Taosim is a Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu which advocates humility and religious devotion. Taoism is regarded as an ancient tradition of philosophy and religious belief with intricate ties to Chinese customs and views. Before the Communist revolution, Taoism was regarded as one of the strongest religions in China. However, after a long-held campaign to get rid of non-Communist religions, the number of people following Taoism drastically declined. Taoism revolves around the Tao, which means “The Way” in English. The Tao is a system of guidance which includes several concepts, including the source of creation, the natural universe as a whole, and the way of nature as a whole. All objects and people in the universe are connected through and unified with the Tao. The Tao is not a God and is thus not worshipped. However, there are many deities that Taoists worship in temples. Taoism began to form two thousand years ago in China, and is a religion which places a great focus on unity and opposites. For example, the concept of Yin and Yang exemplifies how the universe is composed of complementary forces, such as light and dark. The principles that Taoism promotes are achieving harmony and union with nature, pursuing spiritual immortality, being virtuous, and self-development. Furthermore, Taoist practices include feng shui, fortune telling, meditation, and chanting and reading scriptures. Buddhism Buddhism is a religious tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development.
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Buddhists do not worship any gods or deities and strive to develop a deep insight into the true nature of life. There are approximately 376 million Buddhists around the world. While there are various other sects, the two main Buddhist sects are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism is 2500 years old and arose as a result of Siddhartha Gautama's search for Enlightenment, which occurred around the sixth century B.C. As a result of discovering the path to enlightenment, Siddhartha became known as the Buddha, or the “awakened one”. Buddha began the wheel of teaching. Rather than revolving around the worshipping gods or deities, Buddhism revolves around the timeless importance of the teachings of the Buddha, also known as the dharma. Buddhists hope to reach a state of nirvana by following the path of the Buddha. Buddhists believe this path to Enlightenment is guided through the practice and development of meditation, morality, and wisdom. Buddhists believe that nothing in life is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible. Buddhists believe that life is endless yet is full of impermanence, suffering, and uncertainty. These are known as the tilakhana, or the three signs of existence. Buddhists believe that existence is never-ending because each people is reincarnated over and over again, but is also impermanent because no good or bad state will last forever. Buddhists follow the Four Noble Truths, which are the four principles that the Buddha discovered through meditation under the bodhi tree where the Buddha obtained Enlightenment. The Four Noble Truths are the truth of suffering (Dukkha), the truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya), the truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha), and the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga). Buddhists also strong believe in karma. The word karma means “action” in English. Buddhists believe that karma is determined by individual actions and the motives behind these intentional, personal actions. Buddhists believe that karma has consequences beyond this life. For example, negative actions in one life can follow a person into their next life and can thus negatively affect their next life. Confucianism Confucianism is a regarded as way of life that was taught by Confucius in China during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. …show more content…
Confucianism has been followed by the Chinese for two thousand years. The main purpose of Confucianism is to achieve harmony, which is believed to be the most important social value. Confucianism strongly emphasizes mercy, social order, and the fulfillment of responsibilities. Confucianism is concerned mainly with ethical principles and is not composed of many traditional religious beliefs. The traditional religious beliefs that Confucians follow are typically provided by other religions that Confucians follow, such as Taoism or Buddhism. However, Confucius believed that Heaven, also known as T'ien, is a force in the universe that is both positive and personal force in the universe. The main principle of Confucianism is known as ren, which means
Buddhists do not worship any gods or deities and strive to develop a deep insight into the true nature of life. There are approximately 376 million Buddhists around the world. While there are various other sects, the two main Buddhist sects are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism is 2500 years old and arose as a result of Siddhartha Gautama's search for Enlightenment, which occurred around the sixth century B.C. As a result of discovering the path to enlightenment, Siddhartha became known as the Buddha, or the “awakened one”. Buddha began the wheel of teaching. Rather than revolving around the worshipping gods or deities, Buddhism revolves around the timeless importance of the teachings of the Buddha, also known as the dharma. Buddhists hope to reach a state of nirvana by following the path of the Buddha. Buddhists believe this path to Enlightenment is guided through the practice and development of meditation, morality, and wisdom. Buddhists believe that nothing in life is fixed or permanent and that change is always possible. Buddhists believe that life is endless yet is full of impermanence, suffering, and uncertainty. These are known as the tilakhana, or the three signs of existence. Buddhists believe that existence is never-ending because each people is reincarnated over and over again, but is also impermanent because no good or bad state will last forever. Buddhists follow the Four Noble Truths, which are the four principles that the Buddha discovered through meditation under the bodhi tree where the Buddha obtained Enlightenment. The Four Noble Truths are the truth of suffering (Dukkha), the truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya), the truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha), and the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga). Buddhists also strong believe in karma. The word karma means “action” in English. Buddhists believe that karma is determined by individual actions and the motives behind these intentional, personal actions. Buddhists believe that karma has consequences beyond this life. For example, negative actions in one life can follow a person into their next life and can thus negatively affect their next life. Confucianism Confucianism is a regarded as way of life that was taught by Confucius in China during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. …show more content…
Confucianism has been followed by the Chinese for two thousand years. The main purpose of Confucianism is to achieve harmony, which is believed to be the most important social value. Confucianism strongly emphasizes mercy, social order, and the fulfillment of responsibilities. Confucianism is concerned mainly with ethical principles and is not composed of many traditional religious beliefs. The traditional religious beliefs that Confucians follow are typically provided by other religions that Confucians follow, such as Taoism or Buddhism. However, Confucius believed that Heaven, also known as T'ien, is a force in the universe that is both positive and personal force in the universe. The main principle of Confucianism is known as ren, which means