Explore Taoism

While it is a popular misconception that anarchy is a political state wherein the state is in utter confusion, the political machinery does not confusion and there is chaos in the state, this however is not true. Anarchy is merely the absence of a formal government and where people rule themselves and there is a moral obligation to behave in a certain manner and to abstain from doing certain acts. One of the core principles of Taoism is anarchy. The founder of the religion Lao Tzu was strongly opposed to state interference in the lives of the people and he left China on account of such dissatisfaction.  The Tao Te Ching which is the central text of Taoism is considered to be one of the leading writings on anarchism.

Taoists like Confucians believed in the innate goodness and benevolent disposition of the human race and rejected the Christian notion of original sin. The Taoists believe that humankind could live in peace and harmony with each other and that there was no need for government interference.  The Taoists also were inclined towards nature and they believed that everything in the universe changed and one should change and adapt accordingly.

Taoism was born at a time when China was ruled by feudal lords and the system was becoming increasingly bureaucratic and that was the beginning of the codification of law.  They placed utmost importance on respecting human beings and their belief was that every person knew his place in society and that unnecessary interference by a government would only worsen things. This conflict between those who interfere and those who wish to be left to their means has continued ever since with Taoist followers believing in the ability of man to live in harmony and peacefully, thus making government interference unnecessary.

The ancient philosophy of Tao was first put into words when Lao Tzu was leaving China. The documents that he wrote went on to become the holy book of Taoism.

Another very popular but comparatively lesser known author is Chang Tzu. Two of his books, The way of Chang Tzu and Inner Chapters have gained wide recognition in the world.

Taoism has certain principle and based on these principles gives us a way of seeing and understanding reality. The belief that there is life in every organic thing and that it has energy is the basis of all Tao writings.

The most popular book on Tao philosophy is the Tao te Ching written by Lao Tzu and is the fundamental book of Tao philosophy. It also happens to be the third most translated book after the Bible and the Bhagwad Gita. There are many speculations about this book some being that the book was written by a number of people and compiled over 800 years and that Lao Tzu never existed and that it was just a name used by the people who wished to remain anonymous.

Some sources say that there is a core teaching which is only a few lines and that the same teaching is expanded in chapters in the book. There is a lot of mystery about this book. It is said that the book was not written on a scroll but on strips of bamboo which led to some confusion.

Many scholars believe that only the first seventy sections of the Tao te Ching were written originally and the rest were added a hundred years later. This is believed because the first part talks about the state in a positive way while the rest speaks about it with discontent.

The confusion surrounding the book has made not affected its popularity and the philosophy of the religion of Taoism has appealed to thousands around the world and more and more people are adopting it, especially in the United States of America.