1. Taoism The Way of Harmony with Nature
A philosophy
Profound and paradoxical
A way of life
Playful and practical
A religion
Originating in 6th century BCE China
Nature knows best

2. Taoism Origins and Texts
Legendary founder: Lao Tzu (6th century BCE)
Primary text: Tao Te Ching (the “Book of the Way and the Power”)
81 short “chapters” containing the basic philosophy of living in harmony and balance
Chuang Tzu (4th century BCE)
Author of companion text: The Chuang Tzu
Collection of stories exemplifying the wisdom and nature of the Taoist sage

3. Philosophical Taoism The Tao (“path” or “way”)
The “nameless”
The “Mother of ten=thousand things”
The “uncarved block”
All pervading within and beyond nature
Te (“power” or “virtue”)
One’s natural ability brought to peak potential through following the way
The Taoist Sage: learns from observing the way of nature (flowing water, wind) and letting nature guide his way through life

4. More Taoist Concepts Wei-wu-wei (“active non-action”)
Passive non-resistance to the natural forces of life
Natural way to get things done with least effort and greatest success
“Go with the flow,” yield to the natural way of things
Applied in all walks of life
Relativity: “good” and “bad” as a matter of perspective
The Taoist sage is non-judgmental

5. Taoism as a Way of Living
Seeking Health and Longevity: through diet, meditation, exercise, and a stress-free life
Alchemy: seeking the chemical “elixir of life”to achieve immortality
Meditation: “Inner Alchemy Meditation” – seeking spiritual rather than chemical transformation
Natural/holistic healing: herbal medicine, acupressure, acupuncture, exercise…
T’ai-Chi-Ch’uan (“grand ultimate boxing”)
A slow, graceful martial art stressing movement in balance

6. Religious Taoism Deification of Lao Tzu
The Jade Emperor and the eight “Immortals”
Taoist temples with images of Lao Tzu and other “immortals”
Taoist Priests combine Taoist meditation with purification rites of folk religion exorcism practices
Taoist sects develop beginning in 1st century, additional teachers and texts

7. Taoism: Symbols & Images
- Ying-Yang diagram is the most important of all Taoist symbols, represents the movement of heaven or the Tao. The small opposing dots in each area to represent the fact that in all evil there exists some good, while in all the good there exists some evil. Also, it represents dark and bright, night and day, dry and moist, aggressive and passive; sun and rain.
Fu-hsi is the creator of pakua - one of the Chinese cultural heroes.
Pakua is the eight triagrams that constitutes the inner structure of the sixty-four hexagrams of I-Ching. This symbol created by Fu-Hsi 
The dragon is one of the Yang symbols, represents the power, sage or saint

8. Taoism: Symbols & Images
The three sages are Buddha, Confucius and Lao-Tzu. They represent money, power and talent.
The sacred tortoise with pukua on its back is the symbol of wisdom and divinatory power.
Kua is a hexagram formed of six continuous or discontinuous lines.
The I-ching coin is one of the symbol of Taoism, which three coins are used to consult the oracle

9. Taoism: Numbers of Adherents In The World & Influence In The 21st Century
- Membership of Taoism: 2.7 million
- Percentage of the world <1%
“Chi or Vital Energy” training transforms human energy into its superhuman or divine form.
Today there are more than 200 non-profit International Chun Do Sun Bup Ki Energy Centers operated by Korean and Western Masters who teach this ancient art in South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and England.

10. The Tao of Pooh
Rabbit
when you always have to be on the run doing something and being busy, usually you miss things and you do not enjoy life. It can often screw up things to always have to figure things out and always feel like you are important.

11. The Tao of Pooh
Owl
when you are always looking for a reason for something then it often makes things too complicated.

12. The Tao of Pooh
Piglet
is always scared and hesitating, if Piglet would not hesitate, he would get things done in a much more efficient way. He should just do, not think.

13. The Tao of Pooh
Eeyore
by showing how he is always worried about things; he frets a lot. If he would not do that, then life would be much easier for Eeyore.

14. The Tao of Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh
Pooh does not think or ponder about things; he just does them. Things always work out for Pooh because of this. Pooh works along with nature and he does not try to interfere. Pooh leads a simple life.