Daoism Experience

reverence your name, both small and great— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” This passage is a warning to those who defile the earth and so we must behave on earth as we would in heaven.

Daoism (sometimes spelled Taoism) is a belief system that was founded by Lao Tzu in China in the 6th century (500s) BCE. Daoism’s sacred text is called the Tao-Te Ching (sometimes spelled Dao-De-Jing) and supposedly contains the teachings of Lao Tzu.

The Tao Te Ching is a 81 chapter book written by Lao Tzu. It’s wisdom is entirely immortal and focuses mostly on the theology of Taoism and explaining how Tao is part of our lives and how we as people can become part of the Tao. In the 81st chapter of the book, Lao Tzu describes to us a village of people and how they live their lives. In my analysis of this chapter I have come to agree with Lao Tzu in that this is the way that enlightened people live their lives and that living any other way than this will only lead to conflict

The yin and yang, opposites, balanced and held together as aspect of an inseparable whole. Is not clear to me how the two are balanced. How could we balance good and evil? Some logic applies to some opposites such as male and female, black or white, life or death. There is a balance between them; however, how could you balance the good and evil around you? I guess is where the meditation techniques and recognizing what is good or bad and how to deal and live with it, is the Daoist belief. The statement that “wisdom lies in recognizing their ever-shifting, but regular and balanced, pattern and moving with them.” This creative rhythm of the universe is called the Dao, or “way.”

16. What is Daoism? How did Daoism impact China? Why was China able to accept two very different belief systems, Daoism and Confucianism? Daoism is a philosophy created by Laozi that is focused on introspection and gaining harmony natural principles of the world.

When caring for Taoist’s patients, the most important thing to remember is their need to restore balance. For them, this may not be achieved through traditional medical practice; however, this does not mean that we should do nothing. Taoists do not believe in artificial or arbitrary healing. Healing must be natural and spontaneous (Tai, 2009). If we try to force medical treatments on them, it may in turn do more harm than good and cause great suffering. Taoists see artificial treatment as a source of evil; however, if the treatment follows the flow of Tao, it is regarded as natural and therefore allowed (Tai, 2009). For example, if a Taoist patient is in need of mechanical ventilation to sustain life, it is no longer natural. The only way to natural care for that patient, without disrupting the Tao, is to provide palliative care and ultimately let the

The Luohan are characterized in Buddhist scriptures as forest or mountain dwellers, descriptions which made them sound like the Daoist masters who withdrew to the mountains in search of immortality. Chinese works of art often present luohan in landscape settings like those used in the portrayal of Doaist masters. The association of Buddhist monks and Daoist sages was made not only on the basis of their similar preference for wilderness retreats, but also because both were believed to have wonder-working powers over life and death and over the immense forces of nature. Buddhist writings make much of the correlation between enlightenment and supernatural abilities such as controlling nature and extending one’s life, powers associated with Daoist

In the Daoist text the Tao Teh Ching, there is mention of the idea of an empty bowl. This concept is very important and can be applied to many aspects of Daoist practice. When thinking of a bowl we understand it as something that is to be filled. However, as it is referred to in the Tao Teh Ching it is the empty space inside the bowl that gives it purpose. Metaphorically the bowl is a representation of our mind. If we fill our mind and in turn close it off to any new understanding we our limiting our potential. One of the most important concepts in Daoism is Wei Wu Wei, or, action without action. Like water bending and moving through a stream it is believed that people should act accordingly to nature not challenging or trying to act

While the Way can be considered an intangible idea of how to live your life, others believe it is an omnipotent force that shapes all things and cannot be named. Confucianists believe the former, where they have a superior chance of achieving a better life through ritual. Daoists, however, trust in nonaction, in not interfering with nature, to have a better and longer life. Conversely, the Daoist idea can only hold true in an ideal society, since it would be hard to employ. I will argue that a Confucianist society is better, because it relies on action in a society, the use of virtue with rituals to learn, and the overall betterment of the self to create order in the community as a means of reaching Way.

This self-will cultivation helps build a solid physical and spiritual foundation for the ultimate goals of Daoist pursuits: to be one internally possessing a harmonious balance with the flowing and natural external world. A practical system that finds its roots as far back to the fourth century BCE while being influenced from the core philosophies and ideas of Daoism laid down by Laozi and Zhuang Zhou, qigong was incorporated into Daoist texts and philosophies around the 7th century AD in the Tang Dynasty (Hansen, 2017). Through the passing of time and development, modernized views and categorical necessity have divided the original practice into varying forms and methods that still fit underneath the scope of qigong. Many of the core values and motives remain consistent throughout qigong’s varieties and in other similar self physical meditations: to enhance the well being of the soul by reguiding our stagnant energy in the body, causing it to flow more naturally throughout to promote harmony within. Qi itself is takes form into a variety of

Confucian and Daoist views were important for the shaping and development of mankind in the past. They were views that existed among the eastern Asian countries. They had both similarities and differences in the way they shaped out self-knowledge and self-cultivation. Also there was other outside forces that played a major role in their theories. Nature and art were said to have helped shape the human race as we know it.

I like to speak from experience most of the time. This is what happened, this is what I should have done, or this is what I did, are phrases I use every day. Daoism teaches to let go of that thinking. That I should not allow these experiences be baggage that influences my “now”. This is thinking in the past, and colors my perspective of things.

I never agreed with people when they told me not to worry about what others think and to focus only on myself. However, upon hearing my best friend tell me that I don’t care about others, the sadness I felt made me realize that this idea is not true. Even though some individuals believe that thinking only of yourself is beneficial, this mindset is bad as it leads you to be selfish, it is critiqued by society, and it offers very few advantages.

This is one of the more well known scenes in the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and its movie adaptation. I chose this clip for various reasons and I feel it holds importance not only to me but many others as well. I have had trouble my entire life with self esteem and my reliance on what other people say to me. The largest contributor to this is the mental abuse that i have experienced for many years. It has often gone to the point where I stopped believing I was worth anything and I had absolutely no clue why I had any friends or why my family put up with me. This is why the key line, “We accept the love we think we deserve,” is important to me.

According to Virginia Satir individuals that received adequate love and validation, will be people who know that they are lovable, know how to take care of themselves physically and emotionally, are comfortable with intimacy, and are able to get along well in society. In other words – these people posess self esteem. (Barbara Jo Brothers, 1991, pg 142-144)