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ASIAN RELIGIONS

ASIAN RELIGIONS. A ridiculously brief overview. ANIMISM / SHAMANISM. General belief among the masses that the world is full of spirits who interact with humans. Certain natural objects (waterfalls, mountains, huge trees) are deities. Nature, then, is considered to have spiritual value.

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ASIAN RELIGIONS

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  1. ASIAN RELIGIONS A ridiculously brief overview

  2. ANIMISM / SHAMANISM • General belief among the masses that the world is full of spirits who interact with humans. • Certain natural objects (waterfalls, mountains, huge trees) are deities. • Nature, then, is considered to have spiritual value. • Humans interact with the spiritual world, especially through shamans.

  3. “HINDUISM” • Native religious tradition of India. No real founder: began before historical records. • Vast in complexity and diversity: no single thing “Hinduism.” • Mystical tradition focuses on liberation from suffering through spiritual disciplines such as meditation and yoga. • Ideals include radically new view of the self and a state of tranquility.

  4. BUDDHISM • Began in India around 500 bce with the Buddha (the Awakened One). • A kind of reformation of the existing “Hindu” mystical tradition. • Continues focus on spiritual discipline that cultivate a new sense of self, tranquility, and detachment from normal desires.

  5. THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM • One branch spreads through India and Southeast Asia. • Another branch, “Mahayana,” spreads into China (200 ce), Tibet, Korea, and Japan (500 ce). • Mahayana includes many different schools with diverse characteristics, including the salvation oriented Pure Land Buddhism. • Zen focuses on the meditative, mystical tradition.

  6. DAOISM (TAOISM) • Native Chinese tradition, began to develop around 500 bce. • Focus on being in harmony with the cosmos and with one’s inner nature. Thus, nature is valued highly and spontaneity is prized. • Skeptical about the reliability of human intellect, will, desires, and our normal view of the self. • Social ideal is a simple communal society, or solitude. • Blended with Buddhism after its arrival (200 ce).

  7. CONFUCIANISM • Native Chinese tradition, which began with Confucius around 500 bce. • Focus on ethics, the family, and social harmony. • Develops a strong view of the goodness of human nature, and thus morality is natural. • Influenced by Daoism and Buddhism, developing a complex view of nature and an emphasis on spontaneity, while continuing a concern with ethics, family, and society.

  8. SHINTO • Native religious tradition in Japan. Began as indigenous animism and shamanism among various clans in different regions. • When Chinese religions came to Japan (ca. 500 ce), the native traditions were given a single name: “The Way of the Gods.” • Nature highly prized and considered spiritual. • Ideal is harmony with the spirit world and purity in living one’s life.

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