REL 101 Exam 3 (Daoism)

Zhenren

"Daoist spiritual master", roughly translatable as "Perfected Person".

Soft Power

"Small-scale, noncompetitive communities that are harmonious because they governments, in keeping with wu wei, do as little as possible and leave the rest to nature."

Uncarved Block

Humans are born in full possession of the Dao and begin in harmony with nature. Civilization carves these blocks into parents and subjects, husbands and wives. Laozi saw each cut as a little death.

Wu wei

Means "no action". To act in the spirit of "noninterference".

yin/yang

Passive, female yin v. active, male yang. Daoism strives for a harmonious union between the two. The Dao is neither good nor bad.

Qi

Stands for the energy in everything. The life force that every person and thing has.

Daodejing

The central Taoist text, ascribed to Lao-tzu, the traditional founder of Taoism. Apparently written as a guide for rulers, it defined the Tao, or way, and established the philosophical basis of Taoism.

Dao

Translated as "the Way". Can refer to a path or road. The subtle force that creates, sustains, and pervades all things from which everything comes and to which everything returns.