Download confucianism, daoism, buddhism

CONFUCIANISM, DAOISM, BUDDHISM
Since becoming a communist nation in 1949, China has discouraged religion. Many
people in China practice the teachings of Confucius. Confucius was not a religious
leader, but he was a wise man who was concerned with how people treated one
another. Taoism is another philosophy centered in China as well as Buddhism.
During the Imperial times in China, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism became known
as the Three Doctrines, or the "Three Teachings".
A man might honor his ancestors by following the rigid rules of social behavior as
dictated by Confucianism, attend a Buddhist pageant, and practice Taoist breathing
exercises, all in the same day.
These three doctrines were an important part of daily life.
CONFUCIANISM
Confucius was born around 551 BCE in Lu province in Chou(Zhou) times. His parents
were nobility, but had become poor when the empire disintegrated into feudal
states.
When Confucius was about 15 years old, he became quite interested in learning. In
those days, only the nobility and royals were allowed education. All the teachers were
government officials. It was hard for Confucius to find a way to learn. He couldn't go
to the public library or go to public school. These things did not yet exist in ancient
China. To solve this, he went to work for a nobleman. This gave him the opportunity to
learn and to travel to the imperial capital.
Confucius studied and learned until he probably was the most learned man of his day.
People heard of his knowledge and sent their sons to study with him. He was the first
private teacher in China. Confucius taught anyone who was eager to learn. His ideas,
called Confucianism, stress the need to develop responsibility and moral character
through rigid rules of behavior.
Confucianism is not, properly speaking, a religion; it's a way of behaving, so you'll do
the right things.
Confucianism, in Tang times was a social code of behavior, a very set and rigid code
of behavior, that honored ancestors and ancient rituals.
Everything had to be done a certain way. One of his rules, for example, was that
gentlemen could only display their skill as archers on three hunts a year, in the
spring, autumn, and winter.
There's a saying about Confucius: "If the mat was not straight, the Master would not
sit." You might think to yourself: "Wow. What a fussy." But think about it. In English,
if you write a sentence, the first word must start with a capital letter and the last
word must end with a period, an exclamation point, or a question mark. Otherwise,
it's not a sentence. "If the mat was not straight, the Master would not sit."
Confucius said that there could be good government only when good people governed.
The improvement of the government had to begin with the improvement of
individuals.
Confucius believed:
All people should respect or honor those over them
Children should respect their parents
Young people should respect older people
The people ruled should respect the rulers
Rulers should respect the gods and the “will of heaven”.
Today, the Chinese celebrate Confucius Birthday (Teacher's Day), in honor of their
ancestor, the teacher, Confucius.
DAOISM
Tao (pronounced Dow) means The Way (to happiness).
Taoism is not a religion. Taoism is a philosophy, a way of looking at life and a way of
thinking about things that may have been started by a man named Lao Tsu (or Lao
Tzu) who lived a little before Confucius, about 600 BC. Tao means the "way" or the
"path". According to the traditional story, Lao Tsu worked as a librarian in the
emperor's library (this was during Chou dynasty).
Taoists believe it's very important to understand The Way Things Are. This does not
mean that there are not things we need to change about ourselves, but it's important
to recognize and trust our own Inner Nature, and discover who we are. In the story
of "The Ugly Duckling", when does the duckling stop feeling ugly? When he discovers
he's a Swan. When he recognizes who he really is.
Lao Tsu believed that the way to happiness was for people to learn to "go with the
flow." Instead of trying to get things done the hard way, people should take the time
to figure out the natural, or easy way to do things, and then everything would get
done more simply. This idea is called "wu-wei", which means "doing by not doing".
Lao Tsu also thought that everything alive in the universe (plants, animals, people)
shared in a universal life-force. There were two sides to the life-force, which are
called the yin and the yang. This picture is often used to show how the yin and the
yang are intertwined with each other.
The yin (the dark side) is the side of women, the moon, things that are still like
ponds, and completion and death. The yang (the light side) is the side of men, the sun,
things that move like rivers, and creation and birth. Everyone has some yin and some
yang in them, and Taoism says that it is important to keep them balanced. Chinese
doctors believed that a lot of illnesses were caused by too much yin or too much
yang.
Because everything has this life force in it, Lao Tsu thought it was wrong for people
to fight each other in wars, killing the life force, and people should be sad when they
had to fight, instead of celebrating their victories.
He also thought it was wrong for governments (or anybody else) to make a lot of
rules and laws about how people should behave. This would only make people act the
same way all the time, and sometimes they would go against the Tao, breaking the
principle of wu wei. So Taoism was against anything with rules, like special food diets.
He thought people should make their own decisions in each situation.
Taoists believe if you look at life and think about things in the right way, you'll be
much happier.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism began in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha
Gautama. The religion is 2,500 years old and is followed by 350 million Buddhists
worldwide.
Buddhism is the main religion in many Asian countries. It is a religion about suffering
and the need to get rid of it. A key concept of Buddhism is Nirvana, the most
enlightened, and blissful state that one can achieve - a state without suffering.
The Buddhist tradition is founded on and inspired by the teachings of Siddhartha
Gautama. He was called the Buddha and lived in the 4th or 5th century B.C. in India.
Siddharta's travels showed him much more of the suffering of the world.
He searched for a way to escape the inevitability of death, old age and pain first by
studying with religious men. This didn't provide him with an answer.
Buddhists believe that the Buddha saw the truth about what the world is like. They
believe that nothing in the world is perfect, and that the Buddha found the answer to
why it is like this. They do not believe that the Buddha was a god. He was a human
being just like them. They believe that he was important because he gained
Enlightenment, and he chose to teach other people how to reach it too.
The Buddha's teaching is often divided into two major parts: The Four Noble Truths
and the Noble Eightfold Path.
Buddhists also believe in the 5 Precepts (morals)?
These are rules to live by:
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Do not take the life of anything living. (Do not kill)
Do not take anything not freely given. (Do not steal)
Abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence.
Refrain from untrue speech, (Do not lie)
Do not consume alcohol or other drugs. The main concern here is that
intoxicants cloud the mind.
Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results. This
simple law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born
handicapped and some gifted, why some live only a short life. Buddhists believe that
our past actions have an effect on who or what we are in our next life.
There are many different types of Buddhism, because the emphasis changes from
country to country due to customs and culture. What does not vary is the essence of
the teaching. Mahayana Buddhism is the school of Buddhism found in China, Japan,
Korea and Vietnam.