Week

Subject
No.
INDEPENDENT STUDY GUIDE
Computer Site Ins. Inc.
(ISG) Introduction to World
13
Religions and Belief Systems

Score
Name Grade/Section

Teacher Ms. Josefa C. Iñosa Date

Content
TAOISM
Standard/Topic:

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this ISG, I will learn to:
1. Explain that Tao is the origin of all beings whose essence is nothing
2. Give examples of acts showing love and respect of nature and the environment
3. Explain the core teaching of Taoism which is becoming one with Tao

INTRODUCTION

Taoism (also known as Daoism) is a Chinese philosophy attributed to Lao Tzu (c. 500 BCE) which
contributed to the folk religion of the people primarily in the rural areas of China and became the official
religion of the country under the Tang Dynasty. Taoism is therefore both a philosophy and a religion. It
emphasizes doing what is natural and "going with the flow" in accordance with the Tao (or Dao), a cosmic
force which flows through all things and binds and releases them.
The philosophy grew from an observance of the natural world, and the religion developed out of a belief in
cosmic balance maintained and regulated by the Tao. The original belief may or may not have included
practices such as ancestor and spirit worship but both of these principles are observed by many Taoists
today and have been for centuries.
Taoism exerted a great influence during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) and the emperor Xuanzong
(reigned 712-756 CE) decreed it a state religion, mandating that people keep Taoist writings in their home.
It fell out of favor as the Tang Dynasty declined and was replaced by Confucianism and Buddhism but the
religion is still practiced throughout China and other countries today.

DISCUSSION

I. Taoism at a Glance
 Taoism is an ancient tradition of philosophy and religious belief that is deeply rooted in Chinese
customs and worldview.

 Taoism is also referred to as “Daoism”.

 Taoism is about the Tao. This is usually translated as The Way.

 The Tao is the ultimate creative principle of the universe, which means that all things are unified
Page 1 of 14
 and connected in the Tao.

II. Origin of Taoism

 Taoism is a Chinese philosophy attributed to an ancient philosopher in the name of Lao Tzu which
contributed to the folk religion of the people primarily in the rural areas of China and became the
official religion of the country under the Tang Dynasty.

 It has no founder and no exact founding date.

 It emphasizes doing what is natural and going with the flow in accordance with the Tao, a cosmic
force which flows through all things and binds and releases them.

 Zhang Daoling became the first Celestial Master and founder of the first organized Taoist school of
thought.

 This tradition continues to the present day, with the current Celestial Master living in Taiwan.

 Taoism was first recognized as a religious system during the 4th and 3rd centuries.

 The publication of the Tao Te Ching and other works provided a focus for Taoist thinking which was
rooted in the ideas of the Taoist thinkers, to which were added local religious rituals and beliefs.

III. Key Figures of Taoism

1. Lao Tzu (Laozi) (www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism)
Lao Tzu (Laozi) is traditionally described as the founder of Taoism, but modern writers think he is a
legendary figure, and that the book attributed to him - the Tao Te Ching - is actually a collection of writings
by many different wise people. In that way it's like the Biblical Book of Proverbs.
The term Lao Tzu may not be the name of a person, but a reference to 'the old master', meaning the
accumulated wisdom of the elders, the wise old men and women of the culture in which Taoism originated.
However, at the time the Tao Te Ching was written down there may have been sound political reasons to
give it the prestige of being a philosophical treatise by a master philosopher, one who could give lessons to
Confucius (as he appears to do at points in the text.)
Over the centuries the legend of Lao Tzu developed. The first biography appeared around the 1st century
BCE. Later mythological developments cast Lao Tzu in three roles - the original pure manifestation of the
Tao as a God, the human philosopher who wrote the Tao Te Ching, and the Buddha.
2. Chuang Tzu (Chuangzi)
The other main figure of Taoism is Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi), who lived around the 3rd century BCE. Chuang
Tzu has a book attributed to him, called the Chuang-Tzu after the practice of referring to Chinese texts by
the names of their authors.

IV. Sacred Texts

1. Tao Te Ching
 It means the way and its power.

 It is the key book of Taoism.

 It was compiled around 3rd Century BCE, and it was also known as Lao Tzu (the name of Taoism’s
recognized founder)

 This short book of around 5,000 Chinese characters is divided into 81 brief chapters filled with

Page 2 of 14
 short, enigmatic paragraphs of advice on life and poetic descriptions of the nature of the universe.

 It is believed that no one person wrote Tao Te Ching although elementary books usually say it was
written by Lao Tzu.

 The book is classified as a collection of proverbs and sayings of many anonymous people over a long
period of time.

 Taoist regard the Tao Te Ching as an essential guide to living a spiritual and ethical life.

2. Chuang Tzu
 It is classified as a collection of wisdom put in writing by many different people.

V. Key Concepts of Taoism

1. Concept of Tao
 The Tao is not a thing or a substance in the conventional sense of its essence.

 It cannot be perceived but it can be observed in the things of the world.

 It gives rise to all beings, it does not itself have being.

 It might be more helpful to regard Tao as a system of guidance.

 The Tao is not god and is not worshipped. Taoism does include many deities but although these are
worshipped in Taoist temples, they are part of the universe and depend on the Tao.

 This Tao includes several concepts in one word:

o The source of creation

o The ultimate

o The inexpressible and indefinable

o The unnamable

o The natural universe as a whole

o The way of nature as a whole

2. Concept of Yin and Yang

 Yin and Yang is the principle of natural and complementary forces, patterns and things that depend
on one another and do not make sense of their own.

 This could be masculine or feminine, but they could also be darkness and light, wet and dry or
action and inaction.

3. Concept of Wu Wei
 It is the method of following the Tao.

 This can be translated as unconditional action or natural intervention.

Page 3 of 14
  Wu Wei is sometimes translated as non-action but this should not be construed as nothing at all
gets done.

4. Concept of Tzu Jan

 Tzu Jan is translated as naturalness or spontaneity, but this is rather misleading.

 It is the condition that something will be in if it is permitted to exist and develop naturally and
without interference or conflict.

 The Taoist idea is to fulfill that which is naturally so, and the way to do this is Wu Wei.

5. Concept of Te
 Te is translated as virtual.

 Another way of looking at Te is an awareness of the Tao together with the capabilities that enable a
person to follow the Tao.

 Professor Victor Mair suggests that a better translation for Te is integrity.

6. Concept of Wu and Yu
 Wu and Yu are non-being and being, or not having and having.

 Wu implies inexhaustibly or timeliness.

 Some writers suggest that Wu can be directly experienced by human beings.

7. Concept of The One

 The One is the essence of Tao- the essential energy of life, the possession of which enables things
and beings to be truly themselves and in accord with the Tao.

 Taoists texts sometimes refer to the Tao as the Mother and the One as the Son.

VI. Relating to the Tao

 The Tao cannot be described in words.

 The most important thing about the Tao is how it works in the world, and how human beings relate
to it.

 The Tao is considered as a system of guidance and if one does this one can translate achieving
union with the Tao into developing oneself so as to live in complete conformity with the teachings
of the Tao which is easier to understand and closer to the truth.

VII. Four Principles of Taoism about the Relationship of Human and Nature
1. Follow Earth
 The Tao Te Ching says “Humanity follows the Earth, Earth follows the Heaven, Heaven follows the
Tao, and Tao follows what is natural.

 Taoists therefore obey the Earth which means that they should help everything grows according to
its own way.

Page 4 of 14
  They should cultivate the way of non-action or “wu wei” and let nature be itself.

2. Harmony with nature

 In Taoism, everything is composed of two opposite forces as Yin and Yang.

 These two forces are in constant struggle within everything. When they reach harmony the energy
if life is created.

 Someone who understands this principle will not exploit nature, but will treat it well and learn from
it.

 It is obvious that in the long run the excessive use of nature will bring about disaster and even
extinction of humanity.

3. Too much success

 If the pursuit of development runs counter to the harmony and balance of nature, even if it is of
great and immediate interest and profit, people should restrain themselves from it.

 Insatiable human desire leads to the over-exploitation of natural resources.

 To Taoist followers, to be too successful to be on the path of defeat.

3. Affluence in biodiversity
 Taoism has a unique sense of value in that it judges affluence by the number of different species.

 If all things in the universe grow well, then a society is a community of affluence. If not this society
is on the decline.

 This view encourages both government and people to take good care of nature.

 This thought is a special contribution of Taoism in the conservation of nature.

SELF-TEST QUESTIONS
Instructions:
Explain that Tao is the origin of all beings whose essence is nothing.

STUDENT’S INSIGHT

REFERENCES
Quebral, Villamor S., Ed.D, Pathways of Devotion, An Introduction to World Great Religions,
Lorimar Publishing, 2018

Page 5 of 14
  For
Teacher’s Remark  Complete  Incomplete  Redo
Consultation

Page 6 of 14
 Week
Subject
No.
Computer Site Ins. Inc. ACTIVITY SHEET
Introduction to World
13
Religions and Belief Systems

Score
Name Grade/Section

Teacher Ms. Josefa C. Iñosa Date

Content
TAOISM
Standard/Topic:

INSTRUCTIONS

COPY THE QUESTION GIVEN AND ANSWER IT IN A YELLOW SHEET OF PAPER.

TASKS

1. Give examples of acts showing love and respect of nature and the environment
2. Explain the core teaching of Taoism which is becoming one with Tao

RUBRIC
You will be graded according to these criteria

Areas of A B C D
Assessment
Ideas Presents ideas in an Presents ideas in a
Ideas are too general Ideas are vague or
original manner consistent manner unclear
Organization Strong and organized Organized Some organization; No organization;
beg/mid/end beg/mid/end attempt at a lack beg/mid/end
beg/mid/end
Understanding Writing shows strong Writing shows a Writing shows Writing shows
understanding clear understanding adequate little
understanding understanding
Word Choice Sophisticated use of Nouns and verbs Needs more nouns Little or no use of
nouns and verbs make make essay and verbs nouns and verbs
the essay very informative
informative
Sentence Sentence structure Sentence structure is Sentence structure is No sense of
Structure enhances meaning; evident; sentences limited; sentences sentence structure
flows throughout the mostly flow need to flow or flow
piece
Mechanics Few (if any) errors Few errors Several errors Numerous errors

SUPERIOR=50 points

Page 7 of 14
ADEQUATE=40 points
MINIMAL=30 points
INADEQUATE=20 points

Page 8 of 14
 Week
Subject
No.
INDEPENDENT STUDY GUIDE
Computer Site Ins. Inc.
(ISG) Introduction to World
14
Religions and Belief Systems

Score
Name Grade/Section

Teacher Ms. Josefa C. Iñosa Date

Content
SHINTOISM
Standard/Topic:

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this ISG, I will learn to:
1. Explain why it is important for Japanese people to worship gods
2. Evaluate the core teaching of Shintoism
3. Interpret the Kojiki Story creatively

INTRODUCTION
Shintō, indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Japan. The word Shintō, which literally means “the way
of kami” (generally sacred or divine power, specifically the various gods or deities), came into use in order
to distinguish indigenous Japanese beliefs from Buddhism, which had been introduced into Japan in the
6th century CE. Shintō has no founder, no official sacred scriptures in the strict sense, and no fixed dogmas,
but it has preserved its guiding beliefs throughout the ages. Shintō consists of the traditional Japanese
religious practices as well as the beliefs and life attitudes that are in accord with these practices. Shintō is
more readily observed in the social life of the Japanese people and in their personal motivations than in a
pattern of formal belief or philosophy. It remains closely connected with the Japanese value system and
the Japanese people’s ways of thinking and acting.

DISCUSSION
I. Taoism at a Glance
 Shinto is the indigenous religious belief system of Japan.

 The word Shinto which literally means the way of Kami. Kami means mystical, superior or divine.

 Shinto has no specific founder, no official sacred scriptures, in the strict sense of word, and no fixed
dogmas.

II. Shinto Influence to Japanese Way of Life

 Shinto consists of the traditional Japanese religious practices as well as the beliefs and life attitudes
that are in accord with these practices.

 It remains closely connected with the Japanese value system and the Japanese way of thinking and
acting.

III. Three Major Types of Shinto

Page 9 of 14
1. Shinto Shrine (Jinjo Shinto)
 It has been in existence from the beginning of Japanese history to the present day.

 It constitutes a main current of Shinto traditions and it includes within its structure the now defunct
State Shinto based on the total identity of religion and state, and has close relations with the
Japanese Imperial Family.

2. Sect Shinto (Kyoka Shinto)

 It is a relatively new movement consisting of 13 major sects that originated in Japan around the 19 th
century and of several others that emerged after World War II.

 Each sect was organized into a religious body by either a founder or a systematizer.

3. Folk Shinto (Miuzoku Shinto)

 It is an aspect of a Japanese folk belief that is closely connected with the other types of Shinto.

 It is centered on the veneration of small roadside images and in the agricultural rites of small
families.

 Folk Shinto exists as the substructure of Shinto faith, and a Sect Shinto follower is usually also a
parishioner (ujiko) of a particular Shinto Shrine.

IV. Two Worldviews of Shinto

1. Three-dimensional View
 It is in which the Plain of High Heaven (Takama no Hara, the Kami’s world), the Middle Land
(Nakatsukumi, the present world), and the Hades (Yomi no Kuni, the world after death) were
arranged in vertical order.

2. Two-dimensional View
 It is one in which this world and the perpetual country (Tokoyo, a Utopian place far beyond the sea)
existed in horizontal order.

V. Sacred Books of Shinto

Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and Nihongi (Chronicles of Japan)
 These are regarded in a sense as sacred books of Shinto.

 They were written in 712 and 720 C.E., respectively.

 These two sacred books are not only compilations of ancient traditions of ancient Shinto but they
are also books about the history, topography and literature of ancient Japan.

 By interpreting the myths and religious practices these books describe, it is possible to construct
Shinto doctrines from them.

VI. The Importance of Worshipping gods or Kamis

 At the core of Shinto are beliefs in the mysterious creating and harmonizing power (musubi) of
Kami and the truthful way or will (mokoto) of Kami.

 The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words, because kami transcends the cognitive

Page 10 of 14
 faculty of man.

 Devoted followers are able to understand Kami through faith and usually recognize various Kamis in
polytheistic forms.

 Parishioners of a Shrine belive in the tutelary Kami as the source of human life and existence.

 Each Kami has a divine personality and responds to truthful prayers.

 The Kami also reveals mokoto to people and guides them to live in accordance with it.

 Mokoto is not an abstract ideology. It can be recognized every moment in every individual thing in
the encounter between man and kami.

VII. The Core Teaching of Shintoism

“Worship the ancestors and forces of nature to achieve harmony in all dimensions.”
 In Shinto, all the deities are said to cooperate with one another.

 A life lived in accordance with a Kami’s will is believed to produce a mystical power that gains the
protection, cooperation, and approval of all the particular Kamis.

 Shinto is also described as a religion of “tsunagari” (continuity or communion).

 The Japanese, while recognizing each man as an individual or personality he/she does not take him
as a solitary being separated from others.

 On the contrary, he is regarded as the bearer of long continuous history that comes down from his
ancestors and continues in his descendants.

 It is imperative to Shinto believers to worship their ancestors to perpetuate their relationships with
them, and pay respect to the forces of nature as perceived manifestations of the mystical powers of
the different Kamis in order to achieve harmony in all life dimensions.

SELF-TEST QUESTIONS
Instructions:
1. Interpret the Kojiki Story creatively

STUDENT’S INSIGHT

REFERENCES
Quebral, Villamor S., Ed.D, Pathways of Devotion, An Introduction to World Great Religions,
Lorimar Publishing, 2018

Page 11 of 14
 

 For
Teacher’s Remark  Complete  Incomplete  Redo
Consultation

Page 12 of 14
 Week
Subject
No.
Computer Site Ins. Inc. ACTIVITY SHEET
Introduction to World
14
Religions and Belief Systems

Score
Name Grade/Section

Teacher Ms. Josefa C. Iñosa Date

Content
SHINTOISM
Standard/Topic:

INSTRUCTIONS

COPY THE QUESTION GIVEN AND ANSWER IT IN A YELLOW SHEET OF PAPER.

TASKS
LEARNING TARGET

1. Identify the uniqueness and similarities of Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism

2. Provide evidence that Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism as East Asian religions/philosophies have
largely influenced the world today
3. Justify that Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism as East Asian religions/philosophies have largely
influenced the world today.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Direction: Compare and contrast Confucianism, Taoism and Shintoism by completing the information in the
table below.
RELIGION/BELIEF CONFUCIANISM TAOISM SHINTOISM
Origin of the
Universe and
Mankind
Morality
Purpose of Life
Destiny
Views on Women

RUBRIC

You will be graded according to these criteria

Areas of A B C D
Assessment
Ideas Presents ideas in an Presents ideas in a Ideas are too general Ideas are vague or
original manner consistent manner unclear

Page 13 of 14
Organization Strong and organized Organized Some organization; No organization;
beg/mid/end beg/mid/end attempt at a lack beg/mid/end
beg/mid/end
Understanding Writing shows strong Writing shows a Writing shows Writing shows
understanding clear understanding adequate little
understanding understanding
Word Choice Sophisticated use of Nouns and verbs Needs more nouns Little or no use of
nouns and verbs make make essay and verbs nouns and verbs
the essay very informative
informative
Sentence Sentence structure Sentence structure is Sentence structure is No sense of
Structure enhances meaning; evident; sentences limited; sentences sentence structure
flows throughout the mostly flow need to flow or flow
piece
Mechanics Few (if any) errors Few errors Several errors Numerous errors

SUPERIOR=50 points
ADEQUATE=40 points
MINIMAL=30 points
INADEQUATE=20 points

Page 14 of 14