The Ten Commandments and Holiness Code have a lot in common with The Daodejing, despite being written under very different times and different circumstances. The two texts share many of the same ideas and philosophies needed to live a true and uncomplicated life.
The Ten Commandments are a set of rules and principles which are essentially rules of worship and ideologies enacted to give the new community of people who were fleeing from Egypt a set code to live by. God himself delivered the tablets, which had the commandments recorded upon them, to Moses atop of Mount Sinai. The Holiness Code, which follows the receiving of the Ten Commandments, further elaborates upon the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are in essence setting rules that separate the good, religious people (those who abide by the commandments), and the sinners who do not follow the principles set forth by the Ten Commandments.
The Daodejing is a classic Chinese text which Laozi recorded in about the late fourth century. The Daodejing is both a philosophical and religious text. The Daodejing was written before there were any other religions prevalent in China, and therefore, the Daodejing heavily influenced both Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism.
The Daodejing and The Holy Bible, while on the surface have nothing in common, being written in different places, time periods, and situations, internally it has many of the same general ideals on people and how to live. The primary similarity between the Daodejing and the Ten Commandments, which leads to all of its other similarities, is that both texts show a way to live. Both texts give thoughts and ideas relating to how to live life.
Both the Daodejing and the Ten Commandments speak of how greed i...
... middle of paper ...
...” (Chapter 12). In this section, the Daodejing is saying that the chase and hunt for precious goods maddens our hearts, and takes away from living an upstanding life. When we chase after (steal) the things we do not have, it causes us pain and discomfort in our lives. Both the Daodejing and the Ten Commandments speak against the evils of stealing what is not yours.
Though they come from very different histories, the Daodejing and the Bible share many of the same thoughts and ideals. Warning against avarice, protecting the sanctity of life, and cautioning against taking what does not belong to you are all themes shared between the two texts, among many others. Both texts share similar ideas on how to live your life in order to be a good person, displaying that despite being written in different times and places, some ideas on how to live transcend universally.
When considering the origin of the faiths and philosophies of the world, it is judicious to take into consideration the culture and religious practices of the period. For instance, Daoism developed out of the political climate of the time and the religious beliefs and practices and that existed in China in the preceding centuries. In order to gain a greater comprehension of the creation Daoism, the theory, philosophy, and practices, it necessitates a journey to China in the distant past.
During the Warring States period China was going through chaos. The teachings of Confucianism and Daoism were welcomed by society to bring order, stability and liberate people from the misery and oppression. The rulers were greedy and desirous of political power and their own agendas; however they were looking for a new way to unite their people. It is often said that Confucianism and Daoism are the yang and yin, respectively, of Chinese religion. That is, they are not rivals so much as complementary traditions, working together to produce an overall balance in the lives of the Chinese. This is not true because the two religious philosophies were different from one another. Confucius believed that the traditions and virtues that were studied and taught in the old days by the Ancients was the best way to organize society (trickle-down approach). Also followers of Confucius believed in education, a moral force and human goodness to advance and progress within society. Daoism on the other hand relies on human nature and a balance of good and evil (Yin-Yang) to bring about social order. It neglects education, virtue and cultural norms because it is said that people are born faultless.
The commandments of the Torah provide Jewish adherents with ethical and moral teachings of Judaism. The commandments of the Torah contain: the 613 Mitzvot, Ten Commandments, Oral Torah and the Covenant. The 613 Mitzvot provides the widest administration of Jewish ethical principles, which are regarded as the basis of Jewish ethics. The Ten Commandments are a summary of the 613 Mitzvot. The first five commandments discuss the relationship between God and Jewish people, whereas the next five com...
During the history of ancient China, around 500 B.S.Ec., the Chinese begin to go through a crisis. The original order established in the civilization was long gone, and a change was needed. Something had to be done, in order to get the order restored in china. Chinese thinkers looked for ways to change their empire in order to reestablish order to their empire. In the chaotic China civilization, several different answers arouse to solve the problem, which ultimately changed China for the better. The three primary solutions were the concepts Legalist, Confucianism, Daoism.
The Ten Commandments is a movie about the book of Exodus and Moses. The movie began at the first order to kill all Hebrews under the age of two. Here Moses is cast off into the Nile and the story begins. It ends with the end of Moses’s life and Joshua taking over. The movie, for the most part, stayed true to the book of Exodus, but some detail and major plotline were different. The movie was good, but the added love story and power struggle made the movie a little off topic. The story itself, Moses being adopted, raised, sent away, and then came back and freed the people is the same, so Exodus is followed in a general way. Some detail is not, like some of the plagues are different (Plague seven was just hail, not hail on fire), and some characters are not existent in the Bible, but appear in the movie. The movie was very good and is one of the best Moses and Passover movies of all time. The only flaw was the details that the movie lacked or were incorrect.
“The Ten Commandments are different in that they don 't list consequences. The commandment doesn 't read, "Don 't steal, but if you do, here 's what happens." That kind of formulation is reserved for the legal sections of the Hebrew Bible, which are cast in the “if ... then ...” framework (technically called “casuistic”) typical both of ancient Near Eastern law collections such as Hammurabi’s Laws, as well as our own modern laws. By contrast, the Ten Commandments are a list of norms that have moral import” (Hoffman, n.d., para. 8). The Decalogue were given to Moses from God, who then passed them on to his people. Moses repeatedly warns against forgetting them, and disobeying them (Arnold & Beyer, 2008, p. 14). The Ten Commandments are absolutely applicable to modern day Christians, and we should beware the thought and practice of not following them in our
similarities between Christianity and Buddhism. Similarities between Christianity and Buddhism are evident in every sect of Buddhism, but are strongest seen in the Pure Land sect of Buddhism. In this essay I will compare the similarities and differences between Pure Land Buddhism and Christianity.
The Ten Commandments are a set of Commandments, that were inscribed on two stone tablets, which were given to Moses, during the New Testament, Exodus 20:1–17. The 10 Commandments are known to be
In closing I would like to point out that while there are many similarities between these texts, most of them are either in small details, like stories they have in common, or how our society views them as a way of studying ancient cultures. The differences however are in the actual styles, content, and intentions of the texts. It is my opinion that these texts are very different and should not be compared.
These civilizations present many resemblances that were once part of the foundations of their society. Although both of these civilizations were at one point enemies of one another, they had similar correlations that shaped and formed their cultures and societies. The main difference between these two civilizations is religion. Without its differences, each civilization had governed its people in manners that it could not be differentiated among each other. Overall, these civilizations presented different methods of leading a civilization and still had similarities among one another.
the judeo-Christian tradition had many aspects to the way it had a contribution to european civilization. The Ten Commandments is one of them. The Ten Commandments influenced the European civilization because
Judaism and Christianity developed on the basis obeying God, on adherence to his rules and intentions and their faithful fulfillment. Since the fulfillment of God’s will is a duty of a Jewish or Christian person, both religions fall into the rule-deontological category.
In Judaism, the holy book was known as the Torah. It is comprised of the five books in the bible. Human beings had an obligation to honor the holy text and serve God by practicing what was stated in the bible. However, in Christianity, the holy text is based on both the Old and New Testament. This bible consisted of teachings and life of Jesus. Lastly, for the Islam religion, their holy text was the Quran. The bible was inspired by God and gave many people inspiration and guidance in their lives. Thus, many people will apply what was stated in the bible to their lives to live righteously. All three religions required individuals to read their holy texts, pray, and stay faithful to
Although Judaism and Confucianism appear to be on different realms of the religious spectrum, they have similar traditions deriving from dissimilar roots. The significance of family in Confucianism is strongly upheld by the filial piety rooted within all of the traditions and beliefs. Meanwhile, Judaism’s emphasis on God’s word as being the ultimate path for a righteous life is supported throughout the Jewish adherence to the special laws commanded by God. Whether the foundation of the religion is rooted from filial piety or God’s commandments, both Judaism and Confucianism reflect similar standards in family rituals, religious beliefs, and moral conduct.
The stories are similar in many ways, but they are also very different. This can be related to the relationship between the two religions themselves.