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Roadmap
philosophy
the taoteachings
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Notes
I thinkt the Tai Chi page is kind of meh. Will rewrite or expand at some point in time.
Add images at some point later, maybe when i'm done with all pages for taoism
Updates
26/4/25 - added diet and Feng Shui
25/4/25 - added deities, tai chi, meditation, history, priests, sects and cosmology
24/4/25 - created the page for the religion page and china page, also added some mock subpages. finished the tao and teachings (though many notes aren't done)
Taoism can be divided into philosophical Taosim (Daojia) and religious Taoism (Daojiao). Taoism started around 400-300 B.C.E. with the book Tao Te Ching/Daodejing, written by Laozi. It's filled with 81 short chapters called verses, serving as the main principles of which Taoism, both religious and philosophical, are based upon. Note that Tao Te Ching is not at all a religious text, lacking mentions of anything godly or of worship.
Laozi
Laozi, or Lao Tzu is the man credited with Tao Te Ching, though his existence is disputed. One legend states that Laozi, an archivist done with civilization, leaves the government of the Zhou Dynasty. A guard who passed him was taken aback by his wisdom and begged him to document his teachings before leaving the Zhou Dynasty. Laozi gave in and wrote the entirety of the Tao Te Ching before vanishing.
Philosophical Taoism (Daojia)
Philopsohical Taosim teaches that you should align with the unnameable, natural order (the Tao) of the universe and embracing simplicity and harmony. One should not be lazy, but act practically without unnecessary struggle. You should also not stay fixated on objects (materialism) and find the good in the bad. Instead of trying to seek fame or wealth, one should work towards the betterment of the inner self.
Religious Taoism (Daojiao)
Religious Taoism believes that the Tao isn't just a concept, but it's an omnipotent, omnipresent power that governs everything in the universe. Religious Taoism has its own pantheon of Gods, the most important of which being the Three Pure Ones. They are Yuanshi Tianzun (Creator of the universe), Lingbao Tianzun (God of wisdom) & Daode Tianzun (God of virtue, oftentimes compared to Laozi). These three are the manifestation of the Tao.
The Creation of Daojiao
Taoism, from 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E., started to get mixed with Chinese folk religion and ancestor worship. Laozi started to be seen as a a god, Lord Lao and magic (alchemy) started to get used in order to achieve immortality. In 2nd century CE the Tianshi Dao or 'The Way of the Celestial Masters' was founded, a Taoist religious organization. The Tianshi Dao had their own preists and started preaching Taoism.
Tang Dynasty
Under the rule of Emperor Xuangzong (religious) Taoism become Tang China's state religion. Taoist temples were built and religious scriptures were written. The adoption of Taoism as the state religion helped Taoism soar in population, all across China proper.