Taoism vs Confucianism: Two Ways of Living Well
3 min read
Taoism vs Confucianism explained: Lao Tzu and Confucius, nature versus ritual, wu wei versus duty, how the two traditions argued and why China kept both.
Explore Taoism
Plain-English guides to the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu, Zhuangzi and the ideas at the heart of Taoism.
Taoist Meditation and Breathing: Tai Chi, Qigong and Sitting Still
3 min read
An introduction to Taoist meditation, Taoist breathing exercises, tai chi and qigong: where they come from, how they relate to Taoism, and how to begin.
Taoism vs Buddhism: Similarities and Differences
3 min read
Taoism vs Buddhism explained simply: origins, what each teaches about the self, suffering and the good life, how they shaped each other, and how Zen came from both.
How to Practice Taoism in Daily Life: 7 Taoist Principles
3 min read
How to practice Taoism in daily life: seven Taoist principles, from simplicity and wu wei to stillness, with small exercises you can start today.
Zhuangzi and the Butterfly Dream: An Introduction to Taoist Parables
3 min read
Who was Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)? The butterfly dream, the useless tree, Cook Ding and the happy fish: Taoism's funniest, strangest book, told through its best stories.
The Best Tao Te Ching Translation (and Where to Read It Free)
3 min read
Which Tao Te Ching translation should you read? Legge, Carus, Waley, Lau, Feng and English, Mitchell, Le Guin compared, plus where to find a legal free Tao Te Ching PDF.
Daoism vs Taoism: Is There a Difference?
3 min read
Daoism or Taoism, Dao De Jing or Tao Te Ching, Laozi or Lao Tzu? Why the same words have two spellings, how to pronounce them, and the real difference that matters.
Who Was Lao Tzu? The Legend and Philosophy of Laozi
3 min read
Who was Lao Tzu (Laozi), the sage behind the Tao Te Ching? The traditional story, what historians actually know, and the core of Laozi's philosophy in plain English.
Yin and Yang: Meaning, Symbol and What It Really Teaches
3 min read
What does yin and yang mean? The origin of the yin-yang symbol, what each half represents, common misunderstandings, and what the Tao Te Ching actually says.
Lao Tzu Quotes: 20 Authentic Lines from the Tao Te Ching, with Chapters
5 min read
Twenty genuine Lao Tzu quotes from the Tao Te Ching, each with its chapter and translator, plus popular 'Lao Tzu' quotes he never actually wrote.
What Is Wu Wei? The Taoist Art of Not Forcing Things
4 min read
Wu wei (無為) means 'non-action' or 'effortless action'. What wu wei really means in the Tao Te Ching, what it doesn't mean, and how to practise it in everyday life.
Why You Can't Stop Scrolling (and What Lao Tzu Would Say About It)
4 min read
Doomscrolling isn't a willpower problem. Here's why feeds are so hard to put down, and what the Tao Te Ching, written 2,000 years before the smartphone, says about it.
The Tao Te Ching for Beginners: Where to Start with the 81 Chapters
3 min read
New to the Tao Te Ching? What the book is, how its 81 chapters are organised, which chapters to read first, and how to read it slowly so it actually sinks in.
What Is the Tao? The Way of Taoism, Explained Simply
4 min read
What is the Tao? A plain-English explanation of the Way at the heart of Taoism: what Lao Tzu meant by it, why it 'cannot be named', and what following it looks like.