TAOISM 道

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道教- Taoism Taoism is both a philosophy and a religion. Lao-tzu（老子） is considered the founder. His name means “old master.” About 600 BC Henan Province.

道德经 Dao De Jing Basic text of Daosim “The Classic in the Way and Power” “Those who speak know nothing: Those who know are silent.”

What do Taoists believe? Here are three of the major Taoist concepts: TE means power. The power of a thing is its virtue, its identity, its integrity. WU-WEI is a concept involving relaxing the conscious mind. It seeks the denial of anything personal and the dissolution of the conscious, individual self. Wu-wei is best illustrated by water; it is supple yet strong, it flows over and fills what it encounters. It means to simply follow the way of nature. P’U is a term which literally means “unpainted wood”. P’U stresses the importance of simplicity and the need to leave things in their natural state. The characters are for Wu-wei

CREATION Taoists believe that there is no one creator, that at the beginning, there was only chaos, or a void, called Wuji.

Then from the void (Wuji) the cosmos came into being.

With the cosmos came the energies of yin and yang which combined to create what is called the Taiji Du

Qi emerged from the blending of yin and yang The concept of the joining of yin and yang is often compared to the big bang theory.

The concept of Qi may be more easily understood through Filmmaker George Lucas’ idea of “the force” in his film Star Wars. Qi is the very stuff of life. It fills the universe permeating everything, rocks, trees, water, clouds, animals, and people. Qi is often compared to quantum physics. It is like the atom, the building block of life.

Wuxing, or the 5 qualities (elements) developed from Qi Wuxing, or the 5 qualities (elements) developed from Qi. These 5 qualities make up all known substances. They are: Fire, earth, metal, water and wood.

Diagram

Writing Chinese

Writing Chinese

☯️ Sun or Moon? Yin Yang 阴 阳

The Universe of Opposites: Find the Balance! Yin Masculine Active Light Warmth Strong Heaven; Sun Feminine Passive Darkness Cold Weak Earth; Moon Yang

The Uniqueness of Daoism How is a man to live in a world dominated by chaos, suffering, and absurdity?? Confucianism --> Moral order in society. Legalism --> Rule by harsh law & order. Daoism --> Freedom for individuals and less govt. to avoid uniformity and conformity.

What is a Taoist like? Taoists advocate a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events Taoists don’t like politics, administration, or elaborate rituals. So then how would you have government? Do not emphasize status, intelligence, or possessions. Govern with least visibility and with a serving attitude. Reduce laws and govern lightly. Take few actions that involve the people. Treat other countries non-aggressively. Taoists believe that the purpose of life is to live according to the Tao. That requires calmness, passiveness, and humility.

DEITIES When Taoism was first developing, there were no deities, only the Tao. As time went by, however, many gods became present in the religion. Two types of deities developed. The first type consists of the natural gods, the highest gods who are believed to have emerged from primordial energy at the beginning of the world. These gods developed as part of Taoism between the second and sixth centuries C.E. We will be giving examples of this type of god. We’re just going to show the natural gods, as there are so very many gods The second type of Taoist deity consist of human beings who, through learning, self-discipline, alchemy, or some other means, have purified themselves of mortal imperfections and become gods.

THE THREE PURITIES (THE THREE CLARITIES) The Three Purities are the highest deities in Taoism, they rule over the three greatest heavenly realms. The Three Purities are still worshiped in China today; the most important hall in the White Cloud Monastery is devoted to them. White Cloud Monastery, Beijing

Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning This is the central deity of the Three Purities, he is believed to have spontaneously formed from pure energy at the beginning of the world, which is why he is called the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning. He created the first writing system by writing patterns in gold onto jade tablets; therefore he is the god of all learning.

Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure This deity is considered to be the attendant of the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning who gave him the task of delivering lessons to lesser gods and humans. Therefore he is the god of Taoist teaching. (Numinous means supernatural, spiritually elevated, or sublime.) Notice how as seen in other cultures such as the Egyptians that the lesser gods are depicted as smaller in size in artwork.

Celestial Worthy of the Way and Its Power Here we see Lao-tzu deified. His title was derived from the name of the text attributed to him; the Classic of the Way and Its Power or Tao Te Ching. Lao-tzu differs from the others in that he played an active role in the development of Chinese civilization, often appearing to reveal divine teachings to humanity.

HENGSHAN MONASTERY Hengshan Monastery is located on the cliffs of Mt. Hengshan, which is one of the five sacred mountains of Taoism. In the Shanxi province of China, near the city of Datong.

Hengshan Mountain

The gravity defying Hanging Monastery was built on extremely sheer cliffs above Jinlong Canyon 1400 years ago.

Bridges and corridors connect those pavilions and caves in which dozens of bronze, iron, stone and clay statues are enshrined.

In the Three Religions Hall, Buddha, Confucius and Lao-tzu are all enshrined together. This is because in present day the three faiths co-exist in the temple. The temple is today shared by people of all three faiths.

The Vinegar Tasters (Reading) Who are these 3 gentleman?

The Vinegar Tasters (Reading) Who is who?

The mythical creatures on the eaves serve to protect the monastery from evil spirits.

Why would someone build a monastery on a cliff?

Why would someone build a monastery on a cliff? The monastery was built at this location because it was convenient for passing pilgrims. It was an important passage leading to a shrine to the South and Datong City to the North. The problem is that the river which flowed past the foot of the cliff would flood whenever there was a storm. In those days it was believed that a golden dragon was the cause of the flooding, therefore they built the temple high up on the cliffs to keep away from the flooding, and ward off the influence of the dragon.

The mythical creatures on the eaves serve to protect the monastery from evil spirits.

Fengshui 风水 An ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago. How to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it. How to arrange your home to be in harmony with nature.

The Forbidden City One of the important Feng Shui principles used in architecture is ‘leaning against mountains and facing waters’.  FengShui stresses symmetry in architecture.

The Forbidden City故宫

The Forbidden City故宫 Jingshan Mountain and the Jingshui River change the whole magnetic field of the Forbidden City as yin and yang energies: if motion represents yang and remaining stationary represents yin, then Jingshui River is yang and Jingshan Mountain is yin. If hardness represents yang and softness represents yin, then Jingshan Mountain is yang and Jingshui River is the yin.  

八卦Bagua

Activity

The Tao of Pooh 3 secrets to being happy: *COMPASSION (care for others) *HUMILITY (down-to- earth) *MODERATION

The Tao of Winnie the Pooh Here are some quotes from Pooh that match up perfectly with the teachings of Lao, who probably lived in China about 6 years before the birth of Je sus.

A clever mind is not a heart. "Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully. "Yes," said Piglet. "Rabbit's clever." "And he has Brain." "Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain." There was a long silence. "I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything."

There is more to knowing than just being correct. "Lot's of people talk to animals," said Pooh. "Maybe, but..." "Not very many listen, though," he said. "That's the problem," he added.

The wise know their limitations; the foolish do not. Roo and Tigger were walking along the forest one morning, and Tigger was talking about all the things that Tiggers can do.... "I can swim," said Roo. "I fell into the river, and I swimmed. Can Tiggers swim?" "Of course they can. Tiggers can do everything." "Can they climb trees better than Pooh?" asked Roo, stopping under the tallest Pine Tree, and looking up at it. "Climbing trees is what they do best," said Tigger. "Much better than Poohs." And the next thing they knew, they were stuck in the tallest pine tree.

Did you Know? Each character from the 100 Acre Woods is a symbol of Taoist philosophy? This means that each has a personality or character traits that demonstrate one of the teachings of Taoism. Taoism talks about keeping things natural, uncomplicated, and simple... Just like our favorite bear. Taoism says, “Don’t think or plan or do, just BE!” "While Eeyore frets ... ... and Piglet hesitates ... and Rabbit calculates ... and Owl pontificates ...Pooh just is."

Which Pooh are You? Look over the descriptions of each Pooh character. Think about which personality traits you have in common with each character…

The Tao of ??? is kind of clueless, maybe a bit of an airhead. is almost always happy. wanders through life happily. He has no goals, but no disappointments is looking for a simple pleasure. Cake, balloons and a full belly are the key to happiness.

The Tao of ??? is a loyal friend. is never the center of attention. thinks of other people’s feelings first. needs a lot of pats on the back. wants to please and get approval. prefers one good friend to a group. worries.

The Tao of ??? is energetic, physical, and fun! is impulsive (doesn’t think before he acts), and is likely to get into trouble. is loud and never sits still. is emotional and often flies into a rage or gets upset, but gets over it quickly. likes noise and music and sports… the louder and more physical, the better.

The Tao of ??? …is slightly cynical, expecting bad things will happen to him. …focuses on problems and complains. …loses things a lot and is forgetful. is …pessimistic, and worries a lot. …is often shy, tired, or sad. …In spite of this, … is lovable and loves his friends and family.

The Tao of ??? likes to be in charge, is detail- oriented, clever, and good at planning. can be counted on in an emergency. is very organized and neat, and likes everything in its place. is uncomfortable around mess and chaos, and likes to follow a schedule.

The Tao of ??? is academic (scholarly and well-educated). is a problem solver, is thoughtful, and uses common sense. reads a lot, and knows a lot about a lot. loves to show off how smart he is. is very wise, and would be a good scientist or professor.

The Tao of ??? is sweet and nurturing. loves small children. makes sure everyone is safe and fed. is gentle and loving and comforting. likes a cozy home and quiet moments, and makes a great parent.

The Tao of ??? is imaginative. He is very clever and artistic, and has good ideas. He would make a good actor or writer. He loves a good story. He loves to be surrounded by friends. He is a daydreamer and loves to play.

Resource Page The Tao of Pooh by: Benjamin Hoff Chinese Philosophies & Ethical Codes by Susan M. Pojer Fengshui of the Forbidden City http://www.chinascenic.com/magazine/the-fengshui-of-the-forbidden-city-338.html Forbidden City -https://www.britannica.com/topic/Forbidden-City Taoism 101 - https://personaltao.com/teachings/taoism/taoism-101/

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