unit 6: daoism & confucianism

three doctrines:

collectively includes confucianism, daoism and buddhism

early chinese belief was a blend of several elements: (6)

• spirits

• tian

• veneration of ancestors

• seeing patterns in nature

• yang and yin

• divination

early chinese beliefs: spirits (4)

• considered spirits to be active in every aspect of nature and the human world

• good spirits brought health, wealth, fertility, long life

• bad spirits brought disease, death and caused accidents

• disturbances of nature (droughts/earthquakes) were punishments from spirits for human failings - harmony could be restored through ritual and sacrifice

early chinese beliefs: tian (3)

• 1500-1100BCE shang dynasty; was thought to rule the world, thought of as a personal god capable of being contacted by diviners

• 1100-250BCE zhou dyansty; ignored the shang belief and began explaining life in a different conception - tian (“heaven”)

• tian was envisioned both as an impersonal divine force that controls events on earth and as a cosmic moral principle that determines right/wrong

early chinese beliefs: veneration of ancestors (2)

• cautious reverance shown to spirits was also felt for ancestors; ancestors at death became spirits who needed to be placated to ensure their positive influence on living family members

• veneration of ancestors provided the soil for growth of confucianism

early chinese beliefs: seeing patterns in nature (2)

• to survive the chinese people had to learn that while they often could not control nature, they could learn to work with it when they understood its underlying patterns (some easier to understand than others - progression of the seasons, cycle of birth and death)

• daoism may be traced back to this concern for finding/working within natural patterns

early chinese beliefs: yang & yin (3)

• after 1000BCE the chinese commonly thought that the universe expressed itself in opposite but complementary principles; light and dark; day and night; hot and cold

• names for the two complementary principles are yang and yin (one does not win against the other - they exist in a dynamic balance between forces

• yang = light; yin = dark

early chinese beliefs: divination (3)

• system that is used for looking into the future - integral part of early chinese practice

• oldest technique - reading the lines on bones/tortoise shells

• later elaborate practice - involves the yijing (book of changes)

yijing: (2)

• book of change

• ancient book that interprets life through an analysis of hexagrams

hexagrams: (4)

• a figure of 6 horizontal lines; can be made of two kinds of lines, divided lines (yin) and undivided lines (yang)

• made of two trigrams - figures of 3 lines

• constructed by tossing sticks/coins and writing down the results beginning with the bottom line

• 64 hexagrams are possible in all

daoism is often thought to emphasize the ___ aspects of reality, and confucianism the ____: together forming a unit of opposites

daoism = the yin; confucianism = the yang

daoism in short:

observations about nature, philosophical insights, guideline for living, exercises for health, rituals of protection and practices for attaining longevity and inner purity

the origins of daoism:

are mysterious; earliest documenrs contain many threads; shamanism, appreciation for the hermit’s life, desire for unity with nature, fascination with health/long life/breathing/meditation & trance = all point to a multiplicity of sources which seem to have coalesced into daoism

laozi (lao tzu): (5)

• daoist founder whose name means old master/old child

• unknown whether he ever existed; possibly a real person or the blending of historical information about several figures, or a mythic creation

• born 600BCE - resulted from virginal conception

• child was born old hence the name old child

• he was treated as a deity, the human incarnation of the dao - came to be called lord lao (many stories told of his apparitions and he continued to be worshipped as divine by some daoists)

laozi (lao tzu)’s story: (3)

• he became a state archivist/librarian for many years in the royal city of loyang

• tired of his job he (carried by ox) traveled to far west china; at the western border he was recognized as an esteemed scholar and prohibited from crossing before writing down his teachings (result = daodejing)

• he left china travelling westward; later stories continued to elaborate on his myth (taken his teachings to india later returning to china to at last ascend into the sky)

daodejing: (5)

• short book of 5000 chinese characters by laozi

• seen as one of the world’s greatest books - primary classic of daoism accepted as its central scripture

• title translates to the classical book about the way and its power

• had an enormous influence on chinese culture

• dated back to 350BCE but seems to have circulated in several earlier forms (version commonly known/used is from 3rd century ce)

what does the daodejing contain? (6)

• 81 chapters - passages involve early shamanistic elements such as reaching trance states and attaining invulnerability

• in form each chapter is more poetry than prose

• shows some repetition; has no clear order; exhibits a deliberate lack of clarity - suggesting it is a collected assemblage of work of many persons gathered over time

• genius brevity and use of paradox; its meaning depends on who is interpreting it

• images to help describe everything

• many references to the dao; speaking or its nature/operation describing how people will live in harmony with it and suggestions for experiencing the dao; & presented by powerful images wherein the dao is most active

original purpose of the daodejing? (3)

• political theory - it was meant as a handbook for rulers

• religious theory - guidebook meant to lead adherents to spiritual insight

• practical theory - guide for living in harmony with the universe

what is the dao? (6)

• beyond any description

• the dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal dao

• nameless; not any individual thing that has a name; had no form

• dao can be experienced/followed by every individual thing that has a name

• daodejing states it is the origin of everything and that all individual things are manifestations of it

• may also be called the way or the rhythm of nature (as it makes nature move the way it does)

to experience the dao…

we must leave behind our desires for individual things; and it cannot be perceived directly but only by intuition

daodejing says the dao is the origin of everything and that all individual things are manifestations of it… (2)

• it is the origin of nature BUT it is not god because it does not have a personality

• neither cares nor dislikes human beings; simply produces them

5 common images in which the dao seems most active/visible:

• water - gentle, ordinary, lowly but also strong and necessary, flowing around every obstacle

• woman - female is sensitive & receptive, yet also effective and powerful

• child - full of energy, naturalness and wonder

• valley - is yin & it is mystery

• darkness - can be safe, full of silence, possibility

zhuangzi: (4)

• daoism was enriched by his work

• active in 300BCE

• personality - playful, independent, in love with the fantastic

• book of his writings called the zhuangzi is composed of 7 inner chapters thought to be by the author himself and 26 outer chapters whose authorship is less certain

zhuangzi (book): (6)

• 7 inner chapters (zhuangzi author) and 26 outer chapters (not him)

• contains many whimsical stories

• continues themes of early daoist thought - need for harmony with nature, movement of dao in all that happens, pleasure that we can gain from simplicity

• underscores the inevitability of change and the relativity of all human judgements

• adds to daoism an appreciation for humour

• love of the marvellous seen in many stories (talk of supernatural powers the wise can attain); thus elaborating the potential results of being one with the dao

2 most famous stories of the zhuangzi:

• tells of zhuangzi’s dream of being a butterfly; he was flying around enjoying life but he did not know he was zhuangzi - when he woke up he was struck by the question: am i a person dreaming i am a butterfly or am i a butterfly dreaming that i am a person (hints at the boundary between reality & imaginary is not as clear as we think)

• another story makes fun of people’s judgements & the arbitrariness of their joy and anger - trainer gave his monkey 3 acorns (morning) and 4 (night) - monkeys conveyed their anger with receiving too few in the morning so the trainer swapped the morning/night amounts and the monkeys were delighted

famous story illustrates what it means to live in harmony with nature: zhuangzi’s wife (4)

• huizi, friend, goes to offer sympathy after hearing of the death of zhuangzi’s wife

• he finds him singing/drumming on a bowl (why isnt he crying..?)

• zhuangzi explains; 1st he was very sad then he reflected on the whole cycle of her existence and saw it was just like the progression of the 4 seasons (we dont mourn when winter comes because that would be ungrateful

• he stopped mourning - to counteract his sorrow he sang/drummed

the story about the loss of zhuangzi’s wife suggests what?

that to live in harmony with nature means to accept all its transformations - great dao produces both yang and yin which alternate perpetually - story says that yin and yang are our parents and we must obey them, if we cannot embrace the changes then we should at least observe them with acceptance

zhuangzi: useless tree

shows how even the most useless things have a place in the world; even disadvantage comes from an advantage

zhuangzi: beauty if a matter of perspective

zhuangzi & wizi walked by a stream - they observed two men enthralled when a beautiful woman walked by; wizi commented on her beauty to zhuangzi who took note of how the fish in the stream swam in opposite direction of her, as well as the birds in the sky - she disturbed nature yet was adored by man; beauty is a matter of perspective - what one creature holds captivating may not be the same as another

• comments on the relativity of beauty - and all other things in the world - universal beauty standards are relative - simply human beauty standards

wu-wei & spontaneity:

non-doing, effortless action, doing nothing; minimal intellectual input - in the zone; letting natural intuition or flow guide you

usefulness of uselessness (the useless tree - zhuangzi):

the big tree - no carpenter would ever use its wood; we are only interested in the usefulness of things; the tree zhuangzi suggested was effective as a spot to rest and stay out of the sun; it became revered and holy as such for its uniqueness; there cannot be usefulness without uselessness

by accepting the impermanence of life we can…

cope easier with life’s ever changing flow

5 main teachings of the daodejing & zhuangzi:

• dao

• wu wei

• simplicity

• gentleness

• relativity

teachings of the daodejing/zhuangzi: dao (3)

• name for whatever mysterious reality makes nature to be what it is and act the way it does

• commonly translates as “way” or existence/pattern/process

• is the way that nature expresses itself: the natural way

teachings of the daodejing/zhuangzi: wu-wei (4)

• the ideal of effortlessness

• recommendation for how to live most often mentioned in daodejing

• literally means no action - no strain or effortlessness

• ideal implying the avoidance of unnecessary action or of action that is not spontaneous; opposite motto of no pain no gain

teachings of the daodejing/zhuangzi: simplicity (3)

• daoism has often urged its followers to eliminate whatever is unnecessary and artificial and to appreciate the simple and ordinary

• daoists have tended to distrust any highly formal education

• daodejing states it opinion in its 20th chapter: give up learning and put an end to your troubles

teachings of the daodejing/zhuangzi: gentleness (3)

• hate war and weapons

• wise persons love peace, restraint, and avoids all unnecessary violence

• to think of weapons as lovely things is to delight in them and to delight therefore in the slaughter of men

teachings of the daodejing/zhuangzi: relativity (2)

• it is necessary to attain a vision of things that goes beyond apparent opposites

• it is more than me-you; good-bad; expensive-cheap; valuable-worthless; beautiful-ugly

daoism and the quest for longevity: (4)

• practices help the person feel the flow of nature, attain spiritual purity and live a long life

• canon of daoist literature includes recommendations for many types of arm & body movements, breathing regulation, diet and massage

• in ancient china many experimented with physical alchemy - hoping to make an elixir that could extend life of even bring immortality

• today chinese culture still holds a great interest in pills/foods/meds that are believed to prolong life - some of these (ginseng, garlic, ginger) seem to have genuine medical benefits

taiji (tai chi):

most influential physical discipline, a series of slow arm and leg motions that are thought to aid balance and circulation (daoist)

yogic practice - internal alchemy: (2)

aims at transforming and spiritualizing the life force (qi) of the practitioner - later forms teach exercises that move the life force from its origin (base of spine) upward to the head, then it circles back via the heart to its origin

• movement accomplished through certain postures, muscular exercises and practices of mental imagery - may create an entity “immortal embryo” that can survive the death of the body

gold and longevity:

experimentation with physical alchemy; gold was used at it did not rust - tried to be drinkable or used as a vessel from which elixir could be drunk

why did physical alchemy for longevity lessen?

because when there was little success in the elixir of life the alchemical search became a metaphor for the development of the type of internal alchemy (above)

early daoism:

not an organized religion; but as time went on the movement took on many organized forms

elements of daoism appealed to individuals/groups interested in: & because of that… (6)

• longevity

• supernatural abilities

• control over disease

• social reform

• political control

• spiritual insight

wide range of interests led to the creation of many sects/branches/groups

daoism reached its lowest point of influence when?

in 1281, when the emperor commanded that daoist books be burned; but later it revived

2 particularly important daoists organizations:

the way of the heavenly masters (tianshi) and the way of complete perfection (quanshen)

the way of the heavenly (celestial) masters (tianshi): (6)

• ancient organization - traces back to 2nd century teacher, zhang daoling who had visions of laozi

• zhang daoling = thought to have developed an organization that helped daoism survive til present

• control of the organization is based on a hereditary model (father to son)

• heads of the organization have the title of heavenly masters

• ritualized village daoism

• organization set up a system of parishes/churches

the way of complete perfection (quanshen): (3)

• other form of organized daoism, involving monasteries and related groups of celibate monks/nuns

• deliberate blend of daoism, buddhism and confucianism

• principal prayer book was reprinted in 2000; morning & evening services which use the prayer book may be attended at many of its monasteries, most notably = the white cloud monastery (beijing)

what stimulated the development of organization in daoism?

buddhism which entered china in the 1st century CE; brought by a monastic clergy who set up monasteries and temples that had impressive rites - daoism followed these models in its own development

by what century was daoism an organization with significant political influence?

5th century ce

daoism’s development also imitated buddhism’s production of…

a vast number of sacred books with wide-ranging topics - a collection of more than a thousand authoritative books was gathered and makes up the daoist canon (daozang); with supplements continued to be added later

deities in daoism?

daoism in its development - developed a pantheon of hundreds of deities; some are powers of the universe and others people who become immortal, also includes other ancestral spirits

deities: (6)

• laozi

• spirits of nature

• protective household gods

• deified historical figures (jade emperor)

• three purities (trinity)

• worship also given to regional deities and spirits of ancestors

the 3 purities (sanjing):

constitute a daoist trinity of the most important deities

1. primordial dao

2. deity responsible for transmission of daoist insight = heavenly worthy of numinous treasure

3. deified laozi (recognized by white hair)

are there female deities in daoism?

yes! and some are white important; mother Li; mazu; doumu; queen mother of the west

mother li:

mother of lord lao (deitie)

mazu:

deified girl who has become the patroness of fishermen

doumu:

star deity called mother of the big dipper

queen mother of the west:

mother figure responsible for all immortals

jade emperor:

ancient figure thought of as an emperor who rules heaven and earth and who judges people’s deeds at the end of each year

household gods:

gods of the he hearth and the doorway; gods of the sky, earth, water, town

daoist temples represent…

many gods with statues/paintings and offerings of food, water, incense are regularly placed in front of images

daoism is strong where?

in taiwan and overseas chinese communities (malaysia, singapore) - and is experiencing a resurgence on the mainland; pilgrimage common and restoration of complete perfection daoist temples (aided by government support)

heavenly master daoism is growing: (4)

as the principal form of ritualized village daoism;

• clergy do ministerial work -attending the needs of the public

• exorcists (red hat/scaf) - work to heal/restore harmony

• priests (black hat) - perform blessings, funerals, other rites

daoist beliefs are kept alive by…

daoists and by the chinese tendency to blend beliefs of several systems = in the mind of most chinese there need be no argument as daoism, buddhism and confucianism elements and practices are combined as the 3 religions are mutually supportive

philosopher wing-tsit chan has written of the semi religious role that a chinese garden can play: (2)

• where gardens are an ideal place for meditation because the harmony of man and nature

• intense/sincere meditation inevitably leads to the absorption in the infinite

poetry and art share many of the same concerns as…

daoist thought - just as they do of chinese buddhist and confucian thought

common themes in the daodejing and these themes in chinese paintings:

• immensity, flow, mystery of nature

• images depict flowing water, the valley, the uncarved blocks of stone (are abundant in paintings)

chinese painting: (5)

nature painting;

• perspective is important

• images drawn from nature are presented either very close up or at a great distance

• up-close; makes us look more closely at the humbler elements of nature (ex: animals) recognizing that they too have their own interests and patterns of living

• distanced; often depicts hints of mountains far away, some portray a person looking into the distance - fascinating use of empty space; they do not feel unfinished (master of this technique = ma yuan)

chinese poetry: (3)

• praises themes found in the daodejing and zhuangzi

• themes; joy of life in the countryside away from complications of city life, change of seasons, simplicity, harmony with nature

• li bai (famous poet)

li bai: (3)

• poet praised for his fine expression of daoist ideals (during the tang dynasty 700ce)

• famous death; died as the result of a poetic accident - sitting drunk in a boat one night he reached out to embrace the moon’s reflection on the water - fell in and disappeared beneath the surface

• one poem about zhuangzi’s dream of being a butterfly; another about li bai being so absorbed in nature that he did not notice dusk coming on

chinese garden design is…

an art form that complements and competes with chinese architecture

chinese garden design: (4)

• house is yang - realm of the square/straight line

• garden is yin - realm of the circle/curve

• inside is family harmony; outside is harmony with nature; one realm supports the other

• walkways meander, bridges may zigzag, gates may imitate the moon and be round, waters moves in its natural manner - only gently down

daoism in the modern world: (4)

• looks like it will rise in popularity

• chinese mainland - many indications of a revival here

• women are celebrated

• after the bible; daodejing is the world’s most frequently translated book

chinese mainland - indications of a daoist revival: (3)

• temples being rebuilt

• temples may now be found at many traditional mountain sites as well as in urban locations and villages

• pilgrimage seems to be reviving particularly in southeast china

women in daoism: (5)

• presence of female imagery/themes is becoming more widely recognized

• daodejing speaks of the value of nurturing and the role of the mother; calling the dao the mother of all things

• several major deities are female

• women have become daoist nuns, teachers, matriarchs and even priests

• many important symbols of daoism (cave, valley, flowing water, flaming pearl) are suggestive of the female

period of laozi?

600-500BCE

period of confucius?

550-480BCE

for confucians the dao of primary interest is…

the dao within the human world, which shows itself in “right” relationships and in a harmonious society

confucians would say that training in what is necessary in order to enable the dao to manifest clearly in the human being

training in virtue

the doctrine of the mean:

important confucian text; recommends several types of training, including training in the cultivation of personal equilibrium and harmony (contrary to daoism which warns against formal training/education)

confucius: childhood (4)

• born 551BCE when china was a group of small kingdoms

• named kong qiu later called kong fuzi (master kong)

• from a once-noble family that had fled at a time of political danger

• his father died when he was a child, despite their poverty, his mother raised him as an educated gentleman

confucius: growing/grown up (5)

• teenager: seriously interested in pursuing scholarship - held a minor government post as a tax collector - mother died, after mourning her he began his public life as a teacher

• despite his success as a teacher he has always wanted to be influential in government (possibly worked as a gov. minister 500-496BCE)

• married and believed to have had a son and a daughter

• he lived for 15 years outside his home state (lu) but eventually returned there to take a ceremonial post as senior advisor

• he died in 479BCE

as a child confucius enjoyed what activities?

chariot riding, archery, playing the lute

confucius was born in a time of social turmoil…

seeing families/individuals suffering from the social disorder he concluded that society would function properly only if virtues were taught and lived

confucius's 2 ideals:

he wanted to produce a harmonious society and he wanted to nurture excellent individuals who could lead it

confucius believed: (6)

• each human being is capable of being good, refined and even great

• convinced that human beings cant achieve greatness in isolation

• human beings become full people only through the assistance of other people and then through fulfilling obligations to them

• more than social interaction is needed for personal excellence

• excellence comes partly from the cultivation of one’s virtues and intellect (education = essential), also involves developing skills in poetry, music, art, writing, manners, religious ritual

• civilized human beings should be full of respect and care; care given to the young who will continue human life on earth and respect to the elders who teach and pass on the traditions

confucius valued education because…

it transmitted the lessons of the past into the present

confucius’s idea of perfect society: (3)

• one in which every member is cared for and protected

• believed this could come about if people played their social roles properly

• later - social responsibility would be codified in the 5 great relationships

three notes on the 5 great relationships:

• in confucianism, relationships are just as real as an visible objects

• in confucian thought human beings are their relationships

• power of a relationship may be determined by personal factors (friendship/family connections) or by more formal social factors (age/social status); confucianism recognizes this inequality and lists relationships according to a hierarchy

the 5 great relationships:

1. father-son

2. elder brother-younger brother

3. husband-wife

4. elder-younger

5. ruler-subject

1. father-son: (3)

• family - foundation of society with the relationship between father and son at its core

• also represents all parent-child relationships

• parents must care for children; help educate them, provide morals, manners, guidance, obedience, help with marriage partners, etc. - children must care for parents in later life and even after death (venerating shrines)

2. elder brother-younger brother: (2)

• elder brother must assume responsibility for raising the younger siblings and younger siblings must be compliant

• practicality of this arrangement becomes clear when we imagine a father dies before all his children are raised - paternal responsibility would then shift to the eldest son

3. husband-wife: (3)

• each spouse is responsible for the other’s care

• relationship is hierarchical; husband is an authoritative protector, wife is a protected homemaker and mother

• much less romantic expectation than does the modern western notion; in confucian societies wives become quite motherly towards husbands

4. elder-younger: (4)

• elders are responsible for the young because they need care, support and character formation

• youth must show respect to those older and be open to their advice

• this also exists in these relationships; teacher-student, boss-employee, experts-apprentices

• some versions of the great 5 have friend-friend at this placement; relationships of elder-younger is quite close to that of friend-friend, most powerful friend has a responsibility to assist the other friend when help is needed

5. ruler-subject: (2)

• sometimes listed in position number #1

• ruler must act like a father, assuming responsibility and care for the subjects who are like his children

the 5 great relationships signify…

that each person must live up to their social role/statue - rectification of names

what 4 things are expected of people in confucian cultures?

• manners are essential

• civilized people are expected to be respectful in vocabulary, tone, volume, action, manner of dress and even posture

• gift giving is an important tradition

• bowing; small inclination of the head for greeting equals, bow from shoulders given to superiors, deep bow from the waist to show profound respect or make a serious request or offer an apology

personal excellence comes from…

the manifestation of the 5 virtues