Daoism

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2010

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Daoism. An ancient Chinese tradition of philosophy and religious belief, Daoism first appeared more than two thousand years ago. For centuries it was the most popular religion in China; in the West its religious aspects are not as well known as its practices, which include meditation and Feng Shui, and for its most celebrated text, the Daodejing.The central aim in Daoism is to follow the 'Dao', a word which roughly translates as 'The Way'. Daoists believe in following life in its natural flow, what they refer to as an 'effortless action'. This transcendence can be linked to Buddhism, the Indian religion that came to China in the 2nd century BC and influenced Daoism - an exchange which went both ways. Daoism is closely related to, but has also at times conflicted with, the religion of the Chinese Imperial court, Confucianism. The spirit world is of great significance in Daoism, and its hierarchy and power often take precedence over events and people in real life. But how did this ancient and complex religion come to be so influential?With:Tim Barrett Professor of East Asian History at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of LondonMartin PalmerDirector of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education and CultureHilde De WeerdtFellow and Tutor in Chinese History at Pembroke College, University of Oxford Producer: Natalia Fernandez.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thanks for learning the Inartime podcast. For more details about Inartime and for our terms of use
0:05.4	Please go to bbc.co.uk forward slash radio for. I hope you enjoy the program
0:11.6	Hello, it's said that on a cold misty night many years ago an old man arrived at the western border of Imperial China
0:18.7	He was weary and keen to get on his way, but the border guard stopped him recognizing him as the learned archivist of the Chinese Royal Court
0:26.1	The man in question was allowed Zah the old master and at the request of the guard
0:30.9	He stopped for the night and wrote down some of his wisdom in doing so
0:34.0	He created what was to become the most revered text of the Taoist faith the Tao day jing
0:40.0	According to Taoist tradition these nocturnal events took place sometime in the 6th century BC
0:45.8	Although today some doubt that such a person as Lao Zah even existed
0:50.0	Taoists thought has been a powerful force in China for centuries today
0:54.1	Taoism is a world religion perhaps best known in the west by some of its symbols and practices such as the Yin and Yang and the art of
1:00.9	Feng Shui
1:01.9	But how did this complex religious philosophy spread and what lies at the heart of its teachings?
1:07.5	With me to discuss Taoism a Tim Barrett professor of East Asian history at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London
1:14.5	Martin Palmer director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education and Culture and he'll do the viet fellow and tutor in
1:21.8	Chinese history at Pembroke College at the University of Oxford
1:25.0	Martin Palmer at the heart of Nazism is a notion called the Tao
1:28.7	Can you explain what the word means? Well the word itself simply means a road or a path or a street
1:35.1	We first come across it probably around about 1500 BC when it's carved on oracle bones and the such like
1:42.2	But by the time you get to the shooting the book of history, which is probably being compiled somewhere around about 800 BC
1:50.4	It's beginning to take on a different meaning in fact two different meanings one is a sort of moral path
1:56.2	You know the right way to go the right way to behave
	...

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