Tao

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tao

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the etymological root?Chinese character '道' (dào), meaning 'way,' 'path,' or 'road'
2. What is the ontological status?Self-existent, eternal, omnipresent, formless, and the primordial source of all existence
3. Why can’t we see or hear Tao?Tao is invisible and silent. It has no shape, sound, or form, so our eyes and ears cannot detect it.
4. How does Tao help us live?Tao shows us to act without forcing things, like letting a river flow. This way, we follow the natural order and stay in harmony with everything.

Ineffable: Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
Primordial: Existing at or from the beginning of time; primeval.
Ontological: Relating to the nature of being or existence.
Epistemological: Relating to the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope.