Chapter Six: Daoism and Confucianism

What is a Daosit model for being?

flowing water -it bypasses and gently wears away obstacles

Zhou (Chou) Dynasty

focus shifted from Shangdi to Tian, a more impersonal power controlling the universe

Xunzi

follower of Confucius; stressed that humans were inherently lazy and evil and required an authoritarian government

kitchen god

in China and Korea, deity residing in every household

there are several basic principles for the life in harmony with Dao:

including to experience the transcendent unity of all things rather than separation -one most cease to feel personal preferences -concerned with direct experience of the universe, accepting and cooperating with things as they are, not with setting standards if morality

What has become interwoven with Daoism?

inner alchemy, individual spiritual practices for the sake of inner transformation, self-cultivation, longevity and perhaps immortality

How does Daosim see itself?

institutional Daoism has tried to distance itself from popular religion, seeing itself as a much higher form of religion with gods who occupy the heavens

the result of wu wei is:

noninterference -directed at rulers that they might guide a society without interfering with its natural course

Four Olds

old ideas, old culture, old customs, old habits -cultural revolution attempted to destroy Confucianism

Great Learning

peace begins with moral cultivation of the individual and order in the family

The cosmos is a manifestation of an impersonal self-generating physical-spiritual substance called:

qi -the stuff of which all things that exist are composed off -has two aspects: yang and yin

yi

righteousness

li

sacred rituals of ancestor worship

Confucius and unseen reality

said that li are the earthly expressions of the natural cosmic order

meridians

subtle energy pathways in the human body

Precious Scrolls

texts that emanate from deities such as the Golden Mother of the Celestial Pool -believed that the divine mother sent Buddha and Laozi as her messengers

What did Confucius feel?

that a return to classical rites and standards of virture was the only way out of chaos

Dao

the creative rhythm of the universe, or "the way" -a result of the ever shifting but balanced yin and yang

Shangdi

the highest god worshiped during the Shang Dynasty

Laozi

the most famous Daoist teacher who addressed those in leadership positions

What is the basic belief of Confucianism?

the practice of virtue is of great value, humans attain this through self-cultivation, and study and emulation of ancient sages are the path to harmony in the individual, family, state and world with proper relationships between heaven earth and humans -goal is to become a junzi

Yin

the receptive aspect of the universe that expresses itself in silence, darkness, coolness, and rest feminine energy

Who is the prime exemplar of ren?

the ruler -rule by personal virtue not physical force

Maoism

the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people.

nothing is evil, but:

things may be out of balance -the world is naturally in harmony and Dao is our original nature

At the heart of Daoist teachings is:

"Dao" the unnameable and eternally real, is a basic concept that cannot be defined -we cannot describe the Dao but live in harmony with it

junzi

"Noble person"; the refined human ideal of Confucianism

Mengzi

"The Second Sage" after Confucius -added belief in inherent goodness of human nature

What three major religions developed in East Asia?

-Daoism and Confucianism in China, which spread to Japan and Korea -Shinto in Japan

What did Confucius develop?

-beliefs in heaven, ancestor worship, efficacy rituals -cultivation of moral virtues and interaction between human rulers and heaven, with political involvement as a way of transforming the world -focuses on ways of developing a just and orderly society

Major principles of Daosim:

-heaven, earth and humanity all arise from the same source, the Dao which is the first cause of the cosmos -coming from the same source all things one earth are to be loved and allowed to exist naturally -Dao follows what is natural -I am one with all things

Worship and divination

-prehistorical evidence of worship of ancestors -respect must be paid to ancestors -worshiped invisible spirits such as plants, animals, rivers, stones mountains, stars, cosmic forces

Rulers and morality in ancient china

-rulers have a moral duty to maintain the welfare of the people and a spiritual duty to conduct respectful ceremonies for Heaven, earth, and ancestors. -these aspects became significant parts of Confucian thought

Six Classics (Confucianism)

-the yijing -poetry -history -rituals -music and dance -the spring and autumn annals of older documents

three treasures

1) Jing: generative forces 2) Qi: vital life force 3) Shen: spirit -these are said to be achieved through breathing techniques, vocalizations, vegetarian diets, gymnastics, absorption of solar and lunar energies, sexual techniques, and meditations

From these roots developed two contrasting ways of harmonizing with the cosmos:

1. Daoism, the more mystical religious way 2. Confucianism, the more political and more religious way -like yin and yang interpret and complement one another

Three grades of filial piety in Confucian belief:

1. lowest is to support parents 2. not to bring humiliation to one's parents and ancestors 3. highest is to glorify them

Zhuangzi

A Chinese philosopher who spelled out the teachings of Daoism -said the best way to live in a chaotic, absurd civilization was to become detached from it

Falun Dafa

A modern Chinese religious/ethical movement

Zhang Daoling

According to tradition, he established the oldest surviving Daoist school, the Way of the Celestial Masters, after Laozi appeared to him in a vision in 142 CE.

taiji quan

An ancient Chinese system of physical exercises, which uses slow movements to help one become part of the universal flow of energy

ren

An attitude of kindness and benevolence or a sense of humanity for Confucianism -interactions between parent and child, older and younger siblings, husband and wide, ruler and subject -web of relationships supports the individual like concentric circles

What is the most common religion in China?

Buddhism

Daosim influenced which Buddhist traditions?

Chan and Zen Buddhism

Yang

Heaven, light, and male forces

What did Confucius claim?

I am a transmitter and not a creator, I believe in and have a passion for the ancients

Complete Perfection

In Daoism, a monastic tradition combining inner alchemy, meditation, and social morality along with Chan Buddhist meditation and Confucian social morality with focus on meditation and non-attachment

Highest Purity Daoism

In Daoism, an elite tradition of celibates who meditate on purification of the body for spiritual elevation.

Capitalist Confucianism

business conducted according to Confucian ethics such as humanity, trustworthiness, sincerity, and altruism

Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism

coexist as complementary systems in East-Asian societies -the idea of distinct religions is not prominent in Chinese thought -see it as their "three teachings"

Chinese temples

combine Confucian, Buddhist and Daoist elements with liturgies in Daoist

Feng-Shui/geomancy

determining natural flows of qi through the earth, as revealed by the flows of wind and water

The two most salient texts of the classic Daoist Tradition are the:

Dao de jing and the Zhuangzi

Queen Mother of the West

Daoist goddess of immortality in the holy western mountains. Widely worshiped by Daoist priest and practitioners -incarnation of yin energy

Celestial Masters

Daoist tradition with hereditary lineage of priests representing celestial deities

Tudi Gong

Earth God; lit. "earth official"; tutelary deity of a specific residential area, i.e., village, a neighborhood, etc.

What did Neo-Confucianism teach?

Emphasized spiritual matters as well as behaviors -the individual is intimately linked to the cosmos -importance of meditation and becoming a sage

Ma-tsu

Folk religious goddess and later included in the Daoist pantheon

shu

Reciprocity; a Confucian virtue

Rujiao

The Chinese term for the teachings based on Confucius

Confucian Classics

The ancient texts recovered during the Han Dynasty that Confucian scholars treated as sacred scriptures

Confucius (Kong Fuzi)

The founder of Confucianism (551-479 B.C.E.); an aristocrat of northern China who proved to be the greatest influence on Chinese culture in its history -Zou dynasty

Four Books

The four texts identified by the Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi as fundamental in understanding the Confucian teaching. Between 1313 and 1905, they made up the curriculum for the civil service examination. They are Analects, Mencius, Great Learning, and Centrality and Commonality

the book of rites

Zhou book explaining the rules of etiquette and rituals required of aristocrats in China under the Zhou dynasty.

Yijing (Book of Changes)

a common source of both Daosim and Confucianism and regarded as a classic text in both traditions -is consulted for symbolic interpretation of the yin-yang combinations

pattern of throws is diagrammed in the yijing as?

a hexagram, with yin represented as a broken line and yang by a straight line

Mandate of Heaven

a political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source

What is the central philosophy of Dao de jing?

a practical concern with improving harmony in life -one can best harmonize with natural flow by being receptive and quiet

Cultural Revolution

a radical reform in China initiated by Mao Zedong in 1965 and carried out largely by the Red Guard

Falun Gong

a spiritual movement that began in China in the latter half of the 20th century and is based on Buddhist and Taoist energy practices and teachings

Wu wei

actionless action, or taking no intentional or invasive action contrary to the natural flow of things -spontaneous, creative activity proceeding from Dao

Daoist monks and nuns

are of equal status

Numinous Treasure School

assimilated elements of Buddhism, creating a medley of new meditation practices, divine beings, rituals, scriptures, heavens, rebirth, and hells