Chinese Religions Copy the information from the slides.

Confucianism  Based on the teaching of Kong Fu Zi, who was called Confucius by Europeans  an ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of Confucius  Focused on proper conduct, respect for elders, education, and hard work  Confucius taught that life would be harmonious if everyone was loyal, courteous, honest, and faithful  Children show absolute respect for authority  Rulers need to live by strong virtues and set a good example for society to be harmonious

Confucius

Taoism  Based on the teaching of Laozi  Humans should see themselves a part of nature  People should live a simple life in harmony with nature  Harmony comes from balancing opposite forces of nature, called yin and yang

Loazi (“Old Master”) 1. Rejecting formal knowledge and learning. 2. Relying on the senses and instincts. 3. Discovering the nature and “rhythm” of the universe. 4. Ignoring political and social laws

Masculine Active Light Warmth Strong Heaven; Sun Feminine Passive Darkness Cold Weak Earth; Moon

Buddhism  Religion and philosophy that developed from the teachings of the Buddha (Sanskrit: “awakened one”),  a teacher who lived in northern India between the mid-6th and the mid-4th centuries BCE (before the Common Era or Christian era).  Spreading from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan,  Buddhism has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural, and social life of Asia.

Buddha This is NOT Buddha! This is Budai

Four Noble Truths (Buddha’s 1st lesson after enlightenment)  1. All life is suffering and pain  2. Suffering and pain are caused by desire for wealth, pleasure, fame, or power  3. To end suffering, one must overcome desire  4. To overcome desire, one must follow the Middle Way

The Middle Way  The Middle Way teaches compassion for all living things, which leads to calmness and purity of mind  Reincarnation – when a person dies, the soul is reborn in a new body  Nirvana – First goal in life is to attain nirvana, the state of having no desires. When one attains nirvana, he or she breaks the cycle of birth and death and no longer is reincarnated into a life of suffering

Who is this? This is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the head monks of the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, and is also well known for his lifelong advocacy for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet

Legalism  B.C.E.  Founder: Han Fe Zi.  Legalism became the political philosophy of the Qin [Ch’in] Dynasty

Han Fei Zi Han Fei Synthesized the ideas of Shang Yang, Shen Buhai, and Shen Dao, while borrowing Shang Yang's emphasis on laws

1. Human nature is naturally selfish. 2.Intellectualism and literacy is discouraged. 3. Law is the supreme authority and replaces morality. 4. The ruler must rule with a strong punishing hand. 5. War is the means of strengthening a ruler’s power.

Critical Thinking Questions  Who do you think said the following statements, the Buddha, Confucius, Han Fei Zi, or Laozi? Explain your answer with a fact from the notes.  Interpret and explain what each statement means

 1. "Like a spider caught in its own web is a person driven by fierce desires. Break out of the web, and turn away from the world of sensory pleasures and sorrow.”  2. "If a ruler himself in honest, all will go well without orders. But if he himself is not honest, even though he gives orders they will not be obeyed."

 3. "Deal with difficult tasks while they are easy. Act on large issues while they are small.”  4. "No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see. ”  5. "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."

 6. "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”  7. "He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.”  8. “To govern the state by law is to praise the right and blame the wrong.”

 9. “When a wise ruler governs a state, he cannot suppose that people will do the good things to him, but he uses people so that they couldn’t do the bad things”  10. “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.”

Answers 1.Buddha 2.Confucius 3.Laozi 4.Laozi 5.Buddha 6.Confucius 7.Buddha 8.Han Fei Zi 9.Han Fei Zi 10.Buddha