Introduction to Laozi and Daoism

            Daoism is the only religion that entirely was started in China which strongly tight with Chinese cultures, local traditions, history and academic knowledge. Unlike other religions, Daoism is a subject of science with a religious clothes. Taoists observe the world, seek for "Way/Path" and try to find its relationship with themselves. "Way/Path" is the heart concept of Daoism. People are initially came from the "Way/Path" and finally we are going back to this "Way/Path". In chapter twenty-five of Dao De Jing, Laozi described "Way/Path" as "Before the physical universe existed. The potential of all things permeated time and space. It was silent and empty, loud and pregnant, static and dynamic, hot and cold, light and dark. The potential of all things, for lack of another name, I call it infinite." (Donald Sturgeon 2006) In this sentence, the infinity is the "Way/Path", just with different translations. Laozi explained the "Way/Path" as some kind of natural rules which created the universe. .
             The origin of Daoism came from the witchcraft, ancestor worship, nature worship and sex worship before the Shang dynasty. Then Zhang Jiao and Zhang Ling created two main early Daoism groups in Han dynasty. One is the "Great Peace Daoism" (Taiping) and another is the "Way of Five Packs of Rice". Later, these two early Daoism groups mixed together formed the rudiment of the Daoism we have today which name was Tianshi Daoism in Wei and Jin Dynasty. In this period, thought from Laozi and Zhuangzi was advocated to civilians to against Confucianism and Buddhism. .
             YinYang relationship is one of the most important thoughts from Laozi. Normally Yin represents static, negative, turbid and Yang represents moving, positive, pure. Yin and Yang are not simply opposite but also are complementary which means they can convert to each other at the same time.