| The philosophy of Taoism, (pronounced Dow-ism) | | | | and life in the universe. For the most part, it is a subtle |
| founded in ancient times by an elusive figure known | | | | undercurrent, moving slowly along beneath all things. It |
| only as Lao-Tzu (The Old Teacher), holds the key to | | | | is certainly possible to swim upstream in a slow current |
| helping us get rid of the stress in our everyday lives. | | | | and successfully make it to wherever you are headed |
| Taoists throughout Asian history have made a huge | | | | without being swept away. You will certainly be |
| impact on the countries they lived in and the lives they | | | | conscious of the energy you use up swimming against |
| touched. They were and are renowned for their ability | | | | the current. If you were to pit yourself against that |
| to triumph over difficult situations without buckling and | | | | slow river and try to swim upstream, against the |
| for their ability to create wholesome and stress-free | | | | current, you would need superhuman endurance to go |
| lifestyles for themselves. | | | | very far, for the river does not tire or even TRY to |
| In this preliminary lesson, we'll be looking at what the | | | | move you. Even superhuman endurance is weak in |
| Tao of Taoism is, and how we can try to understand | | | | comparison to the power of the slow steady river. |
| it. This will build the foundation of your further | | | | The Tao can be thought of as a river of life. All living |
| introduction to Taoism. The word Tao means "Way," | | | | things exist in and are part of the Tao, part of a |
| with a capital W. It signifies the understanding that | | | | greater whole. Individual organisms are all part of the |
| there is a Great Way to the workings of the universe. | | | | ebb and flow of life within the Tao. |
| Many people take this to mean a belief in | | | | Think of yourself as a swimmer in the great river. If |
| predestination or fate, but this isn't exactly correct. This | | | | you strive against the current to move around, you will |
| Great Way is best imagined as a wide river flowing to | | | | greatly increase the difficulty of getting to your goal. |
| the sea. Throughout the river are different sorts of | | | | This is not to say that you should just float along, since |
| flows - fast, strong, weak, eddying, crashing waterfalls. | | | | that would be leaving everything to chance - the river |
| Does the water choose these flows? Does it choose | | | | doesn't know where it is taking you; it doesn't even |
| where it will eddy, and how, and for how long? No, of | | | | know that it is taking you. The more you fight the flow, |
| course it doesn't. It just is. | | | | the more tired you become. Now that you know this, |
| The flow of the river, from the day the first hints of a | | | | you can begin to observe it as it happens in your life. |
| river appeared in that place to the time we encounter | | | | Through the rest of my lessons, we're going to explore |
| it as the wide and powerful thing it is today, has not | | | | the ways that you can use this Taoist look at the |
| been designed by the river. Like this river, the Great | | | | universe to change your life and make it how you |
| Way, the Tao, is an organic flow to all of the energy | | | | want it to be. |