...Answer each question with a 1- or 2-paragraph response that includes a reference citation. Make use of Experiencing the World’s Religions and other sources in your research as you complete the questions. 1. Describe the principles of yang and yin. As stated by the Shen-nong website, “Ancient people were greatly interested in there relationships and patterns that occurred in nature. Instead of studying isolated things, they viewed the world as a harmonious and holistic entity” ("Yin yang," 2005, p. 1).Yin and yang are best described as complementary ways for explaining relationships between objects.Yin is referred to as dark, cold, lower, rest, inward, and female.Yang is referred to as bright, hot, upper, movement, outward, and male. One can not exsist without the other. This is not the same principle as good and eveil. The two forces of Yin and Yang work together to make up the univserse and exsist in everything in the universe. These two complementary forces helped the ancient people explain and understand nature, energy, and the human body. 2. The main scripture in Daoism is the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching). What is the history and importance of this text for the tradition? The Daodejing is a book made up of five thousand Chinese characters and is seen as one of the world’s greatest books. It is the main scripture for Daoists and the title is translated as “the classical book about way and its power.” It is made up of 81 chapters that are arranged in no...
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... Answer each question with a 1- or 2-paragraph response that includes a reference citation. Make use of Experiencing the World’s Religions and other sources in your research as you complete the questions. 1. Describe the principles of yang and yin. The principle of Yin and Yang is a fundamental idea in Chinese philosophy and culture as a rule dating from the third century BCE or considerably prior. This guideline is that all things exist as inseparable and opposing alternate extremes, for instance female-male, dark- light and old-young. The two opposites are drawn toward each other and supplement one another and, as their symbol shows, every side has at its center a component of the other (represented by the little dots). Neither one of the poles is better than the other and, as an increment in one gets a comparing decline in the other, a right harmony between the two posts must be reached in order to accomplish congruity. 2. The main scripture in Daoism is the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching). What is the history and importance of this text for the tradition? The book has been linguistically dated to about 350 BCE, but it seems to have circulated in several earlier forms. In 1972, at the tombs of Mawangdui, archeologists discovered two ancient copies of the text that differ from the arrangement commonly used. Another shorter ancient version was found in a tomb at Guodian in 1993. It contains about one-third of the standard text.1 The version that is commonly known...
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...non-violence in all parts of life, speaking truth, sexual monogamy, and the detachment from material things. As part of the disciplined and non-violent lifestyle, Jains typically are strict vegetarians and often adhere to a quite arduous practice of non-violence, which restricts the sorts of occupations the may follow (no farming, for instance, since insects are inadvertently harmed in plowing). Read more: http://www.patheos.com/Library/Jainism.html#ixzz32xMJg98y In Buddhism there is not, as in most other religions, an Almighty God to be obeyed and feared. The Buddha does not believe in a cosmic ruler, omniscient and omnipresent. In Buddhism there are no divine revelations or divine messengers. A Buddhist is, therefore, not obediant to any higher supernatural power which controls his destinies and which arbitrarily rewards and punishes. Since Buddhists do not believe in revelations of a divine being Buddhism does not claim the monopoly of truth and does not condemn any other religion. In Buddhism, there is no savior. There’s no one who’s going to do it for us, no place we can hide out for safety. We have to face reality squarely, and we have to do it alone. Even when Buddhists take refuge in the Buddha, what they’re really taking refuge in is the truth that there’s no...
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...Philosophy and Religion China’s history has been full of richness of culture, mainly due to how they progressed with philosophy and religion. Since the beginning of the Chinese’s civilization philosophy and religion has been at the forefront of Chinese culture. From the ancient oracle bones and bronze inscriptions to the development of different schools of thought, the Chinese have always been adept for the time period in philosophy and religion. And over the course of their history they have combined the two in a manner that suits their needs, through this evolution and combination of the two they have become a strong nation. Oracle bones were the corner stone of the early Chinese dynasties such as the Shang from around 1200-1050 B.C (Shang pg. 1). In one of the articles it attempts to explain the use of these bones by saying that the kings of the Shang Dynasty would “attempt to communicate with the spiritual forces that ruled their world by reading the stress cracks in cattle bones…” (Shang 1). These kings would apply a heated poker to the bones which would produce cracks that they would analyze based on the direction and deepness of the crack. Recently these bones and the records of the king’s analyzation were uncovered. An estimated 150,000 oracle bones were found, and have references to the god of the Shang, Di (Shang pg. 1). This type of analysis by the kings is an early form of a religion, and the building blocks for later philosophy and schools of thought in China’s...
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...formed the male skies while the opaque Yang parts formed the female earth. The beast Pan Gu then lies down and dies so that he may rise up to keep the earth and sky apart. His body parts then become sun, earth, moon, wind, water, and clouds. The symbolism of complementary opposition is a representation of their duality and oneness and is represented in Chinese culture through the Yin and Yang symbol and is a staple in Chinese culture. Mythology has a strong belief in deities and supernatural beings. Pan Gu is a supernatural divine creature whom sacrificially gives his life in order to give life, and represents how mythology follows the belief that sacrificial death brings about creation. Nu Gua and Fu Xi are a god and goddess of ancient Chinese mythology whose bodies are like serpents with human heads. They are supernatural beings believed to have helped create human life and teach the people to hunt and use animals for...
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...Taoist Music: The Great Depiction of Yin-Yang Philosophy Taoism, also known as Daoism, is an indigenous Chinese religion with its origin traced to the sage Laozi (Lao-tzu), a philosopher of ancient China believed to have lived in the sixth century B.C.E (Little 115). In Chinese, Dao means "way" or "path,” which is the appropriate way to behave and to lead others — but the Daode jing also refers to Tao as something that existed "before Heaven and Earth," a primal and chaotic matrix from which all forms emerged. The Classic of the Way and Its Power (Dao de jing or Tao-te-ching) introduces the doctrine of the Tao and serves as a guide for Taoists’ behavior and experience. The Dao de jing teaches the importance of cultivating simplicity, detachment, of virtue, and of living in harmony and balance with the natural world which implied visually in the well-known symbol Ying-Yang, also known as the Tao Chi disk (Little 116). As common in other religion, music has long played an integral part in religious practice. Taoists believe that music is a way to communicate with the spirits, to improve and deepen faith, and to achieve inner harmony and balance; therefore, the significant function of Taoist music is demonstrated of how Taoism doctrine are reflected in elements of music such as tones, instrumentation, and chants in Taoist rituals and ceremony. The main theme of Taoism is resided in the Yin and Yang symbol, also referred to as the Tai Chi disk. The yin-yang doctrine is based...
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... REL 212: World Religion Instructor: Professor Joel Goldstein Daoism is one of China’s major religions indigenous to the country. The primary belief is in learning and practicing “The Way” (Dao) which is the ultimate truth to the universe. Confucianism and Taoism are both ancient Chinese styles of living. Confucianism believes in setting good examples for others to follow primarily in 5 key relationships: ruler & subject, wife & husband, older & younger sibling, friend & friend, father & son. While Daoism (Or Taoism) was a way of living in which there were not many rules and believes in the dialectical philosophy of inaction. Through nature and harmony you can be happy. This is where yin and yang come from. Daoism is also known as Taoism, Daoism traces its beginnings to Sixth Century BC when Chinese philosopher Laozi wrote the iconic book Dao De Jing on the tenets of the Dao. Laozi’s successor, Zhuangzi, further developed Daoist principles. Daoism is an organized religious tradition that has been continuously developing through China, Korea and Japan for a little over two thousand years. Daoism has now spread around the globe from Sydney to Toronto and includes among its followers people from a whole range of ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. Day by day, Daoism is truly becoming a world religion. In the 4th Century BC, Zhuangzi recounted his famed “Butterfly...
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...Buddhism reached its highest point of popularity and influence during Han Yu’s lifetime, and this matter as a Confucian greatly concerned him. Han Yu was afraid and disappointed that the traditional Chinese value system as family ancestors worship will be lost if Buddhism’s influences will continue to thrive and gain more influence on every level in society. He did not agree that Confucian values were excluded from Buddhist and Daoist values and to see bringing” a finger “of Buddha, (who was a foreigner to China), was blasphemy and insulting to Confucian values and traditional Chinese culture. The need for suppression of Buddhism in Han Yu’s Memorial on the Bone of Buddha was social, traditional and economical. In regards of social aspects, Prebish states that: “Confucianism promoted social stability, order, strong families, and practical living, and Chinese officials questioned how a monk's monasticism and personal attainment of nirvana benefited the empire” (1975, p.192). Han Yu railed against Buddhism for undermining the social structure of China. For Han Yu Buddhists' withdrawal from society was necessary, since the Chinese believed that their people should be involved with family life. Han Yu explains that “He understood neither the duties that bind sovereign and subject nor the affections of father and son” ( Bary, p. 584 ). He furthers this idea : “It eroded the loyalty of son to father, and subject to ruler”, ( Bary, p.584) by encouraging people to leave their families...
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...THE HANDY RELIGION AN SWE R BOOK JOHN RENARD Detroit The Handy Religion Answer Book™ C O P Y R I G H T © 2002 BY VI S I B LE I N K PRE SS® This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Visible Ink Press® 43311 Joy Rd. #414 Canton, MI 48187-2075 Visible Ink Press and The Handy Religion Answer Book are trademarks of Visible Ink Press LLC. Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Customized printings, special imprints, messages, and excerpts can be produced to meet your needs. For more information, contact Special Markets Director, Visible Ink Press, at www.visibleink.com or (734) 667-3211. Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: Graphix Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Renard, John, 1944The handy religion answer book / John Renard. p. cm. ISBN 1-57859-125-2 (pbk.) 1. Religions--Miscellanea. I. Title. BL80.2 .R46 2001 291--dc21 Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved ...
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...later part of ancient China (e.g Han dynasty), states started to adopt a mixture of Confucianism and Legalistic ideology. Why did Legalism and Confucianism fall off? In this paper I will explore and provide my own insights on the shortcomings of both ideologies; how Legalism was more persuasive in getting people to accept their ideas and more effective as an ideology and how Confucianism lost out in both aspects. Persuasiveness of Legalism The central idea of legalism was to provide absolute power to the person in charge and the supremacy of authority. Legalists like Han Fei Zi believed that human nature was “evil” and strict rules should be in place to ensure order, similar to a shepherd and sheeps3. With this theory in mind, the idea of absolute power was very attractive to rulers of states. Rulers will exercise the “two handles” of reward and punishment accordingly to keep their subjects obedient and loyal. This ideology is even more appealing towards newly founded states that lack in the department of control over its subjects. If states can adopt the legalistic way of ruling, rulers can exercise their control over the whole state to maintain order. Therefore it is more likely for rulers to be persuaded into adopting legalism as their state ideology since it aligns with their objectives. When compared to Confucianism where rulers are encouraged to trust officials in states with their own ruling, power dilution was a very glaring problem to the rulers. China underwent many...
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...RELIGION IN MALAYSIA HISTORY OF MALAYSIA Situated in the heart of Southeast Asia at one of the world's major crossroads, Malaysia has always been pivotal to trade routes from Europe, the Orient, India and China. It’s warm tropical climate and abundant natural blessings made it a congenial destination for immigrants as early as 5,000 years ago when the ancestors of the aborigines, the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia, settle here, probably the pioneers of a general movement from China and Tibet. They were followed by the Malays, who brought with them skills in farming and the use of metals. As the beginning of Ancient Malaysia, the- Negrito aborigines are considered to be one of the first groups of people to inhabit the Malaysian peninsula. When the Proto-Malays, made up of seafarers and farmers, came to the peninsula they sent the Negritos into the jungles and hills. The Proto-Malays came from China and were technologically advanced, especially in comparison to the Negritos. After the Proto-Malays came the Deuteron-Malays, which were made up of many different people - Arabs, Chinese, Indians, Proto-Malays, and Siamese. The Deuteron-Malays were proficient in their use of iron and when they united with Indonesians, they combined to make up the people known today as the Malay. Around the first century BC, strong trading links were established with China and India, and these had a major impact on the culture, language and social customs of the country. During this...
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...Religion | Origin of All Things | Nature of God | View of Human Nature | View of Good and Evil | View of “Salvation” | View of After Life | Practices and Rituals | Celebrations and Festivals | Week 2Hinduism and Jainism | The history of Hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it has no founder or date of origin. According to historians, the origin of Hinduism dates back to 5,000 or more years. Jainism dates to the 6th century B.C.E. in India. | The nature of God according to Jainism is state of perfect being. Jainism believes in God not as a creator but as a perfect being. They believe that when the jiva or the soul becomes liberated it lives in a blissful state. God is considered to be Omnipotent and Omnipresent by Hindus. There are more than 200,000 gods and goddesses in the Hindu religion. Some are major deities with major duties such as Shiva, others are of lesser import and are more directly connected with specific duties such as the house or ancestors | In Hinduism, the soul, or atman, is an eternally existing spiritual substance or being and the abiding self that moves from one body to the next at rebirth. In Jainism, the soul is uncreated, eternal and has infinite power and knowledge. It therefore has the inherent potential of divinity (that is, perfectly omnipotent, omniscient and free; not a god). By ridding oneself of the karma that obstructs the soul, one can achieve this liberation (moksa). | Karma is the basic principle within an overarching psycho-cosmology...
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...East Asian religions are known to have been targeted by various external influences, which tend to enhance or change the very outlooks of their religion. China and Japan, in particular, have been known to withhold the very idea of a patriarchal society, and to hold values that cement their place as a basic holistic society; one that essentially tries to meld the practices for the benefit of harmony and of a cultivated relationship between friend and family. Both Male and Female members of the society are an integral part in keeping this foundation intact. Much alike the practices of Hinduism and Buddhism, however, it seems that women have been subjugated to a cycle of submission due to the constant changes around them. In Chinese society,...
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...an ever-progressing movement. More so it was the product of several trial and error advancements in various fields of human endeavor. The starting point for all this advancement is known as the Neolithic Revolution, also referred to as the agricultural revolution. This was the shift from a nomadic hunter-gatherer culture to a more settled agricultural lifestyle. The domestication of plants and animals was a major turning point in mankind’s evolution, but it took more than a millennia to transform from nomads to agrarians. Archeological data indicates that several different forms of plant and animal domestication evolved in separate locations worldwide. “The earliest Neolithic societies appeared in the Middle East about 8000 B.C.E., in China about 4000 B.C.E., and in India about 3600 B.C.E.” The first farming was largely grain based in fertile river-valleys with adequate climate and natural resources to sustain farming. Over time man began developing the where-with-all to change his surrounding environment to suit his needs even further. Certain crops were grown in areas according to availability geographically and ease of production rather than chosen by preference. Not all attempts were successes; some crops were abandoned only to be produced with great ease a thousand years later. In some instances the crops actually adapted as a response to farming, through production plant species were less prone to natural selection and therefore had their own natural evolution altered...
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...Wu tried to take the throne 2. Xuanzong took over 3. Military leaders tried to push in order to revolt (which failed) 4. The emperor at the time had to kill Yang Guifei B. The Founding of the Song Dynasty Question: Who was the founder of the Song Dynasty? 1. Nomads began to rule again 2. Zhao Kuangyin was a warrior 3. The founder of the Song Dynasty was Zhao Kuangyin C. Song Politics: Settling for Partial Restoration Question: What was special about the politics during the Song Dynasty? 1. Did not want the same problems that the Tang dynasty had 2. Military leader were no dominate 3. Civil Officials could only be governors D. The Revival of Confucian Thought Question: What revived Confucian ideas? 1. Ancient inscriptions were able to be deciphered 2. Texts were also recovered/discovered 3. Neo-Confucian thinking had a big impact of Chinese intellectual life during all of the dynasties 4. People began to believe that if people kept in the place they belonged then they could receive social...
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