Comparative Religion

As one of the four great ancient civilizations, China has a very long history and a gorgeous culture. We can not ignore the fact that not only religions and cultures are inseparable, but also can influence each other profoundly, Just like Buddhism and Chinese culture. “The Chinese traditional culture includes three systems of thought: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The first two are Chinese culture, and Buddhism is a foreign religion from India. For over 2,000 years, Buddhism has interacted with all levels of Chinese culture such as literature, philosophy, morality, arts, architecture and religions. As a result, Buddhism has successfully integrated into the traditional Chinese culture and has become one of the three pillars.” (Xing, 308) 2010 Religious report survey data show that there are

Religion is defined as A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual being (Mifflin). It is known that many of our behaviours are determined by the presence of religion in one's life. Religion implants its principles in a person and their attitudes, personality, morals and ethics and alters it to a great extent. This

Religion is a system of several characteristics combined together to form a dynamic, living reality. These characteristics are sacred texts and writings, ethics, rituals and ceremonies and beliefs and believers. These characteristics are established in both immanent and transcendent worldviews.

The main Chinese religions have many key features. The main religions include shamanism/ancestor reverence, Confucianism, Daoism, Mahayana Buddhism, and idol worship. These 5 religions share some features in common. For example, Chinese popular religion focuses on the human being’s pursuit of health, wealth, and happiness in their lives (quote the textbook). Chinese popular religions want the human to be doing well and succeeding in their day-to-day activities of their lives. Another key component of the main Chinese religions is respecting one’s elders. The religions teach the importance of obeying the commands of the elders and honoring the family name. The Chinese allow place a strong emphasis on the temple. The temple is a place where the people could communicate, understand, and learn about their gods (quote the textbook). The next subsections will be describing the key religious practices of each of the 5 Chinese religions.

For purpose of this essay, religion will be defined as a collection of institutional beliefs and customs concerning humanity and the purpose of the universe [1]. Key beliefs within religion that will be explored, as well as there relation to reason, are:

Religion organizes society; it controls our daily life and can be the breaking or making point of a society. The three Philosophies of China consist of Legalism, Daoism, and Confucianism, but only one Philosophy surpasses all others, Confucianism.

Rituals such as animal and human sacrifice have clear reasons as to why they are no longer practiced in modern society, but religious ideas continue to reflect indigenous beliefs and traditions. There are five acknowledged independent religions in modern China, Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism, but the largest percent of the population practice what is simply known as Chinese folk religion. Ancient shamanism—with divination and balance of nature—could be viewed as the foundation for many religions; “It is not too difficult to see the traces of shamanism in many religions, for it really epitomizes humankind’s deep-rooted subconscious beliefs around the world in which we live. Shamanism views the universe as an interconnectedness of spirit and matter.” Modern ceremonies and festivals such as Chinese New Year stem from ancient rhythmic and seasonal festivals which were used to honour ancestors and spirits.

Confucianism and Taoism are some of the major religions in China. They have greatly influenced the culture of the Chinese people as well as their world view. The connection between the two religions has influenced many people over time. It can also be said that when the principles of both philosophies are put together, the outcome is a well-rounded person. The following is a discussion of the principles and philosophies behind these two religions as well as how the two religions interact and connect to influence an individual.

The followers of the religion are called Buddhists and are mainly

The traditional Chinese story called Monkey, Journey to the West, is one which reflects well the religious traditions of the country. The story is certainly not associated with one religion, but rather the Chinese culture. There are many references to Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist beliefs, which is what the mass of people in China identify their religious beliefs to be. This paper is going to explore how all three religious traditions are presented in the book, and what does that say about Chinese culture. As a person who is interested in learning about foreign culture, this topic sparked my interest, since it will explore how the Chinese culture is developed in result of the 3 main religions.

Religion can be defined as a belief in, or an acknowledgement of some superhuman power or powers (ex. a god or gods) which is typically manifested in obedience, reverence, and worship; such a belief as part of a system defining a code of living, esp. as a means of achieving spiritual or material improvement. Religion, in the early times, helped to explain natural phenomenon, for instance, the stars,

At the core of any nation’s culture are its religious beliefs. In China there are the “Three Jewels” Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, as described in Lopez (1996). There are small numbers of people practicing other religions such as Christianity and Islam, but these are the three dominant beliefs of the region. While they are separate in content, they have coexisted for several thousand years. Lopez (1996) goes on to say, “Historical precedent and popular parlance attest to the importance of this threefold division for understanding Chinese culture…Buddhism is the sun, Daoism the moon, and Confucianism the five planets…suggesting that although they remain separate, they also coexist as equally indispensable phenomena of the natural world.” Each belief system stands alone, and at the same time needs the other(s).

Falun Gong, which translates to Dharma Wheel Practice, follows the teachings of Li Hongzhi, drawing upon popular Buddhism and Taoism, along with a form of Chinese meditation and exercise known as qigong. Though the practice is centred around truthfulness, tolerance, and compassion, the

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual movement. Similar to the practice of qigong, which practices posture, breathing techniques, and focus, Falun gong was created by Li Hongzhi. In the beginning, Li Hongzhi spread fraud to followers, saying that Falun gong is a “higher level of cultivation” compared to qigong. Although even with slight suspicion in the intentions of the movement, the number of followers in China continued to grow, and even expanded internationally. After a boom in the amount of practitioners, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to grow weary as the numbers surpassed the members of the Communist Party. After a series of events, the CCP declared the Falun Dafa movement a “heretical cult”. The Party

The Falun Gong movement started in 1992 and grew over the course of years to reach a massive following of “2 to 80 million inside China” (Tong 636). The movement was founded by Li Hongzhi (Tong 639). He began to hold sessions to train people about the breathing exercises he had learned since he was eight. Even after he moved to the U.S., Li Hongzhi’s followers attempted to spread the movement as a social organization. Their application as a non-religious, cultural organization was denied, so they disbanded many of their central organizing practices and registered as a loose organization (Tong 641). The organization participated in some protests but also valued meditation and careful consideration of the spirit. The beliefs of the group are