We were joined by Lynne, who is not a regular member of the group, but a member of ssu3a who has studied Chinese medicine, and she helped us understand Daoism.  This is just how the u3a is supposed to work!  We had looked at a simple summary in a few slides, and a fuller explanatory video, with a supplementary video on wu-wei or "effortless action".  Daoism is difficult to pin down, because as the opening line of the Dao De Jing says "The Dao that can be spoken of is not the Dao”.  Incontrovertible!  It is important to note that while western philosophy is about what is true and real, eastern philosophy addresses how to live an ordered good life.  “Dao” means “the way” and originated when the sages explained that the Shang dynasty was overthrown by the Zhou because they lost “the way” and so the mandate of heaven.  Daoism was extended from rulers to the individual through Laozi and later by Zhuangzi possibly as his reaction (existentialist) against Confucianism.  The Dao as a force bears a resemblance to the Hindu Brahman and to “The Word” of St John’s gospel, but without any teleological goal.  The universe evolves and Ying and Yang balance and succeed each other.  Daoists should seek inner peace and harmony with the universe through movement (as Tai Chi) and meditation, and to accomplish wu-wei.  Daoism has some religious followers but has had much wider influence on other Chinese religions and culture and science and of course medicine.