Taoism
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Taoism is a type of belief. It is at least 2,500 years old, and it comes from China. Some people call Taoism a religion, and other people call it a philosophy. People disagree about what to call it because it means different things to different people.
Tao (道) is the name of the force or the Way that Taoists believe makes everything in the world. It is very mysterious, and Taoists do not try to talk about it because they think that words cannot be used to say the right things about it. The very first line of the Dao De Jing (道德经), the most important text in Taoism, says:
道可道非常道 (dao ke dao fei chang dao)
One possible translation of this into English might read as follows:
The Way that can be explained in words is not the true Way.
Instead of spending a lot of time trying to explain what the Tao is, Taoists focus rather on living a simple and balanced life in harmony with nature. This is one of the most important principles in Taoism. Taoists also believe that conflict is not good and that if you have a problem with something, it is better to find a way around it.
Some important Taoists are:
- Lao Zi (老子), who is said to have written the Dao De Jing.
- Zhuang Zi (庄子), wrote a book with stories that talk about Taoism.
- Huang Di (黄帝 - the Yellow Emperor), who is said to have been one of the first Taoists, but nobody knows for sure if he was a real person or not.