The philosophy of Taoism has its roots in the teachings of the legendary Lao-tzu and his work Tao-te Ching ("Classic of the Way and its Power"), who lived in the 6th century BC. It developed into a major Asian religion.
The original Taoist philosophy was formulated during the Warring States Period (481 - 221 BC). It stresses the Tao, the Absolute, Original, out of which comes Nature's constant change. The aim of the individual human being is to find harmony with the Tao, which manifests itself in all things. To achieve this one has to abandon all attempts at advanced learnedness and strive for the simple life:
Avoiding desire leads to a life made up by actions without purpose. Taoism promotes spontaneity and total personal freedom. Mystical experiences are part of this attitude.
During the 2nd century AD Taoism developed into a formalized religion and concentrated on a somewhat esoteric aspect of Taoist philosophy. According to early Taoist teaching a person who was in total harmony with the Tao would become an Immortal. Taoist religion developed this into a search for immortality through various means including breath control, sexual abstinence, special dietary rules, meditation and magic. Taoist alchemy contributed much to the accumulation of basic chemical knowledge.
The history of Taoism has always been closely linked with the history of the Chinese dynasties. Some saw Taoism as a threat to imperial authority, others embraced it as a means to expand their power.