Download Confucianism and Buddhism Book Instructions Page 1: Title Page

Confucianism and Buddhism Book Instructions
Page 1: Title Page: Write the title “Confucianism and Buddhism Spread Through China” along with
your name, period, and an illustration summarizing your book (wait until you finish the other pages to
do the illustration)
Page 2: Write the title “The Life of Confucius.” Answer the questions for Document 1 (write out the
Q's and A's). Draw an illustration.
Document #1: The Life of Confucius
(551-479 BCE) Philosopher.
Confucius was China's most influential philosopher who continues even today to shape Chinese
thought. Confucius was born to a poor family. As an adult he earned his living as a teacher, but he
longed to put his principles into action by advising political leaders. Finally, at around 50, Confucius
won a post as minister in his home state. According to legend, he set such a virtuous example that a
purse lying in the middle of the street would be untouched for days.
After Confucius resigned his post as minister, he returned to teaching. He considered himself a failure
because he had never held high office. Confucius believed that if virtuous men achieved high office,
they could make China a better place. Yet Confucius' ideas, recorded and passed down by his students,
have molded Chinese thought for centuries.
Confucianism is a moral system that teaches people the proper way to behave. It is not a religion,
although Confucius taught his followers that they should be diligent performing ceremonies to honor
their ancestors. Confucius taught that people should obey their superiors, and be kind and generous to
those below them. For example, all Chinese had to obey the emperor, but the emperor also had to take
care of all of the people of China. He believed that if everyone obeyed those above them, and were
kind to those below them, this would create a harmonious society.
Questions
1) Who was Confucius?
2) What did Confucius want more than anything that he failed to achieve?
3) Why did Confucius want this so much?
Page 3: Write the title “The Teachings of Confucius.” Answer the questions for Document 2 (write out
the Q's and A's). Draw an illustration.
Document #2: The Teachings of Confucius
Confucianism is an ethical system. It teaches people how to behave properly. One element of classical
Chinese religion is making sacrifices (for example, preparing a ritual meal) for your ancestors (parents,
grandparents, etc.). Confucius taught his followers that they should continue to follow these practices,
but his real concern was about was with teaching his followers how to behave correctly so that Chinese
society would function well. Religions are usually concerned with life after death (an afterlife, or
heaven), while Confucius was concerned about improving the lives of Chinese people in this world. He
believed the perfect society should be organized around five basic relationships.
1) Ruler to subject
2) Father to son
3) Husband to wife
4) Older brother to younger brother
5) Friend to friend
The first four of these relationships are between a superior and inferior. The superior, according to
Confucius, should protect the person below them. The inferior person in return should always respect
and obey the superior. For example, a father would make sure his son was fed and clothed. The son, in
return, was supposed to respect his father and obey him without question.
Only the last relationship, friend to friend, was between equals. In this relationship, both friends should
always respect each other.
Questions
1) Confucius mostly believed society should be organized around relationships between superiors and
inferiors. What did a superior person have to give to those below them? What did an inferior person
have to give to those above them?
2) Do you think superiors or inferiors had easier jobs?
3) Do you agree with Confucius that this is the best way to organize a society?
Page 4: Write the title “The Life of Buddha.” Answer the questions for Document 3 (write out the Q's
and A's). Draw an illustration.
Document #3: The Life of Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)
(About 560-480 BCE) Founder of Buddhism.
The name “Buddha” means “the enlightened one.” Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama, and he was
simply born as a man. He was not a god or the son of God, like Jesus. He was not specially chosen by
God, like Muhammad. Buddhism has no Gods, but it is a religion because Buddhists believe in an
afterlife. Buddhists believe that each person has a spirit that continues on after death to be reborn
(reincarnated) in another body of a person or animal. Eventually, if a person lives correctly in all of
their lives, they can reach Nirvana, stop the cycle of death and rebirth, and become perfectly one with
the universe. Gautama was just a man like many others. He became Buddha and reached Nirvana
because he discovered how to live correctly.
Gautama was born the son of a wealthy and powerful ruler of a country in India. His father, the King,
wanted to shield Gautama from the harsh realities of life. The King built Gautama a palace,
surrounding his son him with wealth and luxury, and shielding him from the sight of sickness, poverty,
and death. This continued until one day Gautama wandered outside the palace and saw four sights: an
old man, a sick person, a corpse, and a beggar. Shocked, Gautama left his father's palace, and went out
into the world searching for the answer for how to stop suffering. Six years passed, and Gautama
suffered greatly from hunger and cold, until one night he sat under a tree and the truth came to him. In
that moment, Gautama became Buddha, and he had the choice to reach Nirvana and leave the suffering
of the world behind.
Buddha chose to remain on earth, though, so he could teach others the secret to reaching Nirvana.
Buddha taught that life is suffering, and that reaching Nirvana was the only way to end suffering. He
also taught that suffering comes from desire. If people learn not to desire things, their suffering will end
and they will reach Nirvana.
Questions
1) Who was Buddha?
2) What sights shocked Buddha? Why was he shocked?
3) What problem did Buddha spend his life trying to solve?
Page 5: Write the title “The Teachings of Buddha.” Answer the questions for Document 4 (write out the Q's and
A's). Draw an illustration.
Page 6: Answer the following questions with one paragraph each.
1) If you were the emperor of China, which system would you want your people to follow, and why?
2) If you were a poor Chinese farmer, which system would appeal to you more, and why?
3) Which system appeals to you more, and why?
Document #4: The Teachings of Buddha
Buddha was the founder of the religion Buddhism. Unlike Confucius, who was concerned with what happened to
people during their lives, Buddha was concerned with the afterlife (what happened to them after their deaths).
Buddha taught his followers the “Four Noble Truths.”
Four Noble Truths
1) Life is suffering (while there are ups and downs in life – life is pain and living means pain)
2) Desire causes suffering (people constantly want things throughout their lives, and there is no way this can be
satisfied, and that causes suffering)
3) The way to end suffering is to stop desiring things – Once an individual does this, they will reach
Nirvana (their body, mind, and soul will cease to be, and they will become part of the universe/part of
everything that exists)
4) Nirvana can be reached by following the Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path
(1) right view, (2) right intention, (3) right speech, (4) right conduct, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7) right
mindfulness, and (8) right concentration
Buddha's Eightfold Path instructed his followers to live their whole lives, and concentrate all of their efforts
(from their thoughts, to their speech) on learning to live without desiring worldly goods. Worldly goods are
things of this world, such as shoes, clothes, video games, food, cars, houses, and anything else that can be held
and used in this life.
An Example of the Eightfold Path in Action (How does a Buddhist decide what to eat for dinner?)
Everyone needs to eat to survive. Eating also brings people pleasure, especially when the food is tasty. This can
be a problem for Buddhists, because Buddha taught that if people enjoy worldly good too much, they will
become consumed by their desire for more worldly goods. This which cause more suffering (because desire
causes suffering). Buddha never wanted his followers to starve themselves in order to avoid this pleasure,
though.
Someone who is not following Buddha's teachings might spend all day looking forward to a special meal, such
as eating an entire pizza and drinking an entire bottle of soda later that evening. For a Buddhist, it would be
better to just eat a simple bowl of rice and drink a glass of water. An individual on the path to Nirvana would not
care what they eat, because they would have no desires. Since desire causes suffering, according to Buddha, a
Buddhist would be better off in the long run if they do not give into the desire of eating pizza.
Questions
1) What did Buddha believe causes suffering?
2) What is Nirvana?
3) Do you agree with Buddha about the source of suffering? Why or why not?