1. RELIGION IN ANCIENT CHINA
Daoism
Buddhism
Confucianism

2. RELIGION…. A set of beliefs and practices that guide our lives.
Usually has a supreme being or God.
Religion explains what happens to us when we die.

3. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THIS SYMBOL? WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS?

4. DAOISM (or Taoism) From China Started by Lao Tsu in 600 B.C.
Believe that the way to happiness is for people to learn to “go with the flow”
Taught everything had a life force
Yin and Yang
Yin= dark side- moon, death
Yang= light side- sun, birth
Yin and Yang need to be balanced
Tsu was against too many rules and laws- he thought people should make their own decisions

5. BUDDHISM
500 B.C.
Started in India - spread to China during the Han dynasty (200s A.D.)
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
He was an Indian prince who gave up the royal life in search of a good and pure life

6. HOW BUDDHISM SPREAD

7. WHY BUDDHISM?
People in China were attracted to Buddhism during the Period of Disunion
People were troubled and Buddhism offered comfort by teaching that people could escape suffering and achieve peace

8. BUDDHIST BELIEFS
Buddhists worship in temples housing a statue of Buddha, many temples were built in China
Tang dynasty temple

9. BELIEFS teaches that suffering is unavoidable
people can end suffering by reaching enlightenment- Nirvana
follow the eight-fold path to reach enlightenment
Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration

10. BELIEFS people can be reborn to achieve enlightenment
Buddhists also believe in Karma: the good/bad actions people perform in their lifetime affect happiness

11. CHINA & BUDDHISM
During the Sui and Tang dynasties Buddhism grew and spread
Chinese missionaries spread Buddhism to Japan, Korea and other Asian islands
influenced art, literature and architecture
Buddhism was so important that the period from is called the “Age of Buddhism”

12. BUDDHISM IN CHINA
An emperor in the Tang dynasty tried to get rid of Buddhism
Buddhist books and temples were destroyed
But, Buddhism lived on in China and blended with other religions

13. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 178.

14. CONFUCIANISM 500 B.C. China by a man named Confucius
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”
“Have no friends not equal to yourself.”

15. WHY CONFUCIANISM?
Scholars and historians liked Confucianism because they thought it would improve society
Confucius’ ideas lost influence,
but became popular again in
China during the Song dynasty
-this is called neo-Confucianism,
-neo= new
Neo-Confucianism blended ethics with spirituality

16. BELIEFS IN CONFUCIANISM
Confucius believed in ethics, or proper behavior, for individuals and governments
People should live their lives according to two principles
Concern for others (ren)
Appropriate behavior (li)
Everyone has a role to play in society
For example, young people should obey their elders and follow the rules!!

17. CONFUCIANISM & CHINA had a religious and governmental role
China created a bureaucracy of civil servants to work for the government
To be a civil servant you had to pass a test on Confucianism and other topics
If you passed you became a scholar-official
Scholar-officials were admired for their smarts and ethics
Look at page 178 in your text

18. CAN YOU PASS THE TEST?
Which of the following was NOT a way that Confucianism influenced China?
Emphasis on family and family values
Expansion of manufacturing and trade
Emphasis on service to society
Well-educated government officials

19. CAN YOU PASS THE TEST?
What were the two principles that Confucius believed people should follow?

20. CAN YOU PASS THE TEST?
What was a scholar-official?

21. CAN YOU PASS THE TEST?
In what way do Confucianism and Buddhism differ?
Buddhism stresses military charitable deeds.
Confucianism stresses ethical behavior and Buddhism stresses a spiritual outlook that promises escape from suffering.
Buddhism teaches people to value public service while Confucianism teaches that personal satisfaction is important.
Confucianism places high value on artistic talents and Buddhism teaches one to ignore art.

22. CAN YOU PASS THE TEST?
How did Buddhism influence Chinese culture?

23. CAN YOU PASS THE TEST?
Why did people turn to Buddhism during the Period of Disunion?