Taoism > Tao-chia

Taoist Movements

Generally speaking, Taoism can be divided in two movements:

1. Philosophical Taoism or School of Tao (tao-chia) that flourished in China of Warring States, v-vi century B.C., and

2. Religious Taoism (tao-chiao) that refers to Taoist religion and to all schools and movements based on magical-mystical speculations as the ones related to Chinese alchemy. The ideal of mystical schools is life prolongation or even immortality obtained by specific practices of embryonic breathing or by swallowing of some alchemical substances.

In scholars' opinion, these two movements can not be clearly limited - both philosophical and religious Taoism are interacting and contain archaic elements of shamanism. Thus, Taoist religion, schools of magic and alchemy, philosophical school are in fact an amalgam of disparate elements.

Philosophical Taoism

School of Tao designates a group of philosophers and their conceptions on Tao whereon are added reflections related to social existence and proper manner of adjusting to temporal conditions.

Wan-Wu - the ten thousand things - a Taoist symbol of the universe. More Taoist symbols may be found  here.

Tao is seen as a unique and uncreated principle of the Universe from which all created things are resulted (the ten thousand things = wan-wu). The urge of a Taoist disciple aims at the integration of Tao in his daily existence by practices such as emptiness (wu ) and nondoing (wu-wei).

On the ethical plane, these concepts are in direct conflict with the moral philosophy of Confucius, reaching, with Yang-tzu , nihilistic and hedonist positions that raised vivid protests from the adverse party.

Promoters of the School of Tao are Lao-tzu - who might be considered the father of Taoism due to his famous work Tao-te ching, Chuang-tzu - eminent disciple and follower of Lao-tzu, and Lieh-tzu.

Quietism

At first view, the philosophy of these precursors would be characterized by distant attitude towards social value, by accent on quieting - quietism - by retreat from outer world and total isolation. In this respect, many of them may seem to point to an ascetic life the way the Christians have followed in the monastic era.

Unfortunately, it was not noticed that the promotion of this way of life does not represent for the Taoists of the Philosophical School a code of behavior applicable for any circumstance. The Taoist quietism is rather an attitude imposed by social circumstances, transformations and radical changes of the social life dictated by Tao. Thus, everybody might decide when to activate on social stage or to abandon, and even to withdraw in isolation.

Modern scholars and expositors of Taoist philosophy simply ignored this aspect and constructed an inaccurate historical-social and philosophical image of ancient Taoism that conforms to the idea of ascetics.

• See also:
  - Adjusting to Reality
  - The Taoist Way

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