Cults and World Religions
Taoism
This is the mystical religion of China, the religion of the Yang and Yin. Its founder is Lao-tzu (604-517 B.C.), whom many scholars believe was a legend rather than a real person. His name means “Old Master.”
Tao is difficult to translate or comprehend. It loosely means way, path or eternal principle and is said to be the mother of 10,000 visible things. The concept is one of a creative force which orders the cosmos, life, and reason.
The Taoist canon is known as the Tao Tsang and consists of around 1,120 volumes.
The wise man is to lead a life of reflection and quiet passiveness. Violence is to be avoided in all forms. Taoism is a monistic philosophy asserting that all things are an expression of the Tao. In other words, All-is-One, including contradictory items such as light and dark or good and evil. Nature is full of conflict between the Yang and Yin. However, all things become one at the center. There is no personal god or creator. The Chinese turned Taoism into a folk religion used to control the spirits. It became a religion of magic, superstition, witchcraft, and occultism.
Yang |
Yin |
Male |
Female |
Good |
Evil |
Active |
Passive |
Light |
Darkness |
Heaven |
Earth |
Sun |
Moon |
Summer |
Winter |
Positive |
Negative |
Life |
Death |
Both Taoism and Confucianism commenced as a philosophy which has changed as its religion developed. The significance of the original philosophy of Taoism, apart from its magical, mystical practice, is the importation into Western culture. It, together with Zen Buddhism, have become extremely popular in the Syncretistic movements which are merging into New Age. And, it must be remembered that Japanese Zen Buddhism was a combination of Indian Buddhism and Chinese Taoism.
