An Introduction to Taoism
A quick look at a surprisingly relevant ancient Chinese philosophy
Today, I’ll be discussing the philosophy of Taoism. To make this an easier read, I’ve broken it down into history, philosophy and practices that you can try yourself based on this philosophy.
History
Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion which originated in c. 500 BCE when the main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, was published.
The Tao Te Ching, meaning “The Way and Its Power”, is thought to have been written by philosopher Lao Tzu, although there isn’t concrete evidence for his existence. The book consists of poetry and sayings from the third and fourth centuries BCE that act as the basis of the Taoist philosophy, and how a Taoist should act. Some sites are also considered the birthplace of Taoism, namely the World Heritage Sites Mount Qingcheng and Mount Longhu.
In the modern day, Taoism is one of five religions officially recognised by the People’s Republic of China, and the activity of the religion is monitored by the government through the Chinese Taoist Association. It is also practiced in Taiwan without government intervention, where it attracts millions of followers.
The Taoist Philosophy
Taoists believe in the presence of the Tao, considered to be the natural order of the universe. This was one of the main inspirations for “the force” in Star Wars, and many parallels can be drawn between the two.
Taoism states that living creatures should work with the constant flux of nature, not against it. It also teaches that humanity often works counterproductively in our attempts to better ourselves or the world. It teaches that by creating ethics and moral codes, rules and regulation, expectations and standards, that we are not living as nature intended us to and instead conforming to a concept created by another person, and that will not lead to fulfilment, happiness or enlightenment.
Another of the main ideas in Taoism is balancing forces, described by Yin and Yang. This concept can be explained by this exempt from the Tao Te Ching:
“When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created.
When people see things as good, evil is created.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Fore and aft follow each other.”
- Chapter 2
Hence, you cannot have one without the other. This links to metaphysics - the branch of philosophy studying the fundamental nature, or first principles, of reality.
In addition, nothing is completely one or the other. If you look at the Yinyang, you’ll see that each teardrop contains an aspect of the other. The tension between Yin and Yang supposedly creates the qi, the energy that guides the universe.
In practice, Taoism follows the concept of wu wei - literally translated as “effortless action”. Following wu wei means you do not force change, as that often causes the inverse of what you desire, but instead let nature take its course. This is similar to the Stoic concept of Logos, which dictates that the universe consists of a large web of cause and effect that causes the constantly changing universe we inhabit. And so, we are taught that instead of placing our will against the natural order, we should instead place it in the path of the universe. We should swim with the stream, not against it.
Live like a Taoist
One of the main practices Taoists engage with is meditation. Not only is this great for your mental health, but your physical health also.
Cortisol is known as a catabolic hormone, whereas testosterone is an anabolic hormone. Having high levels of either with either put your body in a state of anabolism or catabolism, i.e. you’re either synthesising muscle and storing fat (anabolism) or breaking down muscle and burning fat (catabolism). Whilst these states are generally determined by caloric intake (surplus leads to anabolism and vice versa), hormone levels have a massive impact too.
One of the biggest benefits to meditation is reduced cortisol levels, and because cortisol and testosterone are antagonistic hormones (when one goes up, the other goes down), your testosterone levels are likely to increase, and hence your ability to build muscle increases.
Another practice of Taoism is diet control. Early Taoist diets involved bigu, meaning fasting. It was believed that this was the way to achieve immortality, as it would remove your ability to require food and allow you to simply live off the qi. Taoists also promote a vegetarian diet for ethical reasons, and another version of the Taoist diet involves abstaining from eating strong-smelling plants like shallots.
Intermittent fasting is a popular concept among fitness nuts. The concept is that we fast for a certain period of time and then eat, repeating this cycle a few times every day. The idea is that the fast lasts just long enough to burn fat. Research has shown that it may help aid weight loss and improve brain health, among other benefits.
Definitely give meditation a try - I’ve personally found it incredibly useful for maximising my gains in and out the gym. However, think about your fitness goals before attempting intermittent fasting. I personally wouldn’t, because my current goal is to gain weight. However, if your goal is to lose weight, it would definitely be worth a look at.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick look at Taoism. I find the idea that we tend to work against nature most interesting, as it’s certainly applicable to modern day life in that we often get caught up in trying to “fit in” with manmade standards.
What do you think of this philosophy? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading. I’ll see you Friday, where I’ll be discussing the fitness movement “If It Fits Your Macros”, and why it (can be) horrendous for your health.
Stay tuned!
- Tom
Sources:
https://youtu.be/tLAZvESoVgI
https://youtu.be/AhdFpWBeJSQ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism#Tao_and_De
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/taoism
https://comicbookmovie.com/sci-fi/star_wars/star-wars-was-the-force-inspired-by-taoist-philosophy-a146756#gs.ly3rgj
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoist_diet
https://www.testosterone.me/relationship-testosterone-cortisol
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32635830/
Image Source:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/62424894@N00/2175595214
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DISCLAIMER
The content provided in these posts are designed to be educational and informative. I am not a medical doctor, psychologist, therapist, nutritionist, or registered dietitian. The contents of these emails should not be seen as medical, psychological, dietary, nutritional, or healthcare advice of any kind. Always consult a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.