Taoism is composed of two different streams, philosophical and religious, of Chinese thought: philosophical Taoism (Tao-chia), with its two main representatives, Lao-tzu, author of the Tao Te Ching, and Chuang-tzu, author of a work that bears his own name, and, on the other hand, religious Taoism (Tao-chiao), with its various schools.
The aim of philosophical Taoism is to achieve mystical union with the Tao through meditation and assimilation to the nature of the Tao in thinking and action. The Tao is conceived as the all-encompassing Principle from which all things arise. One of the central ideas of philosophical Taoism is the concept of wu-wei, a spontaneous and totally unplanned action, but suitable in itself for the given situation. This attitude is that of the Taoist sage.
Within religious Taoism, all schools and orientations that aim to achieve immortality (ch’ang-sheng pu-ssu) are included. The most important are: the Hygiene of the Inner Divinities; the Taoism of the Five Bushels of Rice; the Way of Supreme Peace; the School of the Magic Jewel; the Way of Right Unity; and the Realization of Truth.
The methods applied in religious Taoism to achieve immortality are external alchemy (wai-tan) and internal alchemy (Nei-tan). The latter includes techniques of gymnastics, breathing exercises, massage, sexual practices, and meditation. All of them are intended to achieve the formation of the sacred embryo (Sheng-tai) or body of light: when the physical body dies, the body of light leaves the mortal envelope, and the adept becomes one of the Immortals (hsien).
The Taoist Canon (Tao-tsang) is a compilation of texts that form the basis of Taoist doctrine. Its oldest parts date back to compilations from the 5th century BC. The version preserved today dates from the Ming dynasty and includes 1,467 works in 5,486 volumes. In addition to Taoist works proper, covering all aspects of doctrine, the Canon also contains texts on medicine, chemistry, botany, astronomy, etc. Most purely Taoist writings, according to traditional understanding, come from a revelation and constitute a means of communication between divine beings and humans; through the realization of these texts, humans can penetrate the mysteries of immortality.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Documents on Taoism
Books on Taoism
See also: Taoism Glossary
External links: Tao / Taoism / Tao-chia / Lao-tse / Tao-te ching / Chuang-tse / Tao-chiao / ch’ang-shen pu-ssu / Wai-tan / Nei-tan / Sheng-tai / Hsien / Tao-tsang