religions in east asia

8/2/2019 Religions in East Asia

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Religions/Philosophies in East Asia

East Asia has four major religions/philosophies: Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto,

and Mahayana Buddhism. The difference between religion and philosophy is that

religion is a set of practices, faith and worship of one or more deities, while philosophy

relies more on reason and critical thinking. In some of the East Asian belief systems,

however, there is an overlap between the two.

Confucianism

Confucianism was founded in China, during 6th to 5th century B.C. It is best

understood as an all-encompassing ethical, political, philosophical and quasi-religious

system, being humanistic (emphasizing humans rather than divine/supernatural) and

non-theistic (no belief in gods). Considered the “default” ideology of China, it has

permeated the Chinese way of life and complements present-day Chinese religions.

The philosophy’s f ounder was Confucius (which is the Latinized form of the

name K’ung Fu -tzu ). He was a middle-class philosopher, political figure and educator

who taught young men his philosophy.

Confucianism’s core value is humanism. As such, it is characterized by a very

optimistic view of human nature. That is, human beings are thought to be teachable

and perfectible through personal and communal endeavors. Virtues are promoted as a

way for improving the self, and these are encompassed by the Five Constants:

1. Ren: benevolence and humaneness towards others; the highest Confucian virtue

2. Yi: righteousness

3. Li: propriety, etiquette

4. Zhi: knowledge

5. Xin: integrity, honesty, trustworthiness

The classical Sizi, with four elements, is also promoted:

1. Zhong – loyalty

2. Xiao – filial piety; love within the family

3. Jie – continency

4. Yi – righteousness



The representative work of Confucianism is the Analects , a record of the words,

acts and discussions of Confucius and his disciples.

Taoism

Taoism is a philosophy and a religious tradition that emphasizes living in

harmony with the Tao. Founded in China at around 5th century B.C., it is one of the two

great religious/philosophical systems of China. Its founder was Lao Tzu, though it is

disputed whether he truly existed or not.

Emphasis is put on naturalness, vitality, peace, balance, flexibility, longevity,

non-action. Central to Taoism is the Tao (“the Way”), the undefineable, harmonious

power that flows through all entities and throughout the universe. In fact, the goal of

Taoism is to become in harmony with the universe and its source, the Tao . Taoistsachieve this through wu-wei , the concept of “action without action”, which is

connected to the Taoist virtues of non-aggression and naturalism. Another way to

think of wu-wei is “going with the flow” so that one’s actions are aligned with the

natural world, and ultimately, the Tao . Another concept that Taoists believe to help in

achieving oneness with the Tao is yin-yang . This well-known Taoist symbol represents

the opposite components of Tao – yin is dark, passive, feminine; yang is active, light,

masculine –emphasizing the importance of balance of opposites in the universe. This

implies that evil must co-exist with good in order to have balance in the universe.

Tao Te Ching is the foundational text of Taoism, containing many proverbs and

paradoxical statements. It is accredited to Lao Tzu. The Chuang Tzu is another Taoist

text, containing stories, anecdotes, poetry, humor and philosophy. Furthermore, Taoist

ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility.

Shinto

Shinto, also known as kami-no-michi or “Way of the Gods”, is the indigenous

spirituality of the people of Japan, dating back to around 500 B.C. It is animistic (belief

that all natural objects have spirits) and polytheistic (belief in multiple gods).

Shintoists worship kami , “spiritual essences” or deities that are associated as

human-like, animistic, or abstract (i.e., natural forces and objects, such as mountains,

storms, the sea, etc.). Kami exist in the same world as humans, and are believed to be

present in most everything. Shrines and certain places in nature are designated as



dwelling places for kami where humans can worship them. Kamidana are small home

shrines used by families without enough space in their homes for large shrines. Shinto

practices include shrine visitation and purification by ritual use of water.

Another belief in Shinto is the Japanese creation myth, which depicts the eventsleading to and including the creation of the Japanese islands. The islands of Japan are

considered a paradise created by the gods, and Shinto is the fundamental connection

between this paradise and the people of Japan.

Notable Japanese gods/goddesses are:

Izanagi-no-Mikoto – god of the heavens; husband of Izanami

Izanami-no-Mikoto – goddess of creation and death; former wife of Izanagi

Amaterasu – sun goddess; born from Izanagi’s left eye

Tsukuyomi – mood goddess; born from Izanagi’s right eye Susanoo – god of sea and storms; ruler of Yomi (underworld); born from

Izanagi’s nose

Mahayana Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism (the “Great Vehicle”) is one of two existing branches of

Buddhism that originated in India, first separating from Theravada Buddhism in 1st

century B.C., then spreading to East Asia afterward. It refers to the path of seeking

complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. Unlike Theravada

Buddhism, Mahayana offers salvation for all through the observance of the four yogas.

Notable schools of Mahayana Buddhism in East Asia include Pure Land and Zen.

Pure Land Buddhism

Pure Land Buddhism is also called Amidism, as it is the branch of Buddhism

focused on Amitabha Buddha. It was first developed in India, then transmitted into

Chinese by Kushan monk, Lokaksema.

Like other variants of Buddhism, it accepts the basic Buddhist teachings of the

Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The difference, however, is the existence of

the “Pure Land” – seen as a transcendent state of being, much like heaven, and only a

short step from Nirvana. Another practice unique to Pure Land Buddhism is chanting



the name of Amitabha/Amida, used to meditate or to implore for help (“Namu Amida

Butsu!” in Nihongo; “Hail, Amida Buddha!” in English).

Jodo Shu is the variant of Pure Land in Japan, founded by Honen Shonin.

Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism emerged as a distinctive school of Mahayana Buddhism when

the Indian sage, Bodhidharma, taught at the Shaolin Monastery of China around 5 th

century B.C. It is known as Chán Buddhism in China, then upon transmission to Japan,

was named Zen, due to the pronunciation in Nihongo.

This particular variant of Buddhism attempted to understand the meaning of life

directly, without being misled by logical thought or language. It is referred to as “the

face-to-face transmission of the dharma outside the sutras”, as understanding is

gained through intimate experience, not intellect or prose. Thus, Zen emphasized

discipline and meditation at every moment in the believer’s life. Zazen , a sitting

meditation, is the foundation of Zen practice. Another method is the koan , a paradox

to be meditated upon which is used to force meditators into gaining sudden

enlightenment.

religions in east asia

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