Ancient Chinese Religions: The Role Of Yin And Yang

China has been the home to various religions. At different times different dynasties endorsed certain religions while repressing others. While Buddhism flourished during the Sui and Tang dynasty, it faced opposition from the government during the Song dynasty. Confucianism lost government endorsement during the Sui and Tang but gained momentum during the Song as Neo-Confucianism. Yuan dynasty promoted Islam and Tibet Buddhism but ignored Confucianism. Different rulers sponsored and protected different religions but Confucianism and some form of Buddhism have always been alive in Chinese society from 600 to 1450.

Yin and Yang are fundamental to the understanding of the Chinese religion since they believe that everything goes hand in hand and is never fully one way or another. The symbol represents a sunny and shady side, yet they go hand in hand to complete the circle. This represents in every day both sides will be present to be completed. For example, losing a loved one can hurt however that person gets to move to the next journey. Or it raining on a day off. Even though one might not be able to go out and get some sun on there day off the environment gets rain and plants get nourished, good comes with bad. Even thought many don't like being sad, one must be sad to understand happiness, which is an essential

Taoism was one of the first major systems of beliefs in China, showing us that after an extended period of the focus on building a lucrative government, the people of China were changing and trying new ways of life. This shows a shift in the focus from the strictly governmental ways of Confucianism to the more mystical beliefs of Taoism. With this change of beliefs in China, Confucian ideas such as the need for strictly political knowledge, were partially taken down by Taoism, which cast politics to the side. This altogether allows us to begin to understand the change in period

The main Chinese religions have many key features. The main religions include shamanism/ancestor reverence, Confucianism, Daoism, Mahayana Buddhism, and idol worship. These 5 religions share some features in common. For example, Chinese popular religion focuses on the human being’s pursuit of health, wealth, and happiness in their lives (quote the textbook). Chinese popular religions want the human to be doing well and succeeding in their day-to-day activities of their lives. Another key component of the main Chinese religions is respecting one’s elders. The religions teach the importance of obeying the commands of the elders and honoring the family name. The Chinese allow place a strong emphasis on the temple. The temple is a place where the people could communicate, understand, and learn about their gods (quote the textbook). The next subsections will be describing the key religious practices of each of the 5 Chinese religions.

According to Reid, a few of the major “Confucianism” ethos and practices involve ‘Ren’, ‘yi’ and ‘li’ which represents the concept of ‘altruism’ along with clear depiction of the humanness for other individuals (Reid 29-66).

China’s religion is very diverse. One of the first religions is Confucianism. The creator was

At the core of any nation’s culture are its religious beliefs. In China there are the “Three Jewels” Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, as described in Lopez (1996). There are small numbers of people practicing other religions such as Christianity and Islam, but these are the three dominant beliefs of the region. While they are separate in content, they have coexisted for several thousand years. Lopez (1996) goes on to say, “Historical precedent and popular parlance attest to the importance of this threefold division for understanding Chinese culture…Buddhism is the sun, Daoism the moon, and Confucianism the five planets…suggesting that although they remain separate, they also coexist as equally indispensable phenomena of the natural world.” Each belief system stands alone, and at the same time needs the other(s).

There is little concern about death, the world beyond, and spiritual feelings in this religion. Confucius, or Kung Fu-tzo (551-479 B.C.), the founder of this religion, stressed the improvement of the moral self as the basic duty of the individual as well as the statesman. In order to rule the world, one must rule one's country; in order to rule the country, one must rule one's family; and in order to rule the family, one must have control of oneself. Consequently, the improvement of the moral self is the cornerstone of Confucianism. Confucius believed that man is born with an essentially good nature which becomes corrupted in his contact with society. In order to improve his moral self and regain that original good nature with which he was born, man must practice the five cardinal virtues of benevolence, propriety, loyalty, intellect, and trustworthiness. In order to keep harmony in the nation and happiness in the family, man must observe the three basic relationships between sovereign and subject, father and son, and husband and wife. On the national level the basic virtue is loyalty to the sovereign, and on the family level, the basic virtue is filial piety. The ritual expression of filial piety is ancestor worship.

In the 18th century, China was influenced by various teachings of philosophers and beliefs that the society had placed emphasis on. Filial piety (xiao) was a major practice around this period when it was strongly carried inside and outside the household. Filial piety is not only the guiding principle of Chinese ethics but it also played an affirmative role in determining the Chinese lifestyle; it was practiced daily in the family and in other areas such as education, religion and government. It was the central root of Chinese morals and the society was constructed upon the principles of xiao, which certainly became the premises of Chinese culture and the society. In Confucianism, the approach of respect, fidelity, and care toward one’s

Inherent in the sacred religious myths of China, the story that unfolds is that of the Dao . This harmonious and mythical story of the Dao is something shared by all yet, concealed in natural forces. It is only in the relationship between the Dao and the individual that one’s authentic self is comprehensible. The totality of creation works via the congruent combinations of the harmonizing opposite’s, yin and yang (Esposito 19). Yin is defined as the passive female

These relationships are upheld to create a mutual respect and trust between the people involved. The five Confucian virtues are Ren/Jen (Humanness), Shu (Reciprocity), Li (Propriety), Wen (Culture), and Xiao (Filial Piety). The virtues are used as a way instill social harmony. It is ultimately the goal to create a Junzi/ Chun tzu, or the “ideal personality”, which is referred to as the ideal human being. Taoism has the main teachings of Tao, wu wei (or effortlessness), simplicity, gentleness, and relativity. Tao, which is recognized in Confucianism as well, has many meanings and can be translated as “existence,” “pattern,” and “process.” Wu wei recommends that one must not seek unnecessary actions. Simplicity, as it sounds, urges to eliminate the artificial from our lives and to embrace what nature grants us; because of simplicity, they prefer not to seek out unnecessary higher education unlike Confucianism. Gentleness shows that a wise person does not seek violence. And finally, relativity teaches that one must not use a limited view point based on their own concerns. Thusly, Confucianism preaches the importance of upholding one’s relationships with others; meanwhile, Taoism advocates a harmonious, natural, and peaceful universe.

Early China was governed by nature’s laws and was seen in the people learning how to gain increments over nature, such as hunting learned from Fu Xi. The bipolarity of nature led way for the concept of Yin and Yang to emerge. Yin and Yang represents two opposing forces that collaborate with each other to form a whole. This, however, is not limited to good and evil and can have many different interpretations. Yi Ching used Yin and Yang to help him interpret Divination results. Nature’s importance is also seen in the thought of Tao, as Tao was likened to a righteous path to exist in the bipolar universe and functioned through the use of Yin and Yang. The Chinese people also believed in a heaven that existed with the entity, Ti, at its ambiguous center. Emperors claimed to have the “Mandate of Heaven” in order to show that they were righteous and justified in their rule. Many stories dictated that Chinese ancestors dwelled in the heavens and interacted with the living realm of existence. The early Chinese, however, believed that the human soul could turn into different entities based on the condition of burial and the notion of Yin and Yang. It was customary for people to follow the practice of Feng Shui to bury their ancestors. Feng Shui was used to have burials harmonize with the surrounding landscapes. Feng Shui, however, differed from teacher to teacher and was tricky to determine which method was the correct one. Family worship, before and after death, was crucial to the Chinese culture. Reverence for one’s family can be seen as far back as the myth of Shun and continued for centuries afterwards. As ancestors were believed to influence everyday life, spirit mediums were commonly used to communicate with the dead. Medium’s specialties ranged from receiving information, to having the ancestral deity bless an amulet. Spirits, however, weren’t always benevolent and often

As Confucius said, “Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.” How can one affect the others? What will be lost if one element is missing? In Confucianism, there are the five constants (Ren, Yi, Zhi, Xin, and Li), each correlates with others; however, the main focus is the practice of Ren and Filial Piety, which can transform us into Jun Zi. Confucius suggests that all practices are related to each other, and missing any elements will fail to become a Jun Zi (the ultimate goal). The practice of Ren promotes the how we should treat each other with love, however, unlike Mohism, Confucianism believe there should not be universal love, we should love based on who they are. Furthermore, filial piety, the love toward parents and family, remarks the importance of Ren and the theme of Confucianism. Li, the practice of caring for others, concludes the significant to become a Jun Zi. Even though there is no explicit definition for love in general, combining all three practices will certainly demonstrates an all-around love, which is the trait of Jun Zi. Furthermore, the importance of filial piety contributes how traditional Chinese view relationship and marriage, which still exist in some families. The love and care that Confucianism introduce are arguably the most general and ambiguous, which are the two different kinds of love: either toward elderly or strangers. The love towards elderly is as known

When Western people think of Confucianism, they often think of it in a past sense- as something only relevant to ancient China that cannot be applied to modern day society. However, what these people fail to realize is that Confucianism’s roots have been so integrated into China’s society that the values have become a part of every day life. Without having to explicitly state that they are following specifics aspects of Confucianism, most Chinese people submit to them, often times unknowingly. However, Confucian values not only exist in the Chinese society, but also permeate into other areas of Chinese culture such as architecture and aspects of Feng-Shui.

The value of filial piety: Chinese society is characterized by patriarchy and hierarchy. Elders make the most decisions. Confucianism advocates people to show respect and compliance for elders. Most of the Chinese people treat filial piety as the most important traditional value. It requires the younger generation to follow the elders’ words without a doubt. If a kid disputes with his/her parents, he/she shows unrespect for the parents.