Taoism is practiced as a religion in various Asian
communities, but its theology is not foundationally dependent on the existence
of an anthropomorphic godlike figurehead (even though some communities do
worship Laozi as the attributed founder of the philosophical doctrine, as well
as other deities from ancient Chinese folklore); on a theological basis, the
Taoist religion has more affinities with pantheistic traditions around the
world, given its philosophical emphasis on the formlessness of the Tao and the
primacy of the "Way" rather than anthropomorphic concepts of
"God".
The Way is the core and essence of Taoism, and the
major theme of Tao Te Ching, the oldest and most important classic on Taoism.
It can be described as the idea of the primordial natural law on which the
entire universe has been given its shape and mechanics. Also, this law keeps on
ruling how all things in the world behave.
Taoism tends to emphasize various themes of the I
Ching, the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi, such as naturalness, spontaneity,
simplicity, detachment from desires, and most important of all, wu wei. However,
the concepts of those keystone texts cannot be equated with Taoism as a whole.
Wu Wei, Non-action, is one of the most famous Taoist
concepts, repeatedly pointed out in Tao Te Ching, the great Taoist classic. We
should not hurry to action, since most things in the world take care of
themselves if left alone. And when we act, we should do so cautiously, or we
might destroy more than we solve.
Laozi is traditionally regarded as the founder of
Taoism and is closely associated in this context with "original" or
"primordial" the Five Phases), which developed during the Warring
States period (4th Taoism. Whether he actually existed is disputed; however,
the work attributed to him – the Tao Te Ching – is dated to the late 4th
century BCE.
Taoism draws its cosmological foundations from the
School of Naturalists (in the form of its main elements – yin and yang and
centuries BC) to 3rd
Tao
Laozi -Tzu says: Tao is one. It was in the beginning.
It will remain forever. It is Impersonal, eternal, immutable, omnipresent,
bodiless, and immaterial. It cannot be perceived by the senses. It is nameless.
It is indescribable.
It is the first cause from which all substances take
their origin and all phenomena flow. The great Tao is all-pervading. All things
depend on it for life. It is the mother of all phenomena, of heaven and earth.
It existed before the Personal God. It is the father of God. It is the producer
of God. It is the originator of heaven and earth. It is the mother of all
things.
That one who sees the Supreme Reality existing in
all things and not perishing when they cease to exist, truly sees.
Bhagavad Gita 13:27
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