Taoism is a religion most commonly seen in China. Taoism does share some similarities with two religions we have discussed previously, including Buddhism and Confucianism. This religion started with a man named Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu was born around 604 B.C and was known in the Taoism religion as “the Old Boy.” People were not very certain about Lao Tzu because there were different conspiracies about different parts of his life. Some legends about Lao Tzu included people believing he was in his mother’s womb for eighty-two years; another one was that he was created by a shooting star (Smith 196). Lau Tzu was unlike any other ruler seen in various religions, because he was not very concerned, he did not preach or was not worries about the other people just himself. Even though he was very rarely concerned, emperors still looked at him as their ruler. Lao Tzu developed characters that would become essential to the Taoism religion. These included the Tao Te Ching and The Way of Its Power. The Tao Te Ching was considered the beginning of the bible of the Taoism’s religion. They believed that in this bible everything focuses on Tao. Tao can be described as “the path” or “the way.” In order for Tao to be understood you must understand three different substances. The first Tao, is know as the way of ultimate reality (Smith 198).
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This Tao is very different to me, because it is something that even us at humans cannot even begin to understand. “The Tao Te Ching announces in its opening line that words are not equal to it: The Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao” (Smith 198). In my mind, this means that no one really can grasp the whole meaning of Tao, so if someone were to try and explain it they would most likely be telling you a false acquisition of what Tao really is. The way of ultimate reality is also how we arise in the life and also to which all life falls. In this Tao this is unknown and is considered a mystery in the Tao Te Ching. It is understood that no one will be able to grasp this whole concept about the mystery of Tao, but one should understand that Tao will always be the greatest. The second Tao, is known as the way of the universe. This is very important aspect in a person’s life. It is known to be the standard of a human’s life and is also thought to be the reasoning behind any individual’s life. Although Tao is important for being behind a person’s life it also plays a significant role in the center of all life that exists. Being beneficial in the center of one’s life is important in assuming flesh. A good quote that Smith uses I feel explains this Tao very well. He said, “Basically spirit rather than matter, it cannot be exhausted; the more it flows, for it is “the fountain ever on,” as Plotinus said of his counterpart to the Tao, his One” (198). This Tao is something that will always be remembered and will always flow in an out of people’s lives no matter what. Therefore it can be considered “the Mother of the World” (Smith 198). The third and final Tao signifies the way of human life. The third Tao interconnects with the second Tao.
This Tao is very different to me, because it is something that even us at humans cannot even begin to understand. “The Tao Te Ching announces in its opening line that words are not equal to it: The Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao” (Smith 198). In my mind, this means that no one really can grasp the whole meaning of Tao, so if someone were to try and explain it they would most likely be telling you a false acquisition of what Tao really is. The way of ultimate reality is also how we arise in the life and also to which all life falls. In this Tao this is unknown and is considered a mystery in the Tao Te Ching. It is understood that no one will be able to grasp this whole concept about the mystery of Tao, but one should understand that Tao will always be the greatest. The second Tao, is known as the way of the universe. This is very important aspect in a person’s life. It is known to be the standard of a human’s life and is also thought to be the reasoning behind any individual’s life. Although Tao is important for being behind a person’s life it also plays a significant role in the center of all life that exists. Being beneficial in the center of one’s life is important in assuming flesh. A good quote that Smith uses I feel explains this Tao very well. He said, “Basically spirit rather than matter, it cannot be exhausted; the more it flows, for it is “the fountain ever on,” as Plotinus said of his counterpart to the Tao, his One” (198). This Tao is something that will always be remembered and will always flow in an out of people’s lives no matter what. Therefore it can be considered “the Mother of the World” (Smith 198). The third and final Tao signifies the way of human life. The third Tao interconnects with the second Tao.