Philosophy & Religion in

China

Chinese Folk ReligionTaoismConfucianism

Religion in Asia

In China and Japan philosophy and religion are not two separate pursuits– People are more than one religion

without any conflicts– Oriental religions are complementary – A person might be both Buddhist and

Confucian or Taoist and Confucian or all three, each serving a different function in one’s life.

China’s Concerns China’s concerns are practical & down

to earth– Concerns are: How can we achieve

longevity? – How can we get along better in our

relationships with others?– How should a good ruler lead the people?

Emphasis on harmony, social relationships and practical application of underlying metaphysical concepts

Chinese Folk Religion Belief in spirits

– Polytheistic and animistic Reverence for ancestors Yin and yang

– Balance of the universe Astrology Divination

– Future telling

Chinese metaphysics is about…

Energy Change Balance Harmony Inter-relationships

Chinese MetaphysicsMovement of cosmic energies:

Rising

Falling

Expanding

Contracting

RotatingRepresented by and expressed in the “five elements” of nature…

The “Five Elements”

Wood

Water Metal

Earth

Productive cycle

Fire

The “Five Elements”

Wood

Water Metal

Earth

Fire

Destructive cycle

X

X X

X

X

Chinese MetaphysicsConcepts

Chi – life force, life energy (“ultimate”)

Yin-Yang Tao – the “way” of the cosmos, of natureHeaven (t’ien) and Earth“Mandate of Heaven”Practical applications: I-Ching and Feng Shui

Yin and Yang

YIN Negative force in

nature Dark, cool, damp Femaleness Earth, moon,

shadows

YANG Positive force Light, bright,

warmth, dryness Maleness Sun, Heaven

Everything (other than a few objects) is a combination of both forces.

When they work in harmony, life is perfect.

Taoism

Taoism:The Way of Harmony with

Nature Very hard to define: can be

described by Chinese history or thru its effects on the people, but not as a ‘religion’ with rituals and doctrines

Originated in 6th century BCE China

Nature knows best

Founder Lao-tzu (or Laozi)

– 6th century BCE– Means “Old Master” or “Old Boy”—given by his disciples as title of respect

We know less about him than any other founder of a world religion

Lao-tzu wished to leave China but was required to write down his teachings first. He then left and was never seen again– Truth of story has not been verified

Scripture Primary text: Tao Te Ching (the “Classic

of the Way and its Power or Virtue”)– 81 short “chapters” containing the basic

philosophy of living in harmony and balance

– All human achievements are frivolous Chuang Tzu (4th century BCE)

– Author of companion text: The Chuang Tzu– Collection of stories exemplifying the

wisdom and nature of the Taoist sage

Taoist Teachings1. The unity behind the universe is

mysterious, indefinable force calledTao

– The way of the universe or nature’s way– Impossible to define: Best achievement

in life is to understand it

2. Life is the greatest of all possessions– Fame, wealth, power, education are

illusions and distract from the Tao

Continued…3. Life is to be lived simply

– Innocence is ideal state– Focus on little govt and civilization

4. Pomp and glory are to be despised

– These cause strife & discord in life

The Problem for Humans

Problem: disharmony with the universe– When humans depart from the simple,

natural way of the universe, they are alienated from the Tao

– Suffering comes from trying to conquer nature, altering the universe, & establishing artificial human organizations

Solution: simple life, live in harmony

The Secret to the Good Life

Inaction is the secret of good life– Trying to do good only leads to

trouble Live and let live By doing nothing, humans have a

positive influence on society

Confucianism

ConfucianismA political and social philosophy seeking

social harmony on all levels:Within the self…the family…the community...the state…the nation…the world…the cosmos

Learning from the past to improve the future

Confucianism vs. Taoism

Confucianism has influenced Chinese society more than anything else

Confucians disagree with some aspects of Taoism– Is govt really bad?– Do social organizations really disrupt the

harmony of the universe?– There can be exceptions to the principles

Confucius’ Life

Kung Fu-tzu or Kunfuzi “Master Kung” 551 - 479 BCE Became an accountant to a family at

age 17– Opened his eyes to the system’s injustices

—taxes paid by the peasants to support the small wealthy class

Studied & loved art, literature, music… Married and had a son

– Became a teacher for noble families

                                    

Life, cont… Later worked for the govt (believed he

could influence social change)– Political aspirations unfulfilled—rejected by

many– Experienced imprisonment and an

assassination attempt Eventually worked as an advisor and

edited the classic texts. Died 5 years later.

Now revered in China as the “greatest teacher who ever lived”– Although rejected in his own day, became the

model for Chinese culture for over 2000 years

Scripture/Texts The “Five Classics” (of the past, revised by

Confucius):– I-Ching (Book of Changes)– The Book of History (Shu Ching)– The Book of Poems (Shih Ching)– The Spring and Autumn Annals (Ch’un Ch’iu)– The Book of Rituals (Li Chi)

The “Four Books” (Confucian teachings from his disciples)– Analects (Lun Yu)– Doctrine of the Mean– The Great Learning– The Book of Mencius (Meng-Tzu)

Goal of Confucianism Humans are naturally good

– What happened?– Must lead by example

To develop one’s Ren/Jen: Humaneness– the innate goodness of humanity, deep empathy,

compassion You can become a Junzi/chun-tzu: the

model person or “Gentle Man”

Jen is developed through intentional living by Confucian virtues…

Confucian Virtues

Li: principle of harmony that rules everything– Rites/Ritual/the correct way to behave

The Five Relationships – Parent & child– Husband & wife– Older & younger sibling– Older & younger friend– Ruler & subject

The partners of each relationship are unequal, but have formal responsibilities to each other

Symbol of harmony

More Confucian Virtues

Rectification of names – a person or thing should be true to its name

Reciprocity (shu) – the Golden Rule:– “Do not do to others

what you would not want others to do to you”

                        

The Problem for Humans

Disharmony– Comes when humans think of

themselves before others—sets a bad example and harms society

– Forget their responsibilities to others

The Solution?– reciprocity

Confucianism as a Religion

Deification of Confucius - statues Confucian Temples – honoring

Confucius Veneration of the ancestors Rituals within…

– the household– the village– the state – the nation

The I-Ching“Book of Changes”

Ancient divination technique (at least 3000 years old)

Intended to guide humans in decision making

Based on combinations of lines representing the ever changing relationship between passive (yin) and active (yang) energy flow of heaven, human, and earth

= yang= yin

The Tri-gramsEight combinations of three lines

each:

wind / wood

Fire

lake

earth

mountain

water

thunder

heaven

Using the I-Ching Tool Symbolism of the lines:

– Upper line = energy state of heaven– Middle line = energy state of human– Lower line = energy state of earth

Two sets of trigrams are divined to create a hexagram

Use coins or sticks to divine one of 64 hexagrams Use I-Ching text to discern meaning of the

hexagram and any additional meaning for “changing lines” (energies on the verge of changing)

A skilled interpreter is needed to apply the generic meaning of the hexagram

#31

Feng Shui The Chinese art of placement (geomancy) Means “wind water”– symbolically, the

constant flow of wind and water that creates constant change in the world also affects us

Uses the five elements and the eight directions of the I-Ching as the Bagua tool

Seeks to maintain constant and balanced flow of energies (chi) in a space for improved flow of energy in the people who use the space

Learn more on the Web

Learn more about Yin-Yang and the Five Elements: http://www.wisdommedia.com/data/library/html/feng_shui_yinyang.asp

I-ching sites: I-Ching Resources includes history of the I-Ching and

details about the trigrams: http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_resources

How to use the I-ching: http://littlestcat.com/iching/ Feng Shui sites: Series of pages on Feng Shui theory and application:

http://www.wisdommedia.com/data/library/html/feng_shui_what_is.asp

Feng Shui products and tips from MJG Designs: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/mjgdesigns/designtips.html

Explore more on the Web

Taoist sites:– The True Tao Homepage: a pleasant place to visit and

learn more http://www.taoism.net/html.html – Taoism and the Philosophy of Tai Chi Chuan:

informative on both origins and religious Taoism http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/taoism.html

– About the Tao: http://www.thetao.info/tao/index.htm

Confucian sites:– http://www.friesian.com/confuci.htm an academic

review of basic Confucian teachings– The Lun Yu (Analects), an English translation online:

http://www.confucius.org/lunyu/lange.htm