What is Tao?
More than just a philosophy, Taoist practices are rooted in disciplines for physical health and longevity. These practices, continually developed over thousands of years, can restore the energy of youth, grow emotional virtues, and begin to awaken deep spiritual potential. In modern parlance, Taoist practices can be seen as a spiritual technology that can help the practitioner learn the pattern of the universe.
A goal of any spiritual path should be to help the practitioner gain a greater understanding of themselves and nature. Taoism provides a roadmap for understanding truths and patterns of the universe, inside the adepts’ own body, mind, and spirit. Taoism seems unique in that it doesn’t espouse one single path or viewpoint to learn about the universe and humanity. It is not necessarily a religion, and doesn’t require one to subscribe to dogma.
Taoism can relate to science, but also sees scientific theories as partial. Material science has become a religion of its own in the past 100 years. It is firmly locked in a five sense reality and fails to adequately explain matters of the spirit that many have experienced.
Taoist teachings assist people in their lives, while maintaining spiritual growth as the process and the outcome. Taoism helps explain truths of nature directly and encourage one to rely on their direct experiences. Because of this, students of the Tao don’t need to be skeptical or search endlessly for some external truth as defined by others.
Taoists practices that help one learn as described above: the inner smile, tai chi chi kung, Tao yin, fusion of the five elements, and iron shirt chi kung, to name a few. I have a YouTube channel under Andrew McCart and you can
Learn more in the book: The Alchemist’s Tao Te Ching: Transforming Your Lead Into Gold https://www.amazon.com/dp/1718636970/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XqOMDbFF920SS