Daoism
Daoism also referred to as Taoism. Daoism is a result of the writings of ancient philosophers such as Laozi, who lived in the fifth BC. Philosophy considers religion and teaches people how to live in harmony with the rest of the world.
Zhuangzi is a Chinese philosopher who lived in the fourth century BC. The philosopher is credited for being one of the most creative thinkers among philosophers like Confucius, Laozi, and Mencius. Zhuangzi uses words with the power to cut across language and other temporal barriers to bring out messages that are still relevant to the modern world. These philosophers wrote during a time when small Chinese dynasties were fighting against each other.
During this time, most philosophers came up with ideas to support morality and harmony in their fractured world. Zhuangzi’s writing does not provide precise answers but rather challenges readers to come up with their conclusions. Some of the stories written by the philosopher to describe Daoism are:
Zhuangzi and Huizi: The two philosophers argue about how Zhuangzi knows a fish is happy. Zhuangzi tries to describe the importance of thinking intuitively instead of linguistic reasoning and using rational knowledge. The philosopher argues that intuitive knowledge can better explain the manifestation of things in their original state.
Duck and crane: Zhuangzi emphasizes on the importance of following the middle path by using a story of the duck and the crane. Typically a duck’s legs are short, but cutting them will only bring pain to the duck while a crane’s legs are long, but upon cutting them, the crane will feel pain. Therefore some actions will always require the least effort.
The carpenter: Zhuangzi explains the benefit following their path by using the story of a carpenter who made a Duke angry. The carpenter sees things in terms of his work by arguing that chiseling a wheel makes it go slower, and hurrying will only prevent the wheel from moving correctly; hence it is better to find his path.
Cook Ding: Lastly, Zhuangzi teaches about cultivating one’s Dao by using the story of cook Ding. The butcher does not need to sharpen the knife for over nineteen years because he has already mastered the art. Nowadays, talents take people to a higher plane than they could ever imagine. The story is evident among high performing athletes, musicians, dancers, artists, scientists, writers, and mathematicians.
The central teachings of Daoism
In the modern world, anyone can benefit from the simplicity that comes with Daoism. More so, anybody can learn a few concepts from one of Daoism’s most essential books.
Simplicity, patience, and compassion: These treasures teach us that life can be messy sometimes, but in every overwhelming situation, these guidelines can help someone in accord with the case.
Going with the flow: it is not right for people to always fight against poor conditions in their lives. It is essential to allow things to take their natural course. If people have nothing to do, they should do nothing instead of jumping on opportunities only when they feel ready.
Letting go: Most of the eastern philosophies argue that the only constants in life are change and death, and by accepting these facts, people are relieved from suffering.
Harmony: The Chinese concept Yin and Yang define nature in dualities. Whenever one aspect increases, other decrease; hence we should learn to understand as well as balance various aspects to achieve balance in our lives.
Conclusion
Generally, Daoism is trying to teach people the importance of morality. Daoism has emphasized to educate people about the significance of avoiding chaos and enhancing harmony in the world. Lastly, Daoism teaches people how to cope up with various life situations for a successful endeavor.