Confucianism, Taoism, And Buddhism

Taoism also spelled Daoism and Confucianism are both ancient religions of Chinese, as well as their style of living. Taoism is known to be a philosophical as well as a religious tradition that started in China in 400 B.C., but most of the central ideas, as well as values, began around 1100 to 1200 B.C.( Cline, 2017). The religion has had a lot of influence on Chinese as well as other East Asia, on art, literature, medicine, philosophy as well as religion. The word Tao means road or way, which means “way of life” (Voorst, 2013). Founded by Lao Tzu, which the name means “Old Master”, but some historians say that there is no real evidence that Lao ever existed. It is also said that he may have just stayed hidden so people would wonder about him. He was also known to be an older contemporary of Confucius, which both are said to be a disappointed government official that become a wandering teacher (Voorst, 2013).

Confucianism and Taoism have contrasting views on both religion and politics. However, they stem from a similar goal and have similar beliefs. Confucianism is mainly centered around virtue and ethics as a means to an ordered society and believes that an ordered society is what people should strive for. Taoism, on the other hand, focuses on the individual life in relation to the Tao, or "way of nature." Both are considered philosophies and not religions and acknowledge a path that a person should follow in life. However, they take opposing views not only on religion and politics, but also on the person's responsibilities.

Ancient China has three philosophies: Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism. These three philosophies explain how people should behave and how the government should rule the people. The philosophies were guidelines to the people. Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism have different values, beliefs, and ideas of what is important and expected, but the main goal is to work towards peace and harmony. These cultures are the same way in being rewarded due to their actions, but different in government regulation because of the people in command.

Religion has been a major factor for the growth and development of societies since the establishment of even the very first ancient civilizations. Though each of the ancient societies—the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Indians, and the Mesopotamians—had different spiritual beliefs, they each shared the common belief that the presence of religion within a civilization would have positive results upon the entire civilization.

Confucianism and Daoism are both chinese religions. They both incorporated religious practices with daily activities in a way that it pertained to philosophy as well as religion, making the secular sacred. Confucianism was grounded in ethics and virtuous socio-political conditions. Daoism, also known as Taoism, sought to establish the proper relation between humans and the cosmos through discernment of the Tao, or Way. Confucianists are more concerned with social relationships and Taoism is of a more broader nature and more mystically oriented and more philosophical. They both focused on relationships that humans had with each other as well as the relationships that humans had with nature. They were atheistic in a sense that they had no

By 100 C.E., Buddhism founded in India in the 6th century B.C.E was brought to China, gradually winning converts following the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 C.E., but responses to the spread of Buddhism in China differed. Some faction of people didn’t see the spread of Buddhism as a threat they saw it as what it was, a religion brought to China even though it not an aspect of China,it still should be respected differed from faction of people who saw the spread of Buddhism as barbaric invasion and just overusing China, but to add some factions of people saw Buddhism as a good religion that differed from Confucianism in China but are both valued religions that have similar concepts.

The people of China believed in different religions but did admire the Buddhist ideas. At first Buddhism was not popular in China but after many years of war people turned towards the calming ideas that Buddhism taught. The spread of Buddhism increased when the Han Dynasty fell and by 400 AD China’s major religion was

Confucianism is a belief system of thoughts taught by Confucius in China during the 5th and 6th century BCE during the Zhou dynasty. During this time, China was dealing with serious political conflicts, moral chaos, and intellectual conflict and order were almost non-existent. During this political struggle, Confucius believed that going back to the “traditional ways” was the only path for society to get back on track and developed his thought into what is known as Confucianism. It has existed for over two millennia and has changed over time. Some people refer to Confucianism as philosophy while others view it as a religion. Confucianism is a belief system which can be incorporated into other religious beliefs and forms of religion. This belief system has heavily influenced politics and life in China and neighboring places.

Siddharta Gautama was twenty-nine years old when he abandoned his family to search for a means to bring to an end his and other’s suffering after studying meditation for many years. At age thirty-five, Siddharta Gautama sat down under the shade of a fig tree to meditate and he determined to meditate until he reached enlightenment. After seven weeks he received the Great Enlightenment which he referred to as the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-fold Path. Henceforth he became known as the Buddha.

A Yiddish Proverb states, ?Everyone is kneaded out of the same dough, but not baked in the same oven? and could easily be used to describe three religions of this world. The third, fourth, and eighth largest religions when ranked by membership numbers are Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism and their individual beliefs are different which will be explored; however, these same three religions rank one, two, and three in the nontheistic religions that do not focus on belief in gods?the one area that all three are the same.

Japanese religious tradition is made up of a few separate groups, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Christianity was only a small change in Japan. However, these religions have impacted Japanese religious life today.

Confucianism and Daoism are two influential schools of thoughts that have existed in ancient China around the 6th century BCE. The former, led by the politician and philosopher Confucius, proposed that humans live in society according to a set of predefined rules and that they transform society through political action. Whereas the latter, led by the philosopher Lao-Tzu, promoted the idea of inaction; people should go with the flow instead of taking action to control their lives and dominate their surroundings. Although, at first glance Daoism and Confucianism seem to be two opposing philosophies, a more in depth analysis of two of their key ideas –filial piety and education—reveals that they do share some similarities.

In Chinese history, there were three main philosophies: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. These beliefs helped shape Chinese culture as well as Chinese history. Not only did people believe in these ideas, but the three helped to govern the mighty Chinese dynasties. These dynasties all provided an impact to each doctrine; the philosophy that had the greatest impact was legalism because it ended the Warring States Period, provided structure, and strengthened agriculture, and the military of China. Although Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism had a few things in common and at times tried to resolve the same problem, they were very different from each other in their beliefs, character, and ways of life.

The three major Chinese philosophies are Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. Confucianism is where the one that is in charge must be a good role model to be a leader. If they aren’t a good role model, they don’t have the right to rule. They are in between a lot of government and no government. Taoism is the way of nature.

The religions, Confucianism and Taoism, both originate from indigenous Chinese beliefs and practices. Although they come from the same area in the world, they have several differences alongside their similarities. Additionally, they both are influenced by the Tao; however, they have different meanings behind the concept. Taoism can be summed up as appreciating all that is natural; whereas Confucianism is ideal society model created through a lifetime of relationship dedication. Neither of these religions worship a “god,” but they do have their own unique form of worship. The likenesses and differences of Confucianism and Taoism can be found in their beliefs and concepts of self-cultivation, texts, and society and nature.