Taoism is another ancient religion practiced within Eastern Asia. It shares beliefs and practices with Confucianism and is mainly practiced in various parts of China. It is a polytheistic religion that has a wide variety of gods within its spiritual arsenal. Like Hinduism, Taoism is a name that covers a wide variety of smaller religious sects that can be found in various parts of China and its neighboring countries, although the basic principles are the same (Hansen 1). Also known as Daoism, it is derived from the phrase "the path," or "the way." Its philosophy depends on three major conceits, or the "Three Jewels of the Tao," which are practicing elements of compassion, moderation, and humility (Hansen 1). Part of the principle of compassion is the idea of non-violence within everyday life. This means following a peaceful existence no matter what life throws at you. Human behavior is then guided through practices of non-violence, which then shape the nature of the religion itself. The concept of non-violence in Taoism is referred to as Wu Wei (Hansen 1). The idea of the Tao has come to represent the path to enlightenment. It is the flow of the universe that leads individuals to spiritual heaven when they follow its principles. Those principles also include moderation and humility. By practicing living a life of moderation, one is straying away from the distraction of living a life of luxury with all of its indulgences. With moderation comes humility, which is line with the path of life, or the Tao.
Taoism proves similar to some core Christian beliefs in several of its essential elements. The religious practice depends on following a specific way of life, the path or the Tao in order to gain spiritual enlightenment. Although the Christian tradition does not have a truly specific name for its own path, it is clearly laid out by the teachings of Jesus (Glaser 121). It calls for a life of non-violence, which is a direct relation to the life of Jesus. When Jesus was accused and tried for his crimes against the Roman Empire, he did nothing to stop the enforcement of his punishment. Rather than fleeing or fighting his captors, he did nothing, which in turn had a greater impact on his followers and future believers than any other action he could have taken. This is similar to the essential concept in Taoism of non-violence. In Taoism, non-violence is seen as an essential practice for spiritual enlightenment as well as personal development.
Another major religion within the Chinese nation is that of Confucianism. This religious practice stems from the Chinese philosopher Confucius who lived around 500 B.C. (Religion Facts 1). Within his teachings, Confucius presented a series of moral, social, and philosophical elements that now make up the center of Confucianism beliefs. One of these teachings deals with the importance of rituals within daily lives. According to Confucius, rituals are the means of internalizing patterns of behavior that are in line with the spiritual elements of the religious practice. Rather than following laws, which are externally forced by some sort of authorities and their social influence, rituals allow the practitioner to maintain particular behaviors internally through their own will (Religion Facts 1). However, in Confucianism, ritual is not always the elaborate ceremony it is associated with in common thought. A ritual can also be a simple practice that one devoted oneself to and could be as simple as practicing politeness to ones neighbors. Another major element of Confucius' teachings was the idea that there should be no separation between economic classes. This meant that no one should be discriminated against or held out of certain duties or privileges based on economic status.
Many elements of Confucianism share pieces of core Christian beliefs as well. The idea that rituals represent one's internal struggle and maintenance of spirituality can be found in many Christian denominations as well. For instance, in the Catholic tradition, there are many rituals which are practiced by followers to keep them closer to Jesus and God. These include the repetition of certain prayers, the consummation of the ritualistic blood and flesh of Christ, as well as traditions followed by the nuns and priests which have devoted themselves to the religion. These are all forms of rituals which are meant to keep the strength of the Christian teachings...
Religion and Society Religion is defined as an organized collection of belief systems, views about the universe, or cultural systems that humans use to relate spiritual and moral values to their lives. Many religions have symbols, traditions, and histories that explain the origin of life, the way the universe works, and the moral, ethical and legal ways to organize human life (De Vries, ed., 2008). While the exact origin of religion
Great Awakening in America The Great Awakenings refer to several waves of interest in religion in America. These waves have coincided with increases in economic prosperity and materialism that have caused people to view religion with less interest. It began in the 1930s as disunited attempts at religious revival and in the 1940s had matured into "the remarkable Revival of Religion" (Lambert, p. 6). During the 1740 sThe Great Awakenings aimed
Religion in the Modern World Religion Modern World Religion is something that is as old as man. It means "almost everything because religions deal with the whole of human life -- and death" (Bowker 2006). Since the beginning of mankind, individuals have searched themselves and others, contemplated the universe and all its elements, and religions are what were formed through these personal and public explorations. But what exactly are religions? What does
One god unites the nation, strengthens rulers authority much more than many different small gods who are popular in some local territories but not in the whole country. Though religion was an important kind of rulers support, but it was not that important as strong army which was the main fulcrum of king's power in the country. Ruler was a commander in chief of all armed forces of a state
Religion -- Books of the Old and New Testaments The Bible contains many types of genres, themes, events and characters illustrating the seeds of Christianity in the Old Testament and the Old Testament's fulfillment by Jesus and the young Christian Church of the New Testament. Using the genres of epic and simple narratives, law, prophecy, wisdom, pastoral letters and apocalyptic expression, both Testaments show the struggle of ordinary people trying to
A key celebration in the village invites a festive dance in which the performers fall into a stupor and try to stab themselves with knives (Heinrich, 2005 p. 78). Rituals in life are pertinent events for religious display and artistic expression. Events of puberty, marriage life and burial offer opportunities for Balinese to express their notions regarding statuses, society and the afterlife. The Balinese denomination organizes their faith in a
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now