Hinduism And Taoism

Tao Te Ching is one of the most well-known Chinese philosophical scripture believed to be penned between 6th and 4th Century BC and authored by Lao Tzu. It has been a bedrock for the ancient spiritual and religious tradition of Taoism. Tao Te Ching includes two books of poetic verses explaining principle aspects of Taoism such as the metaphysical concept of ‘Tao’ roughly translated as the Way or the path, the consequences of action and inaction, virtue and the juxtaposed behavior of nature. The first book discusses the manifestation of the Way and how it directs us in harmonizing with our own qualities, morals and virtue which eventually help us in harmonizing with the working of the nature. The second book deals with the difficulties of governing

Yin and Yang is a Chinese philosophy. Yin and Yang connects to Taoism, because it symbolizes balance between opposing sides. It is made of two principles. Yin, the predominately black side,

As stated by the Shen-nong website, “Ancient people were greatly interested in the relationships and patterns that occurred in nature. Instead of studying isolated things, the viewed the world as a harmonious and holistic entity” ("Yin yang," 2005, p. 1). Yin and yang

life sciences and medicine drawn from the Taoist traditions of the Yin-Yang and Five Elements

Each aspect of yin yang has a special meaning. The outer circle of the symbol represents everything in the universe and the universe itself. In the circle, there are two fish-like features. The shaded portion depicts yin, characterized as feminine, receptive, yielding, negative, and dark. While the unshaded portion, yang, is masculine, creative, assertive, positive, and light. Together, the black and white represent the interaction of the energies found in all existence. The small circles locating in the areas of their opposite colors show that nothing is absolute. One could not exist without the other, for each is rooted in one another. In all yin, there is yang and in all yang, there is yin. This holds true for everything in the universe, as nothing in life is pure yin or pure yang. The round shape of the yin yang symbol serves as a reminder of continual movement between the two fishes, as yang can turn into yin and yin can turn into yang. (Painter) With the correct balance of yin-yang in the things we do, it creates harmony and oneness. As Taoists, people seek to keep the principle of dualities in harmony and balance. Temple rituals can be used to balance the flow of yin and yang. Followers of Taoism also used talismans of the yin yang symbol to exercise

The term feng shui means “wind and water”. This was used in relation to the layout of Zhou cities, meaning that the buildings and walls were aligned in best order to the terrain, strength of the wind, water, sunlight, and invisible force that flowed throughout the

a. The idea of yin yang is a Chinese philosophical thought used to clarify how inverse

The Yin Yang is one of the primary principles of Taoist teachings. The concept of two forces present everywhere, completely opposite to each other yet balancing and enhancing each other. They cannot be separated because they exist together in comparison, and splitting one apart will only create the other anew. Although one force can take prevalence over the other for a short time, anything that is in a state of imbalance for long will cease to exist. The universe is composed of and held together by the tension of these two forces, and this concept is in Taoist writings on Abstraction. (A2)

As of 2013 the Yangshao and Hongshan cultures provide the earliest known evidence for the use of feng shui. Until the invention of the magnetic compass, feng shui apparently relied on astronomy to find correlations between humans and the universe.[3] In 4000 BC, the doors of Banpo dwellings aligned with the asterism Yingshi just after the winter solstice—this sited the homes for solar gain.[4] During the Zhou era, Yingshi was known as Ding and used to indicate the appropriate time to build a capital city, according to the Shijing. The late Yangshao site at Dadiwan (c. 3500-3000 BC) includes a palace-like building (F901) at the center. The building faces south and borders a large plaza. It stands on a north-south axis with another building that

The main focus of Tao Te Ching is non-action. For example, people do not need regulation and laws. According to Taoism, all human beings are naturally good but the laws and regulations have altered people’s belief

These relationships are upheld to create a mutual respect and trust between the people involved. The five Confucian virtues are Ren/Jen (Humanness), Shu (Reciprocity), Li (Propriety), Wen (Culture), and Xiao (Filial Piety). The virtues are used as a way instill social harmony. It is ultimately the goal to create a Junzi/ Chun tzu, or the “ideal personality”, which is referred to as the ideal human being. Taoism has the main teachings of Tao, wu wei (or effortlessness), simplicity, gentleness, and relativity. Tao, which is recognized in Confucianism as well, has many meanings and can be translated as “existence,” “pattern,” and “process.” Wu wei recommends that one must not seek unnecessary actions. Simplicity, as it sounds, urges to eliminate the artificial from our lives and to embrace what nature grants us; because of simplicity, they prefer not to seek out unnecessary higher education unlike Confucianism. Gentleness shows that a wise person does not seek violence. And finally, relativity teaches that one must not use a limited view point based on their own concerns. Thusly, Confucianism preaches the importance of upholding one’s relationships with others; meanwhile, Taoism advocates a harmonious, natural, and peaceful universe.

Tao Te Ching is a classic in Chinese philosophy, which teaches the way. It focuses on individual life, and requires one to be humble and modest.

When Western people think of Confucianism, they often think of it in a past sense- as something only relevant to ancient China that cannot be applied to modern day society. However, what these people fail to realize is that Confucianism’s roots have been so integrated into China’s society that the values have become a part of every day life. Without having to explicitly state that they are following specifics aspects of Confucianism, most Chinese people submit to them, often times unknowingly. However, Confucian values not only exist in the Chinese society, but also permeate into other areas of Chinese culture such as architecture and aspects of Feng-Shui.

Early Taoism in the 2nd century was founded in the ideas of the Taoist intellectuals who each added their own local religious rituals and beliefs. This helped to provide examples of the philosophy and to incorporate Taoism into the current views of the Chinese people. Some of these early rituals focused on meditation, breathing and the recitation of verses (Robinson 1). However, Taoism began to really

Mai Mai Sze presents a logical methodology breaking down the often-misunderstood complexity of Daoism. Sze describes tao “in the simplest sense…path” (The Way of Chinese Painting, 17). Continued, “Step-by-step progress requires care and deliberation and, by extension, careful and deliberate conduct or behavior from an inner motivation.” This journey was not something one could accomplish overnight; instead it is understood as a way of living out ones life to the fullest. This journey was not only into one’s own mind, but also into what surrounds them. Including tools, control of the medium was a necessity, just as restrain over the sensitivity of the brush was needed when writing Chinese characters. A minor error in a character could change the entire meaning of the symbol. Symbols are often associated with Chinese culture. From the calendar year to writing, Chinese symbolism is utilized significantly. One symbol often recognized by the Western world is the Yin Yang; however the meaning is often misunderstood. The theory of the Yin Yang is presented as a balance between Male Principle (sun, right) and Female Principle (moon, left). As the two converge inward, they also radiate outward reflecting the ideology of Tao itself. This development of proportion and attention to fine detail required