Thank you for visiting. This article is one part of a series explaining the “original texts” of the world’s mythologies and religions, and is an index page gathering the original texts of “Taoism.”
Taoism is one of China’s three great religions, alongside Confucianism and Buddhism, and is a distinctive religion that preaches living naturally according to the “Tao (the Way)” and, further, aims at the immortal sage who lives forever. Its source lies in the profound philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi.
Taoism’s original texts range widely, from philosophical works to scriptures of the gods, and are positioned in the “scripture type,” in which a clear scripture is established. In this series, I explain its world clearly, divided into 5 articles.
The comprehensive index of the world’s mythology and religion original texts, including others besides Taoism, can be seen on the following page.
Taoism Has Two Faces
Important in understanding Taoism is that it has two sides.
One is the “Taoism as thought and philosophy (the Daoist school),” beginning with Laozi and Zhuangzi. It preaches living by the “Tao,” the root of all things, casting off contrivance and living in “non-action and naturalness.”
The other is the “Taoism as religion and order,” formed in a later age. This is an organized religion that aims at becoming an immortal sage who lives forever, enshrines its own gods, and performs alchemy of elixirs and magic.
These two seem to be separate things, yet they share the root of “living according to the Tao.” In this series, I explain in order, in 5 articles, from the philosophical founders Laozi and Zhuangzi, to the immortality thought, and the Taoist religion.
| Original text | Category | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Tao Te Ching (Laozi) | Daoist school | The fundamental classic preaching the Tao and non-action |
| Zhuangzi | Daoist school | Preaches the state of freedom through parables |
| Baopuzi and others | Immortality | The theory of immortality and alchemy of elixirs |
| Daozang | The order | A grand compendium of Taoist scriptures |
Now let me introduce what each article explains.
A Complete History of Philosophy and ReligionView on Amazon →
An Illustrated Introduction to the World’s 5 Great MythologiesView on Amazon →
Article 1: Laozi and the “Tao Te Ching”
In the first installment, I explain Taoism’s fundamental classic the “Tao Te Ching” and the legendary figure held to be its author, “Laozi.”
I clearly introduce Laozi’s thought, put into a mere 5,000 characters — the “Tao,” the root of all things, “non-action and naturalness,” which accomplishes all by contriving nothing, and “the highest good is like water,” placing oneself low like water.
Article 2: Zhuangzi’s Thought
In the second installment, I explain the thought of “Zhuangzi,” a master of the Daoist school alongside Laozi.
I clearly introduce Zhuangzi’s world, told in humor-filled parables — the “butterfly dream,” dreaming he had become a butterfly, the “equality of all things,” transcending every opposition and distinction, and the “free and easy wandering,” the state of freedom bound by nothing.
Article 3: Immortality Thought and Living Forever
In the third installment, I explain the “immortality thought,” aiming at living forever, unique to Taoism.
I clearly introduce the world of the immortals that kept fascinating the people of China — the alchemy of elixirs for becoming an immortal sage, Ge Hong’s “Baopuzi,” the “Eight Immortals,” the immortal goddess “Queen Mother of the West” and the peaches of immortality, and the ideal land of the “Peach Blossom Spring” and Mount Penglai.
Article 4: The Taoist Religion and the Daozang
In the fourth installment (the final one), I explain the “Taoist religion” as an organized religion, and its grand collection of scriptures, the “Daozang.”
I clearly introduce the founder of the Taoist order, “Zhang Daoling,” and the Way of the Celestial Masters, the Way of Great Peace, which raised the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Taoism’s supreme gods the “Three Pure Ones” and the Jade Emperor, the enormous scripture compendium the “Daozang,” and sects such as Quanzhen and Zhengyi.
Differences from Confucianism and Buddhism — China’s Three Great Religions
To understand Taoism more deeply, comparing it with Confucianism and Buddhism, which stood side by side in China, is a shortcut. These three are called the “three teachings” and have often been contrasted.
| Taoism | Confucianism | Buddhism | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it values | Nature, non-action, longevity | Social order, morals, ritual | Enlightenment, release from rebirth |
| Ideal | Living naturally according to the Tao | A good society by benevolence and righteousness | Release from suffering, nirvana |
| Where its concern is directed | This world (happiness in this life) | This world (human society) | The next world, mental liberation |
What is interesting is that the people of China did not set these three in opposition, but used them according to the occasion. As in “Confucianism when going out into the world to work, Lao-Zhuang (Taoism) when wanting to rest the heart, Buddhism when facing death,” the three teachings became pillars supporting the Chinese spirit. Taoism in particular has a great individuality in the point of having single-handedly taken on the this-worldly wish to “live healthily, long, and happily, here in this world now.”
Note that, as we see in this series, Taoism has a flow from philosophy (the Daoist school) to religion (the Taoist religion). The thought of Laozi and Zhuangzi (Articles 1 and 2) is at the base, the immortality faith of living forever (Article 3) joined to it, and it in time developed into a religion with gods and an order (Article 4). Being aware of this great flow makes each article much easier to read.
To Learn More
Here are some related books. Reading them alongside this series lets you savor this world even more deeply.
World Mythology for Beginners (illustrated)View on Amazon →
The Origins of Religion: Why We Needed a ‘God’View on Amazon →
Conclusion
In this article, I introduced the whole picture of Taoism’s original texts and the content the 5 articles in the series cover. How was it?
Taoism was a rich world unique to China, holding two faces — the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi of “living naturally according to the Tao, in non-action,” and the religion of “aiming at the immortal sage who lives forever.” Let us trace its original texts in order, from the “Tao Te Ching” and “Zhuangzi” to the Daozang.
I also explain the original texts of other mythologies and religions. For the full list, please see the Summary of the World’s Mythology and Religion Original Texts.
For the strength of the gods and heroes, please also refer to this ranking article.
I hope you’ll read the next article too.
📚 Series: The Original Texts of Taoism (1/5)
