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Taoism On Death

Taoism relates death with a kind of universal coming-going process, that is, nothing special, just the universal law of change and transformation

Contrary to our expectations, Taoism is not interested in death. Death is seen as part of the whole, more precisely a compensation and continuation of life. We basically born out of emptiness and go back to emptiness. Nothing else can be said about death (and life).

Death also means the release of bonds, and thus can be regarded as genuine liberation (in the Buddhist sense).

The ancient wise men who are models of conduct for the Taoist disciples were indifferent to death as well to life. Here's a quote from Chuang-tzu about a wise man who thinks in a very peculiar way:

Death and life are great considerations, but they could work no change in him. Though heaven and earth were to be overturned and fall, they would occasion him no loss. His judgment is fixed regarding that in which there is no element of falsehood; and, while other things change, he changes not. The transformations of things are to him the developments prescribed for them, and he keeps fast hold of the author of them (Book 5, Part 1, Section 5, Translation James Legge).

Death and life, preservation and ruin, failure and success, poverty and wealth, superiority and inferiority, blame and praise, hunger and thirst, cold and heat; - these are the changes of circumstances, the operation of our appointed lot. Day and night they succeed to one another before us, but there is no wisdom able to discover to what they owe their origination. (Book 5...).

Further resources:

Several papers dealing with death issues in Taoism:

=> Taoism on Death (PDF)
More notes and quotes.

=> At the Death of Lao-tzu (PDF)
Commentary on the meaning of the story by Chuang-tzu.

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