Daoism In Chin The Dao De Jung By Lao Zi

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Daoism is a philosophical tradition and belief system that originated in China over 2,000 years ago. It has been one of the main tenets of Chinese traditional culture with deep roots in the Chinese people’s customs and world-view. The philosophy seeks to create a harmony between human beings and the universe or the “Dao.” The term “Dao” could be misunderstood as a “God” or deity. This is a common mistake. The term reflects a “way” or “path” that one should follow to become more like the world around them. Although, Fiero does state that “the Dao is ineffable indeed, it resists all intellectual analysis-it manifests itself in the harmony of things.”
The Dao is said to be the originating source of the universe and all living things. It is the law that governs their change and development. Daoism encourages achieving harmony with nature, the pursuit of Virtue, self-development and spiritual immortality. The Dao De Jing by Lao Zi is Daoism’s principal canon. However Daoism’s deepest secrets are only revealed by the Dao itself. Thus, Daoist practices such as Neidan (internal alchemy), Qigong and Taiji (Tai Chi) provide a gateway for practitioners to cultivate, embody and directly experience the mysteries of the Dao.
Ancient Chinese philosophy has since it beginnings relied on the theory of a natural order to things. They believed that nature determined human intelligence and ability. This is what provided the basis for China’s political and social order. Ancient Chinese developed a system of deities and spirits they associated with the natural elements such as rivers and mountains and so on. They believed in a “unity” between the Heaven and Earth, which these spirits only guided humans along not inter-fearing in their affairs. The an...

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...back and looks at the poetry and the symbolism that it contains it is much easier to understand. One of the poems talks about how a bowl is molded but the use of it depends on the part of the bowl that is void of anything. I believe that the writer is attempting to show the read that a structure or for this matter the bowl is useless unless you have something to fill it with. The Dao is this way. It is empty yet full of possibilities when someone follows the path of the Dao.
In Ancient China the people had observed that the seasons come and go. The animals will live, die and be reborn. They saw this as the natural order of things and incorporated into their teachings and lives. They were part of this natural order and nothing more. The Dao and the many poems that followed gave the people a way to understand this order better and think about their place in nature.

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