Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
We’re still having audio-video syncing issues. Be sure to turn on Closed Captioning for the subtitles. That’ll help clarify any confusion caused by audio hiccups.
... If a techie witnessed the wholly inefficient Luddite way I cobbled this video production together, they would probably die of a brain aneurysm …
Timestamps:
00:00 Why another “Introduction to Taoism” video
00:19 Historical textual definition of and references to the Tao 道
01:29 Canonical statement defining the Tao “一陰一陽之謂道”
02:39 Cultural understanding and usage of the term 道 [Syncretic Taoism]
03:40 Formalizing Taoism 道教 during the Eastern Han
03:50 Scope of Taoism “道教” prior to the Eastern Han
04:42 Conflating Buddhist doctrine with the Tao 道
05:33 Institutionalizing Taoism in the Common Era
05:50 Taoist Beliefs – Four Cornerstones
---- Wu Wei 無為 and Zi Ran 自然
---- True Name 真名 and True Form 真形
---- Taoist Cosmology
---- Xuan De 玄德 (The Mysteries)
06:53 The Dàoshì 道士
07:15 Taoist Practice – Four Cornerstones
---- Invoking Spirits 崇拜鬼神
---- Divination 占卜
---- Ceremonial Rites 祭祀
---- Shamanic Witchcraft 巫祝
07:59 The Fāngshì 方士 (Methods Master)
08:14 Taoism is the indigenous Chinese tradition premised on three fundamental assumptions
08:24 [1st] Working with spirit entities (and what that means) [鬼神崇拜]
09:39 Classifications of spirit entities in Taoism (and Chinese folk beliefs)
10:23 [2nd] Studying cultivation methods for transcendence [神仙信仰與方術]
10:32 Inner alchemy 內丹術 and outer alchemy 外丹術
11:43 Taoist occultism during the Warring States period (472 – 221 BC)
11:55 The five mystical arts 五術
13:02 [3rd] The Huang Lao 黃老道 doctrine [黃老學說中的神秘主義成份]
14:53 Two Key Concepts to Huang Lao Taoism (the highest priorities of the Taoist)
--- Political doctrine of Lì Mín 利民
--- Philosophical doctrine of Wu Wei 無為
16:38 Historical uses of the term Huang Lao Tao
18:16 Mathematical Structure of the Tao 道 (mirroring the Yi 易, in I Ching 易經)
19:29 Taoism and the I Ching: the Tao referenced in the I Ching
20:23 Taoism from the Hundred Schools of Thought
20:48 Taoism as a school of philosophy
22:18 Western Thought: Taoist Philosophy vs. Taoist Religion
22:37 Eastern Thought: Taoist Beliefs & Taoist Practice
23:10 Evolving understanding of the Tao in Imperial China
23:58 First use of the term Taoism 道教 (Confucius)
24:14 Taoism is exemplified by the Six Ancestral Sage Kings [堯舜禹湯文武]
24:53 Dào Dé Jing 道德經 and Dào Dé Tiān Zūn 道德天尊
25:25 Religious personifications of the Tao Te Ching
26:08 Summary and closing remarks
***
Related Past Videos:
Wu Wei 無為 (Taoist Non-Action), youtu.be/TzAFobogs3Q?si=_BNWxmGDIXqw8jn6
Your Inner Palace and the Akashic Records, youtu.be/iGJdxTTywHc?si=r5bY9muFzSrhdYd1
Three Mysteries of Taoist Scriptural Tradition, youtu.be/gJcit-CTXnc?si=EJH3n3z3Pgd50e4u
Tao Te Ching and Feminist Metaphysics, youtu.be/IqUlYQDtPrY?si=5w1Npbu-0QA6qxHf
What Does It Mean To Be Taoist, youtu.be/FbpUm82U4dg?si=-Ctl9NNlDNwF6rlp
The Lo Shu Magic Square (雒書, Luò Shū), youtu.be/zAME24d0rGw?si=h1ER0OrreB3V6gst
***
Playlist: Introduction to Taoist & Buddhist Mysticism, youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0x6BzLuplwZuQpc3ubW97MwPXb1mk9hE
Learn more about I Ching, The Oracle: benebellwen.com/i-ching-the-oracle
We’re still having audio-video syncing issues. Be sure to turn on Closed Captioning for the subtitles. That’ll help clarify any confusion caused by audio hiccups.
... If a techie witnessed the wholly inefficient Luddite way I cobbled this video production together, they would probably die of a brain aneurysm …
Timestamps:
00:00 Why another “Introduction to Taoism” video
00:19 Historical textual definition of and references to the Tao 道
01:29 Canonical statement defining the Tao “一陰一陽之謂道”
02:39 Cultural understanding and usage of the term 道 [Syncretic Taoism]
03:40 Formalizing Taoism 道教 during the Eastern Han
03:50 Scope of Taoism “道教” prior to the Eastern Han
04:42 Conflating Buddhist doctrine with the Tao 道
05:33 Institutionalizing Taoism in the Common Era
05:50 Taoist Beliefs – Four Cornerstones
---- Wu Wei 無為 and Zi Ran 自然
---- True Name 真名 and True Form 真形
---- Taoist Cosmology
---- Xuan De 玄德 (The Mysteries)
06:53 The Dàoshì 道士
07:15 Taoist Practice – Four Cornerstones
---- Invoking Spirits 崇拜鬼神
---- Divination 占卜
---- Ceremonial Rites 祭祀
---- Shamanic Witchcraft 巫祝
07:59 The Fāngshì 方士 (Methods Master)
08:14 Taoism is the indigenous Chinese tradition premised on three fundamental assumptions
08:24 [1st] Working with spirit entities (and what that means) [鬼神崇拜]
09:39 Classifications of spirit entities in Taoism (and Chinese folk beliefs)
10:23 [2nd] Studying cultivation methods for transcendence [神仙信仰與方術]
10:32 Inner alchemy 內丹術 and outer alchemy 外丹術
11:43 Taoist occultism during the Warring States period (472 – 221 BC)
11:55 The five mystical arts 五術
13:02 [3rd] The Huang Lao 黃老道 doctrine [黃老學說中的神秘主義成份]
14:53 Two Key Concepts to Huang Lao Taoism (the highest priorities of the Taoist)
--- Political doctrine of Lì Mín 利民
--- Philosophical doctrine of Wu Wei 無為
16:38 Historical uses of the term Huang Lao Tao
18:16 Mathematical Structure of the Tao 道 (mirroring the Yi 易, in I Ching 易經)
19:29 Taoism and the I Ching: the Tao referenced in the I Ching
20:23 Taoism from the Hundred Schools of Thought
20:48 Taoism as a school of philosophy
22:18 Western Thought: Taoist Philosophy vs. Taoist Religion
22:37 Eastern Thought: Taoist Beliefs & Taoist Practice
23:10 Evolving understanding of the Tao in Imperial China
23:58 First use of the term Taoism 道教 (Confucius)
24:14 Taoism is exemplified by the Six Ancestral Sage Kings [堯舜禹湯文武]
24:53 Dào Dé Jing 道德經 and Dào Dé Tiān Zūn 道德天尊
25:25 Religious personifications of the Tao Te Ching
26:08 Summary and closing remarks
***
Related Past Videos:
Wu Wei 無為 (Taoist Non-Action), youtu.be/TzAFobogs3Q?si=_BNWxmGDIXqw8jn6
Your Inner Palace and the Akashic Records, youtu.be/iGJdxTTywHc?si=r5bY9muFzSrhdYd1
Three Mysteries of Taoist Scriptural Tradition, youtu.be/gJcit-CTXnc?si=EJH3n3z3Pgd50e4u
Tao Te Ching and Feminist Metaphysics, youtu.be/IqUlYQDtPrY?si=5w1Npbu-0QA6qxHf
What Does It Mean To Be Taoist, youtu.be/FbpUm82U4dg?si=-Ctl9NNlDNwF6rlp
The Lo Shu Magic Square (雒書, Luò Shū), youtu.be/zAME24d0rGw?si=h1ER0OrreB3V6gst
***
Playlist: Introduction to Taoist & Buddhist Mysticism, youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0x6BzLuplwZuQpc3ubW97MwPXb1mk9hE
Learn more about I Ching, The Oracle: benebellwen.com/i-ching-the-oracle
