7th, china, three religious faiths

8/7/2019 7th, China, Three Religious Faiths

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The Three Belief Systems of China

Buddhism

Daoism

Confucianism


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Buddhism: Background

Buddhism is one of the major religions of theworld today. It was founded in India around500 B.C. by Siddartha Gautama, aka The

Buddha. At various times, Buddhism has been adominant religious, cultural, and social force inmost of Asia. In each area, Buddhism hascombined with elements of other religions, such as

Hinduism and Shinto. Today, Buddhism has about350 million followers. Most live in Sri Lanka, themainland nations of Southeast Asia, and Japan.


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Buddhism Terms to Know

Reincarnation = Idea that when a person

dies, their soul is reborn in a new body.

Importance: your soul never dies.Siddartha Gautama = Buddhas real name,

(563-483 B.C.)

Nirvana = a state of perfect peace, desiringnothing


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Buddhism - Foundings

A: Monks brought his

ideas to China around

200 AD using the SilkRoad

Q: Buddhism was founded

in India. How did it get

from India to China?


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Goal of Buddhist Monks

= Bring everyone to

enlightenment


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Buddhas Teachings: The Four Noble Truths

How do they

support each

other?

#1. Life is suffering and pain

#2. Suffering and pain are

caused by desire for wealth,

pleasure, fame, and power.

#3. End suffering by

overcoming desire.

#4. To overcome desire, one mustfollow the 8 Fold Path (Middle

Way)...


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The Middle Way How to achieve

the Four Noble Truths:1. Morally excellent

conduct

2. Compassion for allliving things

3. Calmness and

purity of mind.

My pain and

suffering will

be over when I

quit running!


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Daoism (aka Taoism)


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Daoism: Background

The word dao (also spelled tao) originally

meant roadorway. The Dao (Way)

represents the characteristics or behaviorthat makes each thing in the universe what

it is. The word is also used to mean reality

as a whole, which consists of all the

individual "ways."


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Daoism Terms to Know

Dao = a force connected to nature that

cannot be defined, only experienced and

felt. Say What??Goal of Life = Achieve the Dao

Lao-Tzu (606-530 B.C.) = Founder of

Daoism. Wrote the holy book Tao TeChing


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Daoism Teaches:

Humans should see themselves as part of

nature

Live simply and live in harmony

Dont believe in strong government

Achieve happiness by leading a balanced

life with nature, not by following societal

rules and laws.

And of course, the famous Yin and

Yang


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Yin andYang:

Provides an explanation on how the

universe is balanced

Yin = black, feminine, mysterious, negativeYang = white or red, masculine, warm,

positive

Both contain a little bit of the other


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How a Daoist might discover nature:

Sit by a river, feel a breeze, and

observe a drifting cloud.

Nothing in nature strives for

fame, power, or knowledge.

The river, the breeze, and the

stream move without effort

because they follow the Dao.Daothe way of nature that

guides all things.


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Confucianism


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Confucianism: BackgroundConfucianism is a philosophy based on the ideasof the Chinese philosopher Confucius. From the100's B.C. to the A.D. 1900's, Confucianism wasthe most important single force in Chinese life. It

influenced Chinese education, government, andpersonal behavior and the individual's duty tosociety.

Many people consider Confucianism a religion.

But Confucianism has no clergy and does notteach about God, or the existence of an afterlife.Confucianism can more accurately be considered aguide to morality and good government.


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Confucianism - Terms to know

Confucius = Founder (551-479 B.C.)

Golden Rule = What you do not wish

for yourself, do not do to othersMain beliefs = respect for elders,

education, commitment to government

service


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Confucius 5 Most Important

Relationships1. Ruler and subject

2. Parent and child

3. Husband and wife

4. Sibling and sibling

5. Friend and friend

Relationships have to be: loyal, courteous, honest,faithful, and respectful to authority.

How are these relationships important for

maintaining a society?


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Quote #1

Highest good is like

water. Because water

excels in benefiting

the myriad (numerous)

creatures without

contending (having

conflict) with them.


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Quote #2Seeing that our body,with hair and skin, isderived from ourparents, we should not

allow it to be injuredin any way. Wedevelop our owncharacter and practice

so as to perpetuate ourname for futuregenerations and tobring honor to ourparents.


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Quote #3

The more laws and

edicts (official rules)

are imposed, the more

thieves and bandits

there will be.


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Quote #4

Like a spider caught

in its own web, so is a

person driven by

fierce cravings. Break

out of the web, and

turn away from the

world of pleasure and

sorrow.


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Quote #5

Be respectful at home,

serious at work, and

faithful in human

relations. Even as you

go to uncivilized

areas, these virtues

(good qualities) are

not to be abandoned.


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Quote #6

Life is a journey,

death is a return to the

earth, the universe is

like an inn, the passing

years are like dust.


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Quote #7

If a ruler himself is

upright (honest) all

will go well without

orders. But if he

himself is not upright,

even though he gives

orders, they will not

be obeyed.


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Buddhism Confucianism Daoism Christianity

Belief in

God?

Yes

Belief in

Buddha

Is it a

religion?Yes

More like a

philosophyYes, and a

philosophy

Not taughtBelief in

many

Gods

Yes, one

God

Holy

book?

Yes, Tao Te

ChingYes, BibleYes, the

Dharma

No, but his writ-

ings are called

Five Classics

Focus?Four Noble Truths

Middle Way

Creating a

moral society

Simple life

close to nature

God; Teachings

of Jesus Christ

How many

today?Over 2 billion350 million Over 5 million About 2 million

Life after

death?Not on EarthNoYes,

reincarnation

Yes,

reincarnation

7th, china, three religious faiths

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