...Buddhism and Confucianism have both been adopted by citizens and governments alike. However, it is important to understand that Confucianism is a philosophy while Buddhism is a religion. Both of these have been adopted by nations such as China, Japan, and Korea because of their main schools of thought, and because of their applicability to state problems. Buddhism aims to attain Nirvana, which effectively breaks the cycle of birth and rebirth that brings with it the karma gained from the past life. On the other hand, Confucianism is a philosophy that is more oriented towards having a society that is structured and orderly. Taking these two side by side, the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean governments have used their principles to guide their...
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...| | | Islam Islam is known as one of the fastest-expanding religions in history. Many methods were used in order to spread this religion at such a rate.. Muslims were very reasonable people. They were tolerant, and offered many alternatives to the other religions of conquered lands. Mohammed once stated that another religion can either believe in Islam, or pay to keep his own religion. He would give the religions protection in exchange for obedience. Mohammed, however, threatens the lives of children or elders related to those who did not obey. This was one of his most powerful methods of obtaining new lands. Another method used by Mohammed was that he offered many reasons to other religions as to why they should convert to Islam. First and foremost, he offered them direction and guidance to heaven, which, alongside Muslims, was an eagerly anticipated place by Christians and Jews. The writer of History of Arabs describes the Muslim people as those who consider each other equals under Allah, and who worship him to the fullest. They would rather be in heaven with him than a child under him on earth. The expansion of Islam was also obviously obtained by means of conquering lands around Arabia. The impression of surrounding lands on the Muslim army is that they were strong, determined, relentless fighters who conquered any land they pleased. They had countless weapons and a drive that could cut through thick steel. Despite these characteristics, however, they would...
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...China and India China and India are two great civilizations that have been heavily influenced by religion and it has played a major role in their lives. The main religions from both of the civilizations are Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Although China and India were governed by their beliefs and it determined how they were supposed to live their lives, the civilizations have different lifestyles and believe in different aspects of life. (Siwei, 2010) (Buddhism & Hinduism Compared, n.d) Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism have been a major part of life for the Chinese. In c. 500 B.C.E, Confucianism, a system of teachings by Confucius, was founded. Although many people consider it to be a religion, Confucianism is thought of more as a series of teachings. The way the Chinese go about life or think is often based on the teachings of Confucius. Two thousand years ago, Buddhism came into existence and was implememnted into the Chinese culture. Buddhism is solely based on the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the belief that suffering is the path to overcome. Siddhartha Gautama is the founder of Buddhism. Written by Laozi, Daoism is a spiritual philosophy that focuses on living in harmony and peace....
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...the idea of Buddhism. Buddhism was based off of Hinduism. While they had their similarities, they were very different. Gautama said that people need to let go of the beliefs of Hinduism to fully accept Buddhism in their heart. In China, there was something called Confucianism. It was not necessarily a religion, but a philosophy. Confucianism created social order in China. There was also something in China called Daoism. Daoism was very different from Confucianism in the fact that it focused less on social order, but that it focused on being close to nature. Daoism also was different in the fact that it says logic cannot explain nature nor how it was created. Over time, Buddhism spread into china. This is present in document 7. The Daoist people understood its reasoning and where much more likely to adopt it. Confucius people were much less likely to adopt it and did not disagree with it at all. However, in the end Buddhism and Confucianism c-existed and the reactions of people were positive, negative, or blended. Positive people accepted and defended it policies, which is apparent in documents 1 and 2. Others blamed it for China’s social and political problems, which is depicted in documents 4and 6. Some people remained indifferent and blended Confucianism and Buddhism, and is displayed in documents 3 and 5. Document one is a quote from the first sermon preached by the Buddha, and is about the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are four beliefs of Buddhism and are about...
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...Although Buddhism began in India, it gradually transferred to China in the 200's. There, it was met by mixed reviews in all classes. Some dynasties preferred its philosophy and promise of afterlife to the rigid Confucian ideals that were previously imposed although the Chinese turned to Buddhism for it promises of eternal enlightenment during times of hardship and invasion, the period that followed led to many attempts to reconcile the religion with the traditional Confucianism, increasing many views that Buddhism was a barbaric foreign invasion. The period that followed the Han dynasty was known as the Warring States period, during which China suffered frequent invasions from Central Asia. The documents of "Four Noble Truths" (Doc 1) and Zhi Dun (Doc 2) demonstrate the initial compatibility of Buddhism with the time period. The Buddhist sermon outlines the many steps in the path of stopping all misery, and the Dun document demonstrates the Chinese peoples' embracing this form of salvation as a response to putting control in their own hands. If they couldn't control the nomadic invaders, at least they could follow many rituals with the promise of release from the material world. However, the sermon preached by Buddha was meant for a large audience - so it had to have mass appeal - especially toward the lower castes, in order to reconcile them with their suffering (Doc 1). The Dun document was a political statement with the purpose to convey to the people and sense of sanctuary...
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...abbreviated translation from the Chinese Classic novel: Xi You Ji (The Journey to the West) composed by Wu cheng’en. The whole book is narrating the story of Xuanzang in the Tang Dynasty traveling west to India to get the scripture, which is considered a greater vehicle that can be the salvation to all beings. Although apparently the idea of Buddhism is shown as the major concept throughout the whole small talk, the other two Teachings including Confucianism and Daoism are also sufficiently blended in the whole master piece. As a matter of fact, Monkey blends Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism together, which form in Neo-Confucianism. Throughout the whole book, their characteristics and the experience they went through show the ritual and benevolence in Confucianism idea, adopt the natural way in Daoist philosophy, and explain the path to reach Nirvana in Buddhist belief. The backgrounds of the main characters can represent the influence by three Teachings. First of all, in the whole book, Tripitaka blended the Confucianism ritual and benevolence traits into Buddhism suffering Nirvana process, and eventually got the true meaning of Buddhism and became a Bodhisattva. Tripitaka, the core character of this west Journey, was the son of Chen O who received the first place at the final Court Examination and married the daughter of the minister. Civil Exam was an examination that adheres to Confucian values. In other words, Tripitaka was actually born this life in the family that had...
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...Comparison of two religions | Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism | Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constitute the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both contention and complementation in history, with Confucianism playing a more dominant role. | | Buddhism religion and philosophy was founded in India c.525 B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha. There are over 300 million Buddhists worldwide. One of the great world religions, it is divided into two main schools: the Theravada or Hinayana in Sri Lanka and SE Asia, and the Mahayana in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan. A third school, the Vajrayana, has a long tradition in Tibet and Japan. Buddhism has largely disappeared from its country of origin, India, except for the presence there of many refugees from the Tibet region of China and a small number of converts from the lower castes of Hinduism. Daoism and Confucianism grew largely in China and later spread to Korea and Japan. Daoism was founded by Lao Tzu. It is more than 1800 years history originating in the c.550 B.C time period. Confucianism has a worldwide influence and obtained it’s stable position under the reign of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty (202BC- 220AD). Some of Buddhism’s foundational paths are within The Four Noble Truths which is what the Buddha set forth during his first sermon at sarnath. This foundation leading to all his later teachings are, 1. Life inevitably involves suffering...
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...Confucianism is a set of beliefs that were developed from the teachings of Confucius, who lived in the 6th century BCE in China. One of the ideas is that you must be virtuous, expressive in modesty, truthfulness, loyalty, charity, and learning. Similar to most religions, Confucius did not keep texts in his own words, more so of keeping records from his students and their students and so on. Unfortunately, during the Qin Dynasty, most of the texts were burned, as were all materials referring to Confucianism. Later, during the Han Dynasty, Confucian thought was the basis of the rules and laws in China but, was quickly discarded for Buddhism. Eventually, a blend of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism was made to create laws and establish peace by emphasizing how relationships should be in terms of family. There a five principal relationships: husband and wife, parent and child, elder and younger siblings or all younger persons, ruler and subject, and friend and friend. The Golden Rule, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others,” is also part of the philosophy. Through righteous behavior and epitomizing right relationships, harmony is established in the person and the kingdom. Confucianism also includes the concept of the divine: Men should have three awes: Heaven’s decree, great men, and saints (past thinkers or ancestors.) The philosophy goes against war and enforcement of too many laws, believing that the people will live in harmony any govern themselves. ...
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...Confucianism Confucianism, as mentioned before, originated in Eastern Asia during the 6th century BCE. However, it did not begin with Confucius as most would think. It began as ancient Chinese beliefs that Confucius developed into thoughts about interaction between rulers and the heavens and how this would ultimately transform governments and then the world. Confucianism, as he taught it, was a philosophy as a way of life. Confucianism is considered pantheistic which means it equates God with the forces and laws of the universe. Confucius never outright discredited the gods he just didn’t believe in spiritual phenomenon. Ancestors were also worshipped as Confucians that greatly valued their elderly. Confucius did not deny the afterlife as it related to reincarnation out of respect to ancestors. He insisted that a good man practices good not for rewards after life but, for the sake of a good life overall. Scriptures of Confucianism are found in Analects of Confucius and Mencius; I ching; and the Doctrine of Mean as well as other literature. Confucianism is an oriental religion and most believers follow Buddhism as well. Buddhism Buddhism originated in India around 5th century BCE where a man named Siddhartha Gautama known as “the Buddha” taught that life was suffering and that as a human it was ones goal to have perfect understanding and wisdom. This is its main principle. Buddhism is not a philosophy as Confucianism tends to be. It is practical teachings of the Buddha and...
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...Asia, the world’s largest continent, consists of over one third of Earths total land are and approximately 60% of the world’s population. Further, a large percentage of Asia’s 4.3 billion people live in the countries of China, Japan, and India (Exploredia, 2011). Out of these densely populated countries three eastern schools of philosophy were born between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, and it is these same ancient philosophies that flourish throughout Asia today. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism are three major schools of thought that significantly have impacted the political, social and religious views of Asian culture. Confucianism, which was inspired by Confucius, has been followed by the Chinese people for more than two thousand years (Confucianism, 2012, pp.1). Because Confucianism is described as a way of life, it is sometimes viewed as a philosophy and sometimes viewed as a religion, although it does not share the aspect of organization that most other religions share. The idea behind Confucianism is that wisdom and knowledge can be obtained through study, ritual practices, and learning from experiences. Humans are perfectible by wisdom and the ultimate goal is to reach a state of superior wisdom. The first principle Confucius taught is called the principle of mean, which is the importance of seeking balance and moderation in life. Any circumstance of extreme should be avoided. The second principle Confucius practiced is called sage, which is an intimate...
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...included religious beliefs. However, there were also some similarities based upon their religions such as governing rules. At one point, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism all played a role in the Chinese government during the Han and Yuan Dynasties. One difference was in the religion itself. While the Han Dynasty believed in Confucianism, the Yuan Dynasty believed in both Buddhism and Daoism. The Confucian principles taught that the material world is truly real. It also taught that it was the “heart” of the state government. Confucians believed that fulfillment comes from participating in the world....
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...philosophies are Hinduism and Confucianism. Hinduism is a religion with no founder. The people who practice this religion believe in moksha and reincarnation. Moksha is the freedom from earthly desires and a complete understanding of the world. Reincarnation is the belief that people are reborn over and over again until achieving moksha. Whether or not they are born into a good life depends on their previous life’s karma (good or bad deeds). In Hinduism, they also have a caste system. It divides people into four social classes and hardly gives any social mobility at all. People are decided which class they belong to at birth. For example, if a child is born into a family of slaves, that child will be a slave for the rest of his life. Confucianism is a philosophy started by Confucius in China. In Confucianism, the people valued education and believed in filial piety, the respect for elders. They also believed in the spirits of ancestors and created the famous quote, “do not do unto others, what you would not want them to do unto you.” Hinduism and Confucianism greatly affected the people and societies they were practiced in. In Hinduism, because of the belief in reincarnation and karma, people avoided doing bad deeds. Those who achieved moksha gained a complete understanding of the world and got rid of their desires. However, the caste systems also introduced discrimination. People of different classes were treated differently. In Confucianism, it brought a sophisticated...
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...Comparing Buddhism and Confucianism Therese Marsh Rasmussen College Author Note This paper is being submitted on May 8, 2016, for Andrew Franklin’s G153 Ethics Around the Globe Course. Comparing Buddhism and Confucianism Comparing theories is important because it lets you explore and understand other people’s views. It’s a chance to put yourself in shoes that are different than yours, and really think about how different life could be if you chose a different path. So how would life be different, if you decide to instill Buddhism or Confucianism in your life. Buddhism means to have compassion for all beings without discrimination and is free of selfishness. If Jamie followed the ways of the Buddha, she would need to have compassion for all of the homeless people, with that being said her vote would be neither a yea or a nay, but a compromise of building additional shelters for these people and setting them up with ways to help them improve their lives. The reason behind this is because even leaving the tent cities, the homeless people would still be in need, but creating additional shelters shows the compassion that she would have to make their lives better and safer. This is also a selfless act on her part because creating the shelters does not benefit her in any way but gives back to the homeless people and also helps to put the citizens of the city’s mind at ease about the tent cities promoting violence and drugs. Confucianism is the insistence that human...
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...Confucianism Shinto http://www.diffen.com/difference/Confucianism_vs_Shinto Geographical predominance: Asia Japan, Hawaii. Place of worship: Temple. Shrines. Founder: Confucius Unknown Place of origin: China Japan. Belief of God: One God. Ancestors also worshipped, though. Numerous deities. Status of Adam: N/A. N/A. Clergy: Sages, bureaucrats, etc. Priests, etc. Definition: Follower of Confucius. Way of the gods. Concept of Deity: Most believe in One God(Ti'en; or Heaven), but, in the way that a Deist would, rather than as a Christian or a Sikh would. Ancestors are also worshipped. Numerous deities. The sun is one of the most important ones(they believe that the sun is a goddess). Practices: Visit to temples to pay homage to Ti'en(God or Heaven), Confucius, and/or ancestors. Neo-Confucianists practice 'Jing zuo,' or 'Quiet Sitting,' as a kind of meditation. Visit to shrines to pay homage to Shinto deities; Shamanism, etc. Use of statues and pictures: Permitted. Permitted. Branches: Neo Confucianism, Han Confucianism, Contemporary Confucianism, Japanese Confucianism, Vietnamese Confucianism, Singapore Confucianism. State Shinto, Religious Shinto, and Folk Shinto. Literal Meaning: Follower of Confucius. The Way of the gods. Goal of religion: To have a structured society. To serve the Shinto deities, or Kami, as they are known. View of other Abrahamic religions: Confucianism sees no contradiction in following more than one path. N/A. View of the...
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...Philosophy and Religion China’s history has been full of richness of culture, mainly due to how they progressed with philosophy and religion. Since the beginning of the Chinese’s civilization philosophy and religion has been at the forefront of Chinese culture. From the ancient oracle bones and bronze inscriptions to the development of different schools of thought, the Chinese have always been adept for the time period in philosophy and religion. And over the course of their history they have combined the two in a manner that suits their needs, through this evolution and combination of the two they have become a strong nation. Oracle bones were the corner stone of the early Chinese dynasties such as the Shang from around 1200-1050 B.C (Shang pg. 1). In one of the articles it attempts to explain the use of these bones by saying that the kings of the Shang Dynasty would “attempt to communicate with the spiritual forces that ruled their world by reading the stress cracks in cattle bones…” (Shang 1). These kings would apply a heated poker to the bones which would produce cracks that they would analyze based on the direction and deepness of the crack. Recently these bones and the records of the king’s analyzation were uncovered. An estimated 150,000 oracle bones were found, and have references to the god of the Shang, Di (Shang pg. 1). This type of analysis by the kings is an early form of a religion, and the building blocks for later philosophy and schools of thought in China’s...
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