Concept and etymology

The Buddha, Laozi, and Confucius in a Ming dynasty painting

"Three laughs at Tiger Brook", a Song dynasty (12th century) painting portraying three men
representing Confucianism, Taoism (Daoism), and Buddhism laughing together.

See also: Religio and History of Religion

Religion (from O.Fr. religion religious community, from L. religionem (nom. religio) "respect for what
is sacred, reverence for the gods, sense of right, moral obligation, sanctity",[14] "obligation, the bond
between man and the gods"[15]) is derived from the Latin religiō, the ultimate origins of which are
obscure. One possible interpretation traced to Cicero, connects lego read, i.e. re (again) with lego in
the sense of choose, go over