History of Taoism's Philosophy

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Taoism is believed to have been founded by Lao Tzu, or Laozi, between the 5th and 3th century BCE (“Leading figures in Taoism”). It is difficult to narrow down an exact time frame on when these philosophies began originating because the original texts began appearing as early as 550 BCE. He is the first person who is said to have compiled these texts into a book called the Tao Te Ching in the late 4th or early 3rd century BCE ("Key books in Taoism"). This philosophy did not become a religion until 142 CE. The Way of the Celestial Masters is the sect that originally began worshiping the works of Lao Tzu, whom they considered a deity ("Religious Library: Taoism."). Taoism as a philosophy and religion has several basic concepts including wWu and yYu, tTe, tTzu jJan, yYin yYang, cCh’i, and wWu wWei ("Taoism: Concepts."). Wu wWei is usually considered the most vital concept of Taoism, because wu wei is how people are expected to align themselves with their Tao, or path. Taoist masters are believed to use wu wei to see and follow the invisible force that is their Tao (Frantzis, Bruce). Wu wei has a prominent effect on many people today, whether they are Taoists or not, through romantic advice, Tai Chi, and of course those searching for their destiny.
Wei Wu Wei. Wei means action, while wu means nothing. Wu Wei is commonly expressed in this fashion to say “action through non-action”. Wei means action, while wu means nothing. As Lao Tzu wrote in Tao Te Ching, “When nothing is done, nothing is un-done,” ("Taoism: Concepts."). Now, Lao Tzu doesn’t mean lazing around all day will help you discover your destiny. There are several variations of the definition of the concept. Some philosophers say that wu wei simply means to let things happe...

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"Taoism: Concepts." BBC Religions. BBC, 12 Nov 2009. Web. 22 Mar 2014. .
Teo, Soon. "Wu Wei or Non-Doing: The Tao of Letting Go." Tao In You. Tao-In-You.com. Web. 22 Mar 2014. .
The Shangra-la Mission, . N.p.. Web. 22 Mar 2014. .
White, Mark D.. "The Wisdom of Wu Wei: Letting Good Things Happen." Psychology Today. Sussex Directories, Inc., 9 Jul 2011. Web. 22 Mar 2014. .
"Wu Wei: No Way!" The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts. The Academy of Martial and Internal Arts, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. .

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