Eastern philosophy

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Daoism(Taoism)/
Confucianism
Religions of East Asia –
largely China.
These religions coexist and
complement each other.

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Ancient Chinese
Tradition.
 Chinese believed that the world is full of
invisible spirits- ancestral spirits,nature
spirits- plants, animals, etc.
 Nature spirits personified and honored
as deities.
 Shangdi (Shang-Ti) –the Supreme
Being, the great spirit, ruler of the
universe, masculine.
 This belief is traced to the Shang
Dynasty (1751-1123 BCE).

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Ancestral Spirits
 Veneration of ancestors- funeral
mourning rites, sacrifices.
 Li- the sacred ritual directed
towards ancestors for blessings/ to
avoid trouble.
 Kings sought ancestors help
through medium of oracles bones.

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Mandate of Heaven
 Belief traced to the Zhou (Chou
dynasty (1122-221 BCE) that
overthrew the Shang di dynasty.
 Believed in heavenly beings,
impersonal power that controlled
the universe.
 Rulers were urged to rule
according to the “mandate of
heaven” I.e the wish of heavenly
beings.

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Qi / Chi- Impersonal Self
generating energy.
 Cosmos is a manifestation of an
impersonal self generating energy
Qi / Chi.
 Qi / Chi has two aspects to it- the
Yin and the Yang.
 These aspects interplay causing
the ever-changing phenomenon of
the universe.
 Yin- dark, receptive, female
 Yang- the bright, assertive, male.

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Wisdom
 Wisdom lies in recognizing the
ever shifting but regular patterns
moving within the Yin and the
Yang.
 Dao/ Tao- The way of nature
–The creative rhythm of
the universe.

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Divination
 Forms of divination are necessary to
understand how to stay in harmony with
the universe.
 Yi Jing (I Ching) “The Book of Changes”
is an ancient scripture of methods of
divination.
 It instructs on how to interpret patterns in
divination items e.g coins, stalks, bones
that represent yin and yang (p. 179).

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 Actions produce opposites as a
balancing reaction.
 Hence extreme actions produce
extreme opposites- refrain from
these.
 The Yin and that Yang is the basis
of Daoism (Taoism) and
Confucianism.

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Daoism- The Way of
Nature and immortality
 Living according to Tao- the way of
nature.
 Stay in harmony with the universe.
 Daoism- an invention of western
scholars to refer to traditions which
developed from early philosophical
texts and practices.
 It involves meditation.

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Dao de Jing (Tao Te
Ching)
 Dao de jing- “the classic of the way
and the power”
 This is that Daoist scripture
believed to have been authored by
Lao Zi (Lao Tzu) in the 6th century
–debatable.
 Laozi (Lao Tzu) – was a curator of
the royal library of the Zhou
dynasty.

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 He was leaving society to retire to
the mountains at age 160 when a
border guard recognized him as
sage and requested him to share
his wisdom. He sat down, and
wrote Dao- de Jing.
 Dao de jing teaches “Wu Wei” –
“actionless action” I.e one can
harmonize with the natural flow
(Dao) by being receptive and quite.

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 I.e direct experience of the universe
requires accepting and cooperating with
things the way they are.
 Nothing is evil, things may only be out of
balance.
 Zuangzi (Chuang Tzu) (365-290) was a
sage, a government official who
expounded on these teachings. He
advocated detachment from the world.
 Golden age of Dao has declined as
people depart from the way. Civilization
leads to chaos.

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Developments in
Daoism
 The 2nd century saw the
institutionalization of Daoism.
 Prophecies and revelations led to
political and religious organizations.
 Some prophecies predicted the fall of the
Han dynasty in 184BCE which led to
rebellion and decline of this dynasty
 At the decline of Han dynasty (206-
220CE) e.g Kan Ji received a vision that
yin and yang were no longer in balance
because rulers had not followed the
ways of nature.

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 In western China, Zhang Dao Ling
(Chang Tao Ling) claimed to have seen a
vision of Laozi as a heavenly lord. In this
vision, Laozi was appointed as the
representation of Dao on earth.
 He was given the title of “Celestial
Master”
 He taught about healing by faith, and
organized religion attracting many
followers.

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Highest Purity Daoism
 In 365, an aristocrat family in southern
China claimed to receive revelations
from a deceased member –Lady Wei
 These were revelations of names and
powers of new deities, meditation
methods, alchemy and rituals.
 They were recorded in exquisite
calligraphy and transmitted to a few
disciples.
 Practiced by elite group of celibates.
 Despised celestial masters rituals and
commoners.

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The Numinous Treasure
School
 Arose around 4th Century
 Assimilated many elements of Buddhism
e.g meditation, divine beings scriptures,
rebirth, heaven and shells.
 Complete Perfection.
 -Arose in the 12th century.
 -practiced in monastic schools.
 Unites Daoism inner alchemy with Zen
Buddhist meditation and Confucianism,
 Teaches detachment to the world.
 Found in Beijing.

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Longevity Daoism
 Use force that is within the body to
maintain health, strength and to perceive
the order of the universe.
 Jing- generative force
 Qi- vital life force
 Chen- spirit
 Involves breathing techniques, diets,
gymnastics, vocalization, sexual
energies, meditation absorption of solar
and lunar energies. Etc.
 Alchemy- tapping these energies to
achieve physical immortality.

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Daoism today
 Still common in China, Taiwan, Hong
King and Chinese communities
overseas.
 Daoism blends with popular religions and
cultures.
 Chinese temples combine Daoism,
Confucianism and Buddhism.
 Indigenous Daoism seeking to spread
their teachings to the young.

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 20th Century, the west became
interested in Daoism with centers being
established in the U.S.
 Acupuncture therapy uses Chinese
traditional spiritual knowledge of energy
believe to be in the body/ organs and the
spine.
 Chinese traditional medicine and
practices such as Taiji Quan (training for
martial arts ) draw from Qi energy in
trying to become one with yin and yang.