Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism
- The "Three Teachings of China" are three influential teachings that have significantly shaped Chinese culture and history, with Buddhism being the only import from India.
Spirits
-Early Chinese belief is polytheistic and animistic, with spirits in nature and humans. Good spirits bring health, wealth, and fertility, while bad spirits cause sickness, poverty, and infertility. Punishments include droughts, earthquakes, and floods.
Respect for ancestors
-Ancestors are revered as spirits after death, and their presence is crucial for their positive influence on living family members.
Yang and yin
- The Chinese concept of yang and yin, originating around 1000 B.C.E., refers to the universe's opposite but complementary principles, including light and dark, day and night, hot and cold, sky and earth, male and female nature principles, and right and left. These principles are dynamic and never contradictory, with the yin-yang circle representing the balance between these forces.
Divination
-Chinese divination is a traditional method of understanding the future, with the oldest technique being read lines in bones and tortoise shells. The 9 Ching, an ancient book, interprets life through hexagrams, which represent life patterns. The I Ching interprets each hexagram, helping individuals make decisions about their future.
Confucianism and Daoism
-Confucianism and Daoism are complementary Chinese religious systems, influenced by each other's upbringing and development. Though treated separately, they can be treated together due to their shared principles. |