Taoism Symbols

Taoism > Symbols

Here we list several well-known Taoist symbols. Some of these symbols are borrowed from the I-ching. More about several symbols may be found by reading the articles related to them.

Yin-Yang dyagram - the most important Taoist symbol related to the Tao.

Pa-kua - the eight trigrams - the basic building elements of I-ching hexagrams (click to enlarge)

The I-ching coin - three coins are used to consult the oracle

Kua - also called hexagram, made of six continuous or/and broken lines.

Fu-hsi - the Chinese cultural hero, the creator of eight pa-kua (click to enlarge)

The sacred tortoise - symbol of immortality - with pa-kua on its back.

The Dragon, symbol of the Yang power or the Sage.

The three sages - Buddha, Confucius and Lao-tzu (click to enlarge)

Te - usually translated characteristics, virtue or power (of Tao) - graph

Wang-Wu or the ten-thousand graph, meaning all the creatures and things in the Universe