1. Taoism An Introduction

2. "Certain Chinese philosophers writing in, perhaps, the -5 th and - 4 th centuries, explained ideas and a way of life that have come to be known as Taoism - the way of man's cooperation with the course or trend of the natural world, whose principles we discover in the flow patterns of water, gas, and fire, which are subsequently memorialized or sculptured in those of stone and wood, and, later, in many forms of human art. What they had to say is of immense importance for our own times when in the +20 th century, we are realizing that our efforts to rule nature by technical force and "straighten it out" may have the most disastrous results." (From "Alan Watts: "Tao - The Watercourse Way", Pantheon Books, 1975, xiv)

3. Three Taoist Approaches Philosophical/School Taoism (efficient power) “Vitalizing” Taoisms (augmented power) Religious Taoism (“vicarious” power) * This is Huston Smith’s characterization.

4. Taoism/Daoism and Confucianism are both syncretistic “philosophies” that arose around the sixth century BCE in response to the declining power of the Zhou Dynasty (ca. 1027-256 BCE). They find their roots in: Ancient Chinese Religion(s) Buddhism Folk magic Ancestor worship Divination (I Ching)

5. “Heaven” (Tian, T’ien), emperor as “The Son of Heaven “Way” (Dao, Tao) Tian  Confucianism Tao  Taoism Two ancient Chinese concepts of “Ultimate Reality”

6. Transliterating Chinese Characters: British Scholars (19 th cent.) developed the Wade-Giles system. The Pinyin system was developed in China in the 1950’s and is generally preferred.

8. Lao Tzu “Lao”= old, venerable/ “Tzu” = master Legendary “history” –born with white hair –lived to be 200 years old –visited by Confucius –at Hankao Pass gatekeeper insisted he write down his teachings. Sixth Century BCE?

9. Chuang Tzu ca. 370-386 BCE Traditional author of The Chuang Tzu –7 “inner” books –15 “outer” books –11 “mixed” books Identification with entire universe/not social conformity. Perspectivism: true knowledge is perpetually elusive Emphasized “wu-wei” Butterfly Dreaming

10. The Three Meanings of Tao Tao is the way of ultimate reality. Tao is the way of the universe: the norm, the rhythm, the driving power in all nature, the ordering principle behind all life. Tao refers to the way of human life when it meshes with the Tao of the universe. Ultimately, Tao is ineffable.

11. Te Virtue Power For Taoists... it is the means through which the Tao becomes manifest, actualized, and realized

12. Philosophical Taoism Goal(?): to align one’s daily life to the Tao: Wu Wei- “pure effectiveness” “active inactivity” “creative quietude” “going with the grain” “A Good Traveler Leaves no Tracks” (ch. 27) “The Watercourse Way”

13. Nothing in the world is softer than water, Yet nothing is better at overcoming the hard and strong. This is because nothing can alter it. That the soft overcomes the hard And the gentle overcomes the aggressive is something that everybody knows But none can do themselves. Therefore the sages say: The one who accepts the dirt of the state Becomes its master. The one who accepts its calamity Becomes the king of the world. Truth seems contradictory. (Ch. 78, trans. Muller)

14. Other Taoist Values Rejection of self-assertiveness and competition –“Standing on tiptoe you are unsteady” (24) Avoidance of aggression –“If you want to grab the world and run it/I see that you will not succeed” (29) Naturalism, naturalness, simplicity Relativity

15. YangYin SunMoon DayNight MaleFemale Hard (river bank)Soft (river) ActivePassive Discipline, orderSpontaneity, flowing Though opposites, they give birth to each other.

22. Confucius and Lao Tzu ConfuciusLao Tzu Goal Cultivated Dignity (Learning) Spontaneous Simplicity (Unlearning) Method Reanimation of Classical Values Reversal/Letting Go, Return to Original Nature Result Moral PerfectionMystical Individuality Politics Moral CharismaLaissez-Faire

23. Confucianism and Taoism ConfucianismTaoism Tao teaching/the way (path) human beings should follow unproduced Producer, source of all cosmic order/reality Te quality possessed by wise, virtuous people the means through which the Tao becomes manifest and actualized

24. Historical Varieties of Taoism Celestial Master Taoism (ca 150 CE, appearance of Lao-jun, Zhang Daoling and his grandson, Zhang Lu; first form to take on institutional trappings, priests, etc.) Magical Taoism (Ge Hong, 4 th cent. CE, alchemy) Supreme Clarity Taoism (365 CE, Yang Xi, meditation, et al) Numinous Treasure Taoism (founded by Ge Chaofu, 402 CE, incorporates Mahayana Buddhism)

25. Vitalizing Taoisms Increasing the “quota” of the Tao (ch’i): “breath” (lit.); “vital energy” eating special foods, herbs— macrobiotic diets acupuncture sexual “experiments” through bodily movements: t’ai chi chuan Taoist yoga Feng Shui

26. Religious Taoism “Taoism for the masses”: dealing with ghosts, famines, and floods Much in common with Chinese folk religion which it “institutionalized” starting around 2nd c. CE Seek the Tao (and thus immortality) through liturgical and alchemical means: share Taoist concern with harmonizing the fundamental energies in the universe

27. The Immortals and the Pantheon The Immortals Laojun (Lao Tzu, in Celestial Master Taoism) The Three Pure Ones; Lords of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, symbolizing the three energies of the human body: Jing (semen, vital essence) Ch’i (breath, vital energy) Shen (spiritual consciousness) Jade Emperor Dark Lord of the North Queen of the West Kwan Yin

28. Spiritual Embryo Some Taoist practice a sort of internal alchemy aimed at giving birth to a “spiritual embryo” that will emerge as an immortal at the time of death. This involves conserving jing (semen) to mix with ch’i. (Sometimes by having sex without orgasm, or orgasms without ejaculation.) Other practices focus on visualization techniques (e.g., marrying a young girl dressed in black down from the heart to a young boy dressed in red up from the kidneys, uniting yin and yang.)