There aren't many Daoists out there (102 with the symbol on CF, many of whom are not Daoists), and even fewer who would actually admit to being a Daoist. But upon seeing this, fraught with inaccuracy:
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aiia/letter-taoism.html
I'm struck by the fact that mine is a religion few people actually know the first thing about, apart from what you can find on the Internet.
So, in case there is interest, I decided to prop up a forum to prove I actually have a religion
and to answer questions if any exist. I also did this in case other Daoists want to discuss or debate Daoism. As a rather personalized religion, Daoism is open to a lot of interpretation and discussion. Most Daoists don't really care, though, as most of us have no desire to change someone else's world-view.
Anyway, the basics that most Daoists would agree upon, to cover any preliminary queries:
Daoism is actually three religions: an organized religion, a folk religion, and a personal religion (the latter is usually called Philosophical Daoism). The first two are most commonly found in China. I can only speak to Philosophical Daoism, so when I speak about Daoism from now on I'm referring to that specific religion.
Daoism is primarily based on a short book of poetry called the Dao De Jing, attributed to someone called Lao Tsu (but there are probably multiple authors in reality). The book Zhuangzi, attributed to an author of the same name (again, probably multiple authors), is also emphasized. Philosophical Daoism in particular has been somewhat influential in Western philosophy in recent years.
Primary tenets of Daoism include belief in an apophatic, non-anthropomorphic deity, called the Dao or "The Way". Roughly, this represents the way in which things work in the Universe. "Apophatic" means it is impossible to fully define the Dao in anything other than negative language. This is because the Dao is larger and truer than our language and minds are able to grasp; if I called it "good" or "wise" I would immediately be wrong because I would be limiting the Dao to what I understand goodness and wisdom to be. The Dao is yet considered "good" in the same way that water is "good"; it sustains all things, both things we like (my family) and things we don't (mosquitos, bad people). The fact that water doesn't judge you when it refreshes you is exactly what makes it so good. Likewise, the Dao is there for both "good" and "evil" people; it makes no distinction, and this makes it fair and great.
Because of this, Daoism doesn't recognize "sin". But there are actions which attempt to go against the grain of the Dao, and while these are not sinful, they are seen as unwise and counterproductive to society and nature. Daoists see these as distractions from truth rather than evils. Daoism encourages certain virtues in making life decisions so that we can better know if we're acting in accordance with the Dao.
First among these is wu-wei, which means "acting without acting". This is probably the most misunderstood aspect of Daoism, as it may sound like "apathy" at first listen. Actually, wu-wei means "natural action"; acting without "trying too hard". This is similar to how the best dancers become part of a dance, rather than "trying" to dance. Daoism encourages people to have patience and wait until a course of action is clear before proceeding. Moral action is then seen as a natural consequence of following one's natural morality, so Daoism reinforces the idea that man is inherently a moral being. Daoists generally believe that rules and laws that restrict people's moral choices only serve (ironically) to make people crafty and immoral. This is true even when laws are not enforced. Daoism is paradoxically anti-religious and anti-science, but still embraces all means of living.
Above all virtues, Daoism espouses compassion for all things. To achieve this, we try not to get caught up in desires for oneself, which is seen as self-defeating. Moderation and humility are also stressed, as well as a sense of humor. The Dao De Jing contains a number of intentional ironies, including one where Lao Tsu boldly says, in a book of poetry, "Those who talk don't know, and those who know don't talk." Much of the book is also dedicated to teaching subtle leadership, where the best leader leads by example rather than by force, and does not take credit for the successes of her people. The idea that "the person who knows she has enough is truly rich" emphasizes that state of mind is more important than material gains.
Curiously, people usually ask me if Daoism is like The Force from Star Wars. It's a lot like that, actually, but there's no Light Side or Dark Side. It's all one side, and it's all an inexhaustible source for whatever you want it to be. Daoists may differ on how they justify the problem of pain, but I and many others feel that all experiences are valuable--including the bad ones, so the problem is not as apparent to us. There is not a consistent view on the afterlife in Daoism, so I won't comment on my views in this thread.
Daoism differs from Buddhism in than Daoism views all experiences as valuable and life as generally pleasant, whereas Buddhism views all life as suffering. Confucism differs from Daoism because it views life as inherently chaotic and in need of rules to correct people's actions, whereas Daoism puts its faith in people and believes that it is those very rules that cause immoral behavior. Curiously, there have been a number of famous philosophers who belong to both religions.
My main comfort from Daoism comes from knowing that the way things work will always right itself. If a politician I don't care for gets elected, I am reassured that if he truly is an unwise leader, people will see this for what it is eventually. Given time, people learn, and nature and society grow. Thus, I can always take comfort that things are working as they are supposed to; and over time, learn the wisdom that comes from "watching the show go by". As a Daoist, my interventions to help should be carefully pre-planned, and in tiny steps; these are the best ways to influence the future for the benefit of humankind.
Trickster
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-aiia/letter-taoism.html
I'm struck by the fact that mine is a religion few people actually know the first thing about, apart from what you can find on the Internet.
So, in case there is interest, I decided to prop up a forum to prove I actually have a religion
and to answer questions if any exist. I also did this in case other Daoists want to discuss or debate Daoism. As a rather personalized religion, Daoism is open to a lot of interpretation and discussion. Most Daoists don't really care, though, as most of us have no desire to change someone else's world-view.Anyway, the basics that most Daoists would agree upon, to cover any preliminary queries:
Daoism is actually three religions: an organized religion, a folk religion, and a personal religion (the latter is usually called Philosophical Daoism). The first two are most commonly found in China. I can only speak to Philosophical Daoism, so when I speak about Daoism from now on I'm referring to that specific religion.
Daoism is primarily based on a short book of poetry called the Dao De Jing, attributed to someone called Lao Tsu (but there are probably multiple authors in reality). The book Zhuangzi, attributed to an author of the same name (again, probably multiple authors), is also emphasized. Philosophical Daoism in particular has been somewhat influential in Western philosophy in recent years.
Primary tenets of Daoism include belief in an apophatic, non-anthropomorphic deity, called the Dao or "The Way". Roughly, this represents the way in which things work in the Universe. "Apophatic" means it is impossible to fully define the Dao in anything other than negative language. This is because the Dao is larger and truer than our language and minds are able to grasp; if I called it "good" or "wise" I would immediately be wrong because I would be limiting the Dao to what I understand goodness and wisdom to be. The Dao is yet considered "good" in the same way that water is "good"; it sustains all things, both things we like (my family) and things we don't (mosquitos, bad people). The fact that water doesn't judge you when it refreshes you is exactly what makes it so good. Likewise, the Dao is there for both "good" and "evil" people; it makes no distinction, and this makes it fair and great.
Because of this, Daoism doesn't recognize "sin". But there are actions which attempt to go against the grain of the Dao, and while these are not sinful, they are seen as unwise and counterproductive to society and nature. Daoists see these as distractions from truth rather than evils. Daoism encourages certain virtues in making life decisions so that we can better know if we're acting in accordance with the Dao.
First among these is wu-wei, which means "acting without acting". This is probably the most misunderstood aspect of Daoism, as it may sound like "apathy" at first listen. Actually, wu-wei means "natural action"; acting without "trying too hard". This is similar to how the best dancers become part of a dance, rather than "trying" to dance. Daoism encourages people to have patience and wait until a course of action is clear before proceeding. Moral action is then seen as a natural consequence of following one's natural morality, so Daoism reinforces the idea that man is inherently a moral being. Daoists generally believe that rules and laws that restrict people's moral choices only serve (ironically) to make people crafty and immoral. This is true even when laws are not enforced. Daoism is paradoxically anti-religious and anti-science, but still embraces all means of living.
Above all virtues, Daoism espouses compassion for all things. To achieve this, we try not to get caught up in desires for oneself, which is seen as self-defeating. Moderation and humility are also stressed, as well as a sense of humor. The Dao De Jing contains a number of intentional ironies, including one where Lao Tsu boldly says, in a book of poetry, "Those who talk don't know, and those who know don't talk."
Much of the book is also dedicated to teaching subtle leadership, where the best leader leads by example rather than by force, and does not take credit for the successes of her people. The idea that "the person who knows she has enough is truly rich" emphasizes that state of mind is more important than material gains.Curiously, people usually ask me if Daoism is like The Force from Star Wars. It's a lot like that, actually, but there's no Light Side or Dark Side. It's all one side, and it's all an inexhaustible source for whatever you want it to be. Daoists may differ on how they justify the problem of pain, but I and many others feel that all experiences are valuable--including the bad ones, so the problem is not as apparent to us. There is not a consistent view on the afterlife in Daoism, so I won't comment on my views in this thread.
Daoism differs from Buddhism in than Daoism views all experiences as valuable and life as generally pleasant, whereas Buddhism views all life as suffering. Confucism differs from Daoism because it views life as inherently chaotic and in need of rules to correct people's actions, whereas Daoism puts its faith in people and believes that it is those very rules that cause immoral behavior. Curiously, there have been a number of famous philosophers who belong to both religions.
My main comfort from Daoism comes from knowing that the way things work will always right itself. If a politician I don't care for gets elected, I am reassured that if he truly is an unwise leader, people will see this for what it is eventually. Given time, people learn, and nature and society grow. Thus, I can always take comfort that things are working as they are supposed to; and over time, learn the wisdom that comes from "watching the show go by". As a Daoist, my interventions to help should be carefully pre-planned, and in tiny steps; these are the best ways to influence the future for the benefit of humankind.
Trickster
