Relaxation and Cheng Man Ching
Let's examine the importance of relaxation and relaxation through the article written by Tai Chi Chuan instructor Cheng Man Ching. Cheng...
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Tai Chi and Philosophy
Taoism (Taoism, Daoism) is one of the two major local religious-philosophical systems that have shaped every aspect of life in China for over 2,000 years, along with Confucianism. Taoism (Daoism), which basically means "way", is a system of thought and belief that has its roots in ancient Chinese shamanism and advocates being in harmony with nature, avoiding intervention, and simplicity and plainness.
There are two representatives of religious tendencies in China: Kong Fuzi (Confucius) and Lao Tzu. While Confucius adopted a rational religious understanding, Lao Tzu was the representative of a mystical religious understanding. The founder of Taoism, the Chinese sage Lao Tzu (Old/immortal master); it is believed that he later ascended to heaven.
Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy that revolves around the idea of harmony and balance. The famous yin-yang symbol derives from the Taoist belief that all things in the world are balanced and interconnected, driven by a fundamental energy known as ch'i. To live in harmony with the universe is to be in harmony with the "Tao" or "The Way." Like Taoism, Confucianism is also concerned with harmony. However, that is where most of the comparison ends. Confucianism seeks harmony through ethics and proper social behavior, believing that if everyone knows their place within the social hierarchy and acts accordingly, everyone will live in harmony. Therefore, Confucianism focuses primarily on the moral character of the individual, especially virtuous behavior that will help them exist well in society.
Lao-Tzu (Lao-Zi) and the Historical Development of Taoism
According to tradition, the beginning of Taoism is based on Lao-Tzu (Laozi), who lived in the 6th century BC. Taoism was born as a philosophical system that aimed to attain knowledge and wisdom. Its basic concepts and principles are found in the classical texts Tao-te Ching (6th-3rd centuries BC) and Zhuangzi (350 BC), which are attributed to Lao-tzu and Zhuangzi, respectively. Taoism is also referred to as Lao-Zhuang philosophy, referring to the authors of these texts. Although philosophical Taoism continued as an independent system until the 13th century AD, it prepared the birth of religious Taoism (Dao-ciav) in the 2nd century BC, including ancient Chinese beliefs such as ancestor worship, belief in nature gods and the search for immortality.
During the reigns of Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor (259-210 BC) and the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), Taoist teachings gained popularity. Taoism became a full-fledged religion when Zhang Daoling claimed to have received revelations/teachings from the deified Lao-tzu in 142 AD. The Tianshi Dao (way of the heavenly masters), founded by Zhang, known as the Master, turned into an independent religious movement under the leadership of his son and grandson after his death. As a result of this organization, also known as the “way of five measures of rice” due to the donations made to the priests of this religion, a community with political and religious power and centered on the concept of Tao was formed. During the Wei Dynasty (220-265) in Northern China, Taoism became a belief officially recognized by the dynasty.
The most important merger between the celestial masters' way sect and the local religious traditions of Southeastern China occurred in the 4th century. This religion, which continued to develop, was led by the Taoist school known as Shangqing and Mao Shan (Mao Mountain), and included traditional magic techniques and alchemical teachings, as well as the idea of life after death and ascending to heaven and becoming closer to the Tao. A class of ascetic monks emerged. In addition, the importance of some practices, especially sexual ceremonies, was reduced. In this way, thanks to the innovations made in the celestial masters' way movement, Taoism became a religion adopted by the upper classes; it rose to the status of the official religion in Northern China.
During the T'ang dynasty (618-906), Taoism reached its peak. The first emperor of the dynasty, Li Yuan, claimed descent from Lao-tzu. During the Song dynasty (960-1279), the emperors suppressed the Dao Zang (Laws of Tao), a collection of Taoist texts reported to have consisted of about 5,000 volumes, and a number of new sects emerged.
Taoizm Gerilemesi
XIII. yüzyıldan itibaren Taoculuk, Budist mezhepleri karşısında geriledi ve bölünmelere uğradı. Bu dönemde ortaya çıkan mezheplerden en önemlisi Şuan şen (yüce saflık/mükemmellik) ismiyle anılan mezheptir. Meditasyona ağırlık veren bu mezhep birçok Taoist ritüelini basitleştirdi. Ming hânedanı döneminde (1368-1644) bölünme sürecini durdurmak için gösterilen çabalara rağmen XX. yüzyılın sonlarına kadar klasik Taocu gelenekle çeşitli alt gelenekler arasındaki kutuplaşma devam etti. 1849’daki halk isyanı ülke genelindeki Taocu ve Budist mâbedlerinin yıkımıyla neticelendi. XX. yüzyılın başlarında ortaya çıkan ve ülkeyi tekrar Konfüçyüsçü çizgiye taşımaya çalışan “yeni hayat” hareketi de Taocu merkezleri ortadan kaldırmaya çalıştı. 1949’da Mao Zedong liderliğindeki din karşıtı komünist devrimle birlikte diğer dinî unsurların yanı sıra Taoculuk da tamamen bastırıldı. Fakat 1982’de iktidara gelen Deng Xiaoping liderliğindeki yeni yönetimin hoşgörü yanlısı tutumuyla Taoculuk Çin’de yeniden itibar görmeye başladı. Nitekim günümüzde çok sayıda Taocu mezhep varlığını sürdürmekte ve Taoculuğun Çin dışında başta Tayvan olmak üzere Malezya, Singapur, Kore, Japonya, Vietnam ve Tayland gibi Güney Asya ülkelerinde, ayrıca Kuzey Amerika ve Batı Avrupa’da mensupları bulunmaktadır.
Basic Concepts
The most basic concept of Taoism, "Tao", is used in the simple sense of "way", but within this system it refers to the path, principle or ideal that provides balance and order in the universe.
There are three levels of Tao. The Supreme Tao refers to the source of all things, the absolute primordial power behind all creation, the unseen power that can only be grasped mystically. According to the expression in the Tao-te Ching, it has only one name: “Mother of all things.” It is like an empty vessel. Nothing can fill it. It has no bottom, and everything owes its existence to it. Everything is born from it.
From Tao comes one (Tai-Chi), from one comes two, namely Yin and Yang, from two comes three, namely water, earth and air, and from three comes the beings in the universe.
The Tao of nature, at the second level, refers to the rhythm that constitutes the essence of nature and controls it, while the personal Tao at the third level refers to the Tao that is effective in each person's life. The aim of Taoism is to become one with the supreme Tao.
T
Another concept connected to Tao is "Te," which translates as "virtue" or "power."
"Te", which is found in all beings as the appearance or reflection of Tao, is the visible aspect of the invisible Tao that changes everything in nature. In this sense, Te can be defined as "the emergence of the true existence of Tao into light" or "the form perceived by the person".
The person who realizes this reflection in his being has achieved the peace he is looking for, has grasped the true nature of things and has reached the point where he can do everything naturally. In short, in this case, the person has returned to his original state before being shaped by the culture he lives in, that is, to the state of uncarved stone or tree (pu).
This is the real state of the mind that has not been shaped by knowledge and experience; it is a state of pure experience and consciousness, far removed from any kind of definition and qualification. This state is a state of simplicity and naturalness that can be reached by taking Tao as an example. For this reason, Taoist great masters and administrators never shape or direct. Because they know that the only ruler of the universe is Tao. What directs the flow of Tao is its naturalness or spontaneity. Therefore, Taoist life is not based on complete passivity but on the naturalness and simplicity that express this essence. In Taoism, every being originates from Tao, the absolute reality, and eventually returns to it. In this system, civilization is widely interpreted as the disruption of the natural order, and real social reform is defined as a return to the distant past or reaching the initial purity.
Wu Wei
Another basic concept is “ Wu-Wei ”. The dictionary meaning of wu wei is “doing nothing, inaction” and it expresses the state of the Taoist saint who has attained the true knowledge of things and is freed from being a slave to his desires, or his way of turning to action.
This person is in a state of great calmness and acts in accordance with the requirements of the task. For this reason, he does not experience disappointment and sadness, and even when faced with difficulties, he does not panic and does not engage in unnecessary actions. Lao-Tzu, the founder of Tao Thought, likens the calm and serene state of the saint to water. Water is the softest substance on earth and takes the shape of the container it is placed in. Yet, it can penetrate and drag the hardest stone. Those who adapt their actions and behaviors to Tao are like this.
Zhuangzi, one of the most important philosophers of Daoism, likens this situation to a butcher who is an expert in his job and whose knife never gets dull because of this. Since the butcher knows the bone structure of the carcass in his hand well, he does not make unnecessary movements while separating the meat from the bone, thus dulling his knife; since he adjusts the movement of his hand according to the joints, he does his job easily. Therefore, wu-wei should be understood as a method of letting things happen or being able to achieve them easily without using force or acting in accordance with the nature of the job.
Qi (Ki / Chi)
Another fundamental concept of Taoist thought is the universal energy called "ki" (chi). The main thing in this thought is to become aware of the universal energy and learn how to protect it.
Because the cause of all illnesses and troubles is the departure of this limited energy from the human body. In order to prevent the loss of Qi and ensure its return, certain techniques have been developed, including diet, meditation, correct breathing and posture. The most important path, as applied in the past in the Celestial Masters' Path sect, is repentance and regret. A person who stays in the cell of silence for a certain period of time and prostrates himself can regain the energy he has lost. In addition, feasts where certain foods are shared by the master and disciples are practices aimed at both not losing the energy in question and uniting with the Tao.
Man and the Universe
The similarity between man and the universe has an important place in Taoism. According to this, man is a small universe and his body reflects the order of the universe.
The most obvious manifestation of this is the belief in the five sacred mountains in five different directions in the Tao tradition, the five parts of the sky, and the five seasons (four seasons and late summer) that correspond to the five areas of the human body (liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys). The belief in the unity of man and the natural order stems from an inexplicable magical feeling; the way to grasp this unity is through meditation.
In addition, fasting, asceticism, special tantra practices, alchemy and talismans are also used. Taoist alchemy, aiming to find the elixir of immortality, places importance on both chemical experiments (yvaidari) and internal alchemy (neidan). It is thought that through neidan, the normal aging process can be reversed, and this can be achieved by combining the Yin and Yang forces, which symbolize the cosmic oppositions of male and female, passive and active, and dark and light, in the human body and keeping the five elements (water, fire, earth, metal and wood) in balance.
The five element theory has been influential in the development of Chinese acupuncture techniques.
Sacred Texts: Tao De Ching
The most important work of Taoism is the Tao De Ching attributed to Lao-tzu. (Tao-te Ching/Daodejing/Book of the Way and Virtue). This book, also known as the "Five Thousand Words of Lao-tzu" because it consists of a total of 5000 Chinese characters, is a compilation book that, according to many experts, took its current form between 350-250 BC.
The first part of the book , which consists of two parts (1-37), deals with Tao and the spiritual transformation required to feel Tao and gain knowledge about its nature. The second part (38-81) is about the manifestation of Tao or the way to reach it, or “te”, which refers to the state of absolute purity.
The Tao De Ching is essentially a short and concise handbook designed for rulers. The ideal ruler/administrator envisioned here is a wise person whose actions do not create pressure or fear on the people under his command, and whose existence is not even felt because he carries out his work with great calmness and naturalness. Such rulers do not impose any restrictions or prohibitions on the actions of the people. With his naturalness, calmness and simplicity, he ensures the peace of all living beings under his control, and therefore peace.
In the Tao De Ching, grasping the absolute Tao and reaching the unity of the universal Tao is presented as a social and individual ideal.
In the text, where it is suggested that the ruler should be in harmony with nature, very old concepts of Chinese thought are included. While using some of these without changing them, as in the example of Yin and Yang, it attributes a separate meaning and function to Tao. Indeed, in Chinese thought, the universe, the ruler, human beings and every school of philosophy have a Tao, that is, a path, a supreme principle.
Sacred Texts: Chuang Tzu - Zhuangzi
The second important book of Taoism is Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi-Master Zhuang), which is attributed to the author of the same name as his work. Unlike the short and concise Tao De Ching, this book, which consists of a collection of stories, includes personal philosophy of life.
In Chuang Tzu's interpretation of Tao, where participation in social life is completely rejected, a developed, enlightened, metaphysical fatalism draws attention, unlike the simple and natural idea of social harmony in the Tao De Ching. In the work, where it is revealed through parables that all values are actually relative, no distinction is made between life and death; those in the state of death joyfully welcome their approaching transformation as union with the Tao. Zhuangzi speaks of the perfect or superior human being. Living apart from the stormy world of mankind, these spiritual beings who move like flying, make no effort, never age, and always represent the happiness of freedom and naturalness. These spiritual beings were called immortals by later generations, and attaining their qualities through various methods was seen as a practical goal.
Sacred Texts: Lieh-Tzu, Taiping Jing and I Ching
Another fundamental work is Lieh-Tzu (Liezi), which also belongs to the author of the same name as his book. Like Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), Lieh-Tzu shows the path to complete freedom for all people, and states that the individual should prioritize his own life above all else and should not make any sacrifices for the sake of benefiting society.
The Taiping Jing, a classic of the Taiping (Great Peace) movement that emerged in the 2nd century AD, includes techniques necessary to achieve immortality. The Huai-nan-tzu (Huainanzi) is a compilation of writings by master magicians. The Chinese classic I-Ching (Yijing), which dates back to the period before the emergence of Taoism, is also a book used by the Taoist tradition to predict the future.
I-Ching is a work that means "Book/Classic of Changes". The work, which is considered the oldest of the Chinese classical texts, describes how changes in the universe can guide human life and events with an imaginative technique. It is thought to have been written by Fu Xi, who has become a legendary character and is thought to be one of the first ancient rulers of China. The Bagua technique, which is established by comparing the opposite poles of Yin and Yang in different orders and the double-triple arrangements to a natural object or event, belongs to him.
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