East Asian Religious Traditions

ConfucianismTaoism

Zen BuddhismShinto

A Fabric

• Different threads make up the fabric of Eastern Asian religious beliefs or traditions– The interweaving of Confucianism, Taoism,

Buddhism and Shinto• Experiential- Taoism• Answers?- Buddhism• Social and ethical- Confucianism

Confucius

• K’ung Fu-tzu 551 to 479 BCE, Master K’ung• Noble lineage but poor• Father died, educated by his mother• A teacher in his early adulthood• Public official (age 50)– Didn’t last, theories were not accepted– Went from state to state trying to put his theories into

practice• Spent his later years teaching and studying– By appearances a failure

• A Chinese philosopher who is considered to be the “father of Chinese culture” by many

• After his death is sayings were collected by his disciples(Analects) and became a source of teaching his philosophy– Emphasized the building of moral character– Had brilliant ideas– Stressed the importance of relationships and respect for

them– Proper ritual observance and moral persuasion were his

formula for success • The ancient practice of ancestor worship was important to Master K’ung

• A Chinese philosopher who is considered to be the “father of Chinese culture” by many

• After his death is sayings were collected by his disciples(Analects) and became a source of teaching his philosophy– Emphasized the building of moral character– Had brilliant ideas– Stressed the importance of relationships and respect for

them– Proper ritual observance and moral persuasion were his

formula for success • The ancient practice of ancestor worship was important to Master K’ung

LegacyLegacy

Ideas

• Believed in looking at the past to correct the problems of the present

• Vision of humanity centered on human relationships• Need to love one another, but justice is the primary

response to an enemy• Punishment was an ineffective way of nurturing lasting

improvement, instead inspire wrongdoers by good example

• Power of tradition would ensure the acceptance of the fundamental ethical ideas that would improve society.– Ancestor worship

Opposition to K’ung’s Ideas

• Legalists– Stern rule by law enforced by severe punishment

• Mohists– Founded by Mo Tzu, (480-390 BC) it promoted

universal love even toward one’s enemies (similar to the teaching of Jesus

• Taoists– Founded by Lao Tzu, centered on the individual

rather than society and promoted the individualistic pursuit of happiness

Mencius• Second founder of Confucianism• Human being are naturally good and that they

commit evil acts in violation of their true nature• Became the basic teaching of Confucianism• Book of Mencius– Sets forth Mencius’ teachings clearly– Became one of the central texts of Confucianism

• Analects, Book of Mencius, The Great Learning and the Doctrine of Mean (the Four Books)

Failure?

• Established a school of Confucian philosophers• Public officials required to learn Confucian texts• Formal Chinese education included a thorough

study of Confucian teachings• Neo-Confucianism- Response to challenges to

Confucianism by Buddhism and Taoism– 1000 years ago– Chu His, compiled the Four Books

Central Teachings• Learning– Learning brings maturity

• Tao– Moral order that permeates the

universe• Chun-Tzu (gentleman)– The ideal human being– Perfect moral character– Steadfast learner

Central Teachings Cont’d• Jen– The supreme virtue (goodness, love, benevolence)– Do your best, reciprocity

• Li– Proper behavior in any given circumstance

• Wen– Attainment of the cultural arts, linked to morality

and national unity• Te– Virtue shown through the power of example,

leadership qualities

Self• Center of all relationships

Family• Center of Chinese society

Nation One great family

Ruler –morally perfectSubjects- filial

Heaven• Principle deity, guides and

nurtures humanity

Confucian Harmony

Five Constant Relationships

• Father and son– Love

• Ruler and subject– duty

• Husband and wife– Upright, compliant

• Old over young– Kindness , obedience– Respect for the aged

• Friends – faithfulness

• Clear sense of place and purpose

• Subject to abuse

TAOISM

Living in Harmony with Nature

Basics• Legendary origins• Tao is the source and principle of order in the universe• Tao has two components, Yin & Yang• Taoism regards moral values as relative and avoids

absolute moral judgments• No teachings on afterlife, death is merely one of

nature’s transformations• Primary virtue is wu-wei, non-action– To be in perfect harmony with nature that its energy

infuses and empowers (go with the flow)– Non aggressive, passive rule

Strands of Taoism

• Philosophical Taoism– Based almost entirely on 2 texts

• Tao Te Ching• Chuang Tzu

• Religious or popular Taoism– Strives to achieve physical longevity, ultimately immortality– Combination of teachings in the texts and folk traditions– Techniques for immortality

• Meditation• Breathing exercises• Eating certain herbs and minerals

Taoism (Lao Tzu)

• Lao Tzu (Old Master)– 551-479 BC– A Chinese philosopher and sage who is a founder of

Taoism• Legendary birth• Government archivist

– Wrote the Tao-Te Ching or “The way and its power”– Taoists priests encourage methods of self-perfection

and help individuals control the forces of yin and yang

Tao Te Ching

• 81 chapters, brief yet profound teachings on living in harmony with nature– The Tao that can be told of is not the eternal Tao– The name that can be named is not the eternal

name

• Those who know do not speak• Those who speak do not know

Taoism (Chuang Tzu)

• Chuang Tzu (369 to 286 BC)– Composed the Chuang Tzu • Full of humorous but profound lessons and stories

– Concentrates on relativity• answers to questions depend on the circumstances• Balance between the yin and yang

Yin and Yang• Compared to magnetism

– Invisible but pervades the world– Two polar opposites

• Yin– Negative, passive, feminine,

earthly, darkness, weakness• Yang

– positive, active, masculine, heavenly, light and strength

• Complementary – Curve into each other with

perfect symmetry– Each contains an element of the

other– Neither is superior to the other

Sage• One who attains oneness by living in accord

with the Tao• Avoids thinking itself into a state of distraction• Does not deviate from his own nature• Responds with spontaneous and sufficient but

not excessive effort• Uses wu-wei, actionless activity,– No action taken, nothing left undone– All other Tao virtues stem from wu-wei

Zen Buddhism

The Spirit of Buddhism

Zen Buddhism

• Developed from Mahayana Buddhism– China and later Japan– Recently became popular in the West

• Focus is on the experience of enlightenment rather than devotion to Buddha, bodhisattvas, the nature of reality or the philosophy of Buddhist scripture.

• Seek to clear the mind to discover the simple truth that is at the heart of things– If you have eaten from your bowl, wash it.

History

• Traces its origins to Buddha, India• “Zen” means meditation• Buddha imparted succession to Mahakasyapa, who began the

line of patriarchs that would remain in India for several centuries

• 28th patriarch, Bodhidharma, brought Zen to China• Mixture of Indian Buddhism and Chinese Taoism• A new line of patriarchs began in China

– Hui-neng became the 6th patriarch• Credited with ceasing the practice of naming a successor by refusing to do

so. Authority now divides masters (or roshis in Japan)

• A minor tradition in China now, but flourishing in Japan

Japanese Zen• Japanese Sects

– Rinzai• School of sudden awakening

(satori)– Established by Zen master

Eisai, 1141-1215– Employs the koan as a

way to bring about satori

– Soto• School of gradual awakening

– Established by Zen master Dogen, 1200-1253

– Emphasizes the day to day practice of zazen

• Satori:– The Zen experience of

enlightenment, a flash of insight in which the true nature of one’s being is known directly

– The “ah ha” moment

• Zazen:– Basic method of Zen

meditation, traditionally practiced while seated in the lotus position in the meditation hall

Both sects use both methods and the koan, some Zen Buddhists belong to both

Teachings of Zen

• To see into the nature of one’s own being– Find what is hidden behind personality, ego,

thoughts, and feelings that obscure our true self– Find freedom from our own bondage

• Look for the truth beyond words and actions– Can’t find zen in words or actions but they do

point the way– Must empty our “cup” filled with opinions,

speculations, etc and look for the truth

Zen Monastic Life• Zazen:

– Basic method of Zen meditation, – practiced while seated in the lotus position in the meditation

hall– Eyes half closed– Hours each day, every day, year after year– Sleep earns a blow in the back of the head with a

encouragement stick• Work

– Menial tasks (preparing food, tending the fields, gathering firewood and begging in the village)

• Eating – Simple meals (rice and veggies) sitting on mats, in silence (use

hand gestures)

Zen Master

• Relationship– Zen Master/Zen Disciple

• Requires absolute confidence of disciple in master• Master has complete authority over disciple

– Physical authority- slapping face, twisting nose, pushing to ground

• Dokusan– A meeting with the master during which the disciple

offers an answer to an assigned koan. The answer can be accepted or rejected by the master.• Verbal puzzle designed to short-circuit the workings of the

rational, logical mind

Outside of the Monastery

• Meditation can take place anywhere with others or alone– Meditation sessions offered at work

• Social justice:– The heart of Zen insight is the overcoming of self-

centeredness. Once this insight is attained solidarity with the rest of humanity occurs and the suffering of others becomes that of oneself thereby fostering a natural impilse to alleviate suffering

• Cultural arts

Cultural arts

• Centers on simplicity– Sumie: black ink painting– Japanese gardens– Tea ceremony– Swordplay and archery– haiku

I walk across sandAnd find myself blistering

In the hot, hot heat

Fruits of Zen

• Achieves a healthy mind– Enhances the mind’s strength and vitality and frees it

from the bondage of tangled thoughts and feelings• Practical and attentive to this world– See things and issues of the world more clearly, in a

new light• Focuses on the here and now– No concern for the future or life after death– Appreciate what you have now

Shinto

“Way of the Kami”

Some Basics• Japan’s native religious tradition• Dates back to prehistoric times• “Shinto” or Way of the Kami comes from

Chinese shen (divinities) tao (way)• Interwoven traditions of Shinto, Japanese folk

religions, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism

• A veneration of nature

Kami

• Divine ancestors– Seven generations of kami

• Awe inspiring things that the Japanese hold sacred– Deities

• Amaterasau • Ni-ni-gi

– Certain human beings• Emperors- imperial line comes from first emperor who was a god and whose

grandson became the first human emperor

– Natural entities• mountains

– Animals• “Eight hundred myriads”

Shinto Worship• Revering the Kami

– At home• Kamidana- altar with objects particular to their own kami• Purification, present offerings, clap hands, say prayers

– At Shinto shrines• Natural places

– Groves, waterfalls, mountains• Wooden structures

– Unpainted wood, torii (an archway, has become a symbol of Shinto)

– Rectangular, surrounded by a fence, has a basin of water for purification.

– Worship hall and sanctuary– Ends with unity with the kami– Kami body, ( sword or mirror)

A shrine (jinja) is a sacred place where kami live, and which show the power and nature of the kami. It's conventional in Japan to refer to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples - but Shinto shrines actually are temples, despite not using that name. Every village and town or district in Japan will have its own Shinto shrine, dedicated to the local kami

Seasonal Festivals• Rice Harvest– October & November– Offerings to Amaterasu

• Great Purification– June and December– One month prior, cleansing takes place– Impurities transferred to dolls

• New Year– January 1st to 7th

• Cleaning of houses prior to entering the New Year• Vacationing includes worship

Types of Shinto• Shrine Shinto

– More political– Encouraged nationalism– Official state religion, purified from Buddhism, Confucianism, etc

• Sect Shinto– Less political, more religious– 13 sects– Mostly led by women– Places of worship called “churches”

• Popular Shinto– Traditional practices– Folk traditions– Not affected by Shrine or Sect Shinto

Bushido

• Code of conduct for the Samurai, Japan’s medieval knight– Shinto nationalism– Zen Buddhist self discipline– Confucian ethics

• Kamikaze– Divine wind– Suicide pilots