Free Essays on Taoism

Taoism is one of the two great philosophical and religious traditions that originated in China. The other religion native to China is Confucianism. Both Taoism and Confucianism began at about the same time, around the sixth century B.C.E. China's third great religion, Buddhism, came to China from India around the second century of the common era. Together, these three faiths have shaped Chinese life and thought for nearly twenty-five hundred years (Hartz 3). One dominate concept in Taoism and Buddhism is the belief in some form of reincarnation. The idea that life does not end when one dies is an integral part of these religions and the culture of the Chinese people. Reincarnation, life after death, beliefs are not standardized. Each religion has a different way of applying this concept to its beliefs. This paper will describe the reincarnation concepts as they apply to Taoism and Buddhism, and then provide a comparison of the two. Taoism The goal in Taoism is to achieve tao, to find the way. Tao is the ultimate reality, a presence that existed before the universe was formed and which continues to guide the world and everything in it. Tao is sometimes identified as the Mother, or the source of all things. That source is not a god or a supreme being, as Taoism is not monotheistic. The focus is not to worship one god, but instead on coming into harmony with tao (Hartz, 8). Tao is the essence of everything that is right, and complications exist only because people choose to complicate their own lives. Desire, ambition, fame, and selfishness are seen as 1 hindrances to a harmonious life. It is only when a person rids himself of all desires can tao be achieved. By shunning every earthly distraction, the Taoist is able to concentrate on life itself. The longer the person's life, the more saintly the person is presumed to have be... Free Essays on Taoism Free Essays on Taoism taoism By: Gemma Taoism Taoism originated in China during the 300 ¡Ã‚ ¯s BC. It has been part of the Chinese culture for 2,000 years. It was during the same time period as Confucianism, but had opposite ideas and morals, yet it was equally as important as Confucianism in Chinese history. Taoism began as a reaction to  ¡Ã‚ °historical situations ¡Ã‚ ±(c1), and became a philosophy of the natural way. The word Tao actually means  ¡Ã‚ °road ¡Ã‚ ± or  ¡Ã‚ °way. ¡Ã‚ ± Taoism has had a large impact on art and literature, and had been greatly influenced by Chinese folk religion. Folk religion says that most gods were actually just people who displayed heroic qualities. The priests conducted public rituals. Many Taoists seek careers in astronomy, herbal remedies, and alchemy, among other fields. Tao represents what makes everything what it is, reality as a whole (all the ways). It provides spiritual inspiration, and moral standards. It supplies strength and refuge. Taoism is  ¡Ã‚ °not a thing, but a creative process ¡Ã‚ ±(b1). The ways tell you to live your life, but not to interfere with nature. A fish needs to swim; a tree needs to grow. The Tao focuses on independence and tranquility. Taoism is equally as important as Confucianism in Chinese history. Confucianism and Taoism began during the same time period, but had different views, even from the beginning. Confucianism says that you can only live a good life in a well disciplined and structured society, and Taoism says you should live your life however you want, as long as you stay close to nature. Taoism is a philosophy of the natural way. It is a practical way of life. Taoists look down upon war, taxes, punishment, and your typical set of morals. They look up to happiness, contentment, control, and giving in when you believe is necessary. They also stress simplicity. Profit, cleverness, desire, and selfishness shall be left behind. The  ¡Ã‚ °three treasures ¡Ã‚ ±(c4) are said to be  ¡Ã‚ °deep love, frugalit ... Free Essays on Taoism Taoism is one of the two great philosophical and religious traditions that originated in China. The other religion native to China is Confucianism. Both Taoism and Confucianism began at about the same time, around the sixth century B.C.E. China's third great religion, Buddhism, came to China from India around the second century of the common era. Together, these three faiths have shaped Chinese life and thought for nearly twenty-five hundred years (Hartz 3). One dominate concept in Taoism and Buddhism is the belief in some form of reincarnation. The idea that life does not end when one dies is an integral part of these religions and the culture of the Chinese people. Reincarnation, life after death, beliefs are not standardized. Each religion has a different way of applying this concept to its beliefs. This paper will describe the reincarnation concepts as they apply to Taoism and Buddhism, and then provide a comparison of the two. Taoism The goal in Taoism is to achieve tao, to find the way. Tao is the ultimate reality, a presence that existed before the universe was formed and which continues to guide the world and everything in it. Tao is sometimes identified as the Mother, or the source of all things. That source is not a god or a supreme being, as Taoism is not monotheistic. The focus is not to worship one god, but instead on coming into harmony with tao (Hartz, 8). Tao is the essence of everything that is right, and complications exist only because people choose to complicate their own lives. Desire, ambition, fame, and selfishness are seen as 1 hindrances to a harmonious life. It is only when a person rids himself of all desires can tao be achieved. By shunning every earthly distraction, the Taoist is able to concentrate on life itself. The longer the person's life, the more saintly the person is presumed to have be...

Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision

Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision Literal Meanings and Pedantic Precision By Mark Nichol Earlier this year, the Merriam-Webster website, which, along with its paper-and-ink version, is notorious for its laissez-faire approach to word usage, expressed an intriguing argument in one of its Usage Notes: Chill out about preserving the â€Å"original† meaning of words. If one were to insist that words be used only in their initial sense, one would discourage me from writing â€Å"Chill out,† because I am not alluding to temperature, and the literal meaning of the verb chill is not â€Å"calm down,† but â€Å"make colder.† That’s the point of the post, which argues that, for example, aggravate shouldn’t be required to apply only to making something worse- it’s fine to use it when describing mere irritation. The argument goes that if the restriction is to be taken to its logical conclusion, aggravate should mean only â€Å"weigh down,† because that is its original sense. (The grav in aggravate, you see, is the same as the grav in gravity.) By the same token, the lackluster utterance of â€Å"Awesome† in response to, well, virtually any pronouncement- no exclamation point is necessary, because the comment was likely nothing like an exclamation- is acceptable. Apparently, the interest of some in preserving that term to describe something truly remarkable is invalid; after all, the original meaning was â€Å"inspiring awe,† and to employ the word for something merely spectacular demonstrates disloyalty to its etymological origins. (Awful would also have the same restriction, because it literally means â€Å"full of awe.†) I see the point, but I also feel that indiscriminate dilution of a word’s distinct meaning paints writers into a corner. Once awesome, indiscriminately mumbled in response to myriad comments undeserving of such a potentially powerful reply, is devalued, what is left to describe something that is, well, truly awesome? On the one hand, this weakening of a word challenges the writer to find- or even craft- a suitable synonym, but it might not be long before the replacement is in turn drained of its strength. That’s why I never write (or say) anxious when I mean eager; the former term patently alludes to anxiety, not anticipation. But I admit inconsistency- using the last word in the previous sentence reminds me that anticipation literally means not â€Å"the state of looking forward to something† but, rather, â€Å"the act of foreseeing.† (Anticipere, the Latin verb from which it is derived, means â€Å"take before.†) Nevertheless, I try to use precise, unambiguous words and will continue to preserve distinctions when possible, and I encourage careful writers to do so as well. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should Know50 Nautical Terms in General Use20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays