tl;dr: everything in the universe is connected and nothing makes sense by itself (out of context).
Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is an ancient Chinese philosophy.
The Tao (or Dao) can be understood to be the way of the universe or maybe the source, pattern, and substance of the universe. 🤷♂️
All living creatures should strive to live in harmony with the Tao (the way of the universe) and the energy within it: ch´i or qi.
The ch´i is the energy that flows through the universe guiding everything. This energy is not a god. It just is.
The Dao has two sides. Unlike other religions where the higher power is all-good and perhaps has an all evil-rival. Daoism teaches that we need to learn from both yin and yang. And unlike religions with gods that are personal, the higher power in Daoism is not.
Yin and Yang
A core idea in Taoism is the idea of the yin and the yang: the idea that all forces balance each other. Opposing forces are interconnected.
A more apt description might be opposing forces are complimentary: part of a duality of an indivisible whole.
The opposing dots in each of the colors represents the idea that within each entity exists the seed of its opposite.
A more colloquial way to express the concept might be to say that you can’t have the good without the bad. In an emotional context: in order to feel joy, one must also feel sadness.
Pop Culture
The concepts and philosophy of Taoism have influenced much within pop culture:
- Mysticism in Star Wars
- Joy realizing she can’t exist without Sadness in Inside Out