Daoism: A Journey Essay

Madelyne Marrone HH 361 Monkey: A Journey to the West Throughout Chinese history there has been three main religions or philosophies that were practiced by all within the empire. These include Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Wu-Ch’Êng-Ên is able to depict all of these religions in his novel which is considered a traditional Chinese folk tale “A journey to the West” or also known as “Monkey.” This folk novel depicts the main character Monkey and his journey through life and then later including

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

and wisdom within everyday life will be reflected in poetry. Using Su Shi’s two poems as samples, I will interpret this basic process as the circulation between Daoism and Confucianism. And the transcendence will be marked as the end of this process of circulation, where the syncretism of Daoism and Confucianism is finalized, with Daoism acts as the extension of Confucianism, and bigger ideas are realized instead of secular experience. I will start with two sentences Su Shi said. The first

Mai Mai Sze’s “The Way of Chinese Painting,” 1959, New York: Vintage Books, Random House, Sze discusses the philosophy known as Daoism/Tao, or “the way.” Before one became a skilled painter, one trained in the personal disciplines of poetry, art, calligraphy, and internal

Beginnings and History The history of Daoism can befittingly be separated into four periods: Proto-Daoism, Classical Daoism, Modern Daoism and Contemporary Daoism. The first period, Proto-Daoism, spans the time from antiquity all the way to the 2nd century C.E. The intention behind this period being called "proto-Daoism" is that we have no information of any official Daoist religious organizations at this time. The classic works that were inscribed in the course of this period, the Daode jing

began through the meditative attempts of a prince named Siddhārtha Gautama. “[D]etermined to find a way to transcend the suffering” of the world, Siddhārtha left his kingdom to become a wandering mendicant (Fieser and Powers 77). On his journey spiritual journey, he denied his body, spending a period of his life in extreme asceticism. Upon further realization, he observed that “in our world of polarities” the Middle Way finds “the delicate, infinitely subtle point of absolute equilibrium” (Ellwood

Journey to the West has been a major influence in Chinese culture. Many scholarly interpretations have either criticized or praised the legendary work by Wu Cheng’en, a renowned novelist and poet of Ming Dynasty. The two main contrasting themes of Journey to the West were interpreted as satirical and allegorical. Especially through the events in chapter twenty-nine, where the debate is at its climax: the interpretation of empty scrolls and the behaviour of the two monks as indicator between satire

subjects to live their lives without being dependent on the crown to provide all necessities to live one’s life. Daoism, “the way” allows for progress to occur naturally in the society with the king still having authority over the land. The methods a ruler enacts in each text are on opposing side on the spectrum: Beowulf is overly active and involved in his kingdom, while a ruler following Daoism perform their kingly duties under the radar, which enables common people in society to become more independent

October 19 (attended): Began discussion on the Buddhist Religion. Introduced to the history of the religion, talking about the the historical beginning, and Siddhartha Gautama’s journey and struggles. We also discussed the religion itself, but on a visceral level, concerning ourselves with the fact that there was no god and no alternate reality. Class closed on the differences that exist between all the other religions that developed in the subcontinent of India. October 22 (attended): Discussion

Daoism and the phenomena of nature in general were both crucial components of the art in China; the concept of Daoism that mankind, nature, and the universe are manifestations of the same entity has deeply influenced Chinese art and culture. Daoist ideas, including the idea of yin and yang were persistent in art theory and practice, especially in landscape paintings, garden form and calligraphy. In these works, nature represented the human life span and other significant things in society and the