company, “The Tao is the ultimate
creative principle in the universe. All things are connected and unified in the
Tao.” The followers of Taoism, an
ancient Asian religion associated with the Tao,
see their task as finding ways to live in harmony with the natural flow of
things.
At some level, even though Taoism can be seen as a religion,
it is also practiced as a philosophy of living by millions of people in Asia
and other parts of the world.
Taoism arose in what is now China more than two millennia
ago. It’s basic, sometimes paradoxical, precepts are associated with two great
sages: Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. A key book of collected Taoist wisdom is the
internationally popular book, The Tao Te
Ching (pronounced Dow Tay Jing).
Here is an example of Taoist wisdom from Lao Tzu:
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t
resist them—that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow
naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
And from Chuang Tzu: “Do not make plans. Do not be absorbed
in activities. Do not think that you know. Be aware of all that is and dwell in
the infinite. Wander where there is no path. Be all that heaven gave you, but
act as though you received nothing. Be empty, that is all.”
Taoism is a philosophy of mutually engaging complimentary
opposites: dark and light, action and inaction, hot and cold, male and female,
black and white. This concept is often visually represented by the symbol of
the yin and yang. The symbol is a circle equally divided into two swirling
teardrops of black and white. The white teardrop contains a drop of the black,
and the black a drop of the white. The teardrops seem to be trying to overwhelm
each other. Yet, the understanding is that at the very moment the dark
vanquishes the light, it gives birth to it! In the same way the light can give
birth to the dark.
Religious Taoism has gods but no creator God as in Western
religions. Religious Taoists see their gods as subject to the laws of the Tao, but do not see the Tao as a God to be worshiped.
According to the BBC, Taoism promotes harmony and union with
nature; the pursuit of spiritual immortality; being virtuous (in an
inconspicuous way); and working on self development.
Among the practices followed by Taoists these days are
meditation and such spiritual movement techniques as Tai Chi (pronounced
Tie-chee) and Qigong (pronounce Chee-kung).
For more information
about Taoism visit:
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