Daoism, also spelled as Taoism, is a diverse tradition indigenous to China, characterized as both a philosophy and a religion. It emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao, which is generally understood as the impersonal, enigmatic process of transformation underlying reality. The Tao is represented by the character 道, which has several related meanings. In Daoism, ones innate or fundamental nature is ultimately the Dao expressing or manifesting itself as an embodied person. Daoism sees life as an expression of the Dao and believes in a "pervasive spirit world that is both interlocked with and separate from the world of humans".
Daoism has shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years and is characterized by a positive, active attitude toward the occult and the metaphysical. It includes the ideas and attitudes peculiar to the Laozi, the Zhuangzi, the Liezi, and related writings, as well as the Daoist religion, which is concerned with the ritual worship of the Dao. Daoism stands alongside Confucianism as one of the two great religious/philosophical systems of China.
The term "Daoism" is also associated with assorted naturalistic or mystical religions, and it covers a range of similarly motivated doctrines. Daoism was adaptable, evolving to fill spiritual gaps created by the vagaries of life, and it has coexisted alongside the Confucian tradition, offering a range of alternatives to the Confucian way of life and point of view. Daoism was also an important motif in fiction, theater, and folk tales, and it has been resilient in China due to its diverse interpretations and practices.
Fundamental Daoist ideas and concerns include wuwei ("effortless action"), ziran ("naturalness"), how to become a shengren ("sage") or zhenren ("perfected person"), and the ineffable, mysterious Dao itself. Daoism has also acted as a receiving structure for Buddhism, and many early translators of Buddhist texts used Daoist terms to render Indian ideas. Daoism and Buddhism have had a complex and intertwined relationship throughout history.
