More of a natural philosophy than a religion, the original Taoism was concerned with observing the cycles of nature and harmonizing with them. There are books about "The Tao of _______," but it's still hard to get accurate information on the history and philosophy of many of the Taoist schools.

Buddhism, though originally from India, has had a profound impact upon Chinese and Japanese cultures. Zen Buddhism, in Japan, developed from Chan Buddhism in China. Chan Buddhism was influenced to some degree by Taoism, and Taoism after about 300 A.D. was influenced by Buddhism.

My focus here is on Taoist health theories and practices. This includes not only herbs and acupuncture, but Qi Gong, meditation, and a particular mental/emotional approach to life.

The word 'Tao' literally means 'The Way' or 'The Path.' It is commonly used in China on signs for a small road. Essentially the Tao is the Way of being happy, which generally has to do with feeling spiritually alive, physically healthy, and emotionally content. The lessons of Yin and Yang are the fundamentals for this. The basic approach is to not get too attached to any one extreme, for it will turn into the opposite eventually. Yet at the same time, realize that all things *need* their opposite in order to exist. The ultimate reality is beyond duality--there is no 'good and bad' or 'male or female' in the Void of Nothingness out of which Being sprung.

There is a lot of talk about alchemy in Taoism. The most common spiritual interpretation of the alchemical process is to reunite all opposites and therefore rejoin the Formless Void. It is a reversal of the creation of the universe, where duality (Yin/Yang) came forth from the Void (Wu Ji).