Philosophy and Religion
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Dé/Te 德
- T he Taijitu
- Relationships (Knowing One’s Place)
- Humanity/Benevolence (Ren)
Examples: A monk asked Zhaozhou, "What is the meaning of the ancestral teacher's coming from the west?" Zhaozhou said, "The cypress tree in front of the hall". ----------------------------------- A student asked Master Yun-Men, "Not even a thought has arisen; is there still a sin or not?" Master replied, "Mount Sumeru!" ----------------------------------- The student Tokusan used to come to the master Ryutan in the evenings to talk and to listen. One night it was very late before he was finished asking questions. "Why don't you go to bed?" asked Ryutan. Tokusan bowed, and lifted the screen to go out. "The hall is very dark," he said. "Here, take this candle," said Ryutan, lighting one for the student. Tokusan reached out his hand, and took the candle. Ryutan leaned forward, and blew it out. ----------------------------------- Baso said to a monk, "If I see you have a staff, I will give it to you. If I see you have no staff, I will take it away from you. ----------------------------------- Little Toyo was only twelve years old. But since he was a pupil at the Kennin temple, he wanted to be given a koan to ponder, just like the more advanced students. So one evening, at the proper time, he went to the room of Mokurai, the master, struck the gong softly to announce his presence, bowed, and sat before the master in respectful silence. Finally the master said: "Toyo, show me the sound of two hands clapping." Toyo clapped his hands. "Good," said the master. "Now show me the sound of one hand clapping." Toyo was silent. Finally he bowed and left to consider this problem. The next night he returned, and struck the gong with one palm. "That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned and played geisha music with one hand. "That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned, and imitated the dripping of water. "That is not right," said the master. The next night Toyo returned, and imitated the cricket scraping his leg. "That is still not right," said the master. For ten nights Toyo tried new sounds. At last he stopped coming to the master. For a year he thought of every sound, and discarded them all, until fnally he reached enlightenment. He returned respectfully to the master. Without striking the gong, he sat down and bowed. "I have heard sound without sound," he said. Taoism (Daoism) T Taoist thought focuses on wu wei (non-action), spontaneity, transformation and emptiness/omnipotence. An emphasis is placed on the link between people and nature, and that this link lessens the need for rules and order, leading one to a better understanding of the world. Chinese alchemy, astrology, cuisine, several Chinese martial arts, Chinese traditional medicine, feng shui, and many styles of qigong breath training disciplines are intertwined with Taoism throughout history. Taoism has never been a unified religion, but has rather consisted of numerous teachings based on various revelations. Therefore, different branches of Taoism often have very distinct beliefs. Nevertheless, there are certain core beliefs that nearly all the schools share: an emphasis on various themes found in the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi, include naturalness, vitality, peace, non-action (wu wei), emptiness (refinement), detachment, the strength of softness (or flexibility), receptiveness, spontaneity, the relativism of human ways of life, ways of speaking and guiding behavior. Lao Tzu (Laozi) T Legends claim variously that Laozi was "born old"; that he lived for 996 years, with twelve previous incarnations starting around the time of the Three Sovereigns before the thirteen as Laozi. Although some Western scholars have expressed doubts over Laozi's historical existence, much of this skepticism is founded on a lack of cultural understanding. Chinese scholars by and large accept Laozi as a historical figure, while dismissing folkloric claims as superstitious legend.
The Tao Te Ching or Daodejing (traditional: 道德經; simplified: 道德经; pinyin: Dàodéjīng), originally known as Laozi or Lao tzu (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ), is a Chinese classic text. According to tradition, it was written around the 6th century BC by the Taoist sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, "Old Master"), a record-keeper at the Zhou Dynasty court, by whose name the text is known in China. The text's true authorship and date of composition or compilation are still debated. The Tao Te Ching is fundamental to the Taoist school of Chinese philosophy and strongly influenced other schools, such as Legalism and Neo-Confucianism. This ancient book is also central in Chinese religion, not only for Taoism but Chinese Buddhism, which when first introduced into China was largely interpreted through the use of Taoist words and concepts. Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely outside East Asia, aided by hundreds of translations into Western languages. I Dào/Tao 道 literally means "way", "road", "path", or "route," but was extended to mean "path ahead", "way forward", "method", "principle", "doctrine", or simply "the Way". It implies the essential, unnamable process of the universe. Dé/Te 德 basically means "virtue" in the sense of "personal character", "inner strength", "integrity" or "morality". Jīng/Ching 經 originally meant "norm", "rule", or "plan" and was semantically extended to mean "scripture", "canon", "great book", or "classic". The Tao (Dao) Tao (道 - “the Way”) can be roughly stated to be the flow of the universe, or the force behind the natural order. It is believed to be the influence that keeps the universe balanced and ordered. Tao is associated with nature, due to a belief that nature demonstrates the Tao. The flow of qi, as the essential energy of action and existence, is compared to the universal order of Tao. Tao is compared to what it is not and is often considered to be the source of both existence and non-existence. Tao is rarely an object of worship, being treated more like the Indian concepts of atman and dharma. De Tao is also associated with the complex concept of De (德) "power; virtue", which is the active expression of Tao. De is the active living, or cultivation, of that "way". Wu Wei W In ancient Taoist texts, wu wei is associated with water through its yielding nature. Water is soft and weak, but it can move earth and carve stone. Taoist philosophy proposes that the universe works harmoniously according to its own ways. When someone exerts his will against the world, he disrupts that harmony. Taoism does not identify man's will as the root problem. Rather, it asserts that man must place his will in harmony with the natural universe.
In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (simplified: 阴阳; traditional: 陰陽; pinyin: yīnyáng) are generalized descriptions of the antitheses or mutual correlations in human perceptions of phenomena in the natural world, combining to create a unity of opposites. The concept of yin and yang (or earth and heaven) describes two opposing and, at the same time, complementary aspects of any one phenomenon or comparison of any two phenomena. They are universal standards of quality at the basis of the systems of correspondence seen in most branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine for example. Yin (陰 or 阴 "shady place, north slope, south bank (river); cloudy, overcast") qualities are characterized as passive, dark, feminine, negative, downward-seeking, consuming and corresponds to the night. Yang (陽 or 阳 "sunny place, south slope, north bank (river), sunshine") qualities are characterized as active, light, masculine, positive, upward-seeking, producing and corresponds to the daytime. T  he Taijitu (pictured here; literally "diagram of the supreme ultimate") often referred to as yin-yang in English, is a well known symbol deriving from Chinese culture which represents the principle of yin and yang from Taoist and Neo-Confucian philosophy. It represents an ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents the entirety of perceivable phenomena, while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two principles or aspects, called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause the phenomena to appear in their peculiar way. Each of them contains an element or seed of the other, and they cannot exist without each other.
Enter the following into a graphing program to render the yin-yang symbol: 
Confucianism Confucianism (Chinese: 儒家; pinyin: Rújiā) is an ancient Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese philosopher Confucius (Kong Fuzi "Master Kung"). It focuses on human morality and good deeds. Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that has had tremendous influence on the culture and history of East Asia. Some consider it to be the state religion of East Asian countries because of governmental promotion of Confucian values. Debated during the Warring States Period and forbidden during the short-lived Qin Dynasty, Confucianism was chosen by Han Wudi (141 B.C. - 86 B. C.) for use as a political system to govern the Chinese state. Despite its loss of influence during the Tang Dynasty, Confucian doctrine remained a mainstream Chinese orthodoxy for two millennia until the 20th century, when it was attacked by radical Chinese thinkers as a vanguard of a pre-modern system and an obstacle to China's modernization, eventually culminating in its repression during the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China. Since the end of the Cultural Revolution, Confucianism has been revived in mainland China, and both interest in and debate about Confucianism have surged. A simple way to appreciate Confucian thought is to consider it as being based on varying levels of honesty. In practice, the elements of Confucianism accumulated over time and matured into the following forms: Ritual Behaviors (Li) Shaping the rituals (mainly referring to everyday life activities, as well as ceremonies) in a way that leads to a content and healthy society Relationships (Knowing One’s Place) Individuals are held to simultaneously stand in different degrees of relationship with different people, namely, as a junior in relation to their parents and elders, and as a senior in relation to their younger siblings, students, and others. While juniors are considered in Confucianism to owe strong duties of reverence and service to their seniors, seniors also have duties of benevolence and concern toward juniors. Social harmony -- the great goal of Confucianism -- thus results partly from every individual knowing his or her place in the social order and playing his or her part well. Filial piety (Xiao) Filial piety is considered among the greatest of virtues and must be shown towards both the living and the dead (ancestors). The term "filial", meaning "of a child", denotes the respect that a child, originally a son, should show to his parents. 1. Sovereign to subject 2. Parent to child 3. Husband to wife 4. Elder to younger sibling 5. Friend to friend Specific duties were prescribed to each of the participants in these sets of relationships. Such duties were also extended to the dead, where the living stood as sons to their deceased family. Filial piety has continued to play a central role in Confucian thinking to the present day. Loyalty (Zhong) Like filial piety, loyalty was often subverted by the autocratic regimes of China. Emphasis was placed on the obligations of the ruled to the ruler and also the ruler's obligations to the ruled. Loyalty was also an extension of one's duties to friends, family, and spouse. Loyalty to one's leader came first, then to one's family, then to one's spouse, and lastly to one's friends. Humanity/Benevolence (Ren) Confucius was concerned with people's individual development, which he maintained took place within the context of human relationships. Ritual and filial piety are the ways in which one should act towards others from an underlying attitude of humaneness. If the ruler lacks rén, Confucianism holds, it will be difficult if not impossible for his subjects to behave humanely. Rén is the basis of Confucian political theory. Golden Rule: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others”
The ideal of a "gentleman" or "perfect man" is that for which Confucianism exhorts all people to strive. A succinct description of the "perfect man" is one who "combines the qualities of saint, scholar, and gentleman". - cultivate oneself morally; - show filial piety and loyalty where these are due; - cultivate humanity, or benevolence. The great exemplar of the perfect gentleman is Confucius himself. The opposite of the Jūnzǐ was the Xiǎorén (literally "small person"), or someone petty in mind and heart, narrowly self-interested, greedy, superficial, or materialistic.
C His teachings may be found in the Analects of Confucius, a collection of "brief aphoristic fragments", which was compiled many years after his death. Modern historians do not believe that any specific documents can be said to have been written by Confucius, but for nearly 2,000 years he was thought to be the editor or author of all the Five Classics. This factor is further complicated by the "Burning of the Books and Burying of the Scholars", a massive suppression of dissenting thought during the Qin Dynasty, more than two centuries after Confucius' death. Also, his ideas were not accepted during his lifetime and he frequently bemoaned the fact that he remained unemployed by any of the feudal lords. However, we can sketch out Confucius' ideas from the fragments that remain. Confucius was a man of letters who worried about the troubled times in which he lived. He went from place to place trying to spread his political ideas and influence to the many kings contending for supremacy in China. Confucius tirelessly promoted the virtues of ancient sages and tried to amass sufficient political power to found a new dynasty. He never gained the opportunity to apply his ideas. He was expelled from states many times and eventually returned to his homeland to spend the last part of his life teaching. The Analects of Confucius, the closest primary source we have for his thoughts, relates his sayings and discussions with rulers and disciples in short passages. There is considerable debate over how to interpret the Analects. He claimed that he sought "a unity all pervading" and that there was "one single thread binding my way together." The Analects The Analects (traditional: 論語; simplified: 论语; pinyin: Lún Yǔ) are a record of the words, discussions, and acts of the central Chinese thinker and philosopher Confucius and his disciples. The Chinese title literally means "discussion over [Confucius'] words." Written during the Spring and Autumn Period through the Warring States Period (479 BC - 221 BC), the Analects is the representative work of Confucianism (written by Confucius’ followers) and continues to have a tremendous influence on Chinese and East Asian thought and values today. Unlike most European and American philosophers, Confucius did not rely on deductive reasoning to convince his listeners. Instead, he used figures of rhetoric such as analogy and aphorism to explain his ideas. Most of the time these techniques were highly contextualized. For these reasons, European and American readers might find his philosophy muddled or unclear. Yüklə 1,5 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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aoism (or Daoism) refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. These traditions have influenced East Asia for over 2000 years and some have spread internationally. The Chinese character Tao 道 (or Dao, depending on the romanization scheme) means "path" or "way", although in Chinese religion and philosophy it has taken on more abstract meanings.
he Tao Te Ching is universally ascribed to 
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u wei (simplified: 无为; traditional: 無為; pinyin: wúwéi) is a central concept in Taoism. The literal meaning of wu wei is "without action". It is often expressed by the paradox wei wu wei, meaning "action without action" or "effortless doing". The practice and efficacy of wu wei are fundamental in Taoist thought. The goal of wu wei is alignment with Tao, revealing the soft and invisible power within all things. It is believed by Taoists that masters of wu wei can control this invisible potential, the innate action of the Way.
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