The origin of Taoism

Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi，living at a time of social disorder and great religious skepticism（see article on Confucianism），developed the notion of the Tao（Tao-way，or path）as the origin of all creation and the force unknowable in its essence but observable in its manifestations–that lies

behind the functioning and changes of the natural world.They saw in Tao and nature the basis of a spiritual approach to living.This，they believed，was the answer to the burning issue of the day；what is the basis of a stable，unified，and enduring social order？The order and harmony of nature，they said，was far more stable and enduring than either the power of the state or the civilized institutions constructed by human learning.Healthy human life could flourish only in accord with Tao-nature，simplicity，a freeand-easy approach to life.

The Theory of Taoism

Laozi conceived of Tao as the phenomenon of change and reversal，in the sense of birth，growth and renewal.He believed in two opposite but complementary forces-yin and yang-that are exercised by everything in the universe:the hard and soft，strong and weak，long and short，highand low，and front and back.He said，“Something and nothing grow out of one another；difficulty and ease produce one another；long and short offset one another；high and low lean on one another；sound and voice harmonize with one another；and front and back follow one another.”His best-known paradox in this vein is:“Good fortune lies within bad，and bad fortune lurks within good.”These pairs of opposites coexist，as none can be without the other.

But neither remains unchanged and might，depending on the circumstances，transform into their opposite.

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