Taoism

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Taoist rituals include purification, meditation, and offerings to God. The details of Taoist rituals are complex and technical and, therefore, practiced mostly by priests. The rituals involve chanting and playing instruments by priests, particularly the wind and percussion and also dancing. One major Taoist ritual is known as the Jiao which is, in fact, a conglomerate of several rituals. Everyone in village brings an offering to the local deities. In the ceremony a priest asks the gods to bring peace and prosperity to the village. Also, dedicates the offerings in the names of the families and performs a ritual to restore order to the universe.

Practice in Daily Life

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Figure 5: Tai Chi Martial Arts Style

In Taoism health, vitality and living by nature are of utmost importance. Tai Chi is a popular Taoist martial art. By combining the principles of yin and yang into a sequence of controlled, slow flowing movements, it is designed to harmonize the energy of life or Chi. It aims to increase health and self-defense. For internal meditation of the soul and to achieve outward mobility and strength, practitioners use breath, awareness, balance and concentration exercises. Qigong is an integrative practice of breathing exercises, body postures and visualizations its purposes include the flow of life force inside the human body as well as spiritual practice and martial arts training. For the practitioner of Taoist, qigong supports the nourishment of mind, body, and spirit. Other than these, Taoist indulges in various forms of dietary practices. Moderation is vital in the Taoist diet. However, foods like meat, grain, and acidic foods are avoided.

Eschatology

The messianic figure in Taoist eschatology is Li Hong. He is considered as a savior who would appear at the end of world cycle and will rescue the people distinguished by highest order of virtues and practice. These people will be the chosen ones, worthy of being saved by the Li Hong. The Li Hong would appear to set right the heaven and the earth at the time of extreme ruination and chaos. Li Hong is sometimes considered as a reincarnation of Lao Tzu, which is considered as the founding father of Taoism.

Conclusion

Taoism is a classic religious belief and an ancient tradition of philosophy. Its roots go deep down in the customs of Chinese culture. Taoist considers the Tao as the ultimate principle of the universe. At the heart of rituals of Taoism is the idea of order and harmony to the world of nature and the immense inner world of human individuals.

What I liked about Taoism is the concept of Ying and Yang. We can encounter the examples of yin and yang daily. The idea that opposite forces is complementary to each other is what fascinates me the most. The two halves of Ying Yang are opposite in nature. However, each of them relies on the other to complete the wholeness. What I could not find after spending hours and hours of research was the idea of eschatology. Though there is a mention of Li Hong, still no concrete evidence is available in sacred texts in this regard.

Works Cited

Corporation, British Broadcasting. "Taoism at a Glance." 2009. British Broadcasting Corporation.

Daily, China. "Religious Taoism traditions." n.d. China Daily.

Juergensmeyer, Mark. The Oxford Handbook of Global Religions. Oxford University Press, 2006.

Seymour, Richard. "A Brief History of Taoism." n.d. Taoism.

Taoism, The. "The History of Taoism." n.d. The Taoism.

Werner, Edward Theodore Chalmers. Myths and Legends of China. 1915.

Woods, Lori L. "Taoists Practices." n.d. Opposing Views.