The Tao (pronounced "dow") is understood by Taoists as a mysterious, dynamic and creative force that is beyond definition. Paintings, have long been felt to be the most receptive medium for the expression of the essential, indivisible, Tao, and are considered to be far superior to either speech or the written word. The Taoist way in art is to gradually attune the onlooker through the particular inner rhythms of nature to the essence of the great Tao itself.