Taoism
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Taoism or Daoism is a type of belief.
It is at least 2,500 years old and it comes from China. Some people call Taoism a religion, other people call it a philosophy. People disagree about what to call it because it means different things to different people.
道 Tao or Dao is the name of the Force or the "Way" that Taoists believe makes everything in the world. It is very mysterious and Taoists do not try to talk about it because they think that words cannot be used to say the right things about it. The very first line of the 道德经 Dào Dé Jīng (Tao Te Ching), the most important text in Taoism, says:
- 道可道非常道
This is pronounced like, "Dao ke dao fei chang dao." One translation of this into English language might be:
- "The Way that can be explained in words is not the true Way."
Instead of spending a lot of time trying to explain what the Tao is, Taoists focus on living a simple and balanced life in harmony with nature. This is one of the most important principles in Taoism. Taoists also believe that conflict is not good and that if you have a problem with something, it is better to find a way around it.
Some important Taoists are:
- 老子 Laozi. People say he wrote Dào Dé Jīng.
- 庄子 Zhuangzi. He wrote a book with stories that talk about Taoism.
- 黄帝 Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor). People say he was one of the first Taoists, but nobody knows for sure if he was a real person or not.
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