Concept
Tao
Related concepts (27)
Absolute (philosophy)
In philosophy (often specifically metaphysics), the absolute, in most common usage, is a perfect, self-sufficient reality that depends upon nothing external to itself. In theology, the term is also used to designate the supreme being. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel#Absolute spirit Absolute idealism and British idealism Contrary to some popular accounts, the term is not specific to Hegel. It first occurs in the work of Nicholas of Cusa, and Hegel's own usage was developed in response to that of his contemporary Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling.
Bagua
The bagua (pinyin) or pa-kua (Wade-Giles) (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Daoist / Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each line either "broken" or "unbroken", respectively representing yin or yang. Due to their tripartite structure, they are often referred to as Eight Trigrams in English. The trigrams are related to Yijing and Taiji philosophy, and the Wuxing, or "five elements".
Mu (negative)
The Japanese and Korean term () or Chinese (), meaning "not have; without", is a key word in Buddhism, especially Zen traditions. It is a fourth grade kanji. The Old Chinese * (無) is cognate with the Proto-Tibeto-Burman *ma, meaning "not". This reconstructed root is widely represented in Tibeto-Burman languages; for instance, means "not" in both Written Tibetan and Written Burmese. The Standard Chinese pronunciation of (無, "not; nothing") historically derives from the 7th century CE Middle Chinese , the 3rd century CE Late Han Chinese muɑ, and the reconstructed 6th century BCE Old Chinese *.
Huainanzi
The Huainanzi is an ancient Chinese text that consists of a collection of essays that resulted from a series of scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, sometime before 139. The Huainanzi blends Daoist, Confucianist, and Legalist concepts, including theories such as yin and yang and Wu Xing theories. The Huainanzis essays are all connected to one primary goal: attempting to define the necessary conditions for perfect socio-political order.
Xuanxue
Xuanxue (), sometimes called Neo-Daoism (Neo-Taoism), is a metaphysical post-classical Chinese philosophy from the Six Dynasties (222-589), bringing together Taoist and Confucian beliefs through revision and discussion. The movement found its scriptural support both in Taoist and drastically reinterpreted Confucian sources. Xuanxue, or "Mystic Learning", came to reign supreme in cultural circles, especially at Jiankang during the period of division. The concept represented the more abstract, unworldly, and idealistic tendency in early medieval Chinese thought.
Three teachings
In Chinese philosophy, the three teachings (; tam giáo, Chữ Hán: 三教) are Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism considered as a harmonious aggregate. Literary references to the "three teachings" by prominent Chinese scholars date back to the 6th century. The term may also refer to a non-religious philosophy built on that aggregation. The phrase also appears as the three teachings harmonious as one (). In common understanding, three teachings harmonious as one simply reflects the long history, mutual influence, and (at times) complementary teachings of the three belief systems.
Wang Chong
Wang Chong (; 27 – c. 97 AD), courtesy name Zhongren (仲任), was a Chinese astronomer, meteorologist, naturalist, philosopher, and writer active during the Han Dynasty. He developed a rational, secular, naturalistic and mechanistic account of the world and of human beings and gave a materialistic explanation of the origin of the universe. His main work was the Lunheng (論衡, "Critical Essays").