Taoism is an ancient Chinese religion, a religion of peace focused on universal balance. The religion itself, although generally surviving today, was almost entirely wiped out in ancient times. The main symbol of Taoism can still be seen on the global market in modern times, although it tends to have somewhat different meanings than before. A religion incredibly focused on the structure of life, it has permeated society and is most easily understood through analysis of the historical origins and leaders of Taoism, its types and beliefs, its ethics, and the modern influences of Taoism on the company. Taoism is one of the oldest religions. in the world and its origins are rather mysterious. Formally, there is no specifically known founder or founding date for Taoism; however, the individual accredited to the founding of Taoism “began […] with the revelation of […] Lao Tzu (Taoism: The Origins of Taoism), which Buddhism. Taoism is a polytheistic religion with a wide variety of deities, and shamanism therefore became an important part of the religion, as shamans were individuals' connections to the various gods of Taoism and their protection against evil spirits; thus, in its initial structure, a solid base of religious leaders was formed, who would contribute to the propagation of religion through education and modeling (Hundoble). As for the specific leaders of the religious movement, Lao-Tzu, an early philosopher and poet, is said to have written the original founding principles of Taoism in the 6th century BC, and as King Shu Liu puts it "of his work, we have no that the Tao-Teh-king [(the first Taoist literature)] that tradition attributed to him” (Liu 377). Zhao Daoling, another prominent Taoist leader, was the first of the Celestial M....... middle of article......rgence 5.4 (1993): 539-544. Print.The Last Airbender. Real. M.Night Shyamalan. Perf. Noah Ringer, Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone. Paramount Pictures, 2010. Film. Liu, Jiahe and Dongfang Shao. “Early Buddhism and Taoism in China (AD 65-420).” Buddhist-Christian Studies 12 (1992): 35-41. JSTOR. Internet. November 7, 2013. Liu, King Shu. “THE ORIGIN OF TAOISM.” The Monist 27.3 (1917): 376-389. Print.Mulan. Real. Tony Bancroft. Perf. Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy and Bradley Darryl Wong. Walt Disney, 1998. Movie. “Taoism: concepts within Taoism. » BBC: Religions. BBC. n. pag., November 12, 2009. Web. November 9, 2013. “Taoism: the origins of Taoism. BBC: Religion. BBC. n. page. November 12, 2009. The web. November 9, 2013. “Taoism: Taoist ethics”. BBC: Religion. BBC. n. page. November 12, 2009. The web. November 11, 2013. “Taoism: what is the Tao?” » BBC: Religions. BBC. n. page. November 12, 2009. The web. November 9. 2013.