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Taoist uses charms such as amulets and talisman. Amulets and talismans may be made of wood, metal or paper. On these are spiritual message to evil spirits adjuring them not to harm the bearer of these amulets or talismans. In some cases, the writing is done in "ghost script" - a form of writing with characters bearing certain similarity to ordinary Chinese scripts but are only understood fully by Taoist adepts or spirits.
After Confucius, the most influential philosopher of ancient China was Lao Tzu ( B.C. 770 to 476). Lao Tzu (meaning "Old Philosopher") formed the Taoist group who taught "Tao" (the way of nature) as a way of life. Taoism, or the Way, teaches its followers to live a selfless ,simple life in harmony with nature. To the Taoist, human beings is part of nature ,like everything else in this universe.
The symbol of Taoism is called the Tai-ji (or Great Ultimate) is a circle divided into 2 parts - the dark and the light. In the dark side appears a spot of white, while on the light side there is a dark spot. The dark side of the Tai-ji is the "yin" aspect representing the negative element. The light side is the "yang" aspect representing the positive element. The two opposites complement each other and neither one could exist without the other. Together, the two-in-one forms the "circle of rebirth" or the harmony of man and nature.
Another symbol of Taosim are the Eight Trigrams (an eight sided figure that wards off evil), old brass mirrors (that deflect evil) and a tiger claw (symbol of courage and fortification).
Taoists believed that death is not the end of life. When death occurs, it is treated as the continuation of life into another phase; the phase of the soul. That is why Taoist perform rituals for the dead. These rituals are to help guide the wondering soul to its new home. It is obligatory for the descendents to offer prayers and acts of penance for the dead. In return, the ancestors' soul will be watching over them.