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Buddha, Confucius and Lao Tze

Buddha, Confucius and Lao Tze. Chinese Thought is Rooted in “The Three Teachings”. Three Men Laughing by Tiger Stream – 12 th century, Song Dynasty.

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Buddha, Confucius and Lao Tze

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  1. Buddha, Confucius and Lao Tze Chinese Thought is Rooted in “The Three Teachings”

  2. Three Men Laughing by Tiger Stream – 12th century, Song Dynasty • Depicts a Taoist, a government official, and Buddhist monk by a stream. The stream borders a zone infested by tigers that they just crossed without fear, engrossed as they were in their discussion. Realizing what they just did, they laugh together. • The painting illustrates the harmonious relationship between Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism

  3. Religion • For the purposes of this lesson, “Religion” means • A system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things (ÉmileDurkheim, “Elementary Forms of the Religious Life,” 1912) • There is no general agreement on the meaning of “religion” as the word itself is a western (Greco-Roman) idea, so trying to apply it to non-western beliefs and practices can be a problem • Durkheim’s definition has the advantage of being short, simple, and inclusive rather than exclusive, but it is by no means the final word on anything

  4. Religious Identification • Most Chinese (68%) do not identify themselves as being religious • Most Chinese that are religious do not identify with any particular religion • About 22% practice some form of folk religion (beliefs and practices that are unique to a particular region) • About 18% practice some form of Buddhism • About 13% practice some form of Taoism • About 56% practice some form of ancestral veneration • There is a lot of overlap between these groups • About 2-3% are Christian (mostly Protestant) • About 2% are Muslim • About 15% are atheist

  5. Taoism – The Way or The Path • Attributed to Lao Tze (Laotzu, Laozi) around the 6th century BC (about the same time as classical Greece) • Major beliefs are written in the Tao TeChing, but it should not be thought of in the same way that Christians think about the Bible • Taoism emphasizes naturalness, simplicity, compassion, moderation and humility • Taoism is individualistic rather than institutional • The goal is to live in harmony within the world and within society • Because the goal is to live a harmonious life, its beliefs and practices do not necessarily conflict with other religious systems of belief and practice

  6. Confucianism • Founded by Confucius (Kong Futze) during the 6th and 5th centuries BC (about the same time or a little later than Lao Tze) • Based on the Four Books and Five Classics (believed to have been either written or edited by Confucius and his immediate followers) • The goal is a just and orderly society, so the focus is on individual behavior within society (knowing your place and behaving accordingly) • Emphasizes the five constants (humaneness, justice, propriety, knowledge and integrity) and the four virtues (loyalty, filial piety, self-restraint and justice) • Because the goal is an orderly society, its beliefs do not necessarily conflict with other systems of belief, however its practices include ancestor veneration (filial piety)

  7. Buddhism – Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path • Founded by Siddhartha Gautama about 500 BC • Buddhism has no central text or book in which the core of its beliefs are written • The goal of Buddhism is enlightenment, which will end the cycle of rebirth and suffering • Buddhism emphasizes harmony, self-restraint and not doing harm to others

  8. “The Vinegar Tasters” Confucius: Life is sour. Things are worse today than they were in the old days. Obey the ancestors and observe proper protocol. Buddha: Life is bitter. Accept that suffering is normal and get on with living. Use the eightfold path to ease your suffering. Lao Tze: Life is sweet. Live so it lasts as long as possible, enjoy it in the moment, be humble in the moment, but persist in doing what must be done.

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