Jessica Northcott
ERH 211X

One of the major tenants of Daoism is that wandering freely will lead to opportunity. They focus mainly on wandering through nature because it will allow one to return to their true and authentic self if they are caught up in social conventions and the usual norms of making money and a nine-to-five job that may not be enjoyable. They believe the root of human problems stem from etiquette and rituals.
This religion, popular in Asia and spread through martial arts, urges humans to act harmoniously with the natural world and commit to a life of simplicity, spontaneity, and freedom. By doing so, one will be valuing life which is hierarchically the number one value of the religion. One does this by living life to the fullest of its extent and enjoying one’s health and vitality.
Daoism has a sage, their religious leader, who acts authentically and spontaneously without expectations or goals. How does one do this? They would meditate, participate in breath control exercises, sexual practices, sitting and forgetting, fasting of the mind, and free and easy wandering. This allows one to live in harmony and act authentically without being pressured by societal goals and aspirations. One can just do what fulfills them.
Dao is a force that creates, sustains, and pervades all things. Everything comes out of Dao and returns to Dao. It is similar to the Holy Trinity in Hinduism only all the duties are carried out by one force. Those who believe in Dao let good or bad things come to them rather than by the pursuit of what one thinks they need or want. By doing this, one will obtain freedom, and by extension, they will flourish.
There is also a main goddess that is worshiped: Queen Mother of the west. She assists in creation, matchmaking for marriages, and aids women. She also clears the paths toward immortality as well as mediates between the Earth and heaven. In popular Daoism, there are also five sacred peaks: Mount Tai, Mount Hua, Mount Song, and two Mount Hengs. Rituals in popular Daoism include singing, chanting, prayers, sacrifices, offerings, and dances. Daoism was popular spread through martial arts classes throughout the world, which led to it becoming slightly more prevalent in western culture.