The Encyclopedia of World Religions

442 S Tao Te Ching

(Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2001).

meditation and breathing and gymnastic exer cises. Like the two “elixirs,” the great public rituals, known as jiao, provide long life to the priests who perform them. They also give peace, health, and protection to the community as a whole. In these colorful festivals, the three “holy ones” are invited to a feast. Technically, only the Taoist priest offers the feast, but members of the community also par ticipate with rituals of their own. ORGANIZATION Taoism has had both MONKS AND NUNS . But the number of nuns has always been extremely small, and the majority of Taoist priests are not monks but live in families. In Taiwan today there are two orders of priests. Those with red headbands perform only rituals of EXORCISM . Those with black headbands also per form the major public festivals. Some Taoist communities, such as “the way of the heavenly masters,” have been carefully struc tured. Today the head of the community, some times called a pope, still claims to be a descendant of the original founder. At times Taoists have also formed secret societies dedicated to the overthrow of the Chinese government. SIGNIFICANCE In addition to its immense contribution to Chinese society, Taoism attracted the attention of Euro peans and North Americans in the 20th century. Ideas from the early Taoist texts became popular. So did physical exercises such as T’ai Chi and Tao ist-influenced martial arts ( see MARTIAL ARTS AND RELIGION ). Further reading: Russell Kirkland, Taoism: An Enduring Tradition (New York: Routledge, 2004); Catherine Despeux and Livia Kohn, Women in Daoism (Cambridge, Mass.: Three Pines Press, 2003); Jennifer Oldstone-Moore, Taoism: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003); N. J. Girardot, James Miller, and Liu Xiaogan, ed., Daoism and Ecology: Ways within a Cosmic Landscape

Tao Te Ching ( Daodejing ) The most important book in T AOISM . The book is also called L AO - TZU after the person who, tradition says, wrote it. Mod ern scholars are reluctant to say who compiled the book or when. Some date it as late as the third century B . C . E . Tao Te Ching literally means “Way Power Clas sic.” It contains 5,000 Chinese characters. They make up two parts that together contain 81 “chap ters.” The first part is supposedly about the Tao or way. The second is supposedly about the te or power of the way. The chapters are actually short, enigmatic paragraphs whose precise interpreta tion is difficult. Despite that difficulty, or perhaps because of it, the Tao Te Ching has been translated into English more times than any other Chinese book. The famous opening words of the Tao Te Ching announce its central theme, the Tao. They also say that it is impossible to talk about the Tao: The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the origin of heaven and earth; The named is the mother of all things. Always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; Always allow yourself desires in order to observe its manifestations. These two are the same, but they have different names as they are produced. Being the same, they are called mysteries: profound mystery, the mystery of mysteries —the gateway of all mysteries. (Translated by Witter Bynner) Another passage that expresses that the Tao is beyond words runs as follows: “whoever knows does not speak; whoever speaks does not know.”