ABSTRACT
The Chinese public today, like most in the outside world, generally know little about the Taoist tradition, though some are curious about whether it might have something to contribute to their lives. Meanwhile, many Westerners still imperialistically assume that the primary reason for them to study the religions of other cultures is to identify elements that can be appropriated into their own lives, or even new religious identities that can be assumed at will by “any of us.”1 A proper understanding of Taoism requires one to recognize all such motivations, to ensure that they do not interfere with one’s interpretive efforts, for instance by causing one to discount elements of Taoism that do not suit one’s own taste or reinforce the biases of one’s own age or culture.
