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Uses of Exoteric and Esoteric Ways of Thought in Taoist Tradition Christian van der Genugten 12/16/02 From philosophical to religious practices that fall under the Taoist tradition, there have been many shifts between esoteric and exoteric ways of thinking. These shifts have been expressed through the rituals, traditions and practices of each movement. By closely examining the uniqueness of each Taoist tradition, one can develop a greater understanding of how and why it can be considered more esoteric or exoteric. To begin, consider the Tao Te Ching. This collaboration of sayings constitutes the primary text of the philosophical aspect of Taoism. The Tao Te Ching is a collaboration of aphorisms, and previously existing publicly circulating sayings. Even though it is historically considered true that there were many authors responsible for this work, the work attributes authorship to the divine figure, Lao Tzu. Due to the fact that the Tao Te Ching consists of commonly held and spoken beliefs, it could at first glance be considered an exoteric work. A closer look at the content and messages from the chapters of the text, however, will show that the Tao Te Ching in fact has both exoteric and esoteric elements. S