III.

Basic Beliefs of Daoism

Daoist philosophy is based on the Dao, an ancient Chinese concept that means “way,” “path,” or “natural working of the universe.” Daoists consider the Dao an original Oneness in things, an eternal underlying foundation of being from which the many parts of the universe continuously spring and into which they continuously return. The process occurs by means of the De, or energy, of the Dao.

Daoists explain the operation of the De in terms of two other ancient Chinese principles: the dark, negative, female yin and the bright, positive, male yang. They believe the two opposing forces of yin and yang combine in different proportions to produce all the endlessly varied things in the universe, before these things return once more into the Dao.

According to Daoist thought, human beings are an integral part of the universe and, by nature, are in harmony with its operations. Unfortunately, they have fallen from this condition into self-assertive, aggressive, competitive actions that lie outside the natural harmony of all things. Thus, the ills of the world are produced. People perform inconsiderate and harmful acts toward their neighbors. As they organize into societies, through turbulent competition a few grow wealthy and many are forced into poverty. Oppressive rulers develop, and laws seek to regulate the citizens by defining socially undesirable acts as crimes. Communities and societies located close to one another compete, causing war. Daoists believed that most of the organized efforts to correct the situation—including the codes developed by Confucius and Mozi (Mo-tzu) to regulate society, learning, or virtuous actions—simply added to the disharmony by their aggressive striving to shape people’s actions.

The only true solution, in the Daoist view, must begin with the individual’s conscious refusal to participate in the turbulent, aggressive, and assertive ways of life. This refusal is called wuwei (“not doing”). Wise individuals, then, seek to fulfill their potential harmony with the Dao by a quiet and sensitive contemplation of the natural tendency in things, making their life like a smooth-flowing river, clear and undisturbed in its movement. They try always to do only as much as their natural impulse requires, never straining for further achievement. They relate to other people in a spirit of natural kindness, tolerance, and humility, never striving to dominate them.

Daoists who become leaders leave their people free, so each one can fulfill his or her individual nature. The highest social organization desired by Daoists was a small state containing isolated and independent villages of free individuals who would not compete with other villages or states for land or trade and who would thus not feel the need for war.

The Daoists felt that by being relatively inactive and humble, like the Dao, the individual will be most truly active and in control, as the Dao is. “The Dao is ever inactive, and yet there is nothing it does not do.” “The way of Heaven is not to contend and yet to be able to conquer.” The calm contemplative life led by believers sometimes included meditation that led to a mystical experience of union with the Dao. Daoist sages often withdrew to lonely mountain retreats for more solitary contemplation. Throughout Chinese history, Daoism inspired gentle, mystically inclined individuals, including many of China’s greatest painters and poets. See also Chinese art and architecture; Chinese Literature.