Taoism: The Path of Inner Harmony

  Taoism is one of the oldest religions and philosophies in the world.  It has been practiced for thousands of years and has assisted its practitioners with incredible health vitality and longevity.   Although it has no official beginning it is…

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Taoism is one of the oldest religions and philosophies in the world.  It has been practiced for thousands of years and has assisted its practitioners with incredible health vitality and longevity.   Although it has no official beginning it is thought to have organized itself as a religion due to a combination of practices which include nature religion and ancient philosophical practices.

Date Created: November 15, 2022

Introduction

If longevity perfect physical, mental, and energetical health are important to you then Taoism might be the perfect discipline for you to learn and practice.  Taoism is a school of philosophical study and relation that share ideas of the Chinese cosmology.  And in this little article we will discuss some of the fundamental principles of Taoism for the lay person and as it relates to the Psion.  The topics include; what is Taoism, where it comes from, and its importance in our lives.

Let us start with defining the term Tao and move to the other very interesting areas of study.

What is The Tao?

Let start by attempting to explain the Tao with a famous quote by the ascribed author Laozi (老子).

1 The Tao that can be told

is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be named

is not the eternal name.  Lao Tzu

So then, what is the Tao in lay terms?  It is something that cannot be taught except through personal experience.  It is something that cannot be held by the written or spoken word.  It is a self-evident truth.  To practice “being” in The Way, one must seek that which is in harmony to you and your universe.

So, to focus upon living in harmony means you are in harmony with the TAO.  When one is referring to the Tao we loosely translated because one can get a glimpse of understanding the WAY only through non-understanding. nondescription and just moving into the space that is seemingly, instantly presents itself just at the perfect time.

The Origin of the Tao?

Approach it and you will not see a beginning.
follow it and there will be no end.
When we grasp the Tao of the ancient ones,
we can use it to direct our life today.
To know the ancient origin of Tao:
this is the beginning of wisdom.

The roots of Taoism go back at least to the 4th century BCE where it is thought that early Taoism drew its cosmological notions from the School of Yinyang (Naturalists).   It is expounded in a philosophical system developed to keep human behavior in accordance with the alternating cycles of nature and therefore in harmony and balance.  The principles of Taoism are presented in The Tao Te Ching, which is a book that is attributed to the author Laozi (老子), along with later writings of Zhuangzi.  Lao tzu was born in the 6th Century B.C. in Chu Jen, Chu, China and he died in the late 4th century BCE possibly in Qin, China.  It is not certain how old he was when he died.  Some sources claim he lived one hundred and fifty years, some say more than two hundred years.  It is no doubt that the root cause of his longevity was his personal philosophy written the in the Tao Te Ching.

The Tao Te Ching is translated as The Classic of the Way and its Virtue or Power.  Virtue always contains within its nature power and thus The Tao Te Ching.  The Tao Te Ching is a very short book of 18 short chapters and 38 pages long.  It can be easily read within a couple of hours.  Its fruits though are not to be eaten all in one single gulp but are to be slowly chewed and even more slowly digested.  For within its subtext the space between the lines are found the outline of virtue and its associated power.

In Psionic Circles we are interested in The Way because once understood it defines a way of being that increases one’s field of energy almost without effort.  It is a means of aligning the individual to its higher and highest sources and using this energy to create one’s universe.  The Tao is the source of everything and includes the ultimate principles underlying all reality.

What is the Importance of The Tao in Our Lives?

Taoism teaches discipline for achieving perfection through self-cultivation. This can be done through the use of special techniques and through becoming one with the natural rhythms of the all.   Taoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize wu wei (action without intention), naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity and the Three Treasures: frugality (儉), compassion (慈,), and humility (不敢爲天下先) .

Some of Taoism’s practice is to work with the energy of the universe.  There is rich symbolism that are the foundation of the I Ching.   Taoist practices lie in the domains of health and wellbeing as well as healing.  It has more than five thousand years of integration within the Asian culture.

There are a number of Chinese Masters that have taught the Tao(ism) as a Way of life from the Ancients to Modern Day.  We have listed over 31 and over time we will showcase each of the Masters and their contribution to Taoism.  Suffice it is to say that many of these men and a couple women lived very very long healthy lives.  So perhaps the greatest importance of Taoism is to give us a road map to a better healthier life.

Thank you for reading!

Ancient Masters

Laozi (601 BCE–531 BCE) (Founder of Philosophical Taoism)
Wenzi (c. 5th century BCE)
Lie Yukou (Liezi) (c. 400 BCE)
Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu) (c. 4th century BCE)
Guiguzi (c. 2nd century BCE)
Yang Xiong (53 BCE–18)
Wei Boyang (c. 142)
Ge Xuan (164–244)
Zhang Jiao (d. 184)
He Yan (195–249)
Zhang Daoling (Zhang Ling) (c. 2nd century)
Zhongli Quan (c. 2nd century) (Legendary figure)
Zhang Lu (d. 216)
Wang Bi (226–249)
Wei Huacun (252–334)
Ge Hong (284–364)
Pao Ching-yen (c. 3rd century)
Guo Xiang (Kuo Hsiang) (d. 312)
Kou Qianzhi (365-448)
Lu Xiujing (406–477)
Tao Hongjing (456–536)
Sun Simiao (d. 682)
Li Bi (722–789)
Lü Dongbin (c. 750–)
Chen Tuan (871–989)
Wang Chongyang (1113–1170)
Sun Bu’er (c. 1119–1182)
Qiu Chuji (1148 – 23 July 1227)
Zhang Sanfeng (b. 12th century) (Legendary figure)
Zhang Sicheng (d. 1344)
Liu Yiming (1734–1821)

Modern

Moy Lin-shin (1931–1998)
Shi Zhouren (1934–2021)
Wang Liping (born 1949)
Wu Chengzhen (born 1957)

Copyright 2019-2024 Sabrina Renee Lemire

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