East Asia Religions

***East Asian Religions are actually religious philosophies b/c there are no supreme beings

Buddhism

Buddhism - Origins

• Originated in South Asia 6th Century BCE

• Founded by Prince Siddhartha Gautama who was determined to discover the cause of human suffering

Buddhism - Diffusion

Cultural Landscape: Images of the Buddha

Dispelling Fear

Teaching Buddha

Meditating Buddha

Calling the Earth

to Witness

Cultural Landscape: Stupa

Cultural Landscape: Prayer Flags / Wheels

Cultural Landscape: The Potala Palace

Cultural Landscape: Zen Garden

Buddhism – Modern Distribution

Buddhism Basic Beliefs--Four Noble Truths

1. Life is suffering.

2. We suffer because we want things.

3. It is possible for suffering to cease.

4. The way to end suffering is by following the Eightfold Path.

Basic Beliefs: Eightfold Path

(follow the Middle Path)

Confucianism

Confucianism - Origin

Confucius (Kongfuzi) 551-479 BCE

Although not organized as a religion, Confucianism

has had much influence on social philosophy and

politics in East Asia. (There are some groups that

practice Confucianism as a religion.)

Confucianism - Diffusion

• No real spread of Confucianism

Confucianism – Cultural Landscape

Confucianism – Modern Distribution

• Practiced primarily in China

Confucianism – Basic Beliefs

Confucianism calls for a hierarchical ordering of society with an emphasis on daily conduct.

Maintaining harmonious relationships

is most important.

--ruler-subject

--father-son

--friend-friend

--husband-wife

--brother-sister

Basic Beliefs : Filial Piety

• The respect and obedience that a child

should show his father.

• For Confucianists, this extends to all of the five relationships.

• How could Filial Piety make it easier for Emperors and Communism to exist???

Taoism (Daoism)

Taoism/Daoism - Origin

• Founded in China

by Lao-tsu (604-517 BC)

Taoism/Daoism - Diffusion

• Has remained primarily in China

Taoism/Daoism – Cultural Landscape

• Yin Yang

• Good/bad

• Mountain/sea

• Sun/rain

• Man/woman

Taoism/Daoism – Modern Distribution

• Located primarily in China

Taoism/Daoism – Basic Beliefs

• The individual should try to behave in

harmony with the Tao--the sum total of all

things.

• ”wu-wei”--passive non-resistence to the natural forces of life. Go with the flow.

How do these concepts make it easier for emperors and Communism?

Basic Beliefs : Feng Shui

• The Chinese art or practice of positioning objects,

especially graves, buildings, and furniture.

• Seeks to maintain a constant and balanced flow of positive and negative energies (chi)

Shinto - Origin

• Founded in Japan

• Shinto means “the way of the gods”

Shinto - Diffusion

• No real diffusion

Shinto – Cultural Landscape Torii Gate

Torii gates separate the world of the living and the Kami

Shinto – Modern Distribution

• Japan

Shinto – Basic Beliefs

• Kami: a divine spirit found in all things

• Kami can exist in natural objects as well as in ancestors and people

Shinto – Basic Beliefs

• Harae: ritual purifications

Shinto – Basic Beliefs

• Japanese Emperor has semi-divine status

Zen Buddhism

--The key to enlightenment is self-knowledge.

--The way to gain self-knowledge is through

meditation--a more individual and intuitive

approach to enlightenment.

--Zen was a favorite of the Samurai class.

Shintoism & Zen Buddhism in Japan

• Shinto and Buddhism are heavily intertwined in Japan

• As Shinto emphasizes the current life and Buddhism emphasizes the afterlife, many Japanese have birth ceremonies in Shinto shrines and funerals in Buddhist temples

Islam in practiced in areas close to Central Asia

Christianity in East Asia

• In South Korea

--35% Protestant

--13% Roman Catholic