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| "The Tao, open & nonreified Produces the absolute The absolute changes & there is the first one One divides into to two & produces three And the four signs & five forces emerge from here The Tao is the root of Heaven and of Earth In the mystic teaching, One is the door of all subtelties The I Ching distinguishes creation and evolution from within the One The Human mind employs general norms on the basis of One. " The Book of Balance & Harmony Traditional Chinese Medicine is founded on the philosophy of the ancient Taoists. Taoism has had a profound effect on Chinese culture as a whole. Taoist ideas, philosophies and practices are the raw threads from which the rich tapestry of Chinese culture is woven and many of them survive to this day. The Dai Ji, or popular Yin/Yang symbol is the Taoist representation of the interconnectedness and essential duality that characterizes the living Universe and the world of Humans. The ancient Taoists were alchemists. They sought transformation from the Human state. Like their western counterparts, they sought the ever elusive secret of immortality, or the Fountain of Youth. They also sought the secret of turning Lead into Gold. Like their western counterparts, they also fell into disfavour in the Age of Science. But their ideas and practices were so well researched and thought out that Science has only ever been able to prove the wisdom of the Taoists, not disprove it. They understood that Humans are one with Nature. Modern synonyms for how the Taoists understood Nature might be God or The Universe. But Taoist philosophy, in practice goes much further than that. Since Ultimate understanding of the Universe is impossible, at this level, all Theories of Heaven are seen as mere constructs of the Mind, each to be evaluated and learned from, but eventually disgarded. One is as good (or evil) as the next, and all are essential parts of the whole - The One. The Taoists used the word Qi, which in its simplest translation means 'energy.' Qi, as I have mentioned, is defined as the motive force of the Universe. Taoist practices are, for the most part designed to manipulate Qi in order to achieve their practical and spiritual goals. One very important aspect of Taoist practice was essentially a means for attaining longevity, disease free good health, mental and spiritual well being, invulnerability and immortality at its highest expression. It was thought that immunity from disease and immortality of the physical body was as much a mental and spiritual path as it was a physical one. So, why one might ask would they be so concerned with finding the secret of immortality on this plane? The Tao, literally translated means The Way. The Tao is seen more as a path than a destination. It is said, that the Tao that can be named is NOT the true Tao. So, while the Taoists sought physical immortality, the idea of enlightenment or actually attaining a spiritual awakening was always put off. The true Tao is one that apparently can never be attained, but its pursuit was the highest expression of what it is to be human. Taoists believe that their purpose on Earth is to experience all that there is to experience of what it is to be human. To the Taoists, all experience is valid. Although they developed the Yin/Yang philosophy to represent the essential duality of Life, they did not develop a well defined philosophy of Good and Evil. They saw all experience as an opportunity to question and learn. Each learning leads to deeper questioning, deeper learning and yet more experiences. The Taoists are the only major religion or philosophy never to have condemned Witchcraft. In fact the symbols of Witchcraft as well as statues of Buddha, Christ, and any number of other symbols are likely to be found together in the same Taoist shrine. The ancient Taoists were not just abstract philosophers. They were practical scientific people who developed a complete system for living well. This system is comprised of 8 practices known as the Eight Pillars.
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