Taoism (Daoism)

Harmony with the Dao (the Way); balance, naturalness (ziran), and effortless action (wu-wei).

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At a glance

Family / regionEast Asian

OriginChina (classical period onward)

Primary textsDao De Jing, Zhuangzi, and later liturgical and philosophical texts (varies by school).

Key ideas (high level)

Core focusHarmony with the Dao (the Way); balance, naturalness (ziran), and effortless action (wu-wei).

PracticesMeditation, breathing practices, ritual, ethics, feng shui, tai chi/qigong (related practices).

Afterlife / cosmologyVaries widely across schools; includes ancestral rites, cosmology, and spiritual realms in some traditions.

Liberation / salvation framingOften framed as harmony, flourishing, or spiritual refinement rather than salvation; some traditions emphasize immortality practices.

CommunityDiverse schools and temple traditions; can overlap with folk religion and other philosophies.

Helpful vocabulary

Dao (Tao)The Way—ultimate principle of reality and harmony.

Wu-weiEffortless action; acting in alignment with the Dao rather than forced striving.

ZiranNaturalness; spontaneity and being as one is.

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