Cornell Notes 5.2 Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism December 13, 2011 Pages 93 and 95

Taoism Taoism (or Daoism) was founded by Laozi (Lao-Tzu) sometime around 500 BC. Tao means “Way” in Chinese The main text that explains Laozi’s teachings is called the Tao Te Ching, which means “Book of the Way.” The basic idea of the Tao Te Ching is that to be happy, people should seek a state of harmony and calm called wu wei – sort of like “Going with the flow…”

Yin and Yang One big idea in Taoism and other forms of Asian spiritualism is the idea of Yin and Yang. Yang is the positive energetic masculine “light” aspect of existence and Yin the negative feminine “dark” aspect. Going back to the idea of harmony, Taoism teaches that everything is best when Yin and Yang are in balance.

Buddhism Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha) around 500 BC in India Buddhism takes many concepts from Hinduism such as karma and reincarnation From India, it spread throughout Asia and all over the world, although it isn’t practiced in India too much anymore. The two main branches of Buddhism are Mahayana Buddhism (practiced in China, Korea, Japan and other parts of East Asia) and Theravada Buddhism (practiced in Thailand, Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia)

What’s Buddhism About? Buddhism teaches four basic ideas (called the Four Noble Truths) Life is suffering Suffering is caused by wanting stuff Suffering ends when you stop wanting stuff You can accomplish this by following the eightfold path – a method that involves clearing the mind, living a moral life, and building mental discipline

The Age of Buddhism saw major religious changes in China. Buddhism was spreading quickly throughout the lands. It first came to China during the Han dynasty around 200 BC. During the troubled time of the Period of Disunion, many turned to Buddhism. They took comfort in the teaching that people can escape suffering and achieve a state of peace. It influenced many aspects of Chinese culture, reaching it’s height in the early Tang Dynasty. Wealthy people donated money to build temples. It also affected art, literature, and architecture. Buddhism came to an end there when the Tang emperor launched a campaign against it, burning texts and destroying temples.

Great Buddhist Temples Buddhists built elaborate temples all over the world. The most famous include: Angkor Wat, in Cambodia (there’s a palace there too) Bagan (or Pagan), in Myanmar Jokhang, in Tibet Todaiji, in Japan

Confucianism The dominant philosophy in China was Confucianism, based on the teachings of Confucius (Kong Fu Zi). Confucius lived around 500 BC. The main collection of his teachings is known as The Analects. His teachings focused on proper behavior. Confucius taught that people should conduct their lives according to two basic principles. One was ren, or concern for others. The other was li, or appropriate behavior.

Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism After his death, Confucius’s ideas were spread by his followers, especially during the Han Dynasty. But as Buddhism became more popular, Confucianism lost some influence. Buddhism stressed a more spiritual outlook that promised escape from suffering. Neo-Confucianism developed due to a desire to improve Chinese government and society. It was similar to the older philosophy but emphasized spiritual matters. Neo-Confucianism became more influential under the Song, and became official government teaching after the Song dynasty.

Confucianism and Chinese Society Officials joined the bureaucracy by passing civil service examinations. Civil service means service as a government official. These were a series of written examinations that tested students’ grasp of Confucianism and related ideas. The tests were difficult, and students spent years preparing. Passing the exam meant life as a scholar-official, an educated member of government.

Scholar-Officials Scholar-officials (mandarins) were elite members of society and were widely admired for their knowledge and ethics. They performed many important jobs in the government. Benefits included being respected and having reduced penalties for breaking the law. Many became wealthy from gifts given by people seeking their aid. This system helped the stability of the Song government. The system of scholar officials continued right through to the start of the 20th Century.