(Chinese) Denominations

[johny smith]

Confucianism is an East Asian religion based upon the teachings of Confucius. Confucius (known in Chinese as Kong Fu Zi) lived between 552 and 479 BC. Confucius lived in China during an especially turbulent period, when the country lacked central leadership and various small states fought constantly for dominance. As much a philosopher and political theorist as a religious leader, Confucius sought to teach others the correct behavior for man in society. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality and strong family loyalty. He believed that each man had a place in society, and that each should behave righteously and correctly according to that place. This included the ruler, who needed to be devoted to the people rather than to personal aggrandizement.

Confucianism grew in influence for the two centuries following Confucius' death, until it was rigidly suppressed during the Qin Dynasty, whose leaders saw it as a threat to their power. The Qin systematically destroyed the Confucian temples and burned all the Confucian books, including most of Confucius' writings. Virtually everything was lost, except for a cache of important books hidden in the walls of a believer's home. When these were discovered, the few remaining believers were able to rebuild and spread their religion. Eventually Confucianism became the state religion of China. It remained so until the Communists came into power in the 20th Century.

Today, Confucianism is enjoying something of a revival, and many Chinese students (and students from around the world) study the great philosopher and his teachings. However, in modern times Confucianism is mostly studied as a philosophy rather than a religion (though it should be pointed out that there is no clear distinction between the two in Eastern thought).

 

[johny smith]

When discussing "Taoism," one must be careful to distinguish between the philosophy of Tao and the religion of Tao. The philosophy of Tao came first. According to tradition, the philosopher Lao-Tsu lived in the 4th Century BC. He wrote the "Tao Te Ching," which can be roughly translated as "The Book of the Way and its Virtue."

The Tao Te Ching is written in verse. It is extremely subtle and difficult to understand. Many scholars have spent years trying to interpret it. The book can be (very primitively and probably inaccurately) summarized as follows. The "Tao" is what exists before everything else. It is formless, and from it all things are formed. Man must aspire to simplicity; only by discarding the useless trappings of culture and civilization can man return to his original state of emptiness - Tao - when all is possible. According to Lao-Tsu, "the sage has no heart of his own" - no intentions, no preconceptions, and no agenda.

The religion of Taoism is based upon worship of Lao-Tsu as a deity. According to Taoist religious tradition, in 142 AD Lao-Tsu appeared to Zhang Daoling, a hermit, and told him that the world was coming to an end, and those who followed Lao-Tsu would go on to another, better life. Further, Lao-Tsu's followers would have access to the celestial powers that control the fate of mankind. Zhang preached Lao-Tsu's words and gained many converts.

Over time, Taoism split into a number of schools. Some believed that they could change the world through talismans, alchemy, and magical spells. Some sought to achieve immortality through a Buddhist-like enlightenment. A variety of gods from Chinese folklore and Buddhist tradition were incorporated into the religion.

Taoism spread widely throughout China, and it was the official state religion for a thousand years, until the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. The Communists virtually eradicated the religion in China during the Cultural Revolution (1960-76), when many of the temples were destroyed and the monks and priests sent to "reeducation" camps. In the 1980s China restored some religious tolerance, and Taoist temples are slowly being rebuilt and repaired.

It is believed that many Chinese still practice Taoism in some form, despite the government's restrictions. Taoism is also practiced by some 31 million people outside of China, the largest group being in Taiwan. Its influence can be felt world-wide in the practices of acupuncture, herbalism, feng shui, and martial arts.

 

[johny smith]

Mohism(Mojia; literally "School of Mo") was a Chinese philosophy developed by the followers of Mozi (also referred to as Mo Tzu, latinized as Micius), 470 BCE-391 BC. It evolved at about the same time as Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism and was one of the four main philosophic schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (from 770 BCE-221 BCE). During that time, Mohism was seen as a major rival to Confucianism. The Qin dynasty, which united China in 221 BCE, adopted Legalism as the official government philosophy and suppressed all other philosophic schools. The Han dynasty that followed adopted Confucianism as the official state philosophy, as did most other successive dynasties, and Mohism all but disappeared as a separate school of thought.

 

[johny smith]

Legalism (literally "School of law") was one of the four main philosophic schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (the other three being Confucianism, Daoism and Mohism). This period (from 770 to 221 BC) was an era of great cultural and intellectual ferment in China, and gave rise to the important Hundred Schools of Thought. In China under the political leadership of Li Si, his form of Legalism became the predominant ideology in China. Some scholars consider Li Si's form of Legalism to have been one of the earliest known totalitarian ideologies. Legalism was a pragmatic political philosophy that does not address higher questions like the nature and purpose of life. It has maxims like "when the epoch changed, legalism is the act of following all laws", and its essential principle is one of jurisprudence. "Legalism" here has the meaning of "political philosophy that upholds the rule of law", and is thus distinguished from the Western meaning of the word.

 

[johny smith]

Here is the folder of the Chinese religions.

http://wocrapture.svn.sourceforge.n...ssets/Modules/Rapture/Chinese.tar.gz?view=tar