Chapter 7: Chinese Religions

Religion in China today…• The constitution of China states “Citizens of the People’s Republic of

China enjoy freedom of religion. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens because they do, or do not believe in religion." This protection is extended only to what is called "normal religious activity," generally understood to refer to religions that submit to state control via the State Administration for Religious Affairs. The Constitution further forbids the use of religion to "engage in activities that disrupt social order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state. Religious organizations and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign dominance.”

• The law affords protection to five officially sanctioned religions: the Buddhist Association of China, Chinese Taoist Association, Islamic Association of China, Three-Self Patriotic Movement andChinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

1. Brief History of Chinese Religions (pgs. 281-293)

• To know history of Chinese Religions is to know something about the countless dynasties.– Shang: veneration of ancestors…– Highest god during Shang was

“Ti”

• Divination: The attempt to ascertain knowledge by the interpretation of omens or supernatural events such as the use of spiritual practices like Tarot card reading or the casting of bones.– What are the gods saying to me?– What is astrology?

=the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.

Ancient Folk Religion (282-83)• What is folk religion?• List most ancient cultures, the Chinese

culture did not distinguish between religious and secular practices.

• Ancestor veneration is…– The older the better…– One soul would disappear while the other

was immortal and needed to be reverenced.

• T’ien in the Chou dynasty• Deities and Ancestors need attention.• Mandate of Heaven or the Chinese

concept of legitimacy used to support the rule of the kings of the Chou dynasty and later the emperors of China in which Heaven would bless the authority of a just ruler, but would give the mandate to another if the ruler proved unjust.

Confucius (284-85)• Orginally named K’ung Fu-tzu (Kung

Fu?)• Story of Confucius…• Learning was not merely the

accumulation of knowledge but the an important means to build character.

• Wrote the Analects. Basically said that if society returned to the value of the ancients, chaos would be gone. Proper ritual observance (ancestor veneration or worship of god Heaven) and moral persuasion were formula for success.

• Not like Siddhartha or Jesus. Rather a transmitter of ancient Chinese wisdom. He does this by studying ancient Chinese texts and attempting them to revive them in the public square.

Legacy of Confucianism (286-87)• Meng-tzo…intrinsic goodness of

human nature• Hsun-tzu…intrinsic evil of

human nature• Han Dynasty….

– Required reading in schools– Confucianism ideals could not be

separated from mainstream society

– Cult forms claiming Confucius was divine.

• Neo-Confucianism• Communism and the death of

Confucianism?

Lao-tzu and Taoism (288-89)

• Lao-Tzu story…– Tao-te Ching or The Way

and its Power– Taoism: from the root

word Tao, meaning “the way.” Tao is considered to be the driving force of the universe.

– See board for illustration. In the 4th century CE Taoism became “hot.”

– Yin and Yang or shaded and sunny.

Buddhism in China (pgs. 290-92)

• Pure Land Buddhism:• Popular with poor who

didn’t have time for meditation because of work.

• Amitabha as another BUDDHA.– Created a celestial realm

called Pure Land. If you recite his name then you could be reborn in this realm.

• Ch’an Buddhism:• This word Ch’an means

meditation. Two schools of thought:– Enlightenment could be

attained suddenly– Enlightenment could be

attained gradually.

• Gong’an (in Japanese koan) was a method used to clear the mind during meditation

2. Sacred Stories and Scriptures (293-297)• General:

– Neither Confucius or Lao-tzu wrote anything. Nor did they believe that they received anything that was divinely inspired.

• Confucian Classics (2 Volumes)– Five Classics-compiled by Confucius.

Used to teach to students.• Classic of History, Classic of Poetry, Classic

of Rituals, Spring and Autumn Annals, and Classic of Changes.

– Four Books-compiled by followers of Confucius• Analects, The Great Learning, Doctrine of

the Mean, and Book of Meng-tzu.

– Eventually a student had to master these nine texts in order to pass civil exams to secure employment within the government.

• Tao-te Ching (Daosim)– Or The Way and Its Power.

3. Sacred Beliefs and Practices (297-303)

• Confucianism:– Chun-tzu is…– Li is…– Jen is..

• Taosim:– Wu-wei..action without

action– Hsien…immortal. Refers to

a Taoist who has reached his/her goal: immortality.

• Generalization by the Author….

4. Sacred Time (304-09)

• Basics: Lunar calendar is 354 days. Name years by combining 10 celestial stems with 12 celestial branches. Thus, the name of the year will recur only once every 60 years.

• Here they are:– Chinese New Year– Ching Ming– Tin Hau– Tuen Ng– Mid Autumn Festival

4. Sacred Time (304-09)

• Life Cycles…• Marriage…– Proposal– Engagement– Dowry– Procession– Wedding– Morning After

• Death…

5. Sacred Places and Spaces (309-311)

• Temples….• Shrines of ancestors…

– Ancestor shrines at home?

• Ancestor Gravesites– Feng-shui or the practice

of positioning objects—gravesites, buildings, and furniture—to achieve positive effects based on belief in yin and yang and the flow of chi, that is, air or breath.

6. Chinese Religion and Catholicism (311-316)

• An explanation of ancestor veneration. – The “living dead”?– Spirit Tablet and the eldest

son?– ancestor veneration- is not

like worship of a god. Rather, it is the serious honoring of those who have gone before.

• A Comparison of Catholic Theology to Chinese Theology

• Read conclusion on pg. 317.