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Daoism has two strains: Daoism the philosophy, and Daoism the religion. The two are very different. Daoism the philosophy centers around the concept of living in the moment. Enjoying what one has now, and not worrying about the future or living in the past. It also involves looking to nature to show how life really works.
A Daoism believes that nature is the guide to find the Way. A philosophical Daoism looks to nature to find his way and live in the moment. The important thing to remember about the philosophical Daoism is that after he or she has experienced some Daoist thought, or is ready to head back into the world, he or she can take off and do so. Such an example is of the emperor.
He might go to the Summer Palace to take a respite, and then head back to the Forbidden City in the same day to become Confucian again. Its kind of a peel on / peel off deal. Daoism the religion is a bit more complicated, but not much. They believe in the same things that the philosophies do, but they take it one step further. A lot of it has to do with the concept of balance.
Religionist Daoist's believe that Heaven and Earth have a balance with each other, and that men and women have a balance, and that cats and dogs have a balance with each other, and so on. Find the balance and you have found the Way. This Way may be a bit ambiguous, and this explanation may not help, but well give it a shot. The Way is something individual to each human being. Religionists believe it is found through balance and nature. No one can tell you if you have found it or not, and no one knows if anyone else ever has because if you are talking about it then you dont really know.
So its a catch 22, in a way. It is definitely your OWN path. The balance issue is the other important aspect to address. You have probably seen, or heard of, the symbol yin and yang.
You probably wondered where it came from, well, you have found your answer. Daoism is based on a harmony / balance system. The Yin/Yang symbol shows that balance. The man and the woman together and intertwined harmoniously, there is the balance of life. Im talking about the psychological and metaphysical comments of man and woman. Both masculine and feminine attitudes are needed to succeed in finding the Way.
The two strains of Daoism have a lot to offer different individuals. Lower class people typically bought into the religious aspect, while the upper class bought into the philosophy. The concepts presented here are just a thumbnail of what Daoism is really about, but who can really say what it is all about. Find your own path.
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Research essay sample on Daoism The Philosophy Daoism The Religion Balance
