Taoism
Taoism was founded in the year 550 BC in China. It was founded by Lao-Tze and currently has 20 million followers.
Taoism is based on the teachings of Tao Te Ching, which is a short article that was written in the sixth century BC. Taoism focuses on spiritual harmony within the individual, just like Confucianism does.
There are two main types of Taoism: philosophical Taoism and religious Taoism. Philosophical Taoism focuses on the philosophical writings of Lao-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu, and other mystics of that time. While religious Taoism put emphasis on rituals that are aimed at reaching immortality. These two types of Taoism used to be thought to be very distinct from each other, but are actually much more similar than they were once thought to be.
One of the fundamental concepts of Taoism is Ch’i. Ch’i literally means air or breath, but conceptually it refers to the energy flow or life force that goes through all things. It is believed that health is maintained and a long life is lived by the quality, quantity, and balance of Ch’i.
Taoism can be found today in China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and in some parts in the West