Three Philosophies of China Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism

Confucianism (the oldest philosophy) Belief system based on teaching of K’ung Fu Tzu (Confucius) It is a philosophy rather than religion Based on the following principles: Use right relationship to produce social order Respect family and older generations Educate individuals and society Act in morally correct way Confucianism lost its influence in 200 A.D. Was reborn again in 600s A.D; blended with Buddhism and Daoism; became known as Neo-Confucianism

Confucius taught that society is organized around 5 relationships: Subjects Rulers + - Younger siblings Older siblings + - Wives Husbands Students Teachers Workers Supervisor + _ += be loyal & always obey - = always care for

Buddhism The 4th largest religion & philosophy in the world Based on teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), who lived in India in 400 B.C. Buddhism originated in India, in the city of Sarnath and spread to China, Korea, Japan Buddha means “Enlightened One” He taught that life is full of suffering because people want material things His teaching is based on Four Noble Truths In China, emperor Taizong supported Buddhism

Four Noble Truths Suffering is part of life; everyone will experience it Suffering is caused by greed or love for material things To end suffering eliminate the desire for things you cannot get Practice the Eightfold Path to achieve Nirvana (true happiness and peace)

Eightfold Path Right Views Right Intentions Right Speech Right Conduct Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Concentration

Reincarnation One must go through many cycles of birth, living, and death After many cycles a person releases their attachment to desire & self and can reach Nirvana Buddhist writing are called scriptures

Taoism (a.k.a. Daoism) Philosophy based of teachings of Lao-Tse Began around 4th century in China Unlike Buddhism, Taoists do not believe that life is suffering. Taoism believes that life is generally happy but that it should be lived with balance and virtue.

Main ideas of Daoism Peace and harmony with nature. No selfishness. To live in plain and modest way & to not struggle for material gain. "Wu wei" or action through inaction. "The way“ means don’t interfere with nature because it will upset the balance of nature The three jewels (values) in Daoism are compassion, moderation, and humility Nature should be respected The Daoist sacred book is known as the Tao Te Ching.

Yin Yang Symbol The Yin Yang symbol idealizes the balance in order to find enlightenment There is a light and dark side to the Yin Yang, which represents opposites such as good and evil, as well as male and female.

Chinese Religions Project: Foldable=30 pts and Essay=70 pts (100pts) The assignment: You will create a foldable using 3 different philosophies from China: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism( Taoism) . Each philosophy must have a neat, colored, and detailed drawings as well as explanations of who founded the religion and what the major believes or principles are. Then you will write a letter to the emperor Kublai Khan (5 paragraph essay) to justify which philosophy should be adopted for China and why. Remember to have 3 reasons to convince him to adopt the philosophy. Remember to use evidence from the text and lots of details to describe your reasons.