TAOISM

             T A O I S M       ( I N   B R I E F )   

(Gist of a talk by Sri.Krishna Gutala in ICC Cupertino on 6-19-17)

Since the dawn of time, there have been many religious movements, in various parts of the world, especially from east and mid-east. In the latter half of first millennium before Christian era, there have been two religious-cum-spiritual movements in China: Taoism and Confucianism. Today’s  topic is  Taoism.

Some quick facts:        

Formed: around  550  B.C.E.      

Origin:  China.     

Followers:   about 20 million.        

Deity:   Pantheistic.          

Sacred  Texts:  Tao Te Ching,  Zhuangzi  and  Yi Jing.     

Head Qrs: White Cloud Temple,  Beijing, China.

The basic philosophy, the preamble  of  Taoism:

                         “  There  is  a  being,  wonderful,  perfect;

                             It  existed  before  heaven  and  earth.

                             How  quiet  it  is !   How  spiritual  it  is !

                             It  stands  alone,  and  does  not  change.

                             It  moves  around  and  around,

                             But  does  not  on  this  account  suffer.

                             All  life  comes  from  it.

                             It wraps everything with its love, as in a garment,

                             And  yet  it  claims  no  honor,

                             For  it  does  not  demand  to  be  Lord.

                             I  do  not  know  its  name,

                             And  so  I  call  it  TAO,  the  Way,

                             And  I  rejoice  in  its  Power “

Thus says the Founder of Taoism:  Lao  Tzu.

 As per tradition, Taoism originated with a man named ‘Lao  Tzu’, who is said to be born about 604 B.C.  He is known thru a mosaic of legends. He kept the archives in his native western state of China, and lived a simple and unassertive life.

It is learnt that Lao Tzu, saddened by his people’s  disinterest in cultivating the natural goodness he was advocating, and, seeking greater personal solitude, climbed on a water-buffalo, and rode westward towards what is now Tibet. At Hankao Pass, the gate-keeper persuaded him to turn back. Failing in this, he asked Lao Tzu to at least leave a record of his beliefs and concepts for posterity, to which Lao Tzu consented, stayed for three days, and left a slim volume of 5000 characters, titled  “ Tao Te Ching “,  meaning  “ The Way and Its Power”. A testimony to humanity’s  ‘at-home-ness’ in the Universe. It remains to this day, the basic text of Taoism (its Bible). In this text, everything revolves around the pivotal concept of ‘Tao’ itself. Literally, it means  ‘path’ or ‘way’. However, there are three ways or senses in which this ‘way’ can be interpreted:

• Tao is the way of ‘Ultimate Reality’. It cannot be perceived, or even clearly conceived. It is too vast to fathom. It is the substratum of all, enveloping all, the source from which everything springs and returns.

• Tao is not only transcendent, but also immanent; it is the way of the universe, the norm, the rhythm, the driving power in all Nature, basically the spirit, rather than matter. It is benign, giving life to all things, the ‘Mother of the world’.

• In its third sense, it is the way of human life, interacting with the way of the universe. Taoism deals with this component at great length. But before going further, now some discussion regarding the three categories of Taoism in China.

The title of the Taoist basic text “Tao Te Ching” is said to mean ‘The Way and Its Power’. Just as ‘Way’ is understood in 3 senses, so also is ‘Te’ Its Power. As a result, three types of Taoism have arisen in China, sounding dissimilar, but actually not. Two of them have specific names, viz Philosophical Taoism, and, Religious Taoism. The ways of the third, consist in “Vitalizing Programs”, to enable the ‘Power’ to flow better thru the followers of Taoism.

Religious Taoism subsequently led to an organized full-fledged Church, but the first and third types mentioned above, are relatively unorganized. The first is rather ‘reflective’, and the other ‘active’. But, both are self-help programs. Not institutionalized, but have teachers to guide, in understanding and implementing It. The philosophical Taoists conserve ‘Te’ by expending It efficiently, and the ‘Vitalizing’ Taoists try to generate more of It.

Philosophical Taoism lays stress on ‘attitude to life’. It is basically associated with the Founder Lao Tzu, as also Chuang Tzu, and of course, the Text “Tao Te Ching”. It is concerned with ‘Knowledge’, synonymous with ‘Wisdom’, which yields ‘Power’, and in living wisely, conserving life’s vitality, without wasting it in draining ways, like friction and conflict, dissipating one’s energy. However, this is again taken up later.

Now, to the ‘Vitalizing Programs’:  The word ‘Chi’ literally means ‘breath’, but actually implies ‘vital energy’ i.e., life-force. To maximize this, the Taoists worked with three agencies:  matter, movement, and mind. By ‘matter’ was meant, nutritional diet and medicinal herbs.  For ‘movement’ breathing exercises, to absorb ‘Chi’ from atmosphere. Also, bodily movements like ‘Tai Chi’, were evolved. For ‘mind’, Taoist medi-tation was developed. Taoist Yoga had appreciable following in China.

Religious Taoism:  There were common folks who could not get time for activities needed for Philosophical Taoism or Vitalizing Programs. They faced practical problems, like epidemics, marauding ghosts, floods, or drought etc. Earlier they resorted to psychics, shamans, faith-healers etc. However, Taoists, in second century A.D., founded the Church, to institutionalize such activities. Its pantheon consisted of Lao Tzu, and two others whose Texts had to be implicitly followed. The line of Priests continues, even to the present, in Taiwan. The Priests made cosmic life-power available  for ordinary folks, who could not get it on their own.

Philosophical  Taoism:   Its aim is to align one’s daily life to the ‘Tao’. To do this, one has to perfect a life of ‘Wu Wei’, which is not inaction, but a ‘creative quietitude’, combining two seemingly incompatible states: supreme activity and supreme relaxation. This implies - - following calculative directives of the conscious mind,- - a certain dissociation from the surface self, - - our egos and conscious efforts yielding to a Power, infinitely subtle and intricate, the Tao.  ‘Wu Wei’ is life lived above excesses and tension.

One significant fact. Of all natural elements, it was “water” that impressed Taoists most. They admired the way it supported objects, and carried them effortlessly on its tide. Non-swimmers shudder, but good swimmers happily just float on it!  It is adoptive, and assumes the shape of the container (indicating adjustability). It seeks out and flows to lowest places (symbolic of humbleness). Despite the above, we find that it subdues even the hard and brittle, carving out deep canyons even in granite. Indeed, water is infinitely supple, yet incomparably strong. Another quality is, it is the supreme cleaner, external as well as internal. Yet one more. Muddy water becomes clear when still. All these are the virtues of ‘Wu Wei’, worth being possessed by anyone.

Other Taoist Values:  

1. Reverential regard for humility.  

2. A profound disinterest in things the world normally prizes. Why struggle and compete?   

3. Nature, as also people, should not be exploited and abused.  

4. People are at their best when they are in harmony with their surroundings.   

5. Naturalism should prevail in one’s way of life. Pomp and extravagance are to be eschewed. Being simple is better, as, much of civilization is artificial.   

6. Even good or bad are not, in Taoist perspective, the opposites they same to be. An interesting story is related in this connection:

In a rural habitat, once, a farmer’s horse ran away from his house. Knowing this, his nybor visited him to console. The farmer coolly said: ‘Who knows what is good, and what bad?’. After two days, the horse returns with a drove of wild horses. The nybor comes to farmer, to congratulate him. Farmer’s same reply. Next day, the farmer’s son tries to ride one of the wild horses, fell down and broke his leg. Nybor comes, this time to again console him. Farmer’s  same reply.  Next day, soldiers come to conscript young people for the army, but spared the farmer’s son, because of his broken leg. Well, the broken leg became a ‘blessing in disguise’. Who can say, what is good, and what is bad?

The ‘Yin-Yang’ symbol:  Another interesting and significant concept of Taoism is the symbol of ‘Yin-Yang’, which illustrates the interpretation of ‘good and bad’, as also other pairs-of-opposites in general. It is a simple symbol, within a circle. The polarity in this symbol, sums up all of life’s oppositions.

Imagine a circle with a vertical diameter. Paint within the circle, two different colors, say green and red, the green to the left of the diameter, and the red to its right. The circle now represents full dichotomy. Left of the diameter all green, and, right of it all red, the two colors, say, representing absolute good and absolute bad. Not even slightest overlapping either way.

Now, in ‘Yin’Yang’, the vertical diameter is replaced by a S-curve, with the top point of S starting at top of the diameter, the midpoint of S coinciding with the center of the circle, and, the bottom point of S with the bottom point of diameter i.e.,  upper half of S is to left of diameter, and lower half to right of diameter. Now, paint green to the left of S curve in the circle, and red to the right of S. This represents  Yin-Yang. In this, you will see that in whatever direction you draw a diameter, there will be green and red, in some proportion or other, on either side of the diameter. Each color invades the other color’s domain. The colors on each side of S compliment each other. The purpose of Yin-Yang is to illustrate this concept. In the end, both sides of S are resolved by the circumference, that envelops them - - the Tao in its eternal wholeness. Thus, Taoism eschews sharp dichotomies. All values and concepts are relative to the mind that entertains them. This concept has been well illustrated in the story of the Farmer, with respect to the opposites of good and bad.  

Key principles of Taoism:  Compassion, Humility, Moderation, Health, Longevity, and Reverence for ancestors. All these make up the one governing philosophy of Taoism:  ONENESS.

              Though never practiced to perfection, Taoism’s lessons of Simplicity, Openness, and Wisdom, have been, for millions of Chinese, a useful and joyful guide.

[ Acknowledgement:  Apart from a few other sources, the main source has been “ The  Illustrated  World’s  Religions” by Huston Smith, from which the above material has been abridged extracts by Krishna Gutala]

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