1. Philosophy & Religion in China
Chinese Folk Religion
Confucianism
Taoism

2. Chinese Folk Religion Belief in spirits Reverence for ancestors
Priests perform blessing rituals:
purifying space
Exorcising evil spirits (“hungry ghosts”)
Astrology
Divination

3. Chinese Religious Concepts
Chi – life force, life energy (“ultimate”)
Yin-Yang – harmony of opposites
Yin = passive state of energy
Yang = active state of energy [
Tao – the “way” of the cosmos, of nature

4. Learning from the past to improve the future
Confucianism
A 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

5. Confucianism - Origins
Kung-Fu-tzu (Confucius) “Master Kung”
BCE
Education
Good Government
Good Relations
Meng-Tzu (Mencius) (4th century) continues to develop teachings of Confucius

6. Goal of Confucianism
To develop one’s Jen: Human Heartedness - the innate goodness of humanity
Thus becoming a Chun Tzu: the “Great Man” or “Gentle Man”
Jen is developed through intentional living by Confucian virtues…

7. Confucianism - Texts The “Five Classics” (of the past):
I-Ching
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)
Analects (Lun Yu)
Doctrine of the Mean
The Great Learning
The Book of Mencius (Meng-Tzu)

8. Confucian Virtues
Jen – Human Heartedness
Li (rites, ritual) – the inherent “pattern” in things
For Confucius, Li is especially significant in a social context – propriety or etiquette, the “pattern” of humane behavior
Rectification of names – a person or thing should be true to its name
Recipricity (shu) – the Golden Rule:
“Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you”

9. The Five Relationships
Filial Piety (Hsiao) - respect for the five constant relationships:
Parent and child
Husband & wife
Older & younger sibling
Older & younger friend
Ruler & subject
Human-heartedness is developed only within the context of human relationships

10. 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

11. Taoism Origins and Texts
Legendary founder: Lao Tzu (6th century BCE)
Primary text: Tao Te Ching (the “Book of the Way and the Power”)
81 short “chapters” containing the basic philosophy of living in harmony and balance

12. Taoism as a Way of Living
Seeking Health and Longevity: through diet, meditation, exercise, and a stress-free life
Alchemy: seeking the chemical “elixir of life”to achieve immortality
Meditation: “Inner Alchemy Meditation” – seeking spiritual rather than chemical transformation
Natural/holistic healing: herbal medicine, acupressure, acupuncture, exercise…
T’ai-Chi-Ch’uan (“grand ultimate boxing”)
A slow, graceful martial art stressing movement in balance

13. Religious Taoism Deification of Lao Tzu
The Jade Emperor and the eight “Immortals”
Taoist temples with images of Lao Tzu and other “immortals”
Taoist Priests combine Taoist meditation with purification rites of folk religion exorcism practices
Taoist sects develop beginning in 1st century, additional teachers and texts

14. Philosophical Taoism The Tao (“path” or “way”)
Te (“power” or “virtue”)
One’s natural ability brought to peak potential through following the way

15. More Taoist Concepts Wei-wu-wei (“active non-action”)
Passive non-resistance to the natural forces of life
Natural way to get things done with least effort and greatest success
“Go with the flow,” yield to the natural way of things
Applied in all walks of life
Relativity: “good” and “bad” as a matter of perspective
The Taoist sage is non-judgmental