Taoism / DaoismDaoism, also spelled Taoism, is an indigenous religion-philosophical tradition that has shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. In the broadest sense, a Daoist attitude toward life can be seen in the accepting and yielding, the joyful and carefree sides of the Chinese character. Daoism is based on the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, a short tract written in the 6th century BC in China. Taoism emphasizes spiritual harmony within the individual, complementing Confucianism's focus on social duty. The two great Chinese belief systems were founded at about the same time and continue to exist side-by-side in today's China. There are two main schools within Taoism, usually called "philosophical Taoism" (Tao-chia) and "religious Taoism" (Tao-chaio). The two are not as strongly distinguished as once thought, but philosophical Taoism tends to focus on the philosophical writings of Lao-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu and other early mystics while religious Taoism emphasizes religious rituals aimed at attaining immortality. There are 20 million Taoists worldwide, most of whom live in China, Taiwan or Southeast Asia. Taoism is also increasingly influential in the West, especially in the fields of alternative medicine and martial arts like Tai Chi.
Christianity and Taoism are both widely spread and well-known religions, which, however, are totally different and have their own unique features. To begin with, the creed of Christianity is based on the belief in the benevolent and omnipotent God, which is considered to be the Creator of the mankind. In contrast, Taoism denies the existence of any God. Unlike Christians, they believe that all matters and spirits are eternal and have no creator. For Christians God is the supernatural force, while for Taos such a force is called Tao, a flow of energy, which is considered to be the main law and the absolute ideal at the same time. Secondly, the main principle for Christians is to live the life righteously, praying, confessing, repenting, following commandments, trying to change the world and achieve the inner harmony. Whereas the main rule for Taoism is “non-action”. Opposite to Christians, Taos teach to live without changing and breaking the natural flow and rhythm of life and universe. They also believe that meditations and immersion in yourself can allow you to achieve inner piece. Thirdly, Christianity has the idea of reincarnation and resurrection, while Taoism denies such beliefs. Not like Christians Taos believe that man is the microcosm for the universe. Death for them is only the part of the everlasting process of energy flow. Taoism teaches that the death means separation of the soul and its dissolution in the macrocosm, universe. Conversely, Christianity is based on the belief in immortality of the soul. |
Taoism / Daoism Symbol - Ying and Yang
|
Confucianism Symbol
|
Confucianism
Confucianism is a way of life taught by Confucius in the 6th–5th century BCE. Sometimes viewed as a philosophy, sometimes as a religion, Confucianism is perhaps best understood as an all-encompassing humanism that neither denies nor slights heaven. Confucianism has been followed by the Chinese for more than two millennia.
It has deeply influenced spiritual and political life in China; its influence has also extended to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. East Asians may profess themselves to be Shintoists, Taoists, Buddhists, Muslims, or Christians. Although often grouped with the major historical religions, Confucianism differs from them by not being an organized religion. Nonetheless, it spread to other East Asian countries under the influence of Chinese literate culture and has exerted a profound influence on spiritual and political life. Both the theory and practice of Confucianism have indelibly marked the patterns of government, society, education, and family of East Asia. Although it is an exaggeration to characterize traditional Chinese life and culture as Confucian, Confucian ethical values have for well over 2,000 years served as the source of inspiration as well as the court of appeal for human interaction between individuals, communities, and nations in the Sinitic world. The real Confucian teachings and Christian teachings are quite consistent, and many have speculated on the reasons why the two cultures separated by thousands of miles would be so. Jesus's teaching is far more demanding. Confucius defines a jen person as concerned with others but not sacrificing himself for them; Jesus sacrificed himself. Confucius's belief is that filial piety ( 孝 ) is more important than justice ( 公義 ). Jesus's belief is to take up punishment in place of a sinner, for by doing so, he would have fulfilled both love and justice. Confucius sees the Way as lost and needs to be rediscovered. Christians know the Way -- Jesus Christ -- and know what to do to be saved (Confucius teaches nothing about redemption for sins but he does not condone sinful lifestyles). He and his disciples were doing the best they knew how, for Jesus did not come until hundreds of years later. Some scholars see this as an example of a natural religion -- longing for God and will make one if necessary. But Confucius is very different: he seems to acknowledge that there is a God but does not make one out of nowhere or out of himself. |
Buddhism
Buddhism began in India 2,500 years ago and remains the dominant world religion in the East. There are over 360 million followers of Buddhism worldwide and over a million American Buddhists today. Buddhist concepts have also been influential on western culture in general, particularly in the areas of meditation and nonviolence. Buddhism is based on the teachings of an Indian prince named Siddharta Gautama who lived around 500 BCE. According to Buddhist tradition, the sheltered young prince was shocked by the suffering he saw outside his palace walls, so he left his life of luxury to seek answers. Eventually he succeeded, becoming the Buddha--the "Enlightened One." He spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching the dharma (the path to liberation from suffering) and establishing the sangha (a community of monks).
Over its long history, Buddhism has taken a wide variety of forms. Some emphasize rituals and the worship of deities, while others completely reject rituals and gods in favour of pure meditation. Yet all forms of Buddhism share respect for the teachings of the Buddha and the goal of ending suffering and the cycle of rebirth. Theravada Buddhism, prominent in Southeast Asia, is atheistic and philosophical in nature and focuses on the monastic life and meditation as means to liberation. Mahayana Buddhism, prominent in China and Japan, incorporates several deities, celestial beings, and other traditional religious elements. In Mahayana, the path to liberation may include religious ritual, devotion, meditation, or a combination of these elements. Zen, Nichiren, Tendai, and Pure Land are the major forms of Mahayana Buddhism. "Religion started off as a basic belief in an afterlife, and then further developed into tribal religions, which evolved into ancestral worship, then to polytheism, and lastly into monotheism." Monotheism in the form of Christianity is the largest religion of the modern world, and it has similar beliefs to other world religions such as Buddhism. Christianity and Buddhism are similar because both religions teach about the equality of people and that making good choices reflects the positive teachings of that religion. They are also similar in how they formed, as both broke off from another religion that was exclusive, and both became popular and spread easily because they were inclusive to all people. These religions are different because of the locations in which they developed, beliefs in a different afterlife, and the different lives of Jesus and Buddha. Christianity and Buddhism have similar beliefs in that all people are created equal, and that each religion teaches people how to make good decisions that honor their God or Gods. Both of the religions have basic tenants that set forth their beliefs. In Buddhism there are the Four Noble Truths and the 8-Fold Path, and in Christianity there are the 10 Commandments. Each of these beliefs is a set of laws that tell followers of the religion about the equality of people and how to make the choices to live a pure life. Both religions broke off from already powerful and widely accepted exclusive religions in order to provide salvation to everyone. |
Om Symbol - from Buddhism and Hinduism Religions
|