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Living Religions
A Brief Introduction
3rd Edition
Mary Pat Fisher
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved
Chapter 6
Daoism and Confucianism
Ancient traditions
Daoism--the way of nature and immortality
Confucianism--the practice of virtue
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved
Key terms
Celestial Master
Shangdi (Shang Ti)
Complete Perfection Taiji quan (T’ai chi ch’uan)
Dao (Tao)
wu wei
Falun Dafa
yang
Falun Gong
yi
feng shui
yin
Highest Purity Daoism
li
Neo-Confucianism
qi (ch’i)
qigong
ren (jen)
RujiaoA
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Timeline
Dynasties
Shang (1751-1123)
Zhou (1122-221)
Jin or Qin
(221-206 BCE)
Han
(206 BCE-220 CE)
Tang (618-907 CE)
Song (960-1280)
Republic
(1912-1949)
People’s Republic
(1949-)
Ancient traditions
Confucius (551-479)
Mengzi (390-305)
Xunzi (340-245)
Persecution
Civil service exams
Revival
Zhu Xi (1130-1200)
Disestablishment
Persecution
Revival
Daoism
Ancient traditions
Laozi (600?-300?)
Zhuangzi (365-290)
Immortality
movements
Heavenly Masters
originate
Buddhist influence
Canon formed (748)
Taiji quan appears
Persecution
Falun Gong/Dafa
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Ancient Traditions
Spiritual ways of ancient Chinese civilization influence all later
developments
Ancestor worship
Invisible spirits
Various rites to ward off demons
Rulers played major spiritual roles
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Cosmic Balance
Belief that the cosmos is a manifestation of an impersonal
spiritual substance
qi (ch’i): the stuff of which all things are composed; has 2 aspects
– yin is the dark, receptive “female”
– yang is the bright assertive “male”
Dao (way): the creative rhythm of the universe
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Daoism—the way of nature and
immortality
Scholarly label applied to an array of beliefs and practices
May involve Daoist practices and Confucian virtues and
Buddhist-style rituals
Institutional Daoism has tried to distance itself from popular
religion
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Teachings of Daoist Sages
Two major texts of philosophical tradition
Dao de jing (The Classic of the Way and its Power)
– Written by Laozi
– Can live happily by harmonizing self with the
universe, being receptive to beauty and nature, and
being silent
Zhuangzi
– Best approach to life is detachment
Daoist paradox of wu wei: actionless action
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Popular Religion and Organized Daoism
Became intertwined when Daoist specialists took charge of spiritual tasks
such as alchemy, faith healing, and the use of talismans
Burning incense and making offerings is a way to communicate with
invisible spirits
Feng shui: one means of seeking harmony
Kitchen God
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Inner Alchemy
Individual spiritual practices for self-cultivation, longevity,
and perhaps immortality
Practices passed secretly from teacher to pupil
Seek to use the energy available to the body for physical
health and intuitive perception
Three treasures: generative force (jing), vital life force (qi),
spirit (shen)
Queen Mother of the West guards the elixir of life
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Daoism Sects
Organized sects developed complex rituals, texts, and had organized
clergy
Highest Purity Daoism advocated celibacy
Numinous Treasure assimilated elements of Buddhism
Complete Perfection is the dominant monastic school
Unites Daoist inner alchemy with Chan Buddhist meditation and
Confucian social morality
White Cloud Monastery in Beijing
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Daoism Today
Continues in 3 major forms
Organized religious institutions
Societies for self-cultivation
– Qigong
Practitioners of spiritual development, health, and longevity
– Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, energy training
practice (Taiji quan)
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Confucianism: The Practice of Virtue
Originated about the same time as Daoism
In Chinese Confucious is known as Kong fuzi and his teachings
are called Rujiao: the teaching of the scholars
Based on ancient Chinese beliefs in the Mandate of Heaven,
ancestor worship, spirits, and the power of ritual
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Master Kong’s Life
Father died when he was 3 and his mother when he was 23.
Mourning period after his mother’s death; studied ancient
ceremonial rites
Instructed students in the Six Classics of China’s cultural
heritage: the Yijing, poetry, history, rituals, music, dance
His teaching was recognized only in the centuries after his
death
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The Confucian Virtues
Ren is the most important
innate goodness, love, benevolence, humaneness, human
heartedness
Strong government required rulers who lead virtuous lives to
set a good example
Emphasizes relationships over individuality (parent/child,
older/younger siblings, husband/wife, older/younger friend,
ruler/subject
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Divergent Followers
Mengzi (Mencius) stressed the goodness of human nature and
the virtue of yi (righteous conduct)
Xunzi argued that humans are self-centered by nature and that
heaven operates according to natural laws
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The State Cult
Confucianism was adopted by the state during the Han dynasty
(205 BCE – 220 CE)
Men seeking government positions had to pass examinations
based on the six classics
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Neo-Confucianism
Stressed the importance of meditation and dedication to
becoming a noble person
Encouraged women to offer themselves in total sacrifice to
others
Premised on the idea that Buddhism and Daoism brought
moral and political weakness into Chinese society
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Confucianism under Communism
During Cultural Revolution attacked as one of the “Four Olds”:
old ideas, culture, customs, habits
Recent Communist leaders have advocated Confucian virtues
without naming them
Not officially recognized as a religion
Confucian morality forms the basis of Chinese ethics
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