Taoism: Basic Terms and Concepts
The following are some of the basic terms and concepts about Taoism as a religion:
1. The Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu or Chuang Tze) is an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period (476–221 BC) which comprises stories and anecdotes that exemplify the carefree nature of the ideal Taoist sage.
2. In Taoism, houses, buildings, and temples are carefully chosen and designed according to the principles of feng shui, which literally means ‘wind and water.’ Feng shui seeks to promote prosperity, good health, and general wellbeing by evaluating how energy (called ‘qi,’ pronounced ‘chee’) flows through a particular room, house, building, or garden.
3. In Taoism, the practice of wu wei is the expression of what is deemed to be the highest form of virtue, that is, one that is in no way planned, but rather arises spontaneously. One cannot actively pursue wu wei. It manifests as a result of cultivation. The Tao is a guide.
4. A usually cited metaphor for naturalness is ‘pu,’ the ‘uncarved block,’ which represents the original nature, prior to the imprint of culture of a person.
5. The incense is the communication tool for man to convey our wishes and messages to the deities, the rising smoke from the combustion carries our wishes up to the heavens. The scriptures also explained that the offering of three sticks of incense is to convey a message to the deities, and the deities of the three realms will turn shower blessings on us.