<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!DOCTYPE Zthes SYSTEM "http://zthes.z3950.org/xml/zthes-05.dtd">  <Zthes><term><termId>31299559</termId><termName>Taoism</termName><termType>PT</termType><termNote><![CDATA[ Religion and philosophical tradition originating in China, generally emphasizing individual freedom and spontaneity, laissez-faire government and social primitivism, techniques of self-transformation, mystical experience, and individual and government ethical responsibility. It is founded on the texts of the Tao-te Ching, Chuang-tzu, and Lieh-tzu. Later, the tradition diverged, resulting in strictly philosophical Taoism on the one hand, and religious Taoism on the other. The governing principle of the latter is the struggle to reach a state of 'immortality' through a strict regimen of dietary restrictions, breath control, meditation and visualization of the gods that inhabit the body, sexual control and discipline, the practice of theoretical internal alchemy (nei-tan) used to energize the Yin and Yang forces within the body, and the use of magic talismans. Successful devotees were known as hsien (Immortals). ]]></termNote><termCreatedDate>2026-03-30 20:20:24</termCreatedDate><relation><relationType>UF</relationType><termId>31299560</termId><termName>Daoism</termName><termType>ND</termType></relation><relation><relationType>UF</relationType><termId>31299561</termId><termName>Taoist</termName><termType>ND</termType></relation><relation><relationType>BT</relationType><termId>31297672</termId><termName>religions</termName><termType>PT</termType></relation><relation><relationType>NT</relationType><termId>31308257</termId><termName>Ch&apos;üan-chen</termName><termType>PT</termType></relation></term>  </Zthes>