ON DAOISM

Carole Hallundbaek speaks with professor James Miller of Queen's University, Ontario, Canada - author and scholar of Daoism, the organized, indigenous religion of China. Miller is the author of Daoism – A Beginner’s Guide; Daoism and Ecology; The Way of Highest Clarity: Nature, Vision and Revelation in Medieval China; and Chinese Religions in Contemporary Societies. His current research engages the way that Daoism is being constructed as a green religion in China and abroad. Topics in this hour include: Daoism as the organized, indigenous religion of China; its history and development; Lao Tzu; the emergence of Buddhism and Confucianism; core beliefs and perspectives of Daoism; the Dao as source of all being; Chi; Alchemy and the pursuit of longevity; ceremonies and observances practiced; the Daoist perception of death and the soul; the relationship of Daoism to other religions; the Daoist perception of nature; Daoism as a green religion; and more.