law

Running head: CHINESE RELIGION

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CHINESE RELIGION

Chinese Religion

Name

Affiliate Institution

Date

Chinese Religion

Spiritual leaders

Chinese philosophy pays homage to three core teachings based on the ideals of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Confucius was born in China and he developed the philosophy between the 5th and 6th Century B.C. Sometimes referred to as a religion, Confucianism encompassed elements of humanism as compatible in religion.

Lao Tzu inspired Taoism which dates back to the 4th Century B.C. He worked for the imperial court until he was eighty. He was greatly saddened that men were disinclined to follow the righteous path. While Confucius was more concerned with social relations and conduct, Taoism focused on individual characters as influenced by nature (Gentz, 2013).

Buddhism is a popular religion in Asia based on Siddhartha Gautama's teachings which focus on enlightenment and being self-aware. The religion focuses on wisdom and moral life originating over 2,500 years ago when the founder is believed to have been ‘enlightened' when he was 35 years.

Spiritual concepts

1. Tao – is the intuitive knowledge of life as it relates to our natural environment and upholds the reverse of the natural order like the weak over the strong.

2. Wu-Wei – is a fundamental concept of Taoism that discourages excessive effort in doing things but instead focuses on the natural alignment of life's flow.

3. Mind – meant to mean the thought process of a person and how they relate to the society and nature.

4. Veneration of ancestors – the respect and gratitude offered to the dead in accordance with the culture and traditions of a society.

5. 4 Noble Truths – this is the Buddhism concept of understanding that life is full of suffering, the suffering is based on aversion, but such suffering can be overcome and that the 8-Fold Path is the only way of ending the suffering.

6. 8-fold Path – it focuses on the importance of upholding one's morals and being self-aware of one's actions and thoughts and having the wisdom to appreciate the importance of the 4 Noble Truths and practicing compassion (Keown, 2016).

7. Nirvana – explains the ultimate goal of Buddhism and is a component part of the Third Noble Truth and demonstrates the destination for the 8-Fold Path.

8. Meridian system – is the foundation of Chinese medicine which believes that there is a path through which life energy flows in the body called ‘qi'.

9. Enlightenment – based on Buddhism, enlightenment is the process of gaining insights of the world as a process of being at peace with the universe.

10. Compassion – process of sharing and giving to those who need it most.

11. Heaven – according to Buddhism, heaven is a mental state of harmony and contentment.

12. Purification rites – these are rituals performed for religious cleansing.

Buddhism mudra – Vitarka

It is the teaching mudra. The thumb and the forefinger meet to form a circle which signifies the ‘wheel of teaching'.

(Shakyamuni Buddha, 10th century, Japanese. Courtesy Denman Waldo Ross Collection)

Lord Ganesh

Lord Ganesh is an elephant god often depicted with some belly fat. He is a benevolent protector that does not condone evil and tramples it out for the protection of the innocent. His general appearance serves to reinforce some Buddhist teachings of patience, perseverance and peaceful living (Keown, 2016). His big head helps him think big and his small mouth insinuates he speaks less. His large ears help him listen more while his small eyes help with his concentration. The one task means you should throw away the bad and retain the good.

(https://www.google.com/search?q=lord+genash+images&client=firefox-b-ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi30-CDwP7WAhXI7BQKHR8iC2gQsAQIKA&biw=1128&bih=633#imgrc=6dou8Rw1KS3zMM:)

Meditation

Is the practice that stimulates internal energy through relation where the mind induces a state of consciousness through concentration. Meditation is a component part of Chinese religion due to its emphasis on the power of the mind over the body. It draws from Buddhist traditions that emphasized the importance of being moral, compassionate and self-aware of one's environment (Ching, 2016).

Essay Questions

The author seeks to understand the concept of religious identities as it applies in today's society. She points out that the first source of religious identity depends on the religious identity of the family one is born into, although some individuals often shift their religious affiliations later in life due to discontentment or attraction to another religion. Eastern religions often borrowed from each other which created some synchronicity in deities worshipped, religious beliefs. I was particularly impressed with her with her explanation of the plight of women based on traditional gender-based practices in different religions and her focus on Buddhism to understand what the teachings signify for women in religion.

Karma is the Buddhist law that insists that with every action there is an effect signifying that our actions have results. According to Allen et al. (2015), the law explains the inequalities in the world explaining why some individuals are born more gifted than others, why others lead a long healthy life while others succumb at a young tender age. It's underlying principle of the law is that individuals should be responsible for their present actions to safeguard their future. To test the karmic effect of an action, these three factors must be considered; first the intention of the action, secondly the effect of the action unto oneself and lastly the effect unto others (Wright, 2005).

I have always been fascinated with the concept of karma and was inspired to find what different scholars perceive about its significance in social living.

References

Allen, P. M., Edwards, J. A., & McCullough, W. (2015). Does Karma Exist?: Buddhism, Social Cognition, and the Evidence for Karma. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 25(1), 1-17.

Ching, J. (2016). Chinese religions. Springer.

Gentz, J. (2013). Religious diversity in three teachings discourses. In Religious Diversity in Chinese Thought (pp. 123-139). Palgrave Macmillan US.

Keown, D. (2016). The nature of Buddhist ethics. Springer.

Tsomo, K. L. (2009). Creating Religious Identity. Journal of the Institute for World Religions, 26, 78-88.

Wright, D. S. (2005). Critical questions towards a naturalized concept of karma in Buddhism. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, 12, 78-93.