Daoism

Daoism/Taoism

**Breif Facts**
===- Founded by monks during the Pre-Qin dynasty in China, Daoism is a religion based off of nature, harmony, balance and the universe as a whole. Followers describe this to be a way to regulate natural processes and nourish balance in the universe.=== ===- Founder was thought to be Lao-Tse (604-531 BC). More simply described as a "contemporary Confucious", he sought for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted Chinese society at that time when religious freedom was restricted.=== ===- "Daoism" literally means "pathway" or "the Way". The true meaning/feeling of the "Way" is thought by followers to be indescribable, and once you've reached this seemingly intangible pathway, you have reached harmony and are at complete peace.===

- __Tao__ = first cause of the universe, flows through all life. Must be understood in order to find enlightenment.
===- No dieties, meaning there is no specific "God" or "Goddess". Not monotheistic, nor polytheistic. Unlike most religions, prayers also do not exist. Instead, they seek solitude, peace and harmony through meditation; trying to find balance within themselves in terms of a more natural flow. Closest master that came to becoming a diety is Lao, the founder.\===

- "Let a river sail unimpended, show compassion without saying a word."
===- __Yin Yang__ = A symbol that represents balance in the universe. Embodies the harmony of opposites; ie no male without female, no love without hate. Yin is the female, Yang is the male. Yin is the tiger, Yang is the lamb.=== ===- **NOT A SALVIC PRACTICE.** Meaning, there is modern perception or heaven and hell and unlike Christianity and Catholicism, there is no burden that you have to "save yourself" from sin because nature is believed to be a cycle that everything you do comes back to you in some way in the future. That serves at motivation to do good to others instead of going to hell.===

- "Pu" - pure perception without prejudice.
[http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/2001/06/what-taoists-believe.aspx|http://www.taoist.org.cn/English/daoism.htm][http://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm|http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/2001/06/what-taoists-believe.aspxhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm]**
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