Taoism is a religion that is very old and intriguing. In some cases it may similar to other religions and then other times it has its own uniqueness. In the fifth century Taoism was adopted as the state religion of China, but in 1911 state support ended. According to about.com the religion of Tao, term meaning path or way, is the natural order, or the force that flows through all living things. The Yin/Yang symbol symbolizes equilibrium and the harmony of opposites.
When it comes to death there are two kinds of Taoism: philosophical and religious. The philosophical approach accepts death a natural returning to the earth, where as religious Taoism has an emphasis on health and healing as ways to gain long life or even immortality as stated by beliefnet.com. Funerals are one of the unique things about the Taoist religion. They are determined by the age of the deceased, the manner of death, status position in society and martial status. Chinatown online says that if a baby or child dies no funeral rites are perf
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Family members and other relatives throw a handful of earth into the grave before it is filled. Any intervention disrupts the harmony of life and the same goes for the Yin/Yang. There Hell consists of nine stages of punishments each one governed by a demon king. A piece of colored clothing is worn on the sleeve of each family member. The older son of the deceased will get a hold of some earth from the grave to be placed in an incense holder, and the family at home will worship the deceased. If they see the coffin in the mirror then someone in their immediate family is going to die. ormed, as respect cannot be shown to a younger person: the child is buried in silence. In the after life people want to be an important ancestor in their Heaven. Although both are completely different, they can somehow get along. When the coffin is being shut, Chinatown online states, all present must turn away and yellow and white “holy” papers are pasted to on to it to protect the body from being disturbed.
I think that the greatest thing about this religion is the belief of harmony between opposites. Wherever the funeral is being held, statues of Gods are covered and mirrors are taken away for fear of death. Any disruptions will throw life off balance.
Taoist uses the Yin/Yang symbol to identify with death.
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