Religion Midterm Exam Question #4 Nature is the key to understanding Taoism. One of the important principles of Taoism is to act in harmony with nature at all times. In Taoism, you yourself is an illusion and weakness is more powerful than strength. As stated in the beginning of Tao Te Ching, Tao has no name, it is the “Originator of heaven and earth; (conceived of as) having a name, it is the Mother of all things.” The drives of Taoism are to have a direct experience of the universe, accept and cooperate with things are they are, don’t set standards of morality and don’t label things as “good” or “bad.” Taoism or Daoism steams from the word Dao or Tao which translates to ‘way.’ It is not defined as ‘the way’ because the belief of Taoism is not to define things but to experience them; it is the way of all reality. There is not a particular meaning to Dao, it is ever changing yet constant. Daoism functions on the idea of the River, a movement in nature that is ever flowing. It does not stop and it is not always the same body of water that is passing through the rocks. The key of the River in Taoism is to understand the current and go with the flow. The idea of weakness being more powerful than strength comes from the idea of the River. The water flowing over the rocks, smooth’s the rough edges of the stone. Thus, meaning in Daoism that water is stronger than stone. Nature being the cornerstone of Taoism helps individuals understand their purpose in the world. In the passage from Tao Te Ching, the world is a sacred, delicate place, “Those who act on it destroy it; those who hold on to it lose it.” This passage can be interpreted in that people cannot control the world, they cannot change nature. When humans try to deviate from nature and try to control it they bring destruction upon themselves and those around them. If you try to change something in nature that is not meant to be changed, you will destroy it and all your chances of acting on the world will fail. The world is the way it is, nature is the way it is; it cannot be changed or moved.
The ‘way’ to one’s life is to be one with nature. Sit and smell the roses don’t sit and destroy them. Humans themselves are defined by nature and nature is defined by humans. Humans can discover balance and wisdom from nature, we learn about our true selves through nature and become committed to destination through nature. Tao