Chinese Popular Religion Chp 13 Flashcards
Which dynasty would Chinese Religion trace from?
Xia Dynasty
Who would have ruled in the mythical period of the Xia dyansty?
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
Who was the creator god in the Shang dynasty?
Shangdi
What are two distinctive traits of Chinese religions?
1) the alliance of the political community with religion
2) the reliance on divination
When yin and yang are correctly balanced, how is it expressed?
It is expressed by the Dao, “the way,” the correct flow of things in proper harmony
What is the Yijing (I’Ching)?
The “Book of Changes,” counted among the Confucian classics, provided method of divination
What were the four Chinese schools of thought that emerged in the sixth century as the Zhou dynasty started to fade?
1) Mohism - embracing the principle of universal love would restore the empire
2) Fajia (legalist) - resolving the problems of the empire through a strong government without resorting to any further ideology.
3) Daoism - quietism, The solution to the problems of the empire lies in doing as little as possible so that the Dao can manifest itself.
4) Confucianism - Confucius wanted all people to return to the basic model of the ideal state as it was supposedly lived out in the golden age a long time ago under the original ideal emperors.
What book embodied the teachings of Daoism?
Daodejing
What are the core concepts in Confucius’ teaching?
the principle of ren, “the attitude of seeking the welfare of other people.”
the principle of li, “the principle of doing
the right thing at the right time”
Who were the three well-known philosophers that interpreted and elaborated on Confucianism?
1) Mengzi - humans inherently good, confucianism bring out the good
2) Xunzi - humans inherently evil, confucianism constrains the evil
3) Zhu Xi - expanded the concept of li.
What is the goal of Chinese religions?
The goal of the religion, broadly speaking, is this-worldly. In a sense the popular religious infrastructure exists to support the human being’s pursuit of prosperity, health and overall success in life.
According to Chinese Religions, how can one ensure good fortune?
Homes should be built and kept according to the principles of feng shui
Describe fengshui
Feng shui is the attempt to situate oneself in the optimal current (feng shui literally means “wind and water”) of spiritual forces, avoiding the evil ones and harnessing the good ones.
In Chinese Religions what are the three thing one must do to ensure an optimal afterlife?
(1) live a long life and establish an honorable legacy among those left behind;
(2) accumulate wealth so that his or her family can afford to supply the deceased with its equivalent for the afterlife;
(3) have several generations of descendants so that all of the proper rites will be maintained on behalf of the deceased.
