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Chinese popular religion practices
Reflections about Taoism
Essays on daoism
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When considering the origin of the faiths and philosophies of the world, it is judicious to take into consideration the culture and religious practices of the period. For instance, Daoism developed out of the political climate of the time and the religious beliefs and practices and that existed in China in the preceding centuries. In order to gain a greater comprehension of the creation Daoism, the theory, philosophy, and practices, it necessitates a journey to China in the distant past. The first part of the journey begins; five thousand years ago with the tribal people who established residence along the shores of the Yellow River in China. (Wong 404). The tribal people believed that their chieftains had extraordinary powers, such as the powers: to control the elements, move the rivers, communicate with plants and animals, travel across the sky, and beneath the earth. (Ibid, 409) Initially, it was due in part to the tribal people’s belief, in the ability of particular individuals to possess inconceivable abilities, that shamanism came into practice in Ancient China. In fact, according to Eva Wong, “In ancient Chinese society, there was a class of people, called the wu.” (Wong 436). As a result, over the centuries, the importance of the wu or shaman continued to develop and by the twelfth century, the rulers of the land employed shamans as an integral part of their advisors. Thus, the shaman held political positions and were able to influence the governing of the nation. An equally important aspect of the ancient religion in China was the reverence of their ancestors’. The second part of the journey visits, ancient China in 1500 BCE, a thousand years prior to the formation of the Daoism school of thought. (Brodd, Little and Ny... ... middle of paper ... ...iversity Press, 2003. Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. New York, New York: E. P. Dutton, Inc, 1982. Paper. —. The Te of Piglet. New York: Dutton, 1992. Paper. Lukin, Gregory. Taoism 101: Answers and Explanations. Gregory Lukin, 2012. E-book. The American Heritage Dictionary. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc, 1994. Print. The American Heritage Dictionary. Ney York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc, 1994. Toropov, Brandon and Chad Hansen. The Complete Idiots Guide to Taoism. Indianapolis, IN: Beach Brook Productions, 2002. E Book. Tsu, Lao. Tao Te Ching; A New Translation. Trans. Jane English and Gia-Fu Feng. New York: Vintage Books, 1972. Paper. —. Tao Te Ching; A New Translation. Trans. Jane English and Gia-Fu Feng. New York: Vintage Books, 1972. Paper. Wong, Eva. Taoism: An Essential Guide. Boston & London: Shambhala, 2011. E book.
Smarr, Janet. “Emperor Wu”. Making of the Modern World 12. Ledden Auditorium, La Jolla, CA. 17 Feb. 2012. Lecture.
Robinson, B.A. "History of Taoism." Taoism. March 21, 2002. http://religioustolerance.org/taoism.html Velasquez, Manuel. Philosophy: A Text With Readings. 8th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002.
As was the case in China, Cao depicts the two forms of belief existing alongside one another, and not necessarily practiced exclusively to one another. Confucianism involves the concern for worldly affairs and order within a rigid social hierarchy, with importance placed on filial piety and family relations. Daoism is a way of thought that encompasses ideas of transcendental worlds of spirit through observation of simplicity, a comprehension of natural law and order, and a desire to lead with compassion, rather than force.
Taoism is an ancient Chinese religion, a religion of peace focused on universal balance. The religion itself, though generally surviving today, was almost entirely wiped out in ancient times. Taoism’s primary symbol is still visible on the global market in modern times, though it tends to carry somewhat different meanings then it necessarily did previously. An incredibly life-structure oriented religion, it has permeated through society and is more easily understood through analysis of Taoism’s historical origins and leaders, its types and beliefs, ethics, and the modern influences of Taoism on society.
Elisa Trojillo PHIL 101 Honors Dr. Mitchell February 26, 2014 Analytic Paper Over the course of history, individuals have questioned the universe in which we live in and searched for a purpose of our existence. The belief in a higher presence, other than our own, has existed since man can remember. From this belief, religion was established and can survive and flourish. Buddhism and Taoism are two great religious and philosophical traditions in Chinese history.
The next major influence on the Taoist belief was Chang Tzu. To him, Tzu’s writings defined the truth of life. He went on to write f...
During the history of ancient China, around 500 B.S.Ec., the Chinese begin to go through a crisis. The original order established in the civilization was long gone, and a change was needed. Something had to be done, in order to get the order restored in china. Chinese thinkers looked for ways to change their empire in order to reestablish order to their empire. In the chaotic China civilization, several different answers arouse to solve the problem, which ultimately changed China for the better. The three primary solutions were the concepts Legalist, Confucianism, Daoism.
In his Article, Keightley argues that China possesses an epistemological optimism, and in his lengthy argument, that was supposed to focus on the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, he ended up using a lot of later texts to justify his points of view, therefore ma...
Hoobler, Dorothy, and Thomas Hoobler. Confucianism. 3rd ed. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2009. Print.
Confucius, , and Arthur Waley. The Analects of Confucius. New York: Random House, 1938. Print.
“The whole character of Chinese popular religion flows in the direction of plethora of rituals and obligations without much discernable doctrinal underpinning” (Corduan, 2012, p.410). The Chinese popular religion has gravitated away the gods of Buddha and Daoism and captured the philosophy of luck and materialism (Corduan, 2012), while it “is less concerned with philosophical issues and
Kaltenmark, Max. Lao Tzu and Taoism. Translated by Roger Greaves. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 1969.
Little, Stephen, & Shawn Eichman. Taoism and The Arts of China. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2000. Print.
Waggoner, Eric: “Inside the Current: A Taoist Reading of The Old Man and the Sea.”
Most significant value from Lazi is The Tao Te Jing. "It is true that, while Confucianism emphasizes social order and an active life, Taoism concentrates on individual life and tranquility, thus suggesting that Taoism plays a secondary role" (pp. 136 SB) In the writings of The Tao Te Jing, Lazi answers how is Confucianism should be, and that is tao. Tao is described as having existed before heaven and earth. Tao is formless, stands alone without change and reaches everywhere without harm. The student of Laozi is told to use the light that is inside to revert to the natural clearness of sight. By divesting oneself of all external distractions and desires, only then can one achieve tao. In ancient days a Taoist that had transcended birth and death, achieved tao, was said to have cut the Thread of Life (pp. 139 SB). The soul, or spirit, is Taoism does not die at death. The soul is not reborn; it migrates to another life. This process, the Taoist version of reincarnation, is repeated until tao is achieved. The following translation from The Tao Te Jing best summarizes the theory behind tao and how a Taoist can achieve Tao. Tao is the ultimate reality, a presence that existed before the universe was formed and which continues to guide the world and everything in it. Tao is sometimes identified as the Mother, or the source of...