Taoism
Tao means,
literally, the Way – a common concept in Eastern thought. In Taoism, the Way of the Universe is flow:
the universe is always in motion. The
only thing that always is, Lao Tsu (who is the creator of Tao Te Ching) tells
is, is change.
Ci or T’zu: Compassion. One of the Three Jewels of Taoist
Ethics. Also translates as love or
kindness. It is the virtue of
doing/loving/feeling for others as you would do/love/feel for yourself.
Jian: Another of
the Three Jewels of Taoist ethics, Jian means simplicity. We should strive to simplify our lives.
Living the simple life leads to purity of the soul/nature.
Wu Wei: To act
like water. This is a central concept in
Taoism. We are meant to be like water,
fluid, yielding, soft, flowing always away, and yet, (as Lao Tsu notes) through
the act of yielding and softness, the strongest thing in the universe. Water is always changing and always eternal
(like the Tao). Weak as it is (anything
can shape it, anything can shift it) water wears away stone and breaks down
walls and is never destroyed.
The Last of the Three
Jewels: (Bugan wei tianxia
xian)This one is a phrase, not a simple word, and harder to
translate. It has to do with not have
ambition. Stay away from wanting to be
famous. Calm down, don’t try to triumph,
don’t fret about getting rich and winning the prizes. All that is a bad plan and doesn’t lead to
the Tao.
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| Taijitu symbol |
Taijitu: This is
that famous yin/yang symbol you’ve seen everywhere. Taoist thought says we flow constantly
between states (as water flows between ice and liquid and steam and so on) and
to stay in one – the male or the female, for instance – is not Tao. The Taijitu is a symbol of that.
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