9 Essential Taoist Beliefs

1st Belief: The Dao

One of the central beliefs in Taoism is that the Dao is the origin of everything. It is the source of all creation.

This belief is also why Taoism is called taoism, because it believes in the Dao. The Dao is the fundamental principle prior to all being. It exists beyond our experience, senses, and any form we can perceive.

You (Being) & Wu (Non-Being) 

You might already knew this. So we will introduce two very significant aspects that the Dao manifests: “being” (Yǒu) and “non-being” (Wú).

“Being” refers to everything that exists in the universe: the heavens, the earth, the stars, mountains, rivers, oceans, and all forms of life. These are the manifestations of the Dao, a process of evolution starting from a singular point, the “One.”

On the other hand, “Non-being” is the infinite potential of everything that doesn’t yet exist. It’s the source of creation itself, containing endless possibilities.

Creational Power of the Dao

All things come from “being,” but “being” arises from “non-being.” This duality is reflected in the Dao De Jing:

The relationship between being and non-being is essential in Taoism. 

“Wu (non-being) is named the beginning of heaven and earth, while You (being) is named the mother of everything… These two originated from the same place but have different names. Together, they are called the Mystery. The Mystery upon Mystery, is the gateway to all Wonders.”

You and Wu together is the gateway to all possibilities.

Similarly, the ancient text I Ching (Book of Changes) reflects this principle:

“The number of Great Changes is 50, but it uses 49.” 

In this philosophy, the remaining “one” symbolizes the infinite potential beyond what we can see or know. It’s like the “metacell” among the manifold possibilities already existent.

This is the taoism beliefs in creational power of the Dao through You and Wu.

2nd Belief: Cultivation

Another of fundamental Taoism beliefs is that cultivation is the infinite evolution of life. Taoists believe that through cultivation, individuals can evolve their existence beyond the ordinary human state. 

Xiuxing (Cultivation)

In Zhuangzi, it is said: 

“Cultivate the Wu (non-being) and You (being), and go beyond the physical flesh and bones.”

Cultivation allows a person to emulate the creational process of the Dao, bringing them closer to a state of boundless potential. Taoism believes that we can transcend the limitations of the human flesh and bones, making the world as the body, and body as a world.

Xian (Immortals)

This idea is where the concept of Xian (immortals) comes in. 

In English, Xian is often translated as “immortals,” suggesting someone who lives forever.

However, Taoism teaches that immortality is not just about living a long life.

Instead, it’s about evolving into a state where one aligns so closely with the Dao that they transcend the ordinary limits of life and death. Immortality is about the transforming the form of life.

3rd Belief: Rejection of Pre-destination

The third of taoism beliefs is about free will vs fate. Taoism rejects the idea of predetermined fate.

While the Dao operates through cycles and patterns, it also holds within it the possibility for change. 

Although life often follows underlining trends, it is never fixed. There is always room for unpredictable change, and through cultivation, individuals can gain the ability to shape their destiny.

For Taoists, fate is never set in stone. Though external circumstances like birth or family are beyond our control, individuals are always capable of changing their future by cultivating the infinite possibilities that the Dao provides.

The Tai Ping Jing, one of the earliest scripture of Taoist religion, says: 

“One’s destiny lies within oneself, why knocking your heart and looking up to the heavens?”

Similarly, the Taoist master Zhang Boduan once wrote: 

“When you take the elixir of life, only then will you know that your destiny is not set by heaven.”

Taoism teaches that we hold the power to shape our own destinies through cultivation.

4th Belief: Valuing & Nurturing Life

The fourth belief in Taoismvaluing life and emphasizing the importance of nurturing life.

Life = Possibilities

Life is seen as precious because every living being has spirit, which makes it the rich concentration of the possibilities.

A stone can only be moved by external forces, and its entire path through life is easily predictable, as it lacks possibilities. 

Living beings, however, are different. They have thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, and under the same natural forces, they introduce far more unpredictability. 

Among living beings, humans stand out even more, as they are the culmination of countless millennia of evolution and the essence of the heavens and earth.

Because life contains infinite potential, the world itself becomes richer and more vibrant as life thrives. This belief is expressed in the Taoist text Ling Bao Du Ren Jing: 

“Xian Dao values life; it guides and nourishes all beings.”

Cultivation and Traditional Chinese Medicine

This respect for life is also why Taoist cultivators have contributed significantly to the development of traditional Chinese medicine. Healing and prolonging life became natural extensions of Taoist cultivation.

For example, taoists like Ge Hong, famous cultivator of Jin dynasty who wrote medical works like the Emergency Remedies for Life, and Sun Simiao, known as the “King of Medicine” in Tang Dynasty, played crucial roles in preserving and expanding knowledge on healing.

Even the foundational text of Chinese medicine, the Huangdi Neijing, begins with a discussion of early Taoist cultivator who mastered the Dao’s life-giving powers:

“In ancient times, there were True Human who held up the heavens and the earth, grasped Yin and Yang, breathed the essential Qi, stood alone and guarded their spirit, their muscles and flesh as one, thus they could outlive the heavens and the earth, without an end to their time; this is the Dao of life they followed.”

Nurturing Life

It is precisely due to the emphasis on life that both Taoism and traditional Chinese medicine advocate the concept of “nurturing life” (养生).

Ge Hong, in his work Baopuzi, said: 

“The best time to treat an illness is before it arises. Thus, the sage eliminates problems before they appear, treats diseases before they manifest, and addresses issues when there is still peace, not after they have passed.”

Therefore, many basic introductory Taoist cultivation focus on nurturing life, offering ways to naturally guide and benefit people.

5th Belief: Unity of the Cosmos and Body

Next, Taoists believe in the unity of humans and the cosmos. According to Taoist teachings, humans and the universe share similar structures and are intimately connected.

Uni-structure of Cosmos and Body

 Dao De Jing expresses this belief: 

“Hence it is valued to make the body as the world, so that the body could be entrusted to the world.”

Similarly, Zhuangzi writes: 

“The universe and I were born together; all things and I are one.”

This idea is roughly like a fractal pattern: the universe and humans share the same essential structure. Changes in the external world affect us, but similarly, changes within us can affect the world.

Cultivation and Returning

Taoist cultivation is also about deepening this connection.

Due to the influences of the acquired world, we often drift away from the primordial state of the Dao, leading us to be passively driven by external changes. Cultivation allows us to return to this original state, to make the cosmos as the body, and the body as the cosmos.

Eventually, the unity of heaven and humanity is achieved, and through internal cultivation, we can influence the external world.

This aligns with the Taoist text Yin Fu Jing: 

“The universe lies in the hands; all changes in the world form the body.”

6th Belief: Unity of the State and Body

What’s more, Taoism also teaches that individuals and the state are interconnected and share essential structure.

Uni-structure of State and Body

Ge Hong writes in the Bao Pu Zi: 

“The body of a person mirrors the structure of a state. The chest and abdomen represent the palace; the limbs, the borders; the bones and joints, the officials. The spirit is like the ruler, the blood is like the ministers, and the qi is like the citizens. Thus, knowing how to govern the body is akin to knowing how to govern a state. Loving one’s people stabilizes the country, while nourishing one’s qi maintains health.”

For cultivators, the boundaries between the internal and external are not as rigid as they are typically understood. The body is not limited to just the physical form.

Like a fractal, whether you zoom in or out, both the internal and external are infinite and identical in structure. The boundaries of the “self” are defined by where one chooses to draw the line.

As mentioned earlier, Taoists see the universe as their body, following the paths of heaven and earth. Similarly, Taoists see the state as their body, following the path of humanity.

Non-reclusive Cultivation

This is why not all Taoist cultivators are reclusive hermits. For example, the Taoist healer Sun Simiao wrote in Prescriptions That Worth a Thousand Gold:

“The best physicians treat the nation, mid-level physicians treat people, and lower-level physicians treat disease.”

The “state” here represents human society. It is also a form of cultivation to adopt some societal structures as part of the self to elevate the world’s possibility.

This means that, in today’s society, any organized system—whether a community, a company, or otherwise—can be considered part of this cultivation path.

7th Belief: Unity of Mind and Body

Here comes the 7th beliefs in Taoism. Taoism also believes in the inseparable connection between the mind and body. This belief is also related to the previous two.

Mind and Body as One

Just as there is a connection between the individual, human organizations, and the universe, Taoism holds that the human body and spirit are also interconnected.

According to Taoism, our mental activities, such as emotions, correspond to specific organs within the body.

The Huangdi Neijing teaches: 

“The five organs generate the five emotions: joy, anger, worry, grief, and fear.”

In other words, to Taoism, emotions are not just mental phenomena; they are deeply connected to the body’s Qi Channels, or life energy Channels.

For example, the heart governs joy, the lungs govern sorrow, the spleen governs thought and worry, the liver governs anger, and the kidneys govern shock and fear.

When emotions fluctuate, these changes can be traced within the body’s meridians. Just as the mind can influence the body, clearing blockages in the physical meridians can also bring mental clarity and emotional balance.

The Dual Cultivation of Xing and Ming

For the mind to be in a good state, the body’s energy channels must be smooth and flowing. This is why Taoism beliefs teach that cultivation is not just about spiritual meditation but also involves physical training of Qi and Jing (bodily essence).

For example, the famous Taoist master Lü Dongbin, founder of the internal alchemy system, wrote in his Knocking Yao Song:

“Focusing only on spiritual cultivation and neglecting the body is the first mistake in cultivation… Completing cultivating the body but getting lost with the spirit is like trying to know oneself without a mirror.”

This belief highlights the Taoist principle of The Dual Cultivation of Xing and Ming, where Xing refers to the spiritual or mental side while Ming the bodily side.

“Ming cultivation” is about the refinement of the body and its energies to maintain vitality, while “Xing cultivation” focuses on the mind and heart. These two aspects are interdependent and must be refined together—leaving out one makes the practice incomplete.

8th Belief: Equality and Inclusivity

The next of Taoism beliefs is the equaling of all things (齐物), which results in equality and inclusivity. 

Taoist texts often stress that all beings, regardless of their social status, background, or abilities, are equal in the eyes of the Dao.

In Zhuangzi, it is written: 

“From the perspective of the Dao, nothing is high or low.”

Throughout its history, Taoism has upheld advanced ideas, rejecting the use of societal prejudices to differentiate people based on their differences.

Story of the Eight Immortals

For instance, Taoist stories, like the Eight Immortals, illustrate this concept.

These eight immortals come from various backgrounds, representing  “men and women, old and young, rich and poor, noble and lowly”—a reflection of all walks of life in society at the time. We also made a series of content on the Eight Immortals. Feel free to check out.

This diversity shows that anyone, regardless of background, can cultivate the Dao and attain immortality. Factors like race, gender, and social class were not the determining elements for spiritual achievement.

Challenging Social Hierarchies

Moreover, in history, we can see Taoism challenging social hierarchies from its early age.

For example, Zhuangzi lived during the Warring States period, a time when the ruling elites and thinkers often came from noble families. Knowledge and education were monopolized by the aristocracy. However, Zhuangzi loved to illustrate the Dao through stories of non-privilege characters.

For instance, in the story of “Butcher Ding Carves an Ox,” the profound Daoist principles are conveyed through the wisdom of a lowly butcher. This is Zhuangzi’s way of breaking the societal attachment to rank and status.

Gender Equality

Taoism also stands out historically for its progressive stance on gender equality. While many ancient cultures viewed women as inferior, Taoism maintained a balanced view, recognizing both Yin (represented by femininity) and Yang (represented by masculinity) as equally important forces.

As early as Tai Ping Jing, Taoism criticized the undervaluing and killing of women for causing cosmic imbalance: 

“Since the world has lost the Dao, women have been greatly despised and killed, resulting in fewer women than men, which has severed the yin energy, disrupting harmony with the Dao of Heaven and Earth.”

Moreover, there have been numerous accomplished female immortals. such as Wei Huacun, the founding master of the Shangqing Sect, and Xie Ziran, a renowned female immortal from the Tang dynasty, who, according to official history, ascended to immortality in broad daylight.

Within the Taoist order, female practitioners (known as “Kun Dao“) also enjoyed equal status to their male counterparts (“Qian Dao“).

For example, during the Tang dynasty, female Taoists were allowed to wear crowns, a privilege signifying the full rights of an adult man in the feudal Chinese society. These women enjoyed independence and did not need to become subordinates or dependents.

Such equality in a cultural and religious tradition, particularly for women, was extremely rare at the time, not just in China, but across the world.

Taoism’s belief in equality reflects its deep commitment to balance, diversity, and inclusivity.

9th Belief: The Impartiality of The Dao

Finally, one of the most fascinating Taoism beliefs comes from Dao De Jing:

“The Dao of Heaven shows no favoritism but always sides with those who is Shan (善).”

Shan

In Chinese, the word “善” (shàn) has two meanings: one is “kindness” or “goodness,” but the other meaning is “being good at” or “adept.”

The word “Shan” in this context doesn’t just mean “kind” or “moral.” Instead, it means understanding, using, and aligning with the natural flow of the Dao.

It implies that the Dao doesn’t play favorites or show partiality based on judgements or personal preferences. Instead, it aligns itself with those who understand and follow its natural patterns.

In Practice

In practice, this means that those who understand the patterns of the world and live in harmony with them will thrive. For example, understanding the cycle of the seasons and dressing warmly in winter is an example of aligning with the Dao.

Similarly, those who understand how the world operates and practice cultivation to improve their own potential align themselves with the Dao. In doing so, they raise their level of existence, and in this way, the Dao is always with them.