CONFUCIANISM TAOISM BUDDHISM HINDUISM

PHILOSOPHY

OBJECTIVES•UNDERSTAND CONFUCIOUS’ PRINCIPLES AND CONFUCIANISM

•KNOW THE TEACHINGS OF CONFUCIANISM•EXPLAIN LAO TZU’S PHILOSOPHY AND THE TAOISM TEACHINGS

•EXPLAIN THE TAO-TE-CHING•EXPLAIN TAOISM AS A PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY•UNDERSTAND THE TEACHINGS OF BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM

CONFUCIUS AND CONFUCIANISM

CONFUCIUS

•Translated as Kong Fu Zi or K’ung-Fu-Tzu and frequently referred to as Kongz•A Chinese born BC in the City of Qufu, in the Chinese State of Lu, now part of present-day Shandong Province•Believed to have been conceived out of wedlock•His father was 70 and his mother only 15 when he was born, and his father died when he was 3, and brought up in poverty by his mother•He died at the age of 72 in 479 BC

HIS LIFE

•He travelled from state to state getting government jobs and teaching his disciple for most of his life•Became a justice minister in the State of Lu but resigned after several years because he disapproved of the politics of his king

HIS TEACHINGS

•His life history is regarded as legendary but with credibility•His teaching has been developed into a system of philosophy and embodied in the following•Analecto of Confucius•Classic Rites•Spring and Autumn Animals

THE TEACHING OF CONFUCIANISM

The family is the basis for an ideal government

• “if right principle prevails through the empire, there would be no need for me to change the state” (Analecto XVIII,6)

Being an ideal government, there should be a strong solidarity among the family members

• “Do not do unto other what you do not want others done to yourself”

Children should respect their elders, living or dead• Kindness• Uprightness• Decorum• Wisdom• faithfulnessHusbands should respect their wives

Politicians and rulers should be good models of the citizens, they should lead an exemplary lives and be guided with moral principles

Human nature is essentially good

The Golden Rule

All men should observe carefully their duties toward State

Every man must possessed five virtues

• Confucius teaching about the philosophies of man was more

practical and ethical rather than religious

• He has little belief in the supernatural

LAO-TZU AND TAOISM

LAO-TZU

• Not his real name but an honorific name given to him which mean “Old Venerable Master”

• The promoter of the school of Tao and considered as the father of Taoism together with his follower Chuong-Tzu

• Spelled as Lao-Tsu, Laotze, according to legend, was born between 600 and 300 BC in China

HIS LIFE

• He was a scholar who dedicated his life in balancing his inner spirit, searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime

• Held number of public offices such as curator of the royal library in Loyang, China

HIS TEACHINGS

• He told Confucius:• “

Remember, just like the wind blows whenever and wherever it wants to, good times will come and sometime, and somewhere. Be neutral. Go with the wind”

THE TAO-TE-CHING

(Dao-De-Jing) referred to as “Maps of the Way” or “Book of Virtues”

“Tao” means the way of all life

“Te” means the fit use of life by men

“Ching” means text or classics

FOCUSED OF TAO-TE-CHING PHILOSOPHY

The Philosophy of this Book Focused on the Following

Concepts:

WU emptine

ss

WEI non-doing

FU return of all

things to their origin

WU-WEI

Translated to mean non-interference or non-doing, action without deeds or

action less activity

“live a simple life, be free, be

yourself, and close to nature. Do these things and you will be wise and happy”

Meaning: one should be fluid and changing, not to never

act, so as to always adjust oneself to any

circumstances

“what is of all things most yielding (water) can overwhelm that which is of

all things most hard (rock) being substance less it can enter even

where there is no spacethat is how I know the value of action

that is action lessbut there can be teaching without

wordsvalue in action that is action less

few indeed can understand

SUMMARY OF TAOISM AS PHILOSOPHY

1. Tao (path of the way) is the first-cause of the universe. It is a force that flows through all life

2. The Tao is a power that envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living

3. Each human being’s goal is to harmonize themselves with the Tao because the Tao regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the universes

It embodies the harmony of approaches, such as that there would be no love without hate; no light without darkness; no male without female

4. There is no God to hear man’s prayer or to act upon them. Man should seek answers to life’s problem through inner meditation and outer observation

5. Time is cyclical, not linear6. Men should promote their health and vitality7. The five main organs of the body correspond to the five parts of the sky

Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth

8. Each person must nurture the “CHI” (air) that has been given to them9. Man should follow the art of “WU-WEI” which is to let nature take its

course Example: Allow river to flow towards the sea unimpeded, therefore no one

should erect a dam that will interfere with its flowing

10. A person should plan in advance and consider carefully each action before making it

11. Be kind to other individuals because such action tends to be reciprocated

12. People are compassionate and good by nature and if left to their own nature, they will show compassion without expecting a reward

TAOISM AS THEOLOGY

SPIRITUAL WAY OF DISCIPLINE

No seminary, curriculum, examinations, and systematize doctrines because it only put people

under a lot of stress

The masters spoke using metaphors and comparisons, just like Jesus in the New Testament

who used parables and sayings

They learned by following and emulating the teaching, behaviors, and attitude of their masters

It was developed as theology only in the 2nd century ADAppropriating a variety of spiritual techniques associated with the

objective of immortality

When one is in harmony with the Tao through spiritual techniques, one is believed to achieved physical immortality and admission to

heavenly realms inaccessible to the spirits of mere mortals

TECHNIQUES FOR ACHIEVING MORTALITY

DIETARY REGIMENS

• Focused on nourishment, that is abstaining from foods that will only benefit the three worms in the body (Disease, Old Age, Death)

BREATH CONTROL

• It can be finally achieved by nourishment of the “embryonic body” which become immortal self after death

MEDITATION

• The Tao must visualize the thousands of gods that inhabited the human body (MICROCOSM) as they inhabited the universe (MACROCOSM)

SEXUAL DISCIPLINE• The person must avoid ejaculation of semen during the secular act, it was believed that semen (seminal fluid) could be mixed with breath to further nourish the “embryonic body” or be forced back through the spinal passage to repair the brain

ALCHEMY• In Taoist, this can be obtained by both chemical experimentation (Wai-Tan) and a theoretical internal alchemy (Nei-Tan).

• Old age can be energized by marriage of the cosmic Yin and Yang forces within the body

USE OF MAGICAL TALISMAN

• Also known as “FU” could be used for healing, protection from demons, and communication with the immortal beings

SEARCH FOR THE FABLED ISLE OF BLISS

Taoism evolved into a religious faith in 440

BC when it was adopted as a state

religion, and become one of the three great

religions in China, together with

Confucianism and Buddhism

Taoism’s support stopped when the

Ching Dynasty ended in 1911, and all of its heritage

was lost and destroyed during the next period of

warlordismTHE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT

DAO XIA-PING

2007 CENSUS OF RELIGION

BUDDHISMA major world religion found in Northeastern IndiaIt is based on the teaching of Gautama Buddha

SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMAAlso known as Buddha

BUDDHAMeans the “Enlightened One”

Doctrines Of Buddhism In General

• Holds that human beings has stream of renewed existence or a repeated rebirth in the cycle of phenomenal existence

DOCTRINE OF ANATMAN• 5 aggregates or bundles which made up human existence

• Material body• Feelings• Perception• Predisposition• Karmic Tendencies

SAMSARA

• The supposed passage of the dead person's soul into another body at or after death

SKANDHAS

Believes in rebirth without transmigration

TRANSMIGRATION

1. Rejected some aspects of Hindu philosophy

2. Challenge the authority of priesthood

3. Denies that an individual’s spiritual worth is a matter of birth

4. Opened the movement to all members of all castes It has been very significant

in1. India2. Sri Lanka3. Cambodia4. Myanmar5. China6. Japan7. Taiwan8. Tibet9. Nepal10.Mongolia11.Korea12.Vietnam

DOCTRINES OF BUDDHISM IN GENERAL DOCTRINE OF KARMA Consist of individual’s acts and their

ethical consequences

UNIVERSAL JUSTICE Human actions lead to rebirth. That is

good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished

It operates as a natural law rather than divine judgment, and determines a person’s species

(a rebirth as a human, animal, ghost, a god, etc)

ENLIGHTENMENT only for human beings not to gods

GOD ARE ACCORDING TO BUDDHISM

1. not creators of universe

2. not in control of human destinies

3. engrossed in their own pleasures in heaven

4. they are in the same predicament as men and other creatures

5. they are subject to death and further rebirth in lower states of existence

6. Prayer and sacrifice to them by man is of no value

DOCTRINE OF NIRVANA An individual is released from the cycle of

continued existence with its inherent sufferings by attaining NIRVANA:

An enlightened state of consciousness in which greed, hatred, ignorance, etc that makes a person suffers may be eliminated

PARINIRVANA The final nirvana that can be attained at the

moment of death after the enlightened individual continue to live, burning off any remaining karma

BETTER REBIRTH The proximate goal of nirvana which serves

as an option for those who cannot pursue the ultimate goal or final nirvana

TO ATTAIN IT: Individual should fulfill his duties in society,

observe acts of charity, and comply with the 5 precepts or the basic moral code of Buddhism: prohibition of killings, stealing, harmful language, sexual misbehavior, and the use of intoxicants

4 VIRTUES TO ATTAIN FINAL NIRVANA or THE PALACES OF BRAHMA

Loving-Kindness Compassion Sympathetic Joy Equanimity

SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA’S LIFE AND TEACHINGS

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHSCore Of Buddha’s

Enlightenment

An oral teacher , who left no written ideas of his works and teachings

His teachings were later codified by his followers

Western scholars agreed that he was born in the year 563 BC at Lumbini near the present Indian-Nepal border

He belonged to a wealthy family being a son of a ruler of a petty kingdom

At the age of 29 he renounced earthly pleasures and embarked on a quest for peace and enlightenment, seeking release from the cycle of rebirths

YOGA A Hindu discipline that promotes

spiritual unity with a supreme being through a system of postures and rituals, which he practiced

SANGKA A monastic community of his

disciples whom he organized and spent the rest of his life after his preaching and wondering from place to place

1. LIFE IS SUFFERING Human existence is essentially

painful from the moment of birth to the moment of death

Death does not bring relief to a person since life is cyclical, with death leading to further rebirth

2. SUFFERING IS CAUSED BY IGNORANCE

Man’s ignorance to the nature of reality including his craving, attachment and grasping of worldly pleasures can cause his suffering

3. SUFFERING CAN BE ENDED By overcoming ignorance and

attachment to worldly pleasures, man’s suffering can be ended

4. FULFILLMENT OF THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLF PATH

The path to the suppressing or ending suffering is to observe the Noble Eightfold Path

NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATHS

1. Right Views2. Right Intention3. Right Speech4. Right Action5. Right Livelihood6. Right Effort7. Right-Mindedness8. Right

Contemplation

Category Of TheNOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATHS

SOMADHI The 3 Cornerstone of Buddhist

Faith1. Morality2. Wisdom3. concentration

HINDUISM Grown to become the world’s third largest

religion, after Christianity and Islam Claims about 900 million followers at present,

and a dominant religion in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and a significant increase in Canada

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE:a. It does not have a single founder

b. It does not have a specific theological system

c. It does not have a single system of morality

d. It does not have a central religious organization

HINDUISM PHILOSOPHERS Mahatma Gandhi

The most famous philosophers among them because of his greatest contributions in Hinduism philosophy

Ramakrishna Sarasvati Vivekananda

BHAGAVAD GITA (Song of the Lord) The famous religious writing of the India

tradition, a book of the immense poem the MAHABARATA

RAMAYANA Another important Hindu epic which has

had enormous influence in Hinduism philosophy and religion

THE HINDU MAJOR CONCEPT OF MAN

1. REINCARNATION: The universal belief of Hinduism is the belief in REINCARNATION (to be born again) and in the eternity of the soul or self (Atman)

2. DHARMA: In human beings, eating, sleeping, fear and sex are common to man as well as animals. Without DHARMA (restraint through moral codes), men are no better than beasts

3. MAN IS DIVINE: To become divine, man must embrace Dharma. In embracing dharma, man must renounce all worldly desires and selfish actions by resorting to spiritual practice to attain liberation

4. Man must rises from a heart to a human level until he ascends to godhood and become divine by also accepting dharma

REASON WHY IT DIDN’T PROSPER

Because of its divine elements absorbed into its

teachings

QUIZ NOV.18.20101. The Spring and Autumn Animals, The Analecto, and the _____ are

the records of Confucius’ teachings that have been developed into a system of philosophy (Classic Rites)

2. An honorific name given to the Taoist’s founder which mean “Old Venerable Master” (Lao-Tzu)

3. He became a justice minister in the State of Lu but resigned after several years because he disapproved of the politics of his king (Confucius)

4. The Tao must visualize the thousands of gods that inhabited the human body as they inhabited the universe. This technique in achieving mortality is known as (Meditation)

5. It means “the return of all things to their origin (Fu)

6. The statement “Do not do unto others what you do not want others done to yourself” is popularly known as _____ (Golden Rule)

7. The second part of the Tao-Te-Ching consisting of 44 chapters are referred to as the _____ (Book of Te)

8. When he was installed as China’s head in 1982, some religious tolerance has been restored up to the present time (Dao Xia- Ping)

9. According to the Taoism philosophy, it is the first-cause of the universe and a force that flows through all life (Tao)

10. The most common graphic representation of Taoist theology which represents the balance of opposites in the universe (Ying Yang)

1. Explain elaborately what you understand by the Four Noble Truths

2. Do you think that the modern man can achieve the Noble Eightfold Path? Justify your answer

QUIZ1. What is the meaning of the following terms?

1. Hedonism2. Epicureanism3. Utilitarianism4. Consequentialism5. Ataraxia6. Aponia

2. Compare the three theories of philosophy in terms of their basic concept of pleasure. Illustrate their differences by way of examples or illustration

3. Do you agree with the hedonistic view of life that the acquisition of pleasure is the supreme end of man? Justify your answer

4. Compare Bentham and Mill concepts of the philosophy of human person

5. Explain the statement of the Epicureans that “the highest pleasure of man is the tranquility or peace of mind and freedom from fear

6. How do you compare the philosophy of human person of Bentham as a Hedonist and as Utilitarian?

7. According to the utilitarian concept, “death is not to be feared”? Do you agree? Explain your answer

8. Compare the soul of gods and men. Use some examples to illustrate their differences

QUIZ1. It is said that the trial and execution of Socrates

are the climax of his career. Do you agree? Support your answer

2. Explain the statement that according to Socrates, “the highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others”

3. What is the Socratic method? Explain by illustration

4. In what sense is “virtue cannot be taught”? Explain your answer

5. Do you agree that democracy is not the best form of government, according to Socrates? Support your answer

6. Why do you think Pythagoras’ teachings were not put down in writing

7. Do you agree in all the philosophical ideas of Pythagoras? What are those that you agree? Disagree? Why?