Daoism

Daoism (sometimes Taoism) is a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions originating in China, with similar practices to Buddhism, although Daoism was said to have been practiced in China hundreds of years before Buddhism came from India.

Focusing heavily on naturalistic ideals, the religion seeks to free its practitioners from the pointlessness of the current form of humanity. Daoism sees the current social structure of humanity as a degeneration of the natural order of things, and seeks to be one with the Dao (literally trans. "way"). Dao is a difficult word to understand, having many different conceptual ties. Dao can refer not only to a pure way of life, but also to all physical things, closely relating to the Chinese concept of Chi.

The most well known texts of Daoism are the Dao-de Ching and the Zhuang-zu, both written around 500 BCE. Although, like Buddhism and Hinduism, Daoism has a large canon of hundreds of texts pertaining to the religion.

Currently, Daoism does not enjoy the popularity of Buddhism or Confucianism in China, although there are still some who follow the old ways.

See also