Self conscious Taoism seems to have emerged about 300 BC but its roots stretch back much further in time. As a growing philosophy Taoism was influenced by a number of strands of thought which were popular in China long before this time such as Ancestor Worship and Shamanism, and later Buddism and Confucianism.

Carvings on bone and metal show that Ancestor Worship was common in China as long ago as the 11th century BC. The common folk of ancient China held a strong belief in spirits and magic, and would have relied on shamans or holy-men to interpret and influence the unseen world. Later, Buddism arrived from India bringing with it a host of Gods, and as Confucianism began to emerge complex rituals were added to the mix.

These strands were constantly intermingling as China developed, and even today they are all followed to a greater or lesser extent. And all the while the more enlightened Chinese were training themselves with meditation and physical exercise such as martial arts, all of which looked to, and in turn influenced, the emerging philosophy that we now know as Taoism.

Eventually Taoism became a religion. This was a natural progression from the philosophy that had already developed, especially considering the popularity of the Buddist Pantheon, and it remains today the State Religion of China. But this site is interested in the philosophy of Taoism, which stands seperately from the religion, and has its basis today in the texts left over from ancient times.

The Tao Te Ching (pron. Dao De Jing) is the main source of Taoist wisdom available to the Westerner. In my mind it is the first place a student of the Tao should begin. Unlike many other Taoist books it is lacking in humour or stories, and is often seen as difficult by Western Scholars. Succinct and direct, it can look superficial, but a great depth is hidden behind the brevity.

A book of only 5000 characters in Chinese, it consists of a number of 'stand alone' chapters which each contain a seperate message. Said to be written by Lao Tzu, its true authorship remains unknown. Lao Tzu is an honarary title meaning 'old master' and there is no doubt that many millions have been given that title over the course of history. The wise sayings contained within its pages may well have been verbally transmitted through the generations, to eventually be recorded together as a book of wisdom in Lao Tzu's name.

But the history of the book is not important except to scholars, and this is not a book for scholars. The title is hard to translate, but is usually given as 'Classic on the Way and Its Power' or 'Classic on the Way and Virtue'. Neither is satisfactory, and increasing it is simply called 'Tao Te Ching'. It teaches a philosophy of life in which one is 'in-tune' with Tao, or 'way of nature', and is intrinsically a book of active philosophy - a book for living, not for study.

Chang Tzu (Master Chang) shares the same beliefs about Taoism as Lao Tzu but he expresses them in a very different way. The writings of Chang Tzu (often simply called 'The Chang Tzu') are stories that illustrate Taoist principles, often in a humorous way. The stories show how to apply the principles of the Tao Te Ching in everday life, and thus the 2 books complement each other perfectly.

The I Ching (pron. Ee Jing, meaning 'book of changes') is probably the best known of the three Taoist classics, but also the hardest to understand. It is really a detailed manual of the changes of the Tao, describing the manifold movements of yin and yang. It uses the system of trigrams - figures composed of 3 lines which are either yin (broken) or yang (solid), giving 8 possible combinations. These 8 can be combined in pairs to give 64 possible hexagrams, each representing one of the phases of change which all things are said to undergo.

Because this system of change is universal the I Ching is also an oracle - it can be used to predict the future by the means of coin tosses or by a complex procedure involving random divisions of piles of yarrow stalks. This yields one of the 64 hexagrams as an indication of the future of the situation being enquired about. However, in the manner of all oracles the answers it gives are complex and need a great deal of interpretation.

These three classic texts of Taoism are all available in a number of English translations, and a quick glance at a few will reveal that they can differ from each other a great deal. This is due at least in part to the way the Chinese language works - its pictographic script will often not translate easily, and many of the concepts familiar to the Chinese are foreign to outsiders. Some of the passages refer to Chinese stories or use unfamiliar phrases, for example, 'the ten thousand things' refers to all things in existance and the words 'spirit', 'virtue' (te) and 'heaven' do not refer to the things we are used to in our own culture.

Nevertheless, a number of excellent translations are avilable. I recommend looking for translations by Taoists where possible - the Tao Te Ching in particular has been translated many times by Western academics who, though they may well have studied Taoism, do not fully understand its principles. As I have said, the only way to understand Taoism is to live it, so a translation by a Taoist will often have a depth of meaning lacking in other translations.

But the best way to choose a translation is to browse through a few copies (if you can find them) and see which appeals to you most. Do not go on recommendations - what appeals to one may not do so to another. Go with your gut feeling. One copy may 'speak' to you more than any other - if so, go with that one.

Taoism as a philosophy does not need any of the trappings of religion, for the Tao is impartial, will not take sides, will not listen to prayers and is not appeased by sacrifice. Tao simply is. Yet Religious Taoism has taken root in Chinese society and today there are temples and shrines, priests and prayers and everything that comes with organised religion. The Tao Te Ching is used as a holy book, Lao-Tzu worshipped as a saint and a number of Gods are praised. The Taoist religion developed, and still maintains, a belief in more supernatural elements, and thus would easily have followed on from the folk religion, ancestor worship and shamanism so common in early Chinese history.

Religious Taoists believed in physical immortality, alchemy, magic and astrology, with a strong emphasis on symbolism and a healthy interest in sexual practises (Taoists through the ages have held strong beliefs as to the 'correct' ways to have sex in order to preserve and enhance the internal energy). These threads strongly influenced the development of the religion, and still hold sway today. In fact, most Chinese still maintain a belief in Taoist and Buddhist Gods, and many practise ancestor worship in addition.

With the recent interest in Eastern philosophy and religion Taoism has become quite trendy, and modern interpretations abound. Recent advances in the sciences are beginning to raise new ideas about the structure of reality, and many have parallels with Eastern thought. There has been a gradual shift away from reductionism, where things are understood by breaking them down and looking at their component parts, towards a more wholistic view. Quantum physics in particular is changing the way the scientific community view the world. There are no certainties at a quantum level, and the experimenter cannot help being part of the experiment. This new view of nature is one in which everything is linked, one in which man is a part of the world, not above and beyond it. It used to be thought that man could control nature with science, now it is suggested that man and his science are too much a part of nature, and there are powerful and subtle forces that he cannot control.

Some supporters of Eastern systems are sitting back and looking smug, but others claim that the ideas are being misunderstood. Many bemoan the 'modernisation' of ancient wisdom and seek to go back to the 'original teachings' - for Taoists this means Ancient China. Yet Taoism is not Chinese - as a stystem of thought it is universally applicable and beyond culture. It seems to be a paradox, Taoism is about change but the teachings are timeless. It is inevitable that views of Taoism have changed, after all our world has changed hugely since Taoism had its birth. Taoists have to apply the ancient teachings to everyday experiences, and in the end it is up to every individual to discover his or her own Way. That is Taoism, whether it seems ancient or modern, Western or Chinese.

Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy which promotes living simply and in harmony with nature, and going with the flow. Taoists believe that by following the natural world, pursuing a strict diet and meditation regime and not struggling with their lot, they can achieve an inner calm, improved health and great martial power. But despite its age, Taoism has a lot to offer the average Westerner and more and more people are turning towards the Taoist arts to help them with questions and problems in their lives.

The Taoist masters, often referred to in the ancient texts as 'sages' or even 'immortals' typically studied such topics as meditation, martial arts, herbalism, diet and medicine and often the arts. Though they might seem unconnected, study of all of these topics leads to self improvement on a physical, mental or spiritual level and this is one of the reasons they appealed to the Taoists of old. As 'Taoist Arts' information on each topic can be found in these pages. The main body of this site is found in the first 2 sections - 'General Introduction' and 'Main Concepts' and it is recommended that the casual browser looks here first.

Everything you read about Taoism or the Taoist arts should be taken as personal opinion not hard fact, and that includes this site. Taoism is not an abstract set of beliefs but a practical way of life and therefore open to many different interpretations. Particularly beware of Western 'interpretation' by non Taoists. The philosophies are meant for living, not for discussing, and many attempts have been made to translate ideas as well as words. This has not generally been very helpful.

One common example of this is in the translation of 'chi' which literally means 'energy' or 'breath' and refers to the internal energy. This concept is foreign to western thought and some have taken it to refer to the body's electromagnetic energy, or to a kind of strength obtained by leverage and good posture. You may or may not agree with these ideas, but it is worth being aware that they are Western interpretations of a Chinese concept, not direct translations.

The way to learn about Taoism or the Taoist arts is by direct experience, and in my opinion this is the only way. Tao means 'way' or 'path', and while books and teachers can act as signposts, no amount of description can replace the experience of actually walking along that path, especially when it is a path through terrain quite foreign to us. Above all always bear in mind the first line of the Tao Te Ching: The Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao.