World  Philosophical  Heritage

History and dogmas of the daoist religion

| |

Daoism : History and dogmas

Taoism or Daoism is usually described as an Asian philosophy and religion, although it is also said to be neither but rather an aspect of Chinese wisdom. Translated literally, it means "the Teaching of the Way" or "Path", or "Tao". In Taoist context, Tao can be understood as a space-time path--the order in which things happen. As a descriptive term, it can be taken to refer to the actual world in history--sometimes distinguished as "great Dao" or prescriptively, as an order that should unfold--the moral way of Confucius or Laozi
or Christ or . . . . A theme in early Chinese thought is Tian-dao or way of nature (also translated as 'heaven' 'sky' and sometimes 'God'). This would correspond roughly to the order of things according to natural law. Both 'nature's way' and 'great way' can inspire the stereotypical Taoist detachment from moral or normative doctrines. Thus, thought of as the course by which everything comes to be what it is (the "Mother of everything") it seems hard to imagine that we have to select among any accounts of its normative content--thus it can be seen as an efficient principle of "emptiness" that reliably underlies the operation of the universe.

Taoism is a tradition that has, with its traditional foil Confucianism, shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. Taoism places emphasis upon spontaneity or freedom from social-cultural manipulation through institutions, language and cultural practices. Because the Confucian concept of government consists of getting everyone to follow the same moral tao, it manifests as anarchism--essentially championing the idea that we need no such centralized guidance. Natural kinds follow ways appropriate to themselves and humans are a natural kind. We all go through processes of acquiring different norms and guidance from society and yet we can live in peace if we don't seek to unify all these natural ways of being. Thus, Taoism represents in many ways the antithesis to Confucian concern with moral duties, social cohesion, and governmental responsibilities, even if Confucius's thought includes those Taoist values and the reverse, as one can read in the Analects of Confucius.


  
  
  



Daoism : Art & Paintings

Li Po
Poete Taoiste Li Po, Lavis a l'encre (XIIIe siecle)
Taoists Immortals
Les huits 8 immortels du Taoisme, Peinture du XXe siècle
Taoists Immortals
L'immortel Tanyangzi par You Qiu, Dynastie des Ming, 1580
Taoists Immortals
L'immortel Zhongli Quan par Zhao Qi, Dynastie des Ming, fin du XVe siècle
Taoists Immortals
L'immortel Lu Dongbin traversant le lac Dongting, Dynastie des Song du Sud, milieu du XIIe siècle
Taoists Immortals
L'immortel Liu Haichan par Yan Hui, Dynastie des Yuan, fin XIII- début XIVe
Taoists Immortals
L'immortel Lie Tieguai par Yan Hui, Dynastie des Yuan, fin XIII- début XIVe
Taoists Bouddhists
Arhats bouddhistes & toistes en discussion sur le pouvoirs des sutras Bouddhistes, rouleau du XIIe siècle
Taoists Immortals
L'immortel Ma Gu créant un verger sur la mer. Selon la légende elle vivait au IIe siècle de notre ère. D une beauté saisissante, elle parvint à l'immortalité à l'age de 18 ans.
Paradis
The Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning
Paradis
The Celestial Worthy of the Way and its Virtue (Tao Te King)
God Dieu
The three Divine Official on a Tour of Inspection. The three Divine Official are the Official of Heaven, the Official of Earth, and the Official of Water. It is said that the Official of Heaven bestows blessings, the Official of Earth pardons sins, and the Official of Water eliminates disaster. They make tours to inspect good and evil, and to protect all creatures.
Taoisme
An illustration of the way of self-cultivation
Taoisme
The inner Chanel
Yongle
Worshiping Heaven, a mural in the Yongle Taoist Palace in Shanxi Province.
Tao Te King
Calligraphie du Tao Te King, Dunhuang, Chine
Tao Te King
Calligraphie du Tao Te King de Dunhuang, Chine
Tao Te King
Calligraphie du Tao Te King de Dunhuang, Chine
Tao Te King
Calligraphie du Tao Te King de Dunhuang, Chine
Tao Te King
Calligraphie du Tao Te King de Dunhuang, Chine
Tao Te King
Calligraphie du Tao Te King de Dunhuang, Chine
Taoists
Liang Kai, Saint Taoiste
Taoists
Wang Zhong Yu, Tao Yuan Ming, Grand poete taoiste
Taoists
Huang Shen, 8 saints Taoistes

Daoism : Links


Daoism / Neo Daoism, Cheng Xuan Ying, Guo Xiang, Ho Shang Gong, Invocations, Kou Houan, Kuo Hsiang, Lao Tzu, Li Daochun, Lü Dongbin, Sima Chengzhen, Tchuang Tzu, The 100 Diseases & Medicines, The Annals of Lu Buwei, The Dao De Che Gui, The Huai-Nan Tzu, The Jade Emperor’s Mind Seal, The Liezi, The Qing Jing Jing, The Sanlun yuanzhi, The Su Shu, The Tai Shang Gan Yin Pian, The Tai Shang Lao Jun Jie Jing, The Tai Shang Sheng Xuan Xiao Zai Hu Ming Miao Jing, The Tai Shang Xu hang tian Zun Si Shi Jui Zhang Jing, The Tai Shang Xuan Ling Bei Dou Ben Ming Yan Sheng Zhen Jing, The treatise on the unseen merits, The Yellow Emperor’s scripture of the Unconscious Unification, The Yunji Qiqian, Treatise of the Most Exalted One on Cause and Effect, Wang Bi, Wenzi, Wu Yun, Zhang Bo Duan, etc.

External Link Charter

All links to religious organisation are forbidden. Only links to informative content Website are approved. If you find any link in contradiction with our charter, please let us know by email.

External Links
Pictures : Daoist Calligraphy
On line Books : On line Books about Daoism
History : History of Daoism
Study : Study: Zen and Taoism: Common and Uncommon Grounds of Discourse


home