Early Taoism and Morals/Ethics

[Flow]

In early Taoism Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu where both agaisnt Morals and Ethics. Ch. 19 of TTC says that we shoud drop Humanity and Justice, or Compassion and Morals so that we can go back to Tao. Im whats called a Purist Taoist. This means that I practice Taoism as it is in the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu.

When Buddhism migrated north to China, it mixed with Taoism and thats why Ch'an or Zen buddhism have such Taoist features. Also, Taoism picked up some Buddhist moral rules. Because of this, Taoism became moral when it originally wasnt. If your interested in Taoism just read the TTC as it is and some other stuff on it. But make sure its pure and not mixed!

Just drop morals. Now there are people that will think "Then if i kill, rape, and steal, its not bad and i can do it." I then say to you, "If right when good and bad dissapears you resort to killing, raping, and stealing, how good of a person are you really?"

 

[Master Vigil]

You might be interested to find that moral taoism existed as a native Chinese theology before the Tao Te Ching existed. i.e. I Ching.

Lao Tzu differed from Kung Fu Tzu in that he believed that Tao was the source of everything, while Kung Fu Tzu believed that human society was the source of Tao. Chuang Tzu followed along the same lines as Lao Tzu, in a more philosophical view of Tao, which is called Tao Jia. Where as the religious/dogmatic view of Taoism (with lots of gods, immortals, charms, etc...) is called Tao Jiao.