10
RELIGION
TAOISM (OR DAOISM as it is
known in Hanyu pinyin) refers to
the indigenous philosophical and
religious system of China that can
be traced back some 4,700 years to
the time of the Yellow Emperor
(Huang Di). However it was
only in the sixth century BC that
it developed into a significant
religion through the teachings of the
philosopher Lao Tzu. His teachings
were passed down orally before
they were compiled in a book
titled “Tao Te Ching” (“The Way
and Its Virtue”) in the third century
BC. “Tao Te Ching” is still the
main Taoist scripture today.
Taoismʼs evolution from a
combination of customs ingrained
in the Chinese culture and
philosophy to a religion has been
heavily influenced by popular
ancient Chinese practices such as
ancestor worship and shamanism
(which seeks to mediate between
the visible and spirit world).
The services of interpreting and
influencing the spirit world, which
shamans provide, were used
widely because of popular folk
belief in alchemy, astrology,
spirits and magic. At the same
time, meditation and some forms
of martial arts, notably tai chi and
qigong (which are still popular
today), were also linked to Taoism.
Taoism was not the only
religion in China, of course. It
coexisted with Buddhism and
Confucianism, and they influenced
one another. Realistically, some
Taoists, being Chinese, would
also have imbibed Confucian and
Buddhist beliefs.
Although Taoism has never been
a unified religion, it is the case
that its various sects and sub sects
teach the same core beliefs based
on the principles of “Tao” (which
means “the Way”).
Tao is a concept that is central
to Taoist belief and practices, but
it is very difficult to define due to
the abstract meanings associated
with it. Tao is referred to as a life
force that surrounds and flows
through all living and non-living
things, and which balances, orders,
unifies and connects them. Tao
has been called the ultimate
creative principle of the universe.
Tao is also described as a set
of natural and unalterable laws
which manifest themselves as a
flow of continuous change.
The philosopher Lao Tzu is revered not only for writing the “Tao
Te Ching,” which is the main Taoist scripture, but also regarded
as the first god of Taoism and the personification of Tao.
But Tao is not treated as an
object of worship; Tao is treated
more like “dharma”, the principle
or law that orders the universe.
Thus, over the years, the meaning
of Tao has expanded to include
rules and regulations too.
Taoism focuses on learning,
cultivating and practising Tao.
While Tao is the Way and is
associated with a proper attitude,
morality and lifestyle, “Te” (which
means “virtue”) is the active
living or cultivation of the Way.
The development of virtue is a
Taoistʼs chief task and Taoist
teachings on virtue are aimed at
bringing forth the innate goodness
in each person. Taoists believe in
accumulating merits by doing good
deeds to benefit society and by
inculcating virtue, especially the
virtures of compassion, moderation
and humility (the 3 Jewels of
Taoism), and by educating and
encouraging others to do the same.
Thus Taoism calls on its faithful to
“respect heaven, honour ancestors,
and be compassionate to man and
all things under heaven”.
Taoists can aspire to
immortality which the “Tao Te
Ching” teaches and can be attained
through moral living and self-
cultivation. The latter involves a
disciplined life in Taoist practices
including meditation and qigong.
Since Tao is closely
associated with nature, Taoism
teaches the respect of nature.
Knowledge of the universe
or nature can be obtained by
studying the self because Taoists
view the human body as a
miniature of the universe. In
seeking to bring all elements of
existence into harmony, Taoism
advises the concept of Wu Wei
- the alignment of oneʼs will
with Tao by letting nature take
its course because the universe
works harmoniously according
to its own ways. When someone
exerts his or her will against
nature, harmony is disrupted.
For example, one should allow
a river to flow towards the sea
unimpeded and not obstruct its
natural flow by building a dam.
Another concept in Taoism is
chʼi (“air” or “breath”), the vital
energy given to everyone and
which must be nurtured because
chʼi enables living things to survive
and act, and links them to the whole
universe. Life is an accumulation
of chʼi, death, its dispersal. The
understanding that chʼi is essential
to good health and longevity is
believed to have led to the interest
in exercises like tai chi and qigong.
Feng shui, which translates
as wind and water, is also related
to chʼi. Believers use feng shui
to locate and orient dwellings
and possessions so as to be in
harmony with the flow of chʼi. A
place that has good feng shui is
in harmony with nature; one with
bad feng shui is not.
The symbol of Taoism, called
theTaiji tu, is a circle divided
into two parts. One part is dark
to represent the negative force
(ying) and the other light to
represent the positive force
(yang). Ying and yang are found
in all things in the universe.
Ying represents earth, night,
darkness, coldness, inwardness
and femininity.
Yang represents heaven, day,
brightness, heat, outwardness and
masculinity.
Sunday August 5, 2007 ■ CatholicNews
Ying and yang are century. Today there are over 300
opposites, complementing and Taoist temples in Singapore.
counterbalancing each other. In the 2000 Singapore census
Their interaction produces of population, nine percent of
change. Neither can exist without Singaporeans were categorized
the other. Neither is good or as Taoists. However some Taoists
bad in itself. There is danger say that the percentage should be
only when there is an excessive higher as many worshippers of
predominance of either one. Taoist deities blend their devotions
The merging of ying and with Buddhist practices and these
yang into one circle in the Taiji tu people claim to be Buddhists
symbolizes harmony and the final when they are actually Taoists.
unity of Tao. In Singapore, there are three
Taoists believe that it is broad categories of Taoism but
important to keep their ying they are not mutually exclusive.
and yang in balance. Physicians In Popular Taoism, followers focus
who practise traditional Chinese on prayers and rituals to make
medicine, for instance, believe contact with Tao. In Esoteric
that many illnesses are caused by Taoism followers focus on
One of the oldest Taoist temples is the Thian Hock Keng at Telok
Ayer Street, where Singaporeʼs waterfront used to be before
reclamation. Thian Hock Keng was erected in 1821 as a shrine
of wood-and-thatch structure by the first Chinese sailors who
landed here to pray to the goddess Ma Po Cho for their safe voyage.
The temple that stands today (photos above) was built in 1841 over
the shrine with funds from the Hokkien community, led by two
Malacca-born philanthropists, Tan Tock Seng and Tan Kim Seng.
an excessive imbalance between becoming a receptacle for Tao, for
ying and yang. magical and healing powers, and for
psychic influence. In Philosophical
Taoism, followers focus on how to
live in harmony with the universe.
Today the younger Taoists,
Taoism arrived in Singapore with being more educated, are more
the first Chinese immigrants at the inclined to take a philosophical
turn of the 19th century, and approach to Taoism. Organizations
flourished with the arrival of more such as the Taoist Federation and
Chinese merchants and coolies. Taoist Mission have been set up
Taoist priests from South China to meet their needs and Taoist
came to Singapore to set up altars priests from China are invited to
and temples and to carry out rituals come here to conduct classes on
during the second half of the 19th Taoist philosophy.