Taoist Chaplaincy Resources
- Feb 23
- 2 min read
About Taoism
Taoism is the religion and philosophy whose roots go back to ancient shamanism. The teachings of Tao that are contained in the Tao Te Ching, [which] is comprised of eighty-one poems, which were written by the Taoist sage, Lao Tzu approximately in 500 B.C.
Canadian Taoist Association - The Taoist Association of Canada is committed to inheriting and promoting the traditional culture of Taoism, including Taoist philosophy, moral principles, practice methods and rituals, so that more people can understand and learn Taoist culture.
Chinese Taoism Kuan-Kung Association in Canada - Established in 1995, the Chinese Taoism Kuan-Kung Association in Canada upholds the core mission of "helping, saving, and guiding those in need".
About Taoism - Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism
The Tao that can be told of
Is not the Absolute Tao;
The Names that can be given
Are not Absolute Names.
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the Mother of All Things.
~ Lao Tzu
Taoist attitudes to death and dying
Taoists see death as a natural part of life that we must accept.
They respect doctors and will often have the doctors help them in making
decisions.
The whole family will make caregiving decisions; the dying person will often
defer to the family.
Both Chinese medicine and Western medicine may be used to care for the patient. Chinese medicine includes herbs and acupuncture.
Before a body is placed in the casket, it must be washed, dusted with talcum
powder and then dressed in their finest clothes.
Taoist resources for hospice chaplains
Taoist Meditation (The Centre of Traditional Taoist Studies)
Taoist Funeral Customs (A Life Grad Funeral Services)
Understanding the Customs, Etiquette, and Rites of Taoist Funerals (Excellence Funeral Services)
An Overview of Taoist Funeral Rites and Traditions (MediumSpot)
Exploring the Concept of Death in Taoism, by Spencer Lanoue
The Taoist Approach to Death and Dying (Wudang Taoist Wellness Academy)
A Taoist View of Death (Taoism & Manifest)
Taoist Beliefs on End-of-Life Care, by Shannon Leigh O'Neil
Recommended books & resources
Multi-faith Information Manual (6th edition) - Canadian Multi-faith Federation
Dong, P., Wang, XY. (2003). "Life, Death and End-of-Life Care: Taoist Perspective." In: Qiu, RZ. (eds) Bioethics: Asian Perspectives. Philosophy and Medicine, vol 80. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0419-9_14
