Daoism is the second largest religion in China after Confucianism. But if the latter has preserved its canons almost untouched for 20 centuries, Taoism has undergone multiple amendments and alterations,  drifting far away from its original ???(Dao de Jing) “Way and Morality Book”, written by the teaching founder Lao Zi (? ?).

The philosopher was born in 604 BC in Ku prefecture (??) in the State of Chu (( ?), not far from modern Beijing. According to the legends, his mother was impregnated from falling star, was carrying him for 62 years and Lao Zi was born as an old man with grey beard to get the name – Laozi  literally “old child”. His first childish name was Li Er (??) “plum ears” as he was born under a plum tree with long “wise” earlobes.

Lao Zi was very well educated and was in charge of imperial library archives of the Zhou dynasty – one of the largest in contemporary China. His was married and his son was on military service which his father disliked very much.

Once Confucius, after paying a visit to the philosopher, left the following remark:”Imagine a great dragon embracing in huge embrace the whole Universe – it just what intellect of Lao Zi is “. Two men spent some time in discussions and they say more wisdom was sparkling in these conversation than it was stored in the whole royal archives.

An ancient  “Spring and Autumn”  narration compare the two greatest Chinese wise men in the following way. Once a person named Lu from the Jing Kingdom has lost his bow. He did not try to look for it, having yet noticed:” A man form Jing lost, a man from Jing found – what`s the difference?”  After hearing this statement, Confucius said:” Jing must be omitted from the phrase to make it sound right”. When the story reached Lao Zi, he said:” The word “man” must be omitted as well to make sense”. For Confucius humanism and mercy, expressed by character ?(ren) with a ”human being” clue was the highest and absolute merit. For Lao Zi cosmic universal level was the starting point of  thinking. The latter was not often understood by folks and Lao Zi was often referred to by contemporaries as  the “Dark Teacher”.

After obvious decline and weakening of the Zhou dynasty and anticipating its further collapse, Lao Zi left his official post, moved to Zhewu province  where he started to live alone in a deserted cave far away from everyone.

The greatest ancient Chinese historian Sima Qian (???, 145-86 BC) mentioned in his chronics that Lao Zi was living like a saint for  160 years keeping along with his moral dao principles. After pilgrimage to India, the philosopher was so amazed with the country deep national ethics, that ever since after was calling his native Chine as a “barbaric  realm”. By the end of his life Lao Zi was so disappointed with his contemporaries, that once, they say, mounted an ox, directed westwards and has never come back. At the bordering post before leaving the country, for a guard who asked him about his teaching,  the prophet wrote 5000 words in 81 short verses of  Dao De Jing – his only written  creation. The philosopher did it in one sitting, left the country and was never heard from again.

No Way

The main category in philosophy of Taoism is dao – Way. It`s the way of Nature, a  universal law, cause and source of everything existing, both material and spiritual. Dao is not only the starting,  but also the final point of all matters – to originate from dao, develop in dao  and come back to dao again for another cycle in eternal cosmos.

Dao itself is an abstract category, unperceivable by smell, vision or common sense. Humans may only be in ???? (tian ren xiang ying) “ heaven and man mutual connection”. Conform the harmony of nature, stay close to nature in healthy simple being is the best possible “dao”.  Any human  is a microcosm himself, so understanding personal “ego” in  physical and spiritual attributes is similar to identify the Universe.

The best way for humans to live in correspondence with “dao”  is ?? (wu wei) “no action”  principle. Refrain from active interference in course of nature does not mean doing nothing at all. But any activity alongside with the natural flow of events is more successful than a counter-flow mode.

In social and political reality “dao” is traced via ? (de) morality and ethics. The main ethical precepts  are ??(san bao)“three treasures” :  ? (ci) compassion (love, kindness), ? (jian) simplicity. The last virtue is  implied in six characters instead of one-  ??????( bu gan wei tianxia xian ) – “not dare under heaven to be the first”, or rather virtues of humility and modesty. Praising highly the Golden Age of China under the reign of Yellow Emperor (??, 2497-2398),  Lao Zi disapproved contemporary history full of military conflicts and harsh social arrangements.  According to his thinking caring about wealth and pleasures offends  the Universe and contradicts natural  harmony. Out of the dao principles, individuals  intact purity is more suitable to be governed by state than illicit attributes of enlighten and witted  public. Overall knowledge is threatening happy harmony reign and selfish society is  more difficult to manage. If a social structure is too far from ideal dao,   the best way to avoid contradiction in bet to preserve moral integrity  is to leave the people and unify with nature in lone  cosmic harmony. However, this canons were mostly cherished and rigorously observed by hermits in China, which dao has recruited  more than any other teaching.

Some features of Taoism,  like superiority of abstract universe, non-interference in natural  existence, abandon of social life and institutes,  eventually transformed Lao Zi philosophy in religious code. The first step to recognize it as officially supported ideology was in 165 AD with declaring Lao Zi a god and starting official sacrificial ceremonies in his name.

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