 |
| How could the true "Tao" ever be limited to a personality? Pantheon of Taoist Gods (Tao.org) |
- Matteo Ricci, Latin Matthaeus Riccius (Oct. 6, 1552–May 11, 1610) was an Italian Catholic Jesuit priest and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China missions.
 |
| Ricci: You will worship our God |
He mastered the Chinese language and writing system.
 |
| The West's Vatican will rule China! |
He emphasized parallels between Catholicism and Confucianism but opposed Buddhism.
He converted several prominent Chinese officials to Catholicism. He also worked with several Chinese elites, such as Xu Guangqi, in translating Euclid's Elements into Chinese as well as the Confucian classics into Latin for the first time in history. More
Who was Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism?
LAO TZU (Romanized "the Old Boy," Chinese Laozi, 老子, Pinyin Lǎozǐ) was a legendary Chinese philosopher and sage traditionally credited with writing The Book of Changes or Tao Te Ching (Pinyin Dào Dé Jīng), one of the foundational texts of Taoism.Lao Tzu (aka Laozi)
Traditional accounts identify him as Li Er, born in the 6th century BC in the state of Chu during China's Spring and Autumn period (c. 770–c. 481 BC). He is said to have served as the royal archivist for the Zhou court.
He is also said to have met Confucius (c. 551–c. 479 BC), and to have composed The Book of Changes before withdrawing into the western wilderness.
Modern scholarship, however, has questioned both Lao Tzu’s historicity and the traditional attribution of the Tao Te Ching to a single author. More
 |
| Confucius |
His philosophical teachings, called Confucianism, emphasize personal and governmental morality, harmonious social relationships, righteousness, kindness, sincerity, and a ruler's responsibilities to lead by virtue [2].
He considered himself a transmitter for the values of earlier periods, which he claimed had been abandoned in his time... More
What is the Tao in Lao Tzu's Taoism?
 |
| Outline of the aura: Qigong |
With a range of meanings in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include "Way," "Road," "Path," or "Technique," generally understood in the Taoist sense as an enigmatic process of transforming ultimately underlying reality [2, 3].
Taoist thought has informed the development of various practices within the Taoist tradition, including forms of
- meditation,
- astrology,
- qigong,
- feng shui, and
- internal alchemy [4].
 |
| Meister Lam in Jiuzhaigou: Qigong |
Taoist ethics [that blended until they are thought to be of Buddhist origin in Zen] generally emphasize virtues of effortless action, naturalness, simplicity, and the three treasures of compassion, frugality, and humility.
Taoism is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures, priestly lineages, and ritual systems, but it has long been closely intertwined with Zen and Chinese folk religion, and the boundary between them is often fluid in practice [5].
The core of Taoist thought crystallized during... More
