If you are at all interested in learning about ancient ways of thought and being, then you may have already heard of Taoism and it's metaphysical teachings. For those who have never truly looked into Daoism, it could seem that it is nothing more than just a yin and yang symbol, which can be seen on billboards, signs, shirts and jewelry around the world.



But few men and women outside of the Daoism way of thought understand that there is more than just a yin and yang, it is a way of living.

Daoism is both a philosophy and a religion, and was founded over two thousand five hundred years ago in ancient china by a man known as Lao Tzu. According to lore and legend, Lao Tzu was a record keeper who lived and worked in the imperial capital. After living and working in the capital until the age of 160, Lao Tzu realized that he was disgusted with society and vowed to leave it forever. As he approached the get to leave the city, Guan Yin Zi, the keeper of the pass, begged Lau Tzu to write down all of his metaphysical teachings before he left society. Lao Tzu agreed to do so, and he wrote down the Tao Te Ching, forming the basis of Daoism. Once he left his writing, Lao Tzu left the city and was never seen again.

But the metaphysical teachings that he left, the Tao Te Ching, is now considered one of the most influential books in Chinese literature, and one of the top three ranked books that have been translated into English. Comprised of 5,000 characters divided into 81 chapters, the metaphysical teachings were originally written on strips of bamboo tied together with string. In this writing, Lao Tzu described the Tao, which is a flow which was unknowable in essence, but observable in manifestations. According to Daoism, to find true peace, one must develop a mystical relationship with the Tao.