On Taoism

The Unspeakable Path

Why is Taoism Not as Popular as Other Religions?

Taoism is one of the world's great spiritual traditions, yet it doesn’t command the same global recognition as Buddhism, Christianity, or Islam. Why? My good friend Shannon prompted this question, and this article is dedicated to her.

For one, Taoists have never been particularly interested in spreading their religion. Unlike other major faiths, which sent missionaries to convert the world, Taoism never had a miracle-working prophet around whom a cult of personality could form. No Taoist Moses was parting the seas, no Taoist Jesus raising the dead, no Taoist Muhammad receiving divine revelations in a cave. Instead, there were sages—wandering mystics who lived in harmony with nature, wrote cryptic poetry, and disappeared into the mountains. It's not exactly the kind of material that sparks global empires.

Another reason is that Taoism is notoriously hard to grasp. The Tao itself is not a deity, not a law, not even a "thing" in any conventional sense. It is the flow of existence, the underlying principle of all things, both immanent and transcendent. And yet, as soon as you try to describe it, you miss the point. As Laozi famously said in the opening of the Tao Te Ching:

“The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao.”

Many people struggle with this. Religions usually provide clear rules, dogmas, and cosmic narratives. Taoism offers paradoxes, riddles, and an invitation to stop forcing things. The Way is not something to be "believed" in, nor is it something that needs defending. It simply is.

Taoism and the Perennial Philosophy

Despite its enigmatic nature, Taoism sits comfortably within the Perennial Philosophy—the idea that all great wisdom traditions point to the same fundamental truth.

• In Buddhism, the nature of ultimate reality is ineffable, much like the Tao. The Buddha described Nirvana as “unborn, unconditioned, and unmade”, echoing the Tao’s elusive nature. Zen Buddhism, which was heavily influenced by Taoism, teaches that the true nature of things can only be grasped by direct experience, not by words.

• The Hermetic concept of The All, which is described as unknowable, infinite, and beyond human comprehension, mirrors Laozi’s assertion about Tao. Both traditions point toward a hidden, omnipresent order shaping existence—something that can be experienced but never fully captured in words.

• Even in Christian mysticism, Meister Eckhart’s writings on the divine beyond concepts mirror the Tao Te Ching. Eckhart often spoke of God as an unfathomable mystery, beyond all names, forms, or human comprehension. He also emphasized that true spiritual understanding requires letting go of fixed ideas about God:

  "God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction."

  This is strikingly similar to Taoism, which teaches that wisdom comes not from accumulating knowledge, but from shedding false attachments and allowing the natural flow of the Tao to reveal itself. In Tao Te Ching, Laozi expresses a parallel sentiment:

  "In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added.
  In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped."

This alignment with the great wisdom traditions makes Taoism one of the clearest expressions of the transcendent divine—not as a personal god, but as the flow, the rhythm, the underlying pattern of reality.

Key Tenets of Taoism

1. Wu Wei: Doing by Not-Doing

One of the core teachings of Taoism is Wu Wei (無為), which is often misunderstood as complete inaction. In reality, Wu Wei is about effortless action, aligning with the natural flow of things rather than forcing them.

“The sage does nothing, yet nothing is left undone.” (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 48)

This is, of course, my favorite Taoist principle, because let’s be honest—I’m kind of lazy. But Wu Wei isn’t about slacking off; it’s about not overthinking, not over-struggling, and letting things unfold as they should. Think of a river—it doesn’t force its way forward, it simply flows. That is the Way.

2. Simplicity and Naturalness

Taoism teaches simplicity as a spiritual path. The more we try to control and complicate life, the further we stray from the Tao. The ideal way of living is like water—adaptable, humble, and effortlessly powerful.

“The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete.” (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8)

This means letting go of excess, avoiding unnecessary conflict, and living in harmony with your surroundings.

3. Relativity of Good and Evil

Unlike the rigid moral dualism of many religions, Taoism embraces relativity. What seems bad today may be good tomorrow, and vice versa. The Tao Te Ching warns against excessive righteousness, teaching that balance is more important than rigid moral absolutes.

Practical Taoist Exercises and Disciplines

While Taoism is often seen as purely philosophical, it actually has a rich tradition of practical techniques aimed at harmonizing the body, mind, and spirit.

1. Taoist Meditation

Taoist meditation focuses on inner stillness and energy cultivation, rather than just emptying the mind. The most famous form is Zuo Wang ("sitting and forgetting"), where you let go of attachments, thoughts, and even your sense of self to merge with the Tao.

2. Qi Gong and Tai Chi

These are moving meditations that enhance energy flow (Qi). They combine breath control, gentle movement, and mindfulness to cultivate vitality, similar to hermetic energy work.

3. Diet and Fasting

Taoist nutrition emphasizes balance and longevity. Many Taoist sages practiced intermittent fasting, herbal medicine, and dietary refinements to maintain energetic harmony in the body. Turns out that fasting is also very healthy.

4. Dreamwork and Lucid Awareness

Taoists have long explored dream practices as a way to connect with higher wisdom. Similar to Tibetan dream yoga, Taoist dream practice involves becoming aware within dreams and using them for spiritual insight.

For quite some time I’ve been considering making a short book about dreamwork. Combining multiple practices to achieve mastery over dreams and use them productively for, as an example, memory recall, meditation, or magic and manifestation. Let me know if you would be interested ;)

Taoist Alchemy and Its Western Counterpart

Taoist alchemy is an internal process of transformation aimed at achieving longevity, spiritual enlightenment, and even immortality. Similar to Western alchemy, which focuses on internal alchemical processes (turning lead into gold, creating the Philosopher’s Stone - these are just symbolic expressions for inner work), Taoist alchemy is also about refining the energies within the body.

• Jing → Qi → Shen:

  • Jing (Essence) is transformed into Qi (Vital Energy), which is then refined into Shen (Spirit).

  • The final goal is unity with the Tao, similar to the Western alchemical ideal of uniting with the divine.

In the West, Hermeticists sought spiritual transformation—but while their methods involved external alchemical operations as well, Taoist alchemy turned inward, making the human body the laboratory.

Both traditions aimed at transcendence, whether through the refinement of the Philosopher’s Stone or the cultivation of inner energy to achieve spiritual immortality.

The Sage’s Path to the Celestial Palace

The Taoist sage walks a path unseen by most. It is not the road of conquest or ambition, not the highway of ideology or doctrine. It is a small winding path, barely visible, snaking through the mountains and disappearing into the mist.

He does not rush. He does not strive.

He drinks tea and watches the river flow.

Perhaps he will write a poem. Perhaps he will disappear into the clouds, his body dissolving into light, becoming one with the Tao.

He does not need followers. He does not need temples.

The Way is not in words. The Way is not in doctrines.

The Way is in being.

And if you listen closely, beneath the noise of the world, beneath the struggle, beneath the frantic search for meaning—you can hear it.

It is always there.

Love,
Felix