Taoism, one of the influential philosophical systems in the history and thought of China, dates back to the sixth century B.C., with the writing of Lao Tzzi, which embodies all of Taoist philosophy. Chuang Tzu, who lived two hundred years later, developed more clearly the concepts of Taoism and placed a stronger emphasis on the individual. To practice Taoism, according to Chuang Tzu, is:

"To regard the fundamental as the essence, to regard things as coarse, to regard accumulation as deficiency, and to dwell quietly alone with the spiritual and the intellect-herein lie the techniques of Tao of the ancients. . . . They built their doctrines on the principle of the eternal non-being, and held the idea of the Great One as fundamental."

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