The Dao

The Dao

literally means "way", but can also be interpreted as road, channel, path.

The ultimate truth is the Dao or The Way.

The Dao has several meanings. It is the basis of all living things, it governs nature, and it is a method to live by.

The Dao is sometimes referred to as the “One”  which is natural, spontaneous, eternal, nameless, and indescribable.

 

It is at once the beginning of all things and the way in which all things pursue their course.  It is the "flow of the universe"

Daoists do not believe in extremes, instead focusing on the interdependence of things. There is no total good or evil or negative and positive.

The Yin-Yang symbol exemplifies this view. The black represents the Yin the white represents the Yang. Yin is also associated with weakness and passivity and Yang with strength and activity. The symbol shows that within the Yang there exists the Yin and vice versa. All nature is the balance between the two.

 

De: Another key component of Daoism is the De, which is the manifestation of the Dao in all things. De is defined as having virtue, morality and integrity.

Immortality: Historically, the highest achievement of a Daoist is to achieve immortality through breathing, meditation, helping others and the use of elixirs.  In early Daoist practices, priests experimented with minerals to find an elixir for immortality, laying the groundwork for ancient Chinese medicine.

Three Jewels are the basic virtues in Daoism comprising Compassion, Moderation, and Humility. They are also translated as kindness, simplicity (or the absence of excess), and modesty.