Taoism(道教简介--英文版)

Madeby:AndySunTaoism(orDaoism)isaphilosophical,ethical,politicalandreligioustraditionofChineseoriginthatemphasizeslivinginharmonywiththeTao(alsocalledasDao).ThetermTaomeansway,pathorprinciple,andcanalsobefoundinChinesephilosophiesandreligionsotherthanTaoism.LaoziistraditionallyregardedasthefounderofTaoismInTaoism,however,Taodenotessomethingthatisboththesourceof,andtheforcebehind,everythingthatexists.The“way”becomesclearwhenoneisinconstantmediationwithallthoughtsbeingsubconsciouslyregulatedoutsidethestateofmentalstillness.Althoughemotionswilldrivethoughts,anabsolutechoiceremains.Taoliterallymeansway,butcanalsobeinterpretedasroad,channel,path,doctrine,orline.InTaoism,itistheOne,whichisnatural,spontaneous,eternal,nameless,andindescribable.Itisatoncethebeginningofallthingsandthewayinwhichallthingstaketheircourse.“TheactiveexpressionofTaoiscalledTe，inasensethatTeresultsfromanindividuallivingandcultivatingtheTao.actionwithoutintentTaoistphilosophyproposesthattheuniverseworksharmoniouslyaccordingtoitsownways.Whensomeoneexertstheirwillagainsttheworld,theydisruptharmony.Taoismdoesnotidentifyone'swillastherootproblem.Rather,itassertsthatonemustplacetheirwillinharmonywiththenaturaluniverse.TaoismdrawsitscosmologicalnotionsfromthetenetsoftheSchoolofYinYang,theTaoTeChing,acompactandambiguousbookcontainingteachingsattributedtoLaozi.TheTaoTeChingisdatedtothelate4thcenturyBCE,whichiswidelyconsideredaskeystonework.TogetherwiththewritingsofZhuangzi,thesetwotextsbuildthephilosophicalfoundationofTaoism.TheTaothatcanbetoldisnottheeternalTao道可道非常道Thenamethatcanbenamedisnottheeternalname.“名可名非常名Today,TaoismisoneoffivereligionsofficiallyrecognizedinChina.BeyondChina,TaoismalsohadinfluenceonsurroundingsocietiesinAsia.AChinesephilosopherdefinesTaoismthus:earlyformscomefromunderstandingandexperienceoftheTao.ExperienceoftheTaoisanirreducibleelementoftheformationandtransformationofChineseexperienceoftheultimate.[Thanksforyourattention!