CHANQUANSHU

DAOISM
Daoism is a collective term used for several branches of Chinese cultural tradition. Although Daoism does not have a precise definition scholars generally try to make a division between Philosophical Daoism and Religious Daoism.

This division is more imagined than real. For while Philosophical Daoists worked toward mystical union with the Dao by use of meditation and uncontrived action (wuwei) and the Religious Daoists strove toward attaining immortality. Their methods, techniques and practices were often indistinguishable.

Having said that, Chanquanshu tends to towards Philosophical Daoism.

Between the 8th and 3rd centuries BCE lived some of China’s greatest philosophers: Laozi, Confucius, Hanfeizi, Zhuangzi, Sunzi, and Mozi. Of this illustrious group Laozi is generally acknowledged as the founder of the philosophy of Daoism and, according to legend, he is the author of the Daode jing, the first text of Daoism.

For the Daoists of the Daode jing the sage was an individual who understood the natural way of things (the Dao) and lived in harmony with it.

It is this feature that distinguished the Daoism of the Daode jing from the teachings of Confucius. For Confucius, a peaceful and harmonious society was one in which people observed and followed the correct rituals and codes of interpersonal behaviour; it did not matter what the nature of the universe was.

For the Daoist philosophers, understanding the natural order of things was paramount, because only by knowing the principles of the Dao could people live in harmony.