An Overview of Taoism as Adversity Coping Strategies

This study aims to examine the religious coping of Taoism - a religion indigenous to China. Taoism prescribes a pathway towards personal transformation. It emphasizes the way of the Tao--the authentic, spontaneous, and natural way. Coping mechanisms are employed when faced with hardship in life in order to regain control over the surroundings; failure to do so will have a negative impact on one's mental and physical health. In this context, it is discovered that religion influences coping; those who identify as religious will mostly base their coping mechanisms on the religion to which they belong. The devotional activities laid down in Taoism permit people to interact with the supernatural forces in the universe. Through the rituals, people can psychologically experience an enhanced control over the environment which results from associating vicariously with the deities. Given the scarcity of studies on the Eastern religion in extant literature, this study contributes to the understanding of the religious coping in Taoism, a religion mainly practiced in China. The rituals are the religious attempts that permit the Taoists to associate themselves vicariously with the powerful forces. In turn, the perception of enhanced control is the outcome of participating psychologically in the control that the deities exert. Besides, such understanding sheds light on the way of promoting well-being for the Taoists.