Daoism (/ˈdaʊɪzəm/, /ˈdaʊ-/), or Taoism (/ˈtaʊ-/), is a philosophical or religious tradition of Chinese origin which emphasises living in harmony with the Dao (Chinese: 道; pinyin: Dào; literally: 'the Way', also romanized as Tao). The Dao is a fundamental idea in most Chinese philosophical schools; in Daoism, however, it denotes the principle that is the source, pattern and substance of everything that exists. Daoism differs from Confucianism by not emphasising rigid rituals and social order, but is similar in the sense that it is a teaching about the various disciplines for achieving "perfection" by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the universe called "the way" or "dao". Daoist ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasise wu wei (action without intention), "naturalness", simplicity, spontaneity, and the Three Treasures: 慈 "compassion", 儉 "frugality", and 不敢為天下先 "humility".
The roots of Daoism go back at least to the 4th century BCE. Early Daoism drew its cosmological notions from the School of Yinyang (Naturalists), and was deeply influenced by one of the oldest texts of Chinese culture, the I Ching (Yi Jing), which expounds a philosophical system about how to keep human behavior in accordance with the alternating cycles of nature. The "Legalist" Shen Buhai (c. 400 – c. 337 BCE) may also have been a major influence, expounding a realpolitik of wu wei.[5] The Dao De Jing, a compact book containing teachings attributed to Laozi (老子; Lǎozǐ; Lao³ Tzŭ³), is widely considered the keystone work of the Daoist tradition, together with the later writings of Zhuangzi.
Daoism has had a profound influence on Chinese culture in the course of the centuries, and Daoists (道士; dàoshi, "masters of the Dao"), a title traditionally attributed only to the clergy and not to their lay followers, usually take care to note distinction between their ritual tradition and the practices of Chinese folk religion and non-Taoist vernacular ritual orders, which are often mistakenly identified as pertaining to Daoism. Chinese alchemy (especially neidan), Chinese astrology, Chan (Zen) Buddhism, several martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui, and many styles of qigong have been intertwined with Daoism throughout history. Beyond China, Taoism also had influence on surrounding societies in Asia.
Today, the Daoist tradition is one of the five religious doctrines officially recognised in the People's Republic of China (PRC) as well as the Republic of China (ROC), and although it does not travel readily from its East Asian roots,[citation needed] it claims adherents in a number of societies, in particular in Hong Kong, Macau, and in Southeast Asia.
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