GEK1045 Lecture 11 Chinese Religion

8/6/2019 GEK1045 Lecture 11 Chinese Religion

1/18

Chinese ReligionsChinese ReligionsLecture 11Lecture 11

27 October 200927 October 2009


2/18

PreviewPreview

Daoism and ConfucianismDaoism and Confucianism

BriefHistoryBriefHistory

Beliefand PracticeBeliefand Practice SoteriologySoteriologyand the Afterlife.and the Afterlife.

Do you want to live forever?Do you want to live forever?


3/18

PreviewPreview

PatternsPatterns pp. 230. 230


4/18

ShangShang--Chou folkreligionChou folkreligion

ShangDynasty (1600ShangDynasty (1600--1122 B.C.E.)1122 B.C.E.)

QiQi..can exist indifferent modes anddensities, yet..can exist indifferent modes anddensities, yetfollowed the person to Yellow Springs Compare withfollowed the person to Yellow Springs Compare with

Atman/Soul?Atman/Soul?

ShangShang--titiSupreme Ruler ofHeaven/Divine AncestorSupreme Ruler ofHeaven/Divine Ancestor(Patterns p. 227)(Patterns p. 227) Mandate by lineageMandate by lineage


5/18

ShangShang--Chou folkreligionChou folkreligion

Chou Dynasty (1122Chou Dynasty (1122--221 B.C.E.)221 B.C.E.)

TienTientook precedence over Shangtook precedence over Shang--ti, with a majorti, with a majordifference that it was a special relationship based ondifference that it was a special relationship based onmerit, not birthmerit, not birth Justifying their takeover?Justifying their takeover?

A deity or an ordering ofthe universe?A deity or an ordering ofthe universe?

Celestial BureaucracyCelestial Bureaucracy

CosmologyandDivinationCosmologyandDivinationYin/YangYin/Yangcomplimentary interacting energy modescomplimentary interacting energy modes

Five elementsFive elements (Patterns p. 229)(Patterns p. 229)

I ChingI Ching


6/18

Foundations of DaoismFoundations of Daoism

Lao Tzu (6th century BCE)Lao Tzu (6th century BCE)

and his donkeyand his donkey

Is he a God like Jesus? A Prophet like Muhammad?Is he a God like Jesus? A Prophet like Muhammad?A sage like Buddha?A sage like Buddha?


7/18

The WayThe Way

DaoDaoas an Ultimate Realityas an Ultimate Reality

Too infinite to be named or apprehended?Too infinite to be named or apprehended?

The Dao that can be named is not the true DaoThe Dao that can be named is not the true Dao Islam? Brahman?Islam? Brahman?

Harmonyand EnergyHarmonyand Energy

QiQiandandYing/YangYing/Yang

aparticularesteem forthe female (aparticularesteem forthe female (Patterns pPatterns p. 245). 245)


8/18

Ultimate RealityUltimate RealityAboutBrahman

The self cannotbe comprehendedbyvoiceormindoreye: HowthencanHebe understood, unlesswesay HE IS?HE ISSowe

mustunderstandHimandasthetrue essenceoftheabsoluteandrelativeWhenalldesiresthatshelterintheheartofamortalare castaside,thenamortal putsonimmortalitythenceto

Brahmanoneattains.---Katha Upanishad

AboutDaoAboutDao

[Dao]Itcanberegardedasthe mother[Dao]Itcanberegardedasthe mother

of HeavenandEarth. Idonotyetof HeavenandEarth. Idonotyet

knowitsname; I style ittheWayknowitsname; I style ittheWay[Dao]. Were I forcedtogive itaname,[Dao]. Were I forcedtogive itaname,Iwouldcall itthe Great,We call itIwouldcall itthe Great,We call it

the mysterious femalethe mysterious female SubtleyetSubtleyet

everlasting!Itseemsto exist. Inbeingeverlasting!Itseemsto exist. Inbeing

used, itisnotexhaustedused, itisnotexhausted------Dao De ChingDao De Ching


9/18

Daoist BeliefsDaoist Beliefs

The Dao ofStar WarsThe Dao ofStar Wars((http://www.exn.ca/starwars/taoism.cfmhttp://www.exn.ca/starwars/taoism.cfm))

Is Daoism polytheistic? The Gestation oftheIs Daoism polytheistic? The Gestation oftheCosmosCosmos

TheWaygavebirthtothe OneTheWaygavebirthtothe One

The OnegavebirthtotheTwoThe OnegavebirthtotheTwo

TheTwogavebirthtotheThreeTheTwogavebirthtotheThree

AndtheThreegavebirthtothetenthousandthingsAndtheThreegavebirthtothetenthousandthings


10/18

Is Hinduism Polytheistic?Is Hinduism Polytheistic?

How many Gods are there, Yajnavalakya?How many Gods are there, Yajnavalakya?

Three thousand three hundredand six, he repliedThree thousand three hundredand six, he replied

Yes, said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalakya?Yes, said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalakya?

Thirty three.Thirty three.

Yes, said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalakya?Yes, said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalakya?Six.Six.


Three.Three.


TwoTwo

Yes, said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalakya?Yes, said he, but just how many gods are there, Yajnavalakya?One anda half.One anda half.


OneOne

(Cf. Eck 1998: 26)(Cf. Eck 1998: 26)


11/18


WuWeiWuWei : Nonactionand: NonactionandLet it flowLet it flow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtnu4kcKbikhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtnu4kcKbik

The softestthings intheworldovercomethehardestthings inThe softestthings intheworldovercomethehardestthings intheworld. Nontheworld. Non--beingpenetratesthat inwhichthere isnobeingpenetratesthat inwhichthere isno

space. Throughthis I knowtheadvantageoftakingnospace. Throughthis I knowtheadvantageoftakingno

action. Fewintheworldcanunderstandteachingwithoutaction. Fewintheworldcanunderstandteachingwithout

wordsandtheadvantageoftakingnoactionwordsandtheadvantageoftakingnoaction

Compare with DharmaandJihadCompare with DharmaandJihad

Howdoes nonHowdoes non--action relate to religious duty?action relate to religious duty?


12/18


Macrocosm andMicrocosmMacrocosm andMicrocosm

Table 6.5 ofPatterns.. P. 246Table 6.5 ofPatterns.. P. 246

Interaction with the ancestorsInteraction with the ancestorsThe afterlife.The afterlife.

Kinship andancestor worshipKinship andancestor worship


13/18

Scripture and Text: Dao De ChingScripture and Text: Dao De Ching

Dao De Ching (The Wayand its Power)Dao De Ching (The Wayand its Power) 81 briefsections about the Dao81 briefsections about the Dao

Tao of.. Whatever (Tao of.. Whatever (http://www.canonical.org/~kragen/taohttp://www.canonical.org/~kragen/tao--ofof--

programming.htmlprogramming.html)) "Notlike Pooh,the mosteffortless Bearwe've everseen.""Notlike Pooh,the mosteffortless Bearwe've everseen."

"JustHowdoyoudo it, Pooh?""JustHowdoyoudo it, Pooh?""DoWhat?"askedPooh."DoWhat?"askedPooh."Become so Effortless.""Become so Effortless."

"Idon'tdo muchofanything,"he said."Idon'tdo muchofanything,"he said."Butallthosethingsofyoursgetdone.""Butallthosethingsofyoursgetdone.""Theyjustsortofhappen,"he said""Theyjustsortofhappen,"he said"


14/18

Scripture and Text: Dao De ChingScripture and Text: Dao De Ching

Chuang tzuChuang tzu

Chuang tzu and reincarnation ofqi? (Patterns.. P. 233)

A commentary on the quest for longevity/immortality


15/18

Daoism and this worldly salvationDaoism and this worldly salvation

ChuangChuang--tzu was asked to help rule a kingdom by twotzu was asked to help rule a kingdom by twoofficials. He said:officials. He said: Iheardthatthere isasacredtortoise inIheardthatthere isasacredtortoise inChuthathasbeendead forthreethousandyears. The kingkeepsChuthathasbeendead forthreethousandyears. The kingkeeps

itwrapped inclothandboxed,andstores itintheancestralitwrapped inclothandboxed,andstores itintheancestraltemple. Nowwouldthistortoiseratherbedeadandhave itsbonestemple. Nowwouldthistortoiseratherbedeadandhave itsbonesleftbehindandhonoured?Orwould itratherbealiveandleftbehindandhonoured?Orwould itratherbealiveanddraggingitstail inthe mud?draggingitstail inthe mud?

ItIt wouldwould ratherrather bebealivealiveandand draggingdragging itsitstailtail inin thethe mud,mud,saidsaidthethe twotwo officialsofficials..

ChuangChuang--tzutzu said,said, GoGo away!away!IllIlldragdragmymy tailtail inin thethe mudmud..


16/18

DaoistDaoist PracticePractice

Techniques ofLongevityand ImmortalityTechniques ofLongevityand Immortality

Embryonic BreathingEmbryonic Breathing

Holding the OnesHolding the OnesYoga (Patternsp. 255)Yoga (Patternsp. 255)

QigongQigongcontrol ofcontrol ofqiqi

TCMTCM


17/18

Critical Conversion (**NEW**)Critical Conversion (**NEW**)

The Celestial masters in 142 C.E.The Celestial masters in 142 C.E.

Patterns.. P. 235Patterns.. P. 235

A divine revelation ofChang TaoA divine revelation ofChang Tao--LingLingLao Tzu as a celestial master?Lao Tzu as a celestial master?

Taoism as a state religion (215 C.E.)Taoism as a state religion (215 C.E.)


18/18

For next weekFor next week

What do Oprah and ConfuciusWhat do Oprah and Confucius have in common?have in common?

Documents

GEK1045 Lecture 11 Chinese Religion