D¤oism is known as the path or the way. It refers to a power, which envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living. The D¤o regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the Universe. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.) (The Western Reform Taoist Congregation, 1998). The founder of D¤oism was Lao-Tze (604-531 BCE). He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted life during his lifetime. The result was his book: D¤o D¥ J©ng.
             D¤oism started as a combination of psychology and philosophy but evolved into a religion in 440 CE when it was adopted as a state religion. At that time Lao-Tze became deity. D¤oism, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, became the three great religions of China. With the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911, state support for D¤oism ended. Most of the D¤oist heritage was destroyed during the next period of the warlords. After the Communist victory in 1949, religious freedom was severely restricted. Close to seven million monks were reduced to fewer than 50,000 by 1960 (The Taoist Restoration Society (TRS), 1998). During the cultural revolution in China from 1966 to 1976, most of the remaining D¤oist heritage was destroyed. Some religious tolerance was restored under Deng Xiao-ping from 1982 to the present time. D¤oism currently has about 20 million followers, and is primarily centered in Taiwan. About 30,000 Taoists live in North America; 1,720 in Canada (1991 censu!
             s). D¤oism has had a significant impact on North American culture in areas of acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, medication and martial arts (TRS, 1998).
             D¤o is the first-cause of the universe. It is a force that flows through all life.
             The goal of everyone is t...