RELIGION IN ANCIENT CHINA Taoism Buddhism Confucianism Who

RELIGION IN ANCIENT CHINA • • • Taoism Buddhism Confucianism ← Who is this guy? ?

RELIGION…. • A set of beliefs and practices that guide our lives. • Usually has a supreme being or God. • Religion explains what happens to us when we die.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS SYMBOL? WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS?

TAOISM (pronounced Daoism) • From China • Started by Lao Tsu in 600 B. C. • Believe that the way to happiness is for people to learn to “go with the flow” • Taught everything had a life force – Ying and Yang • Yin= dark side- moon, death • Yang= light side- sun, birth • Ying and Yang need to be balanced • Tsu was against too many rules and laws- he thought people should make their own decisions

BUDDHISM • 500 B. C. • Stared in India - spread to China during the Han dynasty (200 s A. D. ) • Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha • He was an Indian prince who gave up the royal life in search of a good and pure life

HOW BUDDHISM SPREAD

WHY BUDDHISM? • People in China were attracted to Buddhism during the Period of Disunion Ø Who can remember what was happening during that time? • People were troubled and Buddhism offered comfort by teaching that people could escape suffering and achieve peace

BUDDHIST BELIEFS • Buddhists worship in temples housing a statue of Buddha, many temples were built in China Tang dynasty temple

BELIEFS • teaches that suffering is unavoidable • people can end suffering by reaching enlightenment- Nirvana • follow the eight-fold path to reach enlightenment – Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration

BELIEFS • people can be reborn to achieve enlightenment • Buddhists also believe in Karma: the good/bad actions people perform in their lifetime affect happiness

CHINA & BUDDHISM • During the Sui and Tang dynasties Buddhism grew and spread • Chinese missionaries spread Buddhism to Japan, Korea and other Asian islands • influenced art, literature and architecture • Buddhism was so important that the period from 400 -845 is called the “Age of Buddhism”

BUDDHISM IN CHINA • An emperor in the Tang dynasty tried to get rid of Buddhism • Buddhist books and temples were destroyed • But, Buddhism lived on in China and blended with other religions

CONFUCIANISM • 500 B. C. • China • by a man named Confucius • “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. ” • “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. ” • “Have no friends not equal to yourself. ”

WHY CONFUCIANISM? • Scholars and historians liked Confucianism because they thought it would improve society • Confucius’ ideas lost influence, but became popular again in China during the Song dynasty -this is called neo-Confucianism, -neo= new • Neo-Confucianism blended ethics with spirituality

BELIEFS IN CONFUCIANISM • • Confucius believed in ethics, or proper behavior, for individuals and governments People should live their lives according to two principles 1. Concern for others (ren) 2. Appropriate behavior (li) • Everyone has a role to play in society – For example, young people should obey their elders and follow the rules!!

CONFUCIANISM & CHINA • had a religious and governmental role • China created a bureaucracy of civil servants to work for the government – To be a civil servant you had to pass a test on Confucianism and other topics – If you passed you became a scholar-official – Scholar-officials were admired for their smarts and ethics – Look at page 178 in your text