1. The Tao of Philosophy
The Tao of Philosophy details certain fundamental and immutable laws of Nature and the Universe. It provides practical information on the handling of government institutions, promoting social harmony, and the cultivation of well being. It is likely that the Thoughts of Confucious were based largely on Taoist principals. The idea of the 'Superior Person', that is one who understands the cyclical and ever changing nature of the Universe and who acts in accordance with Natural law, is very common in Chinese philosophy. The Superior person is the quintessential Taoist.
2. The Tao of Revitalization
The Tao of Revitalization is a system of practices and exercises for healing and revitalizing the internal organs, balancing the body, promoting invulnerability to disease and immortality of the physical body. These exercises take three forms:
1. Concentrating on the internal organs themselves.
2. Concentrating on the energetic pathways known as Meridians (or Channels).
3. Cosmic or energy breathing exercises.
Most of these theories and practices survive to this day in the practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi Gong, Acupuncture, and various other oriental meditative, healing and martial arts practices.
3. The Tao of Balanced Diet
There are two levels of diet in Taoist practice. One is normal eating and the other is the 'Forgotten Food' diet. In this practice the nutritive value of food is considered, as well as correct preparation, colour, seasonal considerations, healing properties, pH balance, tastes, and timely consumption all have an impact on health. Taoist guidelines, similar in intent to the Hebrew rules of Kosher, include practical ways of removing toxins, parasites and unwanted chemicals. The foods that we eat on a daily basis are considered to nourish us only temporarily. Not only do they nourish us but they also nourish the bacteria, viruses and parasites that share our bodies with us. This 'temporariness' is a very important concept, since these foods tend to go bad quite quickly. It is said that the difference between a nourishing food and a poison is about 3 hours. To this day, the typical Chinese meal is still prepared with these guidelines in mind and the treatment of disease with dietary changes is still a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
4. The Tao of Forgotten Foods
While the Tao of Balanced Diet considers foods we like to eat, that look good and taste good, the Tao of Forgotten Foods survives to this day as the practice of Herbal Medicine. In this practice those parts of the plant, animal and even minerals, that we don't normally eat, are considered for their healing and restorative properties. The bark, roots, leaves, twigs of many plants and trees, animal and reptile parts and even certain rocks and resins have all been shown to have medicinal properties. In the Chinese Materia Medica there are over 10,000 entries. In the Taoist way, there is no clear cut distinction between what is considered food and what is considered medicine. Literally everything we put in our mouth affects the body in some way. In Taoist practice quite literally, 'you are what you eat.' Besides taste, nutritive value and medicinal property, Taoists assign relative strengths to foods. Eating 'strong foods' such as what comes from a tree or an animal known for its strength will pass on that Qi. Eating foods from a weak plant or animal will pass on weak Qi. As in all things Taoist, it is important to have a balance to these kinds of foods. Herbal or 'Forgotten Foods', when they are prepared properly, can last indefinitely. Unlike the temporariness of regular food, herbal food contributes to longevity. As well, germs and parasites are not nourished by Forgotten Foods and will flee a body rich in that Qi.
5. The Tao of Healing Art
The Tao of Healing Art is similar to the Tao of Revitalization, except the latter is for self healing while the former is for healing others. This art survives today as Tui Na (Chinese Massage), which is a fully developed practice and recognized branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tui Na, as all the branches of TCM relies on a knowledge of Meridians and internal organs, theories of Qi, Yin/Yang, and 5 elements theory as outlined by ancient Taoists. Needless to say, Tui Na and Acupuncture are closely related.
6. The Tao of Sex Wisdom
In this practice, the ancient Taoists developed sexual practices that improved health, promoted longevity, increased mental powers and spiritual awareness, and practices for treating disease. In Taoist thought, semen is considered to contain a man's energetic essence. One of the more interesting practices is to separate orgasm from ejaculation. It is thought that if a man doesn't ejaculate or at least ejaculate often, his essence is preserved. This observation is born out in TCM practice. A man's essence is thought to reside in the Kidney organ system. Overindulgence in sex, by men, results in severe Kidney depletion with all the attendant signs and symptoms. This is actually not the case for women. In fact, sexual indulgence actually strengthens and revitalizes a woman. It is her monthly period and child birth that depletes a woman's essence.
There are also practices for using sexual energy for healing. This has a certain scientific basis since it is well know that sexual arousal produces large amounts of Pheromones and Endorphines, both of which are known to have pain killing and healing properties about 100 times more potent than any modern medicine. Even modern medicine is aware that masturbation to orgasm, especially for women is the best treatment for migraine headaches. The Tao of Sex Wisdom also includes techniques for harmonizing relationships and increasing spiritual realization.
7. The Tao of Mastery
The Tao of Mastery is concerned with one's own self-mastery. One gains insights into one's own nature and the relationships one has with his environment. Included in these practices are Numerology, Chinese Astrology, and Symbology used in a similar manner as their Western versions, to gain insights into one's own personality. There are also techniques for 'reading' facial features and finger prints. Directionology, has to do with organizing space according to natural laws in such a way as to foster harmony among groups of people. It is likely that practices such as Feng Shui arose out of this practice.
8. The Tao of Success
The Tao of Success is contained in the I Ching or Book of Changes. Proper use of the I Ching allows one to understand the elemental and cyclical forces of Nature as well as Social Forces. Knowing the absolute laws of the Cosmos and abiding by them allows the 'Superior Man' to develop successful strategies for overcoming adversity, gaining wealth, power and social position.
The Tao of Success is divided into three parts:
1. The study of symbols and signs that represent the never ending cycle of changes which occur throughout the Universe.
2. The Tao of Change, a detailed study of the 64 hexagrams that make up the Book of Changes and coming to understand the fundamental laws of Nature.
3. The actual practice of casting Yarrow Sticks or coins from which the 'Superior Man' receives advice on how to act in specific situations.
All Taoist thought is based on the writings of the Tao Te Ching, a very small book written by the great philosopher Lao Tse. It is probable that Lao Tse himself did not actually write the Tao Te Ching, but simply wrote down what was already ancient wisdom in his day. It is said that Lao Tse believed the language of wisdom to be silence. Accordingly, after writing his little book, the legend is that he never spoke another word for the rest of his life.
