WATCH ALAN WATT'S BRILLANT LECTURE: 'TAO OF PHILOSOPHY: SEEING THROUGH THE NET'

 

"Your skin does not separate you from the world. It’s a bridge through which the external world flows into you. And you flow into it" [1] 

Alan Watts 

WHAT IS TAOISM?

Taoism (AKA Daoism*), is an extremely popular Chinese philosophy which advocates cosmic unity underlying all phenomena. It is attributed to the revered, Lao Tzu (c. 500 BC). Serving to promote "passive and intuitive behaviour in harmony with the Tao, this gentle philosophy emphasizes simplicity, effortless action, and a minimal government approach, thus promoting health practices and the harmony of humans with nature. With its focus on the Tao, or the way, as a harmony between self and nature, Taoism intensifies the Confucian notion that the most effective action is a kind of non-action (wu-wei)" [2]. 

Whilst at the outset, the Tao was regarded as the pathway to living in harmony with nature along with being "a mystical tradition of meditation and passive withdrawal from worldly affairs" [2], over time, the latter also encompassed "the search for longevity and the overcoming" [2]. This was achieved via mystical practices and rituals, thus pushing away from the body's perceived physical limitations. Indeed, as interest in this phenomena skyrocketed, the word of the Tao, (along with its associated intricate systems of fortune telling and divination), could be found far beyond the confines of China [2].

In the video below, my Spirit Guide, the British-American philosopher, author, lecturer and leading interpreter of Eastern disciplines, Alan Watts (1915-1973), examines the practice of comparing and contrasting points of view via triangulation, the wiggly world of nature, and the plethora of labels and ideas that we attribute to it [1]. 

This innovative lecture entitled, Seeing Through the Net, forms part of the hugely sought-after series, the 'Tao of Philosophy.' The latter has been excellently produced and digitally remastered by Alan Watts org

*Taoism and Daoism have the same concept, only the spellings are different. - They both refer to the same tradition, and as such, promote concepts such as naturalness, humility, compassion; and action through inaction (known as wu wei).

With regard to the origins of the spellings: "Taoism" derives from the older Wade-Giles system (used for luminaries such as Lao Tzu/Laozi), whilst "Daoism" uses China's official standard (the Pinyin system).

References

[1]. Alan Watts Org (2018). "Tao of Philosophy: Seeing Through the Net." YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=591E6zqWqA8

[2]. Science Direct (2025). "Taoism."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/taoi