Lao Tzu is considered the founder of Taoism in China in the 6th century BC. He authored the Tao Te Ching, which outlines Taoist philosophical concepts like wu wei or non-action. Over time, Taoism developed religious elements with a pantheon of deities and practices like alchemy. Major Taoist sects emerged like the Way of the Celestial Masters founded in the 2nd century CE. Taoism today continues through religious organizations, with the White Cloud Temple in Beijing considered an important center.

1. TTaaooiissmm

2. Lao Tzu (604 BC - 531 BC)
•ffaatthheerr ooff TTaaooiissmm
•aattttrriibbuuttee wwiitthh tthhee wwrriittiinngg ooff TTaaoo--
ttee CChhiinngg
–"tao" - the way or the path
–"te" - virtue
–"ching" - laws
•HHee bbeelliieevveedd ““ssiimmpplliicciittyy”” ttoo bbee tthhee
kkeeyy ttoo ttrruutthh aanndd ffrreeeeddoomm
“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”
- LAO TZU

3. • In this way,Taoist philosophy reached out to
council rulers and advise them of how to govern
their domains. Thus Taoism, in a peculiar and
roundabout way, became a political philosophy.
The formulation follows these lines:
The Tao ist sag e has no ambitio ns, the re fo re he can ne ve r
fail. He who ne ve r fails always succe e ds. And he who
always succe e ds is all- powe rful.

4. • When he was eighty years old he set out
for the western border of China, toward
what is now Tibet, saddened and
disillusioned that men were unwilling to
follow the path to natural goodness

5. Tao-te Ching
• a series of poems that can be considered to be a
work of philosophy, a treatise on how to run a
government, a how-to book for achieving a
balanced life, or a sage’s reflection of humanity
and the universe

6. Chuang Tzu: The Next Voice
• His style of writing with its
parables and conversations both
accessible while at the same time
pointing to deeper issues
• Chuang Tzu took the Taoist position
of Lao Tzu and developed it further
• he brought into Chinese philosophy
is that of self-transformation as a
central precept in the Taoist
process

7. " Once I, Chuang Tzu, dre ame d I was a
butte rfly and was happy as a butte rfly. I
was co nscio us that I was quite ple ase d with
myse lf, but I did no t know that I was Tzu.
Sudde nly I awo ke , and the re was I, visibly
Tzu. I do no t know whe the r it was Tzu
dre aming that he was a butte rfly o r the
butte rfly dre aming that he was Tzu.
Be twe e n Tzu and the butte rfly the re must be
some distinctio n. [But o ne may be the
o the r. ] This is calle d the transfo rmatio n o f
thing s. "

8. DDeevveellooppmmeenntt ooff
TTaaooiissmm
YYaanngg HHssiiuunngg
WWaanngg CChh''uunngg
HHuuaaii--NNaann TTzzuu
LLiieehh TTzzuu && YYaanngg CChhuu

9. Yang Hsiung (53 B.C. to 18 A.D.)
• was an exponent of what he called Tai
Hsuan (Great Mystery)
• This philosophy combined classical Taoism
with elements of Confucian ethics
• He is well known for his doctrine that
human nature is a mixture of good and evil.

10. "...To make clear the achievement of nature and throw
light on all things is called yang. To be hidden,
without form, deep and unfathomable, is called yin.
Yang knows yang but does not know yin. Yin knows
yin but does not know yang. The Profound Principle
alone knows both yin and yang, both going and
stopping, and both darkness and light."
--Tai Hsuan Ching

11. Wang Ch'ung(27 to 100 A.D.)
• Like Yang Hsiung he was a Taoist in
terms of his metaphysics which he
combined with certain Confucian ideas.
He was less interested in ethics and
more concerned with human
institutions, however.

12. •He declared that Heaven takes no direct action;
that natural events occur spontaneously; that there
is no such thing as teleology; that fortune and
misfortune come by chance; and that man does not
become a ghost at death. In all these beliefs is stood
against a prevailing current of superstition and
divination.

13. Huai-Nan Tzu
(died 122 B.C.) [born Liu An]
• was a prince of Huai-Nan and a
fervent Taoist.
• He was not original in his writings but
gave Taoism further prominence. He
came to a tragic end as he plotted a
rebellion, failed and committed
suicide

14. Lieh Tzu & Yang Chu
• Taoism is the hedonism
• Taoism is the pessimism

15. Yang Chu (440 to 360 B.C. )
• hedonism - school of thought that
argues that pleasure is the only
intrinsic good
• intrinsic good

16. Lieh Tzu (5th century B.C.)
• pessimism - it is a philosophy or
worldview that directly challenges
the notion of progress and what may
be considered the faith-based claims
of optimism
• extensial value

17. RReelliiggiioouuss TTaaooiissmm
TTaaooiisstt PPrraaccttiicceess aanndd BBeelliieeffss
TTaaooiisstt SSeeccttss
HHiissttoorryy ooff RReelliiggiioouuss TTaaooiissmm

18. Taoist Practices and Beliefs
• This 'religious' Taoism had its own
temples, priests, rites and symbolic
images. Lao Tsu was venerated as a 'saint'
and imperial sacrifices were made to him.
It drew strongly upon the ideas of yin-yang
and of the 'Five Agents' (metal,
wood, water, fire & earth)

19. • During this time there began to develop
a pantheon of TAOIST DEITIES which
were often venerated as gods.
• Among the important features of
Taoist religion were the belief in
physical immortality, alchemy, breath
control and hygiene (internal alchemy).
It supported a pantheon of deities,
including Lao Tzu as one of the three
'Supreme Ones'

20. • There is considerable evidence that this
religious Taoism came to take on many
'Tantric' elements, in which the worship
of yin-yang takes on a distinctly sexual
and erotic form. The interplay of yin
and yang elements is represented, and
celebrated, as a sexual union.

22. Headquarter: • White Cloud Temple,
Beijing, China
Taoi sm has no cent ral i zed
aut hori t y and di f f erent
s ec t s have di f f erent
headquart ers . However,

23. Taoism did not exist as an organized
religion until the Way of the Celestial
Masters sect was founded in 142 C.E. by
Zhang Daoling

24. Taoist Sects
Among the principal Taoist sects to emerge
were:
• The Heavenly (or CCeelleessttiiaall)) MMaasstteerrss sseecctt,
founded in West China in the second century A.D.
It was founded by Chang Tao-ling (AD 34?-156?)
who reputedly possessed remarkable healing
powers. It advocated faith healing through the
confession of sin and at one time recruited
members as soldiers and engaged in war against
the government.

25. In the 11th century, the sect obtained a large
tract in Jiangxi province that remained an
important Taoist center until 1927. The sect still
flourishes in Taiwan and continues to pay homage
to Zhang Daoling, who is regarded as immortal.

26. • TThhee SSuupprreemmee PPeeaaccee sseecctt, also founded in the
second century A.D., adopted practices much
like those of the Heavenly Master sect and
launched a great rebellion that went on for
several years before ending in 205 A.D.
• TThhee MMaaoo--sshhaann ((MMoouunntt MMaaoo)) sseecctt, founded in
the 4th century, introduced rituals involving
both external and internal alchemies,
mediumistic practice, and visionary
communication with divinities.

27. • The Ling-pao (Marvelous TTrreeaassuurree)) sseecctt, also
founded in the 4th century, introduced the
worship of divinities called T'ien-tsun
(Heavenly Lords).
• TThhee CChh''uuaann--cchheenn ((CCoommpplleetteellyy RReeaall)) sseecctt was
founded in the 12th century as a Taoist
monastic movement.
• EEvveennttuuaallllyy tthhee HHeeaavveennllyy MMaasstteerr sseecctt
absorbed most of the beliefs and practices of
the other sects and, in the 20th century,
became the most popular Taoist group.

28. History of Religious Taoism

29. Lao Tzu - Quotes
• Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness.
- Lao-tzu
• A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
- Lao-tzu
• He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know.
- Lao-tzu
• He who knows others is wise;
He who know himself is enlightened.
- Lao-tzu
• He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the
empire.
- Lao-tzu

30. 'doing nothing' one could 'accomplish everything.'