Topic > The Origin of Taoism and the Lessons It Teaches

Taoism was a religion born and developed in China. It is a collection of the tradition of ancient Chinese cultures. The philosophy and practices of Taoism emphasize living in harmony with the Tao (the way). Taoism has not been found by anyone, but Lao Tzu is the most popular as the writer of Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching is a book of poems that presents the simple way to follow the Tao and live life in peace. A typical verse from the Tao Te Ching says: 'Believe and overcome/Empty and become full/Bend and become straight', which means that instead of fighting against fate, you can learn to be grateful for what you have and let it things that are not important go. Instead of insisting that you are always right, you can abandon this kind of pride and be open to learning from others. Instead of clinging to old beliefs and clinging to the past, it is possible to bend to new ways of living. Taoism is also strongly associated with the Yin Yang symbol, which symbolizes the Taoist belief in matched opposites. However, the true meaning of Yin Yang is far deeper than a simple black and white symbol, and even though the world is made up of matched opposites, it is not a simple matter of “this versus that”. After all, there is no ethical dimension, light is not "better" than darkness just as summer is not "better" than winter; they are simply different. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In its early days, Taoism was a high-level culture and widely pursued by upper-class society. It is under the encouragement of Taoist experts, emperors and kings to achieve immortality. But starting in the 12th century, Taoism began to decline due to changing government attitudes and the emergence of new religions and beliefs. Because of this, Taoism began to spread into lower-class society. Taoism in popular society had become stronger and more influential. This influence spread from the lower classes as people had vulgar faith in their religions due to illiteracy. The doctrine of Taoism was later modified to accommodate the large number of adherents. During this progress, the Taoists were of low quality and very limited to the new doctrine. They would only carry forward some normal traits and traditions of Taoism. The original norm of Taoism began to decline and develop into something different. Superstitious activities such as fortune telling and many drawings develop in Chinese folk society. Many similarities between the characteristics of Taoism have been adapted to the culture of today's Chinese society, which still truly believes in prediction. It is evidence that the practices of Taoism were not only influential in early China but also in modern Chinese folk society. Taoism teaches me to let whatever happens happen and avoid complaining. Arguing with reality is useless and is something we will never win. In verse 76 of the Tao Te Ching we read: “Rigidity is the companion of death/flexibility is the companion of life. An army that cannot yield will be defeated. A tree that cannot bend will break in the wind.” Life is a succession of experiences: the nature of life. Both good and bad, pleasant and painful, happy and sad. By understanding the Tao Te Ching, I realize that nothing can change the nature of life, all I can do is change how I respond to it. By accepting that this is simply the nature of reality, I learn to flow with life. Letting the wind blow when it wants, letting our branches bend and thus “give in to win”. Every experience is only temporary. Even nature with all its.