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Why is it infinite? It has no desires for itself; thus it is present for all
beings. ” Taoism believed in little governmental interference. This is best
described through the belief that, “the meek would inherit the earth. ”. Another
example would be from the passage by Lao Tzu stating, “Throw away holiness and
wisdom, and the people will be a hundred time happier. Throw away morality and
justice, and the people will do the right thing. Throw away industry and profit,
and there won’t be any thieves. ” Taoism is most described as that which is
striving for equality. The thought of remaining in the middle, is the general
belief in Taoism. . The creation of Yin and Yang derived from the belief of Tao.
Tao is not only tangible things, but also what cannot be comprehended.
What cannot be seen is also know as the ultimate principle or truth. Tao
proposed a new thought pattern for the Chinese people. The people now realized
that they need each other. “Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and
easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend
on each other. Before and after follow on each other. ” The tradition family
values were modified to a lesser dependence upon the home. Tao also provided a
direction for which the Chinese people could follow, and achieve happiness. The
direction that Lao Tzu prescribed was to maintain a neutral area. His expressed
this belief when he wrote the following; “The Tao doesn’t take sides; it gives
birth to both good and evil. The Master doesn’t take sides; she welcomes both
saints and sinners.
The Tao is like a bellows; it is empty yet infinitely capable. The more you
use it, the more it produces. The more you talk of it, the less you understand.
Hold onto the center. ” During the Han Dynasty, they attempted to blend the
Taoism and Confusism. Although this dynasty was one of the most successful of
all of Chinese history, this blend turned into a complete failure. Confusism
implied that the “old ways” were only old ways. The idea that the new way was
the right (only) way caused all of the ancient books to be burned. The
possessors of these books were severely punished. Another outcome was the
creation of the Great Wall.
This wall was created to protect from attack from neighboring Barbarians, but
this also sheltered the Chinese people from outside knowledge. Now Taoism was
held exclusively to China. This allowed this belief to be pondered and modified.
This helped to create Buddhism. Buddhism also is a more optimistic religion,
compared to Confusism. Buddhism is now the most popular religion (based on
percentage compared to population) in Asia. It is no longer in just China, it
has since spread to India, and the Americas. In conclusion, the teachings from
Tao Te Ching changed the way that the Chinese think. The idea of expanding one’s
knowledge was partially due to the creation of Taoism. Now the belief of
equality is an issue that many areas are facing, such as the Americas, and
African countries.
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