Introducing Buddha: A Graphic Guide (Graphic Guides)

by Borin Van Loon

Taoism, the other great Chinese faith was very different. The Taoists were very un-Confucian in their dislike to the social world, which they considered artificial and dishonest. They advocated a return to simplicity and harmony with the natural world. Their ideal was ‘wu wei’, non-doing or non-action, which is not intent upon result and is not concerned with deliberate good works or consciously laid plans. They said that if one was in harmony with Tao, the “Cosmic Way”, the answer would make itself clear when action was called for, and then one would not act according to deliberate and pre-conceived ways but according to the divine and spontaneous mode of wu-wei, which is the mode of action of Tao itself. The irreverent flavour of Taoism is exemplified in the following story called Lao Tzu’s Wake, written by Chuang Tzu. There were three friends discussing life. Can men live together and know nothing of it? Work together and produce nothing? Can they fly around in space and [forget to exist, world without end? The three friends looked at each other and burst out laughing. They had no explanation, and thus they were better friends than before. Then one friend died. Confucius sent a disciple to help the other two chant his obsequies. The disciple found that one friend had composed a song, while the other played a lute. Hey, Sung Hui Where’d you go? Hey, Sung Hui Where’d you go? You have gone Where you really were” And we are here - Damn it! We are here! Then the disciple of ...