World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide • Elder brother to younger brother – The elder brother should act with courteousness, while the younger brother should be humble • Father to son – The father should be kind to the son and the son should respect the father • Husband to wife – The husband should be righteous and his wife should be obedient • Ruler to subject – The ruler should be benevolent and the subject should be loyal to the ruler Confucianism texts There are Five Classics and Four Books of Confucianism text. The Four Books are: The Great Learning , The Doctrine of Men , The Analects of Confucius , and The Mencius . The Classics include: The Classic of History , The Classic of Theory , The Classic of Rites , The Classic of Changers , and the Spring and Autumn Annals . The I Ching, or Classic of Changes, is one book within the sacred texts of Confucius that involves divinity. The I Ching is thousands of years old and predates Confucius. In order to use the book, one must flip coins, toss sticks, or use some type of tool to assist them while mediatating on a concern. This is a spiritual element of Confucianism. Respect of Ancestors Chinese respect of ancestors dates back to prehistory. This is an integral part of the Chinese religious practices and holds a mandatory place in Confucianism. Within Confucianism and Chinese culture, all value family, and devoutness to family is a top virtue. The veneration of ancestors is a practice that extends to legendary and historical figures. There are two major festivals that involve ancestor veneration, the Qingming Festival and the Double Ninth Festival. The veneration of ancestors is also conducted at other ceremonies, including weddings, funerals, and triad initiations. The worshipers offer prayers and include food, incense, and candles, and burn offerings of joss paper. These types of activities often take place at graves or tombs of ancestors or at a household shrine. 5.3 Taoism Taoism also referred to as Daoism is a composite of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts that started in China around 6 th century BCE. Taoists focus on non-action (wu wei), spontaneity, health, longevity, and immortality. These traditions have been practiced for over 2000 and have spread internationally. Popular Taoism embraces reverence for nature and ancestor spirits. Organized Taoism is different than folk religion. Some professional Taoists view folk religion as debased. Chinese alchemy, astrology, cuisine, martial arts, traditional medicine, feng shui, and styles of qigong breath training are part of Taoism. Taoism started as a religion in the late Eastern Han Dynasty (220 BCE – 25 CE). Northern and Southern Dynasties (366 CE – 589 CE) adopted, Neo-Taoism, which combined some concepts and methods from a rival religion, Buddhism. The educated were attracted to it because of its beauty and ©2018 Achieve Page 44 of 96