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confucianism and taoism
confucianism and taoism
similarities between confucianism and taoism
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Taoism
Taoism originated in China during the 300's BC. It has been part of the Chinese culture for 2,000 years. It was during the same time period as Confucianism, but had opposite ideas and morals, yet it was equally as important as Confucianism in Chinese history. Taoism began as a reaction to "historical situations"(c1), and became a philosophy of the natural way. The word Tao actually means "road" or "way."
Taoism has had a large impact on art and literature, and had been greatly influenced by Chinese folk religion. Folk religion says that most gods were actually just people who displayed heroic qualities. The priests conducted public rituals. Many Taoists seek careers in astronomy, herbal remedies, and alchemy, among other fields.
Tao represents what makes everything what it is, reality as a whole (all the ways). It provides spiritual inspiration, and moral standards. It supplies strength and refuge. Taoism is "not a thing, but a creative process"(b1). The ways tell you to live your life, but not to interfere with nature. A fish needs to swim; a tree needs to grow. The Tao focuses on independence and tranquility.
Taoism is equally as important as Confucianism in Chinese history. Confucianism and Taoism began during the same time period, but had different views, even from the beginning. Confucianism says that you can only live a good life in a well disciplined and structured society, and Taoism says you should live your life however you want, as long as you stay close to nature. Taoism is a philosophy of the natural way. It is a practical way of life.
Taoists look down upon war, taxes, punishment, and your typical set of morals. They look up to happiness, contentment, control, and giving in ...
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...keness of dust."(g3) Basically, its saying that the Tao spirit never dies. The third sense of Tao is the Way of Human Life. It adds on and goes together with the Way of the Universe. It speaks of the way life should be. There have been three Taoism's in China, not just one.
Bibliography:
Bibliography
1. Silvin, N. "Taoism." World Book Encyclopedia. 2000, ed. (A)
2. Chan, Wing-Tsit. "Taoism." Encyclopedia Americana. 1992, ed. (B)
3. A. R. T. "Taoism." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1972, ed. (C)
4. Parrinder, Geoffrey, editor. World Religions. New York, NY. Hamlyn Books, 1971. (D)
5. Braden, Charles Samuel. The Worlds Religions. Nashville, TN. Abingdon Press. (E)
6. Hail, William James. "Taoism." Living Schools of Religion. 1956: 83-93 (F)
7. Smith, Huston. The World Religions. Harper Collins Publishers. 1991. (G)
...oundation of all living things that exist in this world. The mission of Taoism is not to force its beliefs on people, but to help them realize their inner-self and guide into a happy life in harmony with nature. To best summarize Taoism a quote from Lao-Tse can be used: "We believe in the formless and eternal Tao, and we recognize all personified deities as being mere human constructs. We reject hatred, intolerance, and unnecessary violence, and embrace harmony, love and learning, as we are taught by Nature. We place our trust and our lives in the Tao, that we may live in peace and balance with the Universe, both in this mortal life and beyond." There are thousands of religions that offer endless solutions to end suffering, to restore peace and unity in the world. For decades philosophers tried to come up with ways to find happiness, but in the end there was only one answer. The answer came from a some would call silly, others wise bear by the name of Winnie-the-Pooh, who discovered the secret for happiness in and old religion, founded by a great master Lao-Tse. This religion became the answer for the endless search for happiness and the answer was Taoism.
"Main Concepts of Taoism: Yin and Yang." Taoism and the Taoist Arts. April 2002. http://www.taoistarts.net/main.html#yin LeGuin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2000.
Taoism was developed by Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu describes the Tao—translated as “Way”—as “one, natural, and eternal” (Lao Tzu pg.474). The Tao is life’s and nature’s course. The Tao consist of bonding energies, known as yin, and expanding energies, known as yang. Yin and yang are opposite forces, but each need one another to exist or make sense. For example, life needs death, the moon needs the sun, and compassion needs suffering. The
“Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao, which is the mechanism of everything that exists. Taoist philosophy is deeply rooted in contemporary China, and is unavoidable part of modern Chinese life” (Shubro). Taoism believes on that one person who is an “ideal leader” who maintains a low profile, leading mostly by example and allowing followers to ownership. Taoists’ also believe that their belief and attitudes vary greatly from those who believe or practice Confucianism. Taoists’ tend to be more aggressive, and believe in ideal leadership. Its also very common that Taoists select their...
In Ch 39, "He doesn't glitter like a jewel but lets himself be shaped by the Tao,
China has many different schools of thought, most of which build upon or agree with each other. One of the constant schools of thought is the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate is seen in many different dynasties throughout the history of China. It was created during the Zhou dynasty and is based on the ideology of Confucianism. It delivers the message that a ruler must follow the will of Tjan (god). If a ruler does not follow his will, the leader will be overthrown and a worthy ruler will be put in place. In addition to the Mandate of Heaven, multiple different schools of thought were created such as Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, and Mohism. Confucianism is based on relationships. It emphasizes proper moral, social, political, and religious conduct. The five relationships that you must maintain, also to stay constant with the Mandate of Heaven are from ruler to ruled, father to son, husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend. Another philosophical thought, taking an entirely different approach to life from Confucianism is Taoism. It is based upon non-action. The basic belief of Taoism is human attempts to improve the world ultimately make it worse. Instead, we should base our lives upon softness and spontaneity. We should not worry ab...
Taoism is an ancient Chinese religion, a religion of peace focused on universal balance. The religion itself, though generally surviving today, was almost entirely wiped out in ancient times. Taoism’s primary symbol is still visible on the global market in modern times, though it tends to carry somewhat different meanings then it necessarily did previously. An incredibly life-structure oriented religion, it has permeated through society and is more easily understood through analysis of Taoism’s historical origins and leaders, its types and beliefs, ethics, and the modern influences of Taoism on society.
As stated in the first line of the Tao Te Ching, “The Tao we can speak of has already lost its wholeness.” This means that the Tao is a concept too large for humans to comprehend that it cannot be defined or perceived. This is very similar to the idea of Nirvana or Enlightenment that Buddhists believe. It is a state that cannot be understood by those who have not attainted it. An individual who has reached Nirvana can only help others reach it but is not able to describe it. In Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, Govinda lived his life believing that he can achieve Nirvana through doctrines and teachers. However, through Siddhartha, he learns that Nirvana can be achieved not through doctrines, but through direct experience with the world. Siddhartha explains that he doesn’t believe in teachers and doctrines because wisdom must be learned on your own. It is something that can be influenced but not communicated. Similarly, Chapter 17 of the Tao Te Ching describes that the way of th...
Per contra, the views of the nature of these two philosophies have something in common as well as some differences. Taoists consider the nature as sensible, enormously sophisticated, and interminably illogical. The aim of Daoism is wu wei, doing nothing against it. For nature, there is no need to be improved or enriched. Only people have to change and transform. The only means to determine the original source is to observe the nature. In Taoism, there is no a single mention of anthropocentrism. Unlike other religions, it always remembered its animal gods. Early Chinese shamans put on animal masks to join and speak with these deities. Their animals-spirits linked the world of people, dynasties, and idols. There was a tradition, according to
Taoism follows a much different idea of the "chain of being," than that of the other major religions (i.e. Hinduism, Judeo-Christian, Islam), which is very important in consideration of the ecological sensibility which stems from it. As opposed to a God-over-man-over-nature view of the world, Taoism states:
The sacred text of Taoism is The Tao-te Ching and the Chuang-tzu, they both define the nature of the universe and provide a guide for living a spiritual life. In conclusion Taoism is to follow your nature and the nature of the
In its second sense, Tao means "the way of the universe." Tao is something that goes through all beings, all of the earth. It is everywhere, all the time. It is something that flows through everything. This flowing idea links with the idea in Buddhism that Nirvana can be reached by anyone, as long as one is devoted enough and has lost all attachments.Thirdly, one life must be a certain way to work with the Tao: Tao also refers to "the way of human life" as it "meshes" with the universal Tao in its second sense.
Taoism, known as “The Way,” can be categorized as both a Chinese philosophy and a religion. Taoists believe in accepting and yielding to the ways of life, complementing nature and being by internalizing their goals rather than worshipping a god externally. Taoism, in its metaphysical and philosophical nature, is much like Confucianism, but the ideal interests of the two religions are contrasting. Confucianism was formulated during a time of war and relies heavily upon a moral and political system that fashioned society and the Chinese empire, while Taoism correlates to a time of peace and honors spiritual and metaphysical preoccupation (Taoism 2).
Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constitute the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both competition and complementation in history, with Confucianism playing a more dominant role. Confucianism emphasized a reiteration of current moral values and Taoism developed a system of based upon a harmonization of man with the natural order. These two popular philosophies, however, developed into popular religions eventually. Besides the major religions, ancestor worship and animism also have strong support in China. Chinese people are very pragmatic, worshipping gods that might answer their prayers.
Confucianism believes that their congregation should have human conduct over the idea of God in their lives, whereas Taoism is formed on the belief that its congregation should create a relationship with nature. This is pointed out by Smith in Experiencing the World 's Religions, “Confucius represents the classical, Lao Tzu the romantic; Confucius stresses social responsibility, Lao Tzu praises spontaneity and naturalness; Confucius focus is on the human, Lao Tzu’s on what transcends the human” (Smith 218). Another difference is Confucianism is based off of respect of others and their superiors, and Confucians are to follow a code of conduct with social harmony as a goal. On the other hand, Taoism is based on the contemplation of life and followers are to seek balance in their lives through following the path or