• Dao means "the way" in Chinese. It is the ultimate reality and mystery of life. It is the driving force of nature and the idea behind the order of the universe and all life. It can never be exhausted. Taoists believe that nature has a Dao in which it moves; that "the way" is the ultimate reality of underlying spiritual force of the universe, which is present in all things, yet greater than all things.
• Daoism is based on the idea that behind all material things and all the change in the world lays one fundamental, universal principle: the Dao. This principle gives rise to all existence and governs everything, all change and all life. Behind the bewildering variety and contradictions of the world lies a single unity, the Dao. The purpose of human life is to live according to the Dao, which requires passivity, calm, non-striving, humility, and lack of planning, for to plan is to go against the Dao.
• Taoists believe that the best way to live is the natural way. They believe that people should respect nature and harmony, and accept things as they are, rather than trying to change them. They should respect nature and harmony and accept things as they are, rather than trying to change them.
• Those who practice Daoism reject aggression, competition, and ambition. Humility and selflessness are thought to go hand in hand with the rejection of material goods, high rank, and social status. For Taoists, society is class-free and democratic. Because of this, Daoism is associated with political protest and rebellion. This brought philosophy into conflict with the government of China.
• It is in the nature of the Dao that it cannot be spoken of. Talking about Daoism in a clear and rational way is not to talk about Daoism. Taoists do not define "the way." It is said, "Those who know the Dao do not speak of it; those who speak of it do not know it.
