Transcript East Asian Traditions

East Asian Traditions
Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto
Syncretism
It is a common feature of East Asian religions
that one cannot always set boundaries on
what belongs to one faith or the other
People may believe more than one of them as the
occasion fits
Traits from one may be blended into another
All seem to have incorporated some of the
Buddhist tradition into what was there before
Confucianism
From Chinese
philosopher, K’ung
Fu-tzu, or Confucius,
(551-479 BCE)
Teachings gathered
in the Analects
Gained importance
in the centuries after
his death
Confucianism
Has never existed as
an established
religion with a
church and a
priesthood
Has influenced the
Chinese attitude
toward life
Spread to Korea,
Japan and Vietnam
(Continued)
It provides a code of
living, valuing
goodwill, duty, good
manners, wisdom,
and trustworthiness
These we can control
The rest is destiny
Role of family is emphasized
The family that
works together
makes a happier
household and a
better society
The most important
duty is to honor
your parents
Success of society
Depends upon the
moral quality of its
leaders
Good government
comes from
educated,
courteous, and
virtuous officials
Taoism
The philosophy of Laozi,
who also lived in the
6th century BCE
Compiled in the
Daodejing, “The way
and its power”
The Dao (the way, or
flow) is the universal
force connected to
nature and creates
order for all things
Goal
Each believer’s goal is
to become one with the
Dao.
The concept of a
personified diety is
foreign to them
They do not pray
because there is no God
to answer them
They seek answers to
life’s problems through
inner meditation and
outer observation
Symbol
Represents the balance
between opposites (yin,
yang) in the universe
When they are equally
present, all is calm, when
one is outweighed by the
other, there is confusion
and disarray
Shinto
The ancient religion of
Japan
Loose system of beliefs
and attitudes
No sacred scriptures or
unchanging beliefs
Revere sacred spirits, or
kami
Appeal to them at shrines
When Buddhist monks
arrived in Japan, they
took over the care of
the shrines
Shinto
Means “Way of the
gods”
Stresses purity and
perfection
Natural wonders, such
as Fuji, are worthy of
reverence
No regular services
Can worship at a shrine
whenever they want
Festivals