What is Taoism?
Taoism is an ancient belief of the eastern Asian countries, China and Japan. Its existence is traced back to the Shang and Chou dynasties and co-existed as an additional belief to Confucianism. As a result of the overthrow of the Shang Dynasty by Chou, the religion took on the idea of the “Mandate of Heaven”. The new rulers of the Chou Dynasty used this to justify their rule and set forth the concept of ‘human destiny is determined by virtuous deeds’.