Taoism

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

an enlightenment
on the reincarnation concepts as they apply to Taoism and Buddhism.
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 with Christians, for Taoism is
not monotheistic. The focus is not to worship one god, but instead on
coming into harmony with tao. 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
hindrances to a harmonious life. It is only when one 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 one's life,
the closer to tao one is presumed to have become. ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

without limit. There is continuity without
a starting point. Applying reincarnation theory to Taoism is the belief
that the soul never dies, a person's soul is eternal. It is possible to
see death in contrast to life; both are unreal and changing. One's soul
does not leave the world into the unknown, for it can never go away.
Therefore there is no fear to come with death.
In the writings of The Tao Te Ching, tao is described as having existed
before heaven and earth. Tao is formless; it stands alone without change
and reaches everywhere without harm. The Taoist is told to use the light
that is inside to revert to the natural clearness of sight. By divesting
oneself of all ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: