Example Of Essay On Taoism

The concept of religion is easy for most of the world’s population to grasp. Religion has a set of rules for its congregation to follow. In most cases, it has an idol to worship, as well. Religion typically insists you be kind, and sometimes it asks that you associate only with those in your religion. It appears, on the surface, that religion is nothing more than a guideline for how to live one’s life. However, there is often more than meets the eye when concerning religion. Philosophy plays a large part in many of them, particularly Eastern religions, such as Taoism, which asks its followers to consider the world outside themselves, and not concern themselves with things they cannot change. Taoism does not simply offer answers, but asks its followers to consider why we ask those questions, and offers guidance on how to live a happier life through its philosophies.
Taoism, also known as Daoism is an Eastern religion often associated with the Chinese culture; it offers several different philosophies for its followers to live by. One of which is referred to as Wu Wei, which literally translates into, “without doing, causing, or making,” according to Chung-yuan Chang’s, “Creativity and Taoism: A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art, and Poetry.” Essentially, Wu Wei is a philosophy that asks followers of Taoism to be flexible. There is an inherently natural force in all things around us, one of which that many battle against in an effort to keep things orderly and neat. In doing so, we often create more chaos. Much like a gentle flowing stream washing water around a large rock, the Wu Wei philosophy asks we be flexible like the water, creating space for ourselves, as well as the obstacles in our lives in order to live more peacefully with the things around us.
Another popular philosophy within Taoism is what Chuang Tse described as The Great Nothing . To Taoists, even Nothing was able to be Something, thus it was referred to as T’ai Hsu . It is a philosophy that suggests when we try to create something out of nothing we do not find what we are seeking, or we are unable to see what we need to see. Tse exemplified this with a story wherein an emperor lost a pearl in the mountains. He sent Knowledge, Distant Vision, and Eloquence after the pearl, certain they would be able to find it. To his dismay, they were unable to. Finally, he sent Empty Mind, who was able to locate the pearl because he was not searching too hard to find it . He philosophy behind the example suggests that if we are able to quiet our minds and simply be, what we need and want most in life will come to us, because we are not overwhelmed with demands and pressure of what we assume is expected of us, or what we think we should be doing.
In sum, while many religions appear to have only surface rules, many philosophies hold value at their core. Taoism attempts to teach its followers about a deeper satisfaction with life. The meaning of Taoism is to teach a stillness and flexibility. Wu Wei explains how one should go with the natural flow of life, rather than remain inflexible. T’ai Hsu, in turn, teaches that if we still our minds, we are able to see the important things around us, and allow the important things to find us, rather than search for them to no avail.

Works Cited

Chang, Chung-yuan. Creativity and Taoism: A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art and Poetry. Philadelphia: Singing Dragon, 2011. Book.
Loy, David. Nonduality: A Study in Comparative Philosophy. Amherst: Prometheus Books, 2012. Book.
Zeng, Wujia, Li Cheng and Liqun Ouyang. "“Tao follows its own way” and tourists’ behaviour ecologicalisation: philosophical enlightenment from Chinese Taoism." International Journal of Tourism Anthropology (2013): 74-89. Article.