Religion
or Shangshu, the Book of History is conventionally
CONFUCIANISM
Confucianism emphasizes the ethical dimension of the
world, it gives primary attention to human relationships,
thus advocating social values and ideals which should
serve as the foundation of Chinese society.
AS A PHILOSOPHY
 Those who argue that Confucianism is a philosophy
assert that when Kung Fuzi founded Confucianism,
he never meant to establish a new religion; he
merely wanted to interpret and revive the ancient
faith of the Zhou dynasty.
 Advocates of Confucianism as a philosophy further
argue that Kung Fuzi seldom touched on religious
matters, thus branding him as a humanist advancing
practical and ethical wisdom.
As stated in The Analects, Confucius believed that social
harmony would naturally follow from the proper ordering
of individuals in relation to one another, with the family
unit as the basic building block of society.
The Five Classics is a group of books that were regarded
as early Confucianism’s basic texts.
 Book of Changes, also known as the I-Ching, the Book
of Changes is believed to have existed at the time of
Confucius and is the oldest of the Classics.
 Book of History, also known as the Book of Documents
attributed to Confucius by early scholars.
 Book of Poetry, also known as the Book of
Songs/Odes/Shijing, is a collection of three hundred
and five songs.
 Classic of Rites, originally the Three Li/Three Rites/San
Li, the Classic of Rites is a compilation of ceremonial
rituals, administration, and social forms of the Zhou
Dynasty.
 Analects, or Lunyu (“conversations” or “sayings”), is
also known as the Analects of Confucius. It is a
collection of sayings and idea
CONFUCIAN DOCTRINES/BELIEFS
 Belief in Tian or “heaven, ” is an all-encompassing
god. Tian may also refer to that which is beyond
human control.
 Human Nature as Originally Good or Evil. Mengzi
(or Mencius) believed that all human beings are
born with innate goodness while Xunzi believed
that human nature is basically evil but both can be
improved through self-cultivation.
 Filial Piety as an Important Virtue. For Confucius,
family relations provide a model for social behavior.
 The Five Constants (also known as the Five Classical
Virtues). These are Ren or Benevolence, Yi or
 Righteousness, Li or Propriety, Zhi or Wisdom, and
Xin or Fidelity.
DAOISM/TAOISM
THE VINEGAR TASTERS
The three men are Confucius, Buddha, and Laozi,
respectively. Each man's expression represents the
predominant attitude of his philosophy: Confucianism
saw life as sour, in need of rules to correct the
degeneration of people; Buddhism saw life as bitter,
dominated by pain and suffering due to the attachment to
possessions and material desires; and Taoism saw life as
sweet due to it being fundamentally perfect in its natural
state.
DAOISM
Taoism or Daoism is a Chinese philosophy and folk religion
of people primarily in the rural areas of China. Taoism's
primary idea and focus is the Tao (way, path), which must
be followed, not taking any action contrary to nature and
finding a place in the natural order of things.
 The roots of Taoism can be traced to Lao-tzu and
his text Tao Te Ching (the Classic of the Way and its’
Power), dated to the 6th century BC, however, the
teachings in the text are older.
 Lao-Tzu believed in the harmony of all things and
that people could live easily together if they only
considered each other’s feelings and recognized
that their self-interest was not always in the best
interests of others. Lao-Tzu became irritated by the
corrupt government. He realized that he can’t
change people’s behavior and decided to go into
exile
Tao Te Ching (“Book ofthe Way and its Power, or
Manifestation”)
A work of seminal importance to Taoism and influential
on Zen Buddhism, this work is elliptical and often
mystifying, perhaps the inevitable result of trying to
describe in words what the author insists is ineffable,
unnameable, and unknowable. Although traditionally
attributed to Lao-tzu, many scholars now believe the work
was composed centuries after his death.
WU WEI - The method of following the Tao is called Wu
Wei. Wu Wei means living by or going along with the true
nature of the world - or at least without obstructing the
Tao - letting things take their natural course.
YIN YANG - Yin Yang is the principle of natural and
complementary forces, patterns, and things that depend
on one another and do not make sense on their own.
CHI - Chi is the force that animates the universe. Chi is a
primal substance that animates the universe in Taoism, a
mysterious force introduced to us by ancient Chinese
myths and legends that have also told us about Tai Chi
and about Tao. Chi is the force that sets the world and
everything in it into motion.
The Eight (8) Important Taoist Symbol
The "Eight Symbols" or "Eight Trigrams" Here, we see the
eight trigrams of the Ba Gua arranged around a Yin-Yang
Symbol. Elizabeth Reninger
“He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers
himself is mighty." - The Tao Te Ching
SHINTOISM
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The term “Shinto” came from
“Shentao/Shendao” , shen means divine beings or kami
and dao means “the way, ” hence Shintoism means “the
way of the kami.” The term first appeared in the Nihongi
and Kojiki (or probably much earlier). It was used in order
to help distinguish kami-no-Michi (the Japanese Way of
the Gods).
The development of Shintoism in Japan has a long history.
During the prehistoric period in Japan, animism was
evident in the agricultural affairs of the people.
Agricultural rites were celebrated seasonally and all
communal religious activities were focused on objects or
places believed to be inhabited by kami or spirits
One such story is the “Story of Creation, ” which narrates
that in the beginning there were two kami, Izanagi-no-
Mikoto (male) and Izanami-no-Mikoto (female). It was
said that after Izanagi’s creative work on earth, he went
up to heaven while Izanami was left permanently on earth
as the queen of the lower world. According to the myth,
Amaterasu-o-mi-kami, the goddess of the sun, came out
of Izanagi’s left eye while Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto came out
of his right eye, and Susa-no-Wo-no-Mikoto came from
his nostrils.
Amaterasu-Omikami, who is believed to have come from
the left eye of the sky god Izanagi, is considered the sun
goddess and the ancestor of the Japanese imperial family,
with Emperor Jimmu Tenno, Amaterasu’s great-grandson,
as the first emperor of Japan.
SACRED SCRIPTURES
- Kojiki - As one of the most important texts on
Shintoism, Kojiki is composed of three books: the
 first is the Age of kami, which narrates the magic. They often carry personal amulets and their
mythology, while the second and third books homes are guarded by magical charms in the form of
discuss the imperial lineage, narrating the events lintel placards or different talismanic symbols placed on
concerning the imperial family up to the death of the altars for their deities.
the thirty-third ruler, Empress Suiko.
The Torri gate is the most common symbol of Shintoism. It
- Nihon shoki/Nihongi - Meanwhile, the Nihon shoki
marks the entrance to a sacred space which is the Shinto
or Nihongi record the descent of the Yamato rulers
shrine. It represents the transition between the worlds of
of Japan from the gods. It represents a combination
humans and the worlds of the gods and goddesses. It is
of a political purpose with folklores and myths.
believed to prepare the visitor for their interaction with
WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES the spirits by signifying the sacredness of the location. It is
traditionally made of wood or stone, but now most toriis
1. Hatsumiyamairi ( First Shrine Visit). Newborn
are made of concrete and steel.
children are taken to the shrine to seek protection
from the kami.
2. Shichi-go-san (Seven-Five-Three). The Festival is
observed every 15th of November by boys of five
years and girls of three and seven years of age, who
visit the shrine to give thanks for the protection
provided by the kami and to ask for their healthy
growth.
3. Funeral rites. Since death is considered impure,
most Japanese funerals are Buddhist in nature;
Shintoism’s funeral practices are called sosai.
Magical Charms and Amulets
Aside from worshiping the kami at the shrines, one of the
main attractions at the shrines is the sale and distribution
of charms or amulets. Shintoists believe that these
amulets provide protection and can even be a source of