Taoism (also called Daoism) is a religion and philosophy that originated in China around 2000 years ago. It revolves around the Tao and the principle of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang shows that the world as filled with opposing forces that live in harmony. The Tao itself is not a god and therefore is not worshiped like one; however, it does include many deities that are worshipped in Taoist temples. Since they are a part of the universe, they too follow the Tao. .
The experiential side of Taoism involves living the Tao and Te, the "way" and "virtue, " in the interest of becoming a sage. A Sage is one who is in complete harmony with nature, both the immediate environment and the entire universe. Through the example of the Sage, Taoism shows us the ideal way of being that follows the natural laws of life. To think and act like a Sage is to adapt to both the flow of life and the Tao by demonstrating four principles, "the interconnectedness of all life (the Tao); the underlying unity of all apparent opposites (yin-yang); the power derived through alignment with the Tao (te); and non-ego-motivated action (wu-wei), " (Kardash).
The legend of Laozi, creator of the Tao Te Ching, is the mythical side of Taoism. The origin of Laozi is not completely set in stone. Some even question whether Laozi existed. There are several different accounts of the origins of Laozi and how he came to write the Tao Te Ching. According to the Shiji, a biography of Laozi written by Sima Qian, Lao was a native in the Southern state in the Zhou Dynasty called Chu. His name originally was Li Er and he was the keeper of archival records. It is said that he advised Confucius on ritual matters, as Laozi was his elder. He had lived in the Zhou Dynasty for a long time and when it started to decline. He decided to leave, heading west. As he got to the Northwest border, which then separated China from the outside world, he met the official in charge of the border, named Yin Xi.
