Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
THE TAO
Beliefs / Actions
CH’I
T aoists believe that life and death are 2 sides of the Tao. Death
is simply when Yang changes to Yin in the Taoist’s life to bal-
ance the universe. Taoism teaches that every Taoist should not
be afraid of death or wish to die but should live life normally until
they die naturally.
Taoism - The Way of Life | Page 6
Sacred Literature /
Scripture
THE TAO-TE CHING
THE CHUANG-TZU
SACRED PLACES
W ith Taoism being quite different from other religions espe-
cially western religions, there is a lack of sacred places like
the ones we find in western religions. And, for the few that exist,
there is very little information on them as each Taoist is not ex-
pected to travel great distances to worship but to rather to remain
where he or she is and simply meditate and find peace with the
Tao. One of the most known sacred Taoist places is Mount Qin-
gcheng where the birth of Taoism as a religion happened. The few
other sacred places that do exist originated from the Chuang-tzu
and the immortals it speaks of. These immortals are believed to
live in the sacred mountains which are so large in height that
they are said to be like ladders between Heaven and earth. These
mountains are located all across Asia and are common sacred
places for other Chinese and Hindu religions. All throughout these
mountains there are temples. In addition to the mountains, there
also exists a temple complex (a number of buildings grouped to-
gether) called the Bei Wudang Shan which is a common place for
Taoist meditation. Taoists believe any sacred place is not a place
of worship but rather a place where the Tao is stronger in energy.
Therefore, at any sacred place, a Taoist does not pray but rather
medidates deeply.
SACRED TIMES
I n Taoism, the majority of holidays celebrate the birth of im-
mortals from the Chuang-tzu. Apart from those holidays, one of
Taoism’s major festivals is the New Year which signifies a rebirth
of Yang (the positive side of Yin and Yang). During the first day of
this celebration, Taoists employ a child to carry a bright red ball
followed by a dragon dance as symbolism for the Yang hidden
within the Yin.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INFORMATION SOURCES
IMages