Dr. Lennert Gesterkamp – Dao Fa Ziran: Daoism and the Meaning of Life

Daoism is relatively unknown and understudied in the West. Many people still have never heard of Daoism. It is neither considered a world religion, even though it has millions of followers. So, what is Daoism, what can it mean to you, and most importantly, what can you do to be Daoist?

In order to answer these questions, this talk will start from a very popular saying: Dao fa ziran 道法自然, meaning “the Dao follows naturalness.” It is a phrase from the Daode jing (Book of the Way and its Power) and is often found written on temple walls and is also a common saying among people to accept that all things must run their natural course and that in the end everything will be alright.

This principle of ziran or naturalness is one of the key terms of Daoism, and the particular chapter of the Daode jing in which it appears, is highly appropriate to explain our questions regarding the relationship between mankind and the Dao, how we should live, and what goal and role our life has in the world.

The talk will begin with a brief introduction into the field of Daoism in the West and Daoist Studies, after which we will discuss the principle of ziran, naturalness, by reading and explaining the said chapter from the Daode jing, and how it relates to our lives and further how it fits into the greater development and history of Daoism, such as its cosmology, health and medicine, politics, meditation, ritual, art etc. In the end, we examine a curious 13th century painting depicting a skeleton figure playing with a skeleton marionette which is full of Daoist symbolism and which is most relevant to the present topic.

Dr. LENNERT GESTERKAMP is a sinologist and Chinese art historian and the founder of the Dutch Daoist Association. His research covers Chinese painting history, Daoist art, texts, and rituals, and cultural exchanges between East and West. He has published The Heavenly Court: Daoist Temple Paintings in China, 1200-1400 and several dozens of articles in both English and Chinese.

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