3. HINDUISMO
Ang Hinduismo ay ang pinakamalaki at kilalang tradisyong relihiyon ng Indya, na may 80.5% ng
populasyon na kinikilala bilang Hindus. Ang pinakamalaki sa lahay at napapabilang
sa Vaishnavite at Shaivite denominasyon.
Ang kulturang Vedic ay nagmula sa Indya mula noong 2000 at 1500 B.K. As a consequence,
Hinduism, considered to be the successor of Vedic religion, has had a profound impact on
India's history, culture at ang pilosopiya. Ang pangalang India ay mula sa salitang Griyego Ἰνδία
para sa Indus, na nagmula sa Luamang Persiyanong salita naHindu, mula sa Sansbaitself na
nagmula sa Greekkrit Sindhu, ang historikal na lokal na pagtawag sa Ilog Indus. Ang iba pang
kilalang pangalan ng Indya ay Hindustān, na may kahulugan na "lupain ng mga Hindus".
Kasaysayan
Noon pa mang 400 B.K. ay sumilay na ang sibilisasyon sa Lambak Indus sa Japan. Ang mga relic
ng sinaunang sibilisasyong ito ay makikita pa sa Mohenjo-Daro sa Sind at Harappa sa Punjab.
Ayon sa mga arkeologo, ang mga taong nanirahan sa Indus Valley ay merong mataas na kultura
dahil marunong sila sa matematika, enhinyero, arkitektura, pagkompyuter, kultura,
pamamahala, pagsusulat, at industriya.
Noong 2000 KB. nawala ang sibilisasyong Mohenjo-Daro at Harappa, sinakop sila ng mga
mapuputing Aryan sa Indus Valley. Lahi sila ng mga puti at nagsasalita ng Sanskrit, wika ng mga
Indo-Europeo. Sinakop nila ang mga kayumangging Dravidian, na noo’y naninirahan sa Lambak
ng Indus. Marami sa mga Dravidian ay nagsitakas at nagsitigil papuntang Timog India.
Inokupa ng mga mananakop na Aryan ang magandang lupain ng Hilagang India at nagtatag ng
iba’t ibang kaharian. Malaon, sila ay tinawag na Hindu. Sila ay masisipag na magsasaka, pastol,
at matatapang na mandirigma. Sila ay mga bihasang magpapalayok, mangingisda, mason,
panday, at manghahabi. Nakipagkalakalan sila sa ibang bansa, kabilang ang Afhganistan, Iran,
at Mesopotamia.
~3~
4. BUDISMO
Ang Budismo o Budhismo (Sanskrit: Buddha Dharma, nangangahulugang: "Ang Daan ng
Naliwanagan") ay isang relihiyon o pilosopiya na nakatuon sa mga aral ni Buddha
Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), na marahil namuhay noong ika-5 siglo BCE.
Nakatuon ang Budismo sa mga aral ni Siddhartha Gautama o ang "Buda", na isang dakilang
mangangaral na nabuhay noong 563 BCE hanggang 483 BCE sa hilagang bahagi ng Indiya. Ang
Buddha ay nangangahulugang "ang isang naliwanagan" sa Sanskrit at Pāli. Ang Buddha ay
namuhay at nagturo sa silanganing bahagi ng subkontinenteng Indiyano sa pagitan ng ika-6
hanggang ika-4 siglo BCE. Siya ay kinikilala ng mga Budista na isangnaliwanagan na nagbahagi
ng kanyang mga kabatiran upang tumulong sa mga may kamalayang nilalang na wakasan ang
pagdurusa(dukkha) sa pamamagitan ng pagtatanggal na kamangmangan(avidyā) sa
pamamamagitan ng pag-unawa at pagkita sa nakasalalay na pinagmulan (pratītyasamutpāda) at
pag-aalis ng pagnanasa (taṇhā), at kaya ay makakamit ang pinakamataas na kaligayahan
na nirvāņa.
Ang dalawang mga pangunahing sangay ng Budismo ay pangkalahatang kinikilala:
angTheravada ("Ang Paaralan ng mga Nakatatanda") at Mahayana ("Ang Dakilang Sasakyan").
Ang Theravada ay may malawakang mga tagasunod sa Sri Lanka, Timog Silangang Asya. Ang
Mayahana ay matatagpuan sa buong Silangang Asya(Tsina, Korea, Hapon, Vietnam, Singapore,
Taiwan etc.) at kinabibilangan ng mga tradisyon ng Dalisay na Lupain, Zen,Budismong
Nichiren, Budismong Tibetan, Shingon, at Tiantai (Tendai). Sa ilang mga klasipikasyon,
angVajrayana na pangunahing sinasanay sa Tibet at Mongolia at mga kalapit na bahagi ng Tsina
at Rusya ay kinikilala na ikatlong sangay samantalang ang iba ay umuuri dito bilang bahagi ng
Mahayanan. Bagaman ang Budismo ay nananatiling pinakasikat sa loob ng Asya, ang parehong
mga sangay nito ay matatagpuan na ngayon sa buong mundo. Ang mga Budismo sa buong
mundo ay tinatayang sa pagitan ng 350–500 milyon o sa pagitan ng 1.2 - 1.7 bilyon. Ito ay
kinikilala rin bilang isa sa pinakamabilis na lumalagong relihiyon sa buong mundo.
Ang mga eskwela ng Budismo ay iba iba sa eksaktong kalikasan ng landas tungo sa kalayaan,
ang kahalagahan at kanonisidad ng iba't ibang mga katuruan at kasulatan at lalo na ang kanilang
mga respektibong kasanayan. Ang mga pundasyon ng tradisyong Budista at kasanayan
ang Tatlong Hiyas (Triple Gem/Tirattana). Ang Tatlong Hiyas ay ang Buda (Ang naliwanagan),
~4~
5. ang Dharma (Mga katuruan ng Buda), at ang Sangha (Komunidad ng mga Budista).
Ang pagkanlong sa Tatlong Hiyas ay tradisyonal na isang paghahayag at pagtatalaga ng sarili sa
pagiging nasa landas na Budista at sa pangakalahatang ay nagtatangi ng isang Budista mula sa
isang hindi-Budista. Ang ibang mga kasanayan ay maaaring kabilangan ng mga sumusunod
na mga patakarang etikal; pagsuporta sa pamayahanang monastiko; pagtakwilsa nakagawiang
pamumuhay at pagigign isang monastiko; pag-unlad ng pagiging mapagmasidat pagsasanay
ng pagninilay-nilay; pagpapalago ng mas mataas na karungungan at pagkawari; pag-aaral ng
mga kasulatang Budista; mga pagtutuong kasanayan, mga seremonya at sa tradisyong
Mahayana ay paghimok ng mga buddha at bodhisattva.
Nabibilang ito sa mga pangunahing relihiyon sa mundo.
Si Gautama Buddha o Siddhārtha
Gautama
Buddha (Sanskrit:
; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) ay isang gurong
espiritwal mula sasubkontinenteng Indiyan na tagapagtatag ng Budismo. Siya ay isang
prinsipeng ipinanganak sa Lumbini, mula sa angkan ng mga Shakya, sa isang lugar na
matatagpuan sa makabagong Nepal malapit sa hangganan ng hilagang Indya. Nanirahan siya ng
halos buong buhay niya sa Hilagang Indyaat aktibong nagtuturo mula noong mga 563
BCE hanggang sa tinatayaang 483 BCE.
Ang Buddha ay nangangahulugang "isang nagising" o "isang naliwanagan". Ang "Buddha" ay
ginagamit rin bilang isang pamagat para sa unang nagising na nilalang sa isang kapanahunan. Sa
karamihan ng mga tradisyong Budista, si Siddhartha Gautama ang itinuturing bilang ang
Supremang Buddha (P.sammāsambuddha, S. samyaksaṃbuddha) ng ating panahon. Si
Gautama Buddha ay maaari ring tukuyin bilang Shakyamuni Buddha,Śākyamuni (Sanskrit:
"Pantas ng mga Śākya") o "Ang Isang Nagising ng Lahing Shakya." Si Gautama
ay nagturo ng isang Gitnang Daankumpara sa malalang asetisismo na matatagpuan sa
kilusang Sramana na karaniwan sa kanyang rehiyon. Kalaunan siyang nagturo sa buong mga
rehiyon ng silanganing India gaya ng Magadha at Kośala.
~5~
6. Isang mahalagang tao si Gautama sa Budismo at naging buod ang mga tala ng kanyang mga
buhay, mga rasyonalidad, at monastikong mga panununtunan pagkatapos ng kanyang
kamatayan at nasaulo ng mga sangha(komunidad). Naisalin ang mga katuruan sa pamamagitan
ng tradisyong oral, naitala ito saTripitaka matapos ang apat na daang taon. Tinuturing ng
mga Hindu si Gautama bilang isang avatar ni Panginoong Vishnu. Siya ang founder ng
buddismo.
JAINISMO
Ang Hainismo (mula sa Ingles na Jainism) o Jain Dharma (
) ay isa sa mga
matatandang relihiyon sa mundo na nagmula pa sa Antigong India. Ang nagtatag ng Hainismo
ay si Vardhamana na kilala bilang Mahāvirā 599-527 B.C.) na sa edad na 30 ay nagwaksi ng
kanyang pamilya at naging asetiko. Sa loob ng 12 taon, naging aktibo siya sa paghahanap ng
katotohanan at lubos na nakapagtamo ng kamulatan habang nagninilay-nilay. Itinuro niyang
ang lahat ng bagay sa daigdig, materyal man o hindi, ay may kaluluwa. Ang pagdadalisay ng
kaluluwa ang layunin ng eksistensya, sapagkat ang dalisay na kaluluwa, minsang mapalaya mula
sa katawan, ay makapamumuyhay sa walang-hanggang kaluwalhatian at malaya
magpakailanman. Ang kadalisayan ay matatamo sa pamamagitan ng kaalaman at balanseng
buhay. Itinaguyod din ng relihiyong Jainismo ang sukdol na asetismo, pag-aayuno, yoga at iba
pang awsteridad para sa layuning pagninilay-nilay o meditasyon. May limang panata ang
sinusunod ng mga Hain:
1. Ahimsa (kawalang-karahasan)
2. Satya (katotohanan)
3. Asteya (katapatan)
4. Brahmacharya (kabirhenan)
5. Aparigraha (karalitaan)
Ang panata sa kawalang-karahasan (ahimsa) ay siyang tunay na obsesyon ng mga Hain.
Nagmamaskara sila para takpan ang bibig at ilong upang maiwasan ang di-kinukusang
paglanghap sa maliliit na insekto.
~6~
7. IMPERYONG MAURYA
Ang Imperyong Maurya ang isang malawak sa heograpiyang panahong Bakalna kapangyarihang
historikal sa Sinaunang India na pinamunun ngDinastiyang Mauryano mula 322 BCE hanggang
185 BCE. Ito ay nagmula mula sa kaharian ng Magadha sa mga kapatagang IndoGangetiko(modernongBihar), silanganing Uttar Prades at Bengal) sa silanganing panig
ngsubkontinenteng Indiano. Ang kabisera ng imperyong ito ay
sa Pataliputra(modernong Patna). Ang Imperyong Maurya ay itinatag noong 322 BCE
niChandragupta Maurya na nagpatalsik sa Dinastiyang Nanda at mabilis na nagpalawak ng
kanyang kapangyarihan pakanluran sa ibayong sentral at kanluraning India na sumantala sa
mga pagkagambala ng mga kapangyarihang lokal kasunod ng pagurong pakanluranin ng mga
hukbong Griyego at Persiano ni Dakilang Alejandro. Noong 320 BCE, ang imperyo ay buong
sumakop sa Hilagang-kanlurang India na tumalo at sumakop sa mga satrap na naiwan ni
Dakilang Alejandro. Ito ay may lawak na 1 bilyong acre at isa sa pinaka-malaking mga imperyo
sa panahon nito at ang kailanman pinakamalaki sa subkontinenteng Indiano. Sa pinakamalaking
saklaw nito, ang imperyo ay sumaklaw sa hilaga kasama ng mga natural na hangganan ng
mga Himalaya at sa silangan na sumasaklaw sa ngayong Assam. Sa kanluran, ito ay sumakop ng
lagpas sa modernong Pakistan na nagdagdag ng Balochistan, timog silangang mga bahagi
ng Iran at karamihan ng ngayong Afghanistan kabilang ang modernong mga
probinsiyang Herat at Kandahar. Ang imperyo ay lumawak sa mga rehiyong sentral at
katimugan ng mga emperador na sina Chandragupta at Bindusara ngunit hindi isinama ang
isang maliit na bahagi ng hindi nagalugad na mga rehiyong pang-tribo at magubat malapit
saKalinga(modernong Odisha) hanggang sa masakop ito ni Emperador Ashoka. Ang pagbagsak
nito ay nagsimula pagkatapos ng 60 taon ng matapos ang pamumuno ni Ashoka at nagwakas
noong 185 BCE sa pagkakatatag ngDinastiyang Sunga sa Magadha.
Sa ilalim ni Chandragupta, ang imperyong Maurya ay sumakop sa rehiyong trans-Indus na nasa
ilalim ng pamumuno ng mga Macedonian. Pagkatapos ay tinalo ni Chandragupta ang
pananakop na pinamunuan ng Griyegong heneral mula sa hukbo ni Dakilang Alejandro na
si Seleucus I Nicator. Sa ilalim ni Chandragupta at mga kahalili nito, ang panloob at panlabas na
~7~
8. kalakalan, mga gawaing agrikultura at ekonomiko ay lahat yumabong at lumawak sa ibayong
India dahil sa pagkakalikha ng isa at maiging sistema ng pinansiya, pamamahala at seguridad.
Pagkatapos ng Digmaang Kalinga, ang imperyo ay nakaranas ng kalahating siglong kapayapaan
at seguridad sa ilalim ni Ashoka. Ang Mauryanong India ay nagtamasa rin ng panahon ng
pagkakaisang panlipunan, pagbabagong pang-relihiyon at paglawak ng mga agham at
kaalaman. Ang pagyakap ni Chandragupta Maurya sa Jainismo ay nagpataas ng muling
pagbabagong panlipunan at pang-relihiyon at reporma sa buong lipunan samantalang ang
pagyakap ni Ashoka sa Budismo ay naging saligan ng paghahari ng kapayapaang panlipunan at
politikal at kawalang-karahasan sa buong India. Tinangkilik at itinaguyod ni Ashoka ang
pagpapalaganap ngBudismo sa Sri Lanka, Timog silangang Asya, Kanlurang
Asya at EuropangMediterraneo
Ang populasyon ng imperyogn Maurya ay tinatayang mga 50 hanggang 60 milyong na
gumagawa sa imperyong ito na isa sa pinakamataong mga imperyo sa panahong ito.
Sa [[arkeolohiya], ang panahon ng pamumunong Mauryano sa Timog Asya ay nahuhulog sa mga
kapanahunang Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). Ang Arthashastra at Mga kautusan ni
Ashoka ang mga pangunahing sanggunian sa kapanahunang Mauryano. Ang Leong Kapital ni
Ashoka sa Sarnath ang ginawang pambansang emblem ng India.
IMPERYONG GUPTA
By the fourth century A.D., political and military turmoil destroyed the Kushan empire in the
north and many kingdoms in the south India. At this juncture, India was invaded by a series of
foreigners and barbarians or Mlechchhas from the north western frontier region and central
Asia. It signaled the emergance of a leader, a Magadha ruler, Chandragupta I. Chandragupta
successfully combated the foreign invasion and laid foundation of the great Gupta dynasty, the
emperors of which ruled for the next 300 years, bringing the most prosperous era in Indian
history.
The reign of Gupta emperors can truly be considered as the golden age of classical Indian
history. Srigupta I (270-290 AD) who was perhaps a petty ruler of Magadha (modern Bihar)
established Gupta dynasty with Patliputra or Patna as its capital. He was succedded by his son
Ghatotkacha (290-305 AD). Ghatotkacha was succeeded by his son Chandragupta I (305-325
~8~
9. AD) who strengthened his kingdom by matrimonial alliance with the powerful family of
Lichchavi who were rulers of Mithila. His marriage to Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi, brought
an enormous power, resources and prestige. He took advantage of the situation and occupied
whole of fertile Gangetic valley. Chandragupta I eventually assumed the title of
Maharajadhiraja (emperor) in formal coronation.
Samudragupta (335 - 380 AD) succedded his father Chandragupta I. He was perhaps the
greatest king of Gupta dynasty. Samudragupta enlarged the Gupta Kingdom by winning a series
of battles till he was a master of northern India. Soon he defeated the kings of Vindhyan region
(central India) and Deccan. He although made no attempt to incorporate the kingdoms of south
of Narmada and Mahanadi rivers (southern India) into his empire. When he died his mighty
empire bordered with Kushan of Western province (modern Afganistan and Pakistan) and
Vakatakas in Deccan (modern southern Maharashtra). Samudragupta was a staunch Hindu and
after all his military triumphs, he performed the Ashwamedha Yagna (Horse sacrifice ceremony)
which is evident on some of his coins. Ashwamedha Yagna gave him the coveted title of
Maharajadhiraj, the supreme king of kings.
Vikramaditya (380 - 413 AD) the son of Samudragupta is the legendary emperor of India. More
stories/legends are associated with him than any other ruler of India. It was during his (and his
son Kumargupta) reign, India was at the pinnacle of prosperity and opulence. Although named
after his grandfather Chandragupta, he took a title of Vikramaditya, which became a synonym
for sovereign of tremendous power and wealth. Vikramaditya succeeded his father
Samudragupta (possibly there was another prince, or his elder brother who ruled briefly, and
according to legends slayed by Shakas). He married princess Kubernaga, daughter of Naga
Chieftains and later gave his daughter Prabhavati in marriage to Rudrasena of powerful family
of Vakatakas of the Deccan (modern Maharashtra). His most significant and well celebrated
military achievement being total destruction of Kshatrapas, the Shaka (Scythian) rulers of
Malawa and Saurashtra, the western India (modern Gujrath and neighbouring states). He
scored a fantastic victory over the Kshatrapa rulers and incorporated these provinces into his
increasing empire. The cool courage he showed in fight with Shakas and killing their king in their
own city entitled him the epithets Shakari (destroyer of Shakas) or Sahasanka. He has also been
~9~
10. responsible for the era, popularly known as Vikram Samvat which commence in 58 BC. This era
has been used by major Hindu dynasties and still in use in modern India.
Vikramaditya was succeeded by his able son Kumargupta I (415 - 455 AD). He maintained his
hold over the vast empire of his forebears, which covered most of India except southern four
states of India. Later he too performed the Ashwamegha Yagna and proclaimed himself to be
Chakrawarti, king of all kings. umargupta also was a great patron of art and culture; evidence
exist that he endowed a college of fine arts at great ancient university at Nalanda, which
fluorished during 5th to 12th century AD.
Skandagupta (455 - 467 AD) took over the Gupta empire and soon had to face with the
formidable enemy, the Huns (Hepthalites). He successfully repelled their early invasions and
proved to be able king and administrator in time of crisis. In spite of heroic efforts of
SkandaGupta, Gupta empire did not survive long the shock it received from invasion of the
Huns and internal uprising of Pushyamitras. Although there was some sort of unity till reign of
the last king Budhagupta in the 6th century AD.
This period is regarded as the golden age of Indian culture. The high points of this cultural
creativity are magnificent and creative architecture, sculpture, and painting. The wall-paintings
of Ajanta Cave in the central Deccan are considered among the greatest and most powerful
works of Indian art. The paintings in the cave represent the various lives of the Buddha, but also
are the best source we have of the daily life in India at the time. There are forty-eight caves
making up Ajanta, most of which were carved out of the rock between 460 and 480, and they
are filled with Buddhist sculptures. The rock temple at Elephanta (near Bombay) contains a
powerful, eighteen foot statue of the three-headed Shiva, one of the principle Hindu gods. Each
head represents one of Shiva's roles: that of creating, that of preserving, and that of destroying.
The period also saw dynamic building of Hindu temples. All of these temples contain a hall and
a tower.
The greatest writer of the time was Kalidasa. Poetry in the Gupta age tended towards a few
genres: religious and meditative poetry, lyric poetry, narrative histories (the most popular of
the secular literatures), and drama. The greatest Mathematician of India Aryabhatta also
belongs to this age. The Panchatantra and Kamasutra were written during this period. The
Nalanda University in Bihar, came to fame during the Gupta rule.
Unfortunately, very few monuments built during Gupta reign survive today. Examples of Gupta
architecture are found in the Vaishnavite Tigawa temple at Jabalpur (in Madhya Pradesh state)
~ 10 ~
11. built in 415 AD and another temple at Deogarhnear Jhansi built in 510 AD. Bhita in Uttar
Pradesh State has a number of ancient Gupta temples, most are in ruins.
Because of extensive trade, the culture of India became the dominant culture around the Bay of
Bengal, profoundly and deeply influencing the cultures of Burma, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. In
many ways, the period during and following the Gupta dynasty was the period of "Greater
India," a period of cultural activity in India and surrounding countries building off of the base of
Indian culture.
Confucianism
Confucianism is an ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the
Chinese philosopher Confucius (孔夫子 Kǒng Fūzǐ, or K'ung-fu-tzu, lit. "Master Kong", 551–479
BCE). Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during theSpring and
Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han
Dynasty.[1] Following the official abandonment of Legalism in China after theQin Dynasty,
Confucianism became the official state ideology of the Han. Nonetheless, since the Han period
onward, most Chinese emperors used a mix of Legalism and Confucianism as their ruling
doctrine, often with the latter embellishing the former. In other words, Confucian values were
used to sugarcoat the harsh Legalist ideas that underlie the Imperial system. The disintegration
of the Han in the second century CE opened the way for the spiritual and otherworldly
doctrines of Buddhism and Daoism to dominate intellectual life at that time.
A Confucian revival began during the Tang dynasty. In the late Tang, Confucianism absorbed
some aspects of Buddhism and Daoism and was reformulated (Neo-Confucianism). This
reinvigorated form was adopted as the basis of the imperial examsand the core philosophy of
the scholar official class in the Song dynasty. Neo-Confucianism turned into sometimes rigid
orthodoxy over the following centuries. In popular practice, however, the three doctrines of
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were often melded together. The abolition of the
examination system in 1905 marked the end of official Confucianism. The New
Culture intellectuals of the early twentieth century blamed Confucianism for China's
weaknesses. They searched for imported doctrines to replace it, such as the "Three Principles of
the People" with the establishment of the Republic of China, and then Communism under
~ 11 ~
12. the People's Republic of China. In the late twentieth century, some people credited
Confucianism with the rise of the East Asian economy and revived both in the People's Republic
and abroad.
The core of Confucianism is humanism, or what the philosopher Herbert Fingarette calls "the
secular as sacred". Confucianism focuses on the practical, especially the importance of the
family, and not a belief in gods or the afterlife. Confucianism broadly speaking does not exalt
faithfulness to divine will or higher law. This stance rests on the belief that human beings are
teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially
self-cultivation and self-creation. Confucian thought focuses on the cultivation of virtue and
maintenance of ethics. Some of the basic Confucian ethical concepts and practices
include ren, yi, and li. Ren is an obligation of altruism and humaneness for other individuals. Yi is
the upholding of righteousness and the moral disposition to do good. Li is a system of norms
and propriety that determines how a person should properly act in everyday life. Confucianism
holds one in contempt, either passively or actively, for the failure of upholding the cardinal
moral values of ren and yi.
Historically, cultures and countries strongly influenced by Confucianism include
mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea,Japan and Vietnam, as well as various
territories settled predominantly by Chinese people, such as Singapore. Confucianism continues
to influence the social customs and values of the region, but few people identify themselves as
Confucians. Instead, people often see Confucian ethics as a complementary guideline for other
ideologies and beliefs,
including democracy, Marxism, Capitalism,Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.
Taoism
Taoism (modernly: Daoism) is a philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in
harmony with the Tao (modernly romanized as "Dao"). The term Tao means "way", "path" or
"principle", and can also be found in Chinese philosophies and religions other than Taoism. In
Taoism, however, Tao denotes something that is both the source and the driving force behind
everything that exists. It is ultimately ineffable: "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal
Tao."
~ 12 ~
13. While Taoism drew its cosmological notions from the tenets of the School of Yin Yang, its
keystone work is widely regarded to be the Tao Te Ching, a compact and ambiguous book
containing teachings attributed to Laozi (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ; Wade–Giles: Lao Tzu).
Together with the writings of Zhuangzi, these two texts build the philosophical foundation of
Taoism. This philosophical Taoism, individualistic by nature, is not institutionalized.
Institutionalized forms, however, evolved over time in the shape of a number of
differentschools. Taoist schools traditionally feature reverence for Laozi, immortals or
ancestors, along with a variety of divination and exorcism rituals, and practices for
achieving ecstasy, longevity or immortality.
Taoist propriety and ethics may vary depending on the particular school, but in general tends to
emphasize wu-wei (action through non-action), "naturalness", simplicity, spontaneity, and
the Three Treasures: compassion, moderation, and humility.
Taoism has had profound influence on Chinese culture in the course of the centuries, andclerics
of institutionalized Taoism (Chinese: 道士; pinyin: dàoshi) usually take care to note distinction
between their ritual tradition and the customs and practices found in Chinese folk religion as
these distinctions sometimes appear blurred. Chinese alchemy (especiallyneidan), Chinese
astrology, Chan (Zen) Buddhism, several martial arts, Traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui,
and many styles of qigong have been intertwined with Taoism throughout history. Beyond
China, Taoism also had influence on surrounding societies in Asia.
After Laozi and Zhuangzi the literature of Taoism grew steadily and used to be compiled in form
of a canon – the Daozang, which was at times published at the behest of theemperor.
Throughout Chinese history, Taoism was several times nominated as state religion. After the
17th century, however, it fell much from favor. Like all other religious activity, Taoism was
suppressed in the first decades of the People's Republic of China(and even persecuted during
the Cultural Revolution), but continued to be practised inTaiwan. Today, it is one of five
religions recognized in the PRC, and although it does not travel readily from its Asian roots,
claims adherents in a number of societies.
LEGALISMO
~ 13 ~
14. In Chinese history, Legalism was a philosophy emphasizing strict obedience to the legal system.
It was one of the main philosophic currents during the Warring States period. It was a utilitarian
political philosophy that did not address higher questions like the purpose and nature of
life.[1] The school's most famous proponent and contributor Han Fei believed that a ruler should
use the following three tools to govern his subjects:
Fa (Chinese: 法, p fǎ, lit. "law"): The law code must be clearly written and made public. All
people under the ruler were equal before the law. Laws should reward those who obey
them and punish accordingly those who dare to break them. Thus it is guaranteed that
actions taken are systematically predictable. In addition, the system of law, not the ruler,
ran the state, a statement of rule of law. If the law is successfully enforced, even a weak
ruler will be strong.
Shu (術, p shù, lit. "method"): Special tactics and "secrets" are to be employed by the ruler
to make sure others don't take over control of the state. Especially important is that no one
can fathom the ruler's motivations, and thus no one can know which behavior might help
them get ahead, other than following the laws.
Shi (勢, p shì, lit."legitimacy"): It is the position of the ruler, not the ruler himself or herself,
that holds the power. Therefore, analysis of the trends, the context, and the facts are
essential for a real ruler.
NAMUNO ANG MGA
MALALAKAS NA PINUNO SA
TSINA
Natamo ng Qin ang pamamahala sa tsina noong 221 BCE at kanilang pinasumulan ang bagong dinastiya na
nagtaglay ng kaniyang pangalan. Maikli lamanng ang nagging panunungkulan ng mga Qin a tumagal lamang
ng hanggang 207 BCE. Sa kanilang panunungkulan, umiral ang gobyernong walang takdang kapangyarihan.
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15. Isang pinunong malakas ta may kakayahan ang nagbigay ng kapangyarihan. Ito ay nasa katauhan ni shi
huangdi ang pangalang shi huangdi ay nangangahulugang “unang pinakamataas na emperador”. Pinairal ni
Shi Huangdi, ang isang anyo ng batas para sa lahat ng bahagi ng imperyo. Ang mahigpit na pamamahala ay
nagbigay-lakas sa gobyerno at magpahina sa kapangyarihan ng mga maharlika.Pinalawak din niya ang mga
hangganan ng bansang tsina. Nagpatayo si Shi Huangdi ng mga daan sa lahat ng bahagi ng imperyo na
nagging daan upang magkaroon ng ugnayan ang iab’t ibang rehiyon .siya rin ang nagpatayo ng GREAT
WALL OF CHINA.
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