Daoism Worksheet
Complete the following questions in detail. Answer each question with a 1- or 2-paragraph response that includes a reference citation. Make use of Experiencing the World’s Religions and other sources in your research as you complete the questions.
1. Describe the principles of yang and yin.
The principle of Yin and Yang is the core concept in the Chinese philosophy and culture. Yin is the dark force complementing yang. Yang is the light force complementing yin. The general principle is all thing exist with an opposite and complementary part. For examples, male and female, dark and light, and old and young. Basically on cannot exist without the other. According to Cartwright (2012), the essential …show more content…
The main scripture in Daoism is the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching). What is the history and importance of this text for the tradition?
The true origins of Daoism is a mystery. The oldest documentation, of the religion, includes aspects of shamanism, an appreciation of solitude, a harmonious life with nature, and a desire to maintain good health. In the most common myth, the Daodejing was written by Laozi, before leaving China. The Daodejing is a short book of about five thousand Chinese characters. Many stories have circulated about what happened to Laozi after he left China, but no one is for certain. Daoists continue to worship Laozi til this day, and they consider him to be the human reincarnation of the Dao.
The purpose of the Daodejing is dependent on who is interpreting the book. Some believe that the main purpose of the book was political; possible a handbook for ruler. Other saw it as a religious guidebook to be used to lead followers to spiritual awareness. There are even those who believe that the book was to be interpreted as a practical gudie for living inbalance with the universe. Just like the saying, “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”, the Daodejing is a reflection of whom ever is reading it and how the interpret what they are reading.(Molloy, …show more content…
(Molloy, 2013) When learning about this principle, the first thing that I compared it to was when I tell my kids to walk away from altercations and be the bigger person. I am not sure it this is the correct comparison, but it seem to fit. By walking away, the heat of the moment is lowered, and there is no farther esculation of the situation. Non-action is used to restore the harmony of the surround and prevent anymore damage. The principle of wu wei can be harmful if non- action is preventing individual from obtain a goal or putting them in danger. For instance, for many years I talked about going back to school. I did not have a diploma and I was not making and effort to get one. My non-action of not taking the step to get back in school was deferring me away from achieving my goal. In the end, I got my GED and the next day I enrolled myself into