Taoism In Chinese Culture

TCM practitioners look for “underlying imbalances and disharmonies behind an illness to try and treat the patient, instead of just the disease” (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). Chinese practices, such as acupuncture and herbal treatments, have become very popular in the Western world over the last few decades. These practices are derived from the beliefs of Qi (pronounced chee) and Yin and Yang, which involve energy and balance. Qi, or life energy, is a central belief in TCM and “is believed to flow through a number of channels, or meridians, throughout the body” (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). The meridians are different organ systems in the body, and are categorized into yin organs and yang organs. The terms yin and yang are derived from the Chinese belief that “all things have two aspects...” and that “…a balance of yin and yang are necessary for health” (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). Essentially, the relationship of yin and yang is like two sides of the same coin; opposite, but they balance each other out. Yin is associated with qualities that are feminine, dark, passive, and usually symbolized by earth or water, while yang is associated with qualities that are masculine, light, active, and usually symbolized by air or fire (“Traditional Chinese Medicine,” 2017). These beliefs are what drive TCM and must be understood

In China, men were allowed to divorce and inherit land which women were not allowed to due. Often at times poor families would out their female children to death or sold them into prostitution. Women were typically very secluded and virtuous and it would be very rare to see them in large cities or towns. They were seen more in rural areas while they worked on the fields. In Japan, things used to be a little easier for women, but one the changed under the Tokugawa were enforced, women had more restrictions than they had before. Due to the fact that Confucian values were highly influential, women that belonged to the samurai class had very restricted rights. Here, males once again had control over households, property, marriage and divorce. Women were expected to obey their husbands and remain at home. It was the obligation of the wife in most cases that had to reflect her husband's rank and status through a strict code of comportment and dress if a part of an elite family. Marriages were arranged and if the wife did not meet the expectations of the family of her spouse or he himself, they were likely to become divorced. Women were usually valued as childbearers and home makers. Most women weren’t given an education unless they were fortunate and received a rudimentary training in reading and writing Chinese characters. In schools that were founded in villages in market towns, only about one-quarter of the attendees were female. Although a lot of the views on women were negative in both dynasties, some women did become accomplished poets and painters since in some aristocratic circles, female literacy was

During the Song Dynasty (960–1279) in Ancient China, the gender in which a person was born as, changed their whole path of life. Their role in society, their education, their power in the household were very different depending on if they were male or female. A typical female had much less power compared to a man; they were considered the inferior gender. It was unfair, and to an extend, cruel, the way that women were treated compared to a man, but during that time in China, it was so normal that no one questioned it. The roles that each gender held were rigid, quite different, and clearly not equal. As China gained power during this time and became more powerful, women were greatly downgraded by men because men were thought to be the ones

Immortality does not mean living forever in the present physical body. In Taoism, death is just the final step in achieving complete unity with the universe when Taoist draws closer and closer to nature throughout their life. Taoism has a goal to raise the immortal practise to a higher level which is spiritual immortality. To attain it, people have to transform all their qi into primordial qi and proceed to refine it to subtler levels. This finer qi will eventually turn into pure spirit, with which practitioners increasingly identify to become transcendent spirit-people. To achieve this, intensive meditation and trance training as well as more radical forms of diet and other longevity practices are needed. Immortality implies the overcoming of the natural tendencies of the body and its transformation into a different kind of qi-constellation. It is a bypassing of death so that the end of the body has no impact on the continuation of the spirit-person. In addition, practitioners attain super-sensory powers and eventually gain residence in wondrous otherworldly paradises (Kohn 2005).

Women throughout time have experienced position changes more times than can be counted. Not just in modern times, gender roles began in the B.C.E era. In Egypt and India, gender roles were a huge part of society. In both locations, male’s word was law. What they said was the final answer and a woman could not change that. The gender distinctions were similar in ways that women had minimal power in familiar locations, like their homes. They had a small opinion about certain subjects, but they never ventured out of the comfort zone of subjects they were allowed to discuss. Men were treated better than women, yes, but the power women held was used for some of the most important topics.

In traditional Chinese culture, women were inferior to men. They were not allowed to make any decisions concerning their families. Their only purpose in life was to stay home and take care of the households. "A woman's duties are to cook the five grains, heat the wine, look after her parents-in-law, make clothes, and that's all! ...she must follow the `three submissions.' When she is young, she must submit to her parents. After her marriage, she must submit to her husband. When she is widowed, she must submit to her son. These are the rules of propriety." ("The Mother Of Mencius", p.34) That's the principle that was followed in traditional China. Some of the examples of this are discussed in this

Life can resemble and explain chinese philosophical symbol, the yin and the yang. The yin and yang is basically a symbol created back in the 1000 B.C by a Taoist philosopher, to explain the natural world. The meaning behind this ancient symbol can mean that sometimes in life there will be 2 complete different forces ,but in natural ways the 2 forces are interconnected. Life is embedded with both positive and negative forces, but in the end you’ll realize that what seem 2 complete opposite forces are actually linked. The 2 forces yin and yang may appear to be opposing one another, but the 2 forces are actually complementary and interdependent in their own natural way. Yin and Yang are forces that rely on one another and they

For instance, the social dynamics of the Chinese culture are deeply connected to several long-standing traditions that form its basis. The major traditions in this category include Confucian ideology and ancestor worship. From this particular perspective, continuity of family lineage and filial piety are imperative. As such, marriage, as the ultimate goal for intimate relationships is necessary especially for males. This is reflected in the cultural trait identified as ‘Xiao’ which fundamentally denotes filial piety. This tradition obligates children to devote their lives to their parents and family without question. This is especially emphasized for male children who must take care of their parents especially in old age (Chang, 2010). This however creates potential conflict between sons and their parents whereby they must overcome immense pressure in negotiating identification and selection of suitable wives. Furthermore, China has always been a quintessentially collectivistic culture. As such, social institutions and societal needs are considered more crucial than individual needs and traits. This is a unique quality of mate selection when compared to the practice in individualistic societies where individual needs supersede

Having spent my early years in China, I grew up with both the Western medicine that my parents practiced and Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been passed down for thousands of years. When I got sick, I took painkillers and antibiotics as well as herbal medicine. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, diseases is thought to be due to imbalance of the life energy force qi. While I know about its curative treatments, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and cupping, I have always felt it has a greater emphasis on preventing disease from occurring in the first place. A vital part of Traditional Chinese medicine is eating a balanced diet as well as meditating and exercise. I can’t speak to the effective of Traditional Chinese Medicine in treating disease, but its doctrines promotes a healthy lifestyle with little reliance on actual medication. Medical care in China is also more hospital based than that in the US. There were very few primary care physicians in China, so people needed to go to the hospital if they wish to see a physician. With large population, wealth disparity between rural and urban area and the sheer expense of medical care, it made sense why some people continued relying on Traditional Medicine. My upbring meant that I was exposed to and more importantly can appreciate that there might different approaches to

The role of woman in Buddhism and Confucianism were both different because it was two different types of belief systems. In Buddhism Buddha believed in dismantling the caste system, so in this aspect women gained some rights. In Confucianism women practice humility, obedience, subservience, and devotion towards their husbands. In both of them the male role in the house was still all the power.

For over 2000 years Taoism has been a major influence on China and its culture, but what exactly is Taoism? Taoism is a philosophical religion that has a complex origin and a unique way of perceiving the meaning of life, and to understand this distinct religion it is important for an individual to know about its history, sacred sites, teachings and beliefs, practices, holidays, and presence in the modern world.

Corresponding to the traditional Taoist beliefs, three deities is controlling the fate of mankind: Tian Guan Da Di, heaven's ruler, who grants happiness; Di Guan Da Di, earth's ruler, who pardons sins; and Shui Guan Da Di, water's ruler, who alleviates dangers. During the 15th day of the first lunar month every year, it is Shang Yuan Jie; and on the 15th day of tenth lunar month, it is Xia Yuan Jie. Shang Yuan Jie and Xia Yuan Jie are the birthdays of rulers of heaven and water respectively. Zhong Yuan Jie is on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which is actually the birthday of Di Guan Da Di, who records the good and evil deeds of each human

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.

Though no one is completely certain, The Urantia Book Fellowship(Sprunger) many scholars believe Taoism’s foundation goes back to 604 BC, by Lao Tzu. Taoism is one of the more influential religious practices of the Eastern culture and many view it as a way of life rather than a religion. It emphasizes various themes centered on naturalness, vitality, peace, non-interference/non-resistance, refinement, detachment, flexibility, receptiveness, spontaneity, and the ways of life, speaking, and guiding behavior. Taoism represents the road, path followed in life, the flow of the universe, or the force behind the natural order of life that keeps the universe balanced and ordered. There are several variations of Taoism practiced around the

When first deciding to write my term paper on Taoism I thought it would be just another religion. In my research I found so many different translations that my head started spinning. There are really no known facts about the founder of Taoism, Lao Tsu, except that he was possibly a contemporary of Confucius. He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. (Religious Tolerance, 2007) Since there are many aspects to Taoism in this paper I will do my best to explain what Taoism is and also explain some of its main concepts.