The Daoist way

Belief systems tend to come with rules and approved practices. These include rituals, rules about food, and laws. Daoism, sometimes called Taoism, is somewhat different. Daoism generally avoids strict systems of rules and laws. Daoism is a Chinese belief system centered on a practice of inaction called wu wei. That might sound like Daoists believe in doing nothing, but that’s not quite right. Instead, it means that a person should do nothing that conflicts with the Dao. So what is the Dao?

The Dao means “the way,” and it is the natural order of the universe. Daoists try to be in harmony with this natural order. Instead of following particular rules, Daoists try to create a sense of naturalness called ziran. Daoists believe that being in tune with nature will help them avoid violence, suffering, and struggle.

The Dao De Jing is a Daoist text from around the year 500 CE. The title is sometimes translated as “the Way and Its Power.” The text describes the central philosophy of Daoism like this:

“Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.

Therefore, the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn’t possess,
acts but doesn’t expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.”

The text emphasizes how important it is to balance opposites and obey the natural order of things. Usually, the legendary Chinese thinker Laozi is considered the author of The Dao De Jing. However, historians do not know much about Laozi and are unsure if he existed at all. Some think he may have lived at the same time as another Chinese thinker named Confucius. Confucius’ ideas are the basis of another belief system called Confucianism.

Even if Laozi and Confucius never met, their belief systems have important similarities. In fact, the term “dao” is also used in Confucian thought. However, Daoists and Confucianists disagree about what dao means. For Confucians, dao means living in a fair and ethical way. Unlike Daoists, Confucianists place great emphasis on strict rules. By contrast, Daoists believe that nature, not people, controls how things change. Therefore, humans and their rules are less important. Confucianists also focus on culture and civilized society. In contrast, Daoists see culture as unnatural and unnecessary. One powerful Daoist symbol is the image of a piece of uncarved wood. Uncarved wood represents how simple nature is when humans do not try to change it.

Daoism and society

Although Daoism is not focused on action or rituals, Daoists do have a number of practices. Some of these practices impact the ways both communities and individuals act. These include meditation and certain forms of martial arts.

In general, Daoists have stayed out of government. They prefer to live naturally and simply. Wealth, status, and fame were all big no-nos for Daoists. Instead, Daoists promoted a lifestyle of small, self-sufficient communities in harmony with nature. This meant that Daoists stayed away from many aspects of Chinese culture and society, including language and education.

Daoists believe in living simply. This meant using simple clothes, food, houses, and forms of entertainment. This belief had many effects on society. Both Confucianists and Daoists believed that the family unit was incredibly important. However, Confucianists created a clear divide between men and women. Daoists on the other hand did not create such a sharp divide between genders. Daoist women were permitted to be religious figures and teachers. In fact, the Dao De Jing places a positive emphasis on things that are often associated with women. Women are often connected to things like fertility, softness, and submission. Still, some of these associations are not necessarily true.

The ancient principle of yin and yang is another part of Daoism. The idea is that society is made up of opposites that exist harmoniously together. In Daoist belief systems, yin and yang also symbolize the masculine and the feminine. The yin is considered feminine, and a necessary and natural part of the universe.

Although they have differences, Confucianism and Daoism have both influenced Chinese society in significant ways. In fact, some people saw the two systems as a yin and yang that balanced each other out. Confucianism guided public life, while Daoism influenced personal life. Different belief systems like Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, have influenced Chinese cultures for centuries. They continue to play a role in Chinese communities today.