(8) TAO
Wu wei – or Tao and the art of doing nothing effectively.
Like Zen, Taoism can resemble a mythology but of masters of the Tao rather than gods or heroes – and that’s even before you get to how Taoism is intertwined with Chinese folk religion, alchemy, astrology, martial arts, feng shui and chi or qi, let alone pantheons of deities such as the Three Pure Ones or the Jade Emperor.
Taoism emphasizes living in balance or harmony with the Tao, which is variously interpeted but I prefer its interpretation as the Way – the natural order of the universe or cosmos that human intuition must discern in order to realize the potential for individual wisdom. Like the Matrix (which was also influenced by Taoism or at least other Asian religions), you cannot be told about the Tao, you have to see it for yourself – “this intuitive knowing of ‘life’ cannot be grasped as a concept; it is known through actual living experience of one’s everyday being”. Some of the most common metaphors for the Way essentially involve going with the flow – depicting the Tao as a fluid force like water.
Perhaps its most famous visual symbol is the taijitu, better known as the yin-yang symbol – encapsulating much of the concepts of Taoism within it – which of course I used as the feature image for this entry
Taoism advocates naturalness, spontaneity, simplicity, detachment from desire, and wu wei. The Taoist concept of wu wei is a particular favorite of mine, often translated as the art of doing nothing effectively. Finally – a religious doctrine which I’ve spent my whole life practicing to achieve, although to be honest I’m not sure if I’ve been doing it effectively
RATING: 4 STARS****
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