Tao history and philosophy
Chinese historians and Taoist community generally believe that Taoism was formed in the 2nd century AD. it is a diverse tradition indigenous to China, variously characterised as both a philosophy and a religion.
Classical Taoism explanation
Taoism emphasises living in harmony with the Tao, generally understood as being the impersonal, enigmatic process of transformation ultimately underlying reality. The concept originates in the Chinese word 道 (pinyin: dào; Wade–Giles: tao), which has numerous related meanings: possible English translations include ‘way’, ‘road’, and ‘technique’.
Taoist thought has informed the development of various practices within the Taoist tradition and beyond, including forms of Meditation, Astrology, Qi Gong, Feng Shui, and Internal Alchemy.
the main early Taoist sources
Some of the main early Taoist sources include: the Neiye, the Zhuangzi, and the Tao Te Ching. The Tao Te Ching, attributed to Laozi, is dated by scholars to sometime between the 4th and 6th century BCE.
A common tradition holds that Laozi founded Taoism. Laozi’s historicity is disputed, with many scholars seeing him as a legendary founding figure.
While Taoism is often regarded in the West as arising from Laozi, many Chinese Taoists claim that the Yellow Emperor formulated many of their precepts, including the quest for “long life”.
Laozi Riding an Ox by Zhang Lu (c. 1464–1538)
Longevity Practices
alchemical practices
Tai Chi Practices
Today’s Tao Cultural Development
Covering the recent World Tao Development Organization events.
