The Tao of Taos Pueblo by Linda Thompson Taos Pueblo ©Terry
Thompson, (Taos, New Mexico) In Chinese philosophy, the tao is
the natural process through which all things change, a process
necessary to a harmonious life. Taoism is a mystical sixth-
century B.C. philosophy that Confucians adopted as the path of
virtuous conduct. In the Tiwa language of Taos Pueblo, however,
tao means 'to or toward the village.' Are the two words related?
It is believed that Spaniards, encountering the people now known
as Taos Native Americans in their multistoried villages as early
as 1598, heard them say 'tao' and added the 's' to form a
plural. Thereafter, foreigners called both the village and its
inhabitants 'Taos.' Although they are spelled the same and
pronounced not too differently, the two versions of 'tao' have
no common ancestry. Yet with their strong belief in the unity of
all living things, a focus on fostering a balanced relationship
between human beings and nature, and a general preference for
the spiritual over the