by Caroline Fynn

Created on: May 25, 2009   Last Updated: August 27, 2011

The word Tao translates to mean the way. In Taoist ideology the Tao is the cosmic force that transcends everything. Tao is the word that refers to the Tao Te Ching which is the scripture central to Taoism.

Tao Te Ching translates to mean the way of virtue. It teaches the importance of living in harmony with nature and to take no action that opposes the force of nature. The Tao Te Ching instructs that humans must give up so as to succeed, to bow down in order to stand tall, to become empty to become filled, to let go of the old to allow for the new, and to have little so there is room to receive more.

Written in mystical language, The Tao Te Ching speaks of the strength of that which appears to be weak; an example of this is how water can conquer the stone with one single drop after another. It is a source of much wisdom, such as the famous saying "Those who know do not speak and those who speak do not know" (chapter 1. Tao Te Ching.) A central characteristic of Tao is a disliking of the use of words because this serves to name and label things, and the consequences are that things become separate as opposed to the cause and effect of the same thing, for example, to label something as good then serves to suggest that something else is bad. The Tao is a mystical force that cannot be defined with mere words, and the goal of the Taoist is to achieve perfect harmony with the Tao.

Taoism states that all things contain a life energy known as qi and in order to live a long and peaceful life, then one must live in harmony with the Tao by channelling the qi in a correct manner. This can be achieved through study, right action, right diet and right exercise. The components of qi are the polar opposite but complementary forces of yin and yang. Yin represents the feminine force and all associated with it and yang represents the masculine. These forces operate to balance the five powers of qi, these being fire, earth, water, wood, and metal.

Taoists practice the body and mind exercises of meditation and visualisation, and this is called qi gong. This involves deep breathing and visualisations of heavenly light at various points within the body.

Taoists follow five principles:

*Not to kill

*Not to ingest alcohol

*Not to speak untruths

*Not to steal

*Not to commit adultery

Taoism also teaches seven virtues:

*Filial Piety: This means to live according to one's place within the family and society as a whole. For example, one must give high priority to parents by exhibiting natural love, care and respect, and parents must treat their children with love, kindness and compassion.

*Loyalty to the emperor

*Loyalty to all teachers

*Kindness to all creatures

*Respect for nature

*The study of the sacred texts

*Offerings to the Gods: There are many Gods within Taoism along with many religious rituals and festivals that offer gifts to the Gods.

It is a basic principle of Taoism that the Tao cannot be, or attempted to be understood, this is because it is a mysterious force that is impossible to predict, contain, or to control. The Tao is just as it is and this leads to the philosophy of wu-wei which is passivity and acceptance of things as they are, and it is about living in harmony with all things and cherishing simplicity.

Learn more about this author, Caroline Fynn.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.