The nature of Confucian and Taoist?
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Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism constitute the essence of the traditional Chinese culture. The relationship among the three has been marked by both contention and complementation in history, with Confucianism playing a more dominant role.
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Wow, are you ever way off.\n\nIt is only recently that the East has had such poverty.  They were advanced beyond the West in many eras.  \n\nTheir spirituality is so pure.  They do not have this limited vision of God, that there is one way and one way only to God, and that if you don't follow that way, then you are off to hell.\n\nThey encourage spiritual seeking, thinking deeply, searching the soul, looking deep within, and realizing the ultimate Truth.  Whereas in the West, you just read a book, and mimic whatever it tells you to believe.\n\nEDIT:  I also want to add that you are possibly judging spirituality by materiality, and that is not correct in my opinion.\nI would rather be happy and poor than wealthy and miserable.  I think in the West, people are wealthy and miserable.  Those who live simpler lives are often much more fulfilled spiritually.\n\nI once heard a Chinese man say that he "tried Taoism" but was so unimpressed, because he never got rich practicing Taoism!  How silly!  You do not practice a religion to get rich!  His mind was focusing on the wrong goals.
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They both sound really good; HOWEVER, my obsessive-compulsive disorder is making me have to punctuate them for you and make a few minor changes!\n\n"At first glance, one could not possibly understand the similarities between Buddhism and Christianity.  Although both religions differ in their views on man's ultimate destiny, they are both driven by the proclamation that the ultimate responsibility to one's destiny lies solely upon himself.  Unlike Hinduism, both Buddhism and Christianity are known as "world religions" that attribute followers, not merely in one country, but all over the world."\n\nOkay, I started to fix the second paragraph, but then I noticed that in one breath you're saying that both religions "differ from their views on man's ultimate destiny" and in the next breath, you're saying that "they are both driven by the proclaim that the ultimate responsibility to one's destiny lies upon themselves"  which is completely contradictory!  So I couldn't go any further.  You should use the first paragraph...it sounds great!
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Lao-tzu said that if a man could concentrate fully on a single question for just five minutes he could conquer the world. \n\nZen meditation is, in fact, a discipline. On the surface it may appear that a "meditator" is blissed out, the zen features are a grounding of one's self so as to respond to the world in a non-reactive way. \n\nPeace.
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Depending on how it is defined, Taoism's origins may be traced to the prehistoric Chinese religion; to the composition of the Daodejing (third or fourth century BCE); or to the activity of Zhang Daoling (second century CE). Alternatively, one could argue that "Taoism" as a religious identity only arose later, by way of contrast with the newly-arrived religion of Buddhism, or with the fourth-century codification of the Shangching and Lingbao texts.\n\nThe texts of the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi date back to the Warring States Period (403-222 BCE). Scholars disagree as to which is earlier (if the question has any meaning given the likelihood of each being composed by multiple authors over a gradual period). Some parts of the Zhuangzi quote some parts of the Daodejing. The name "Laozi" may have been assigned to the latter because of Sima Qian's assertion that a certain "Laozi" was the teacher of Confucius (thus giving Taoism seniority over its ideological rival).\n\nBoth texts are claimed by later Taoist religious movements, who variously interpret them in line with their own beliefs. To what extent such readings accurately reflect their original meaning, is a point of controversy.
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*Muttering for some of my better answers this last week got caught in those deletions*\nI myself am a rather strange mixture of eastern (mostly Buddhist), druidic and shamanistic beliefs. As to information sources, this one seems pretty good for a one stop comparison of most major religions including wicca. http://www.religionfacts.com
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Taoism is about Balance Yin and Yang. I have the tao te ching the te of piglet but even books dont exactly cover it......\n\n\n    * "Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river." Lao Tse\n    * "Different Chinese philosophers, writing probably in 5-4 centuries B.C., presented some major ideas and a way of life that are nowadays known under the name of Taoism, the way of correspondence between man and the tendency or the course of natural world." Alan Watts, from his book: "Tao: The Watercourse Way."\n    * "We believe in the formless and eternal Tao, and we recognize all personified deities as being mere human constructs. We reject hatred, intolerance, and unnecessary violence, and embrace harmony, love and learning, as we are taught by Nature. We place our trust and our lives in the Tao, that we may live in peace and balance with the Universe, both in this mortal life and beyond." Creed of the Western Reform Taoist Congregation 1\n\nHistory of Taoism:\n\nTao (pronounced "Dow") can be roughly translated into English as path, or the way. It is basically indefinable. It has to be experienced. It "refers to a power which envelops, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living. The Tao regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the Universe. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.)" 2 \n\nThe founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao-Tse (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius. (Alternative spellings: Lao Tze, Lao Tsu, Lao Tzu, Laozi, Laotze, etc.). He was searching for a way that would avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime. The result was his book: Tao-te-Ching (a.k.a. Daodejing). Others believe that he is a mythical character. \n\nTaoism started as a combination of psychology and philosophy but evolved into a religious faith in 440 CE when it was adopted as a state religion. At that time Lao-Tse became popularly venerated as a deity. Taoism, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, became one of the three great religions of China. With the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911, state support for Taoism ended. Much of the Taoist heritage was destroyed during the next period of warlordism. After the Communist victory in 1949, religious freedom was severely restricted. "The new government put monks to manual labor, confiscated temples, and plundered treasures. Several million monks were reduced to fewer than 50,000" by 1960. 3 During the cultural revolution in China from 1966 to 1976, much of the remaining Taoist heritage was destroyed. Some religious tolerance has been restored under Deng Xiao-ping from 1982 to the present time. \n\nTaoism currently has about 20 million followers, and is primarily centered in Taiwan. About 30,000 Taoists live in North America; 1,720 in Canada (1991 census). Taoism has had a significant impact on North American culture in areas of "acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation and martial arts..." 3
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" opposing and complimentary forces in taoism\nthey represent a balance, like man and woman, black and white, good and evil etc." The only thing he forgot is that if you look at YinYang there is some black in the white and some white in the black.This of course symbolizes that there are no absolutes that we contain allof the elements within us.And we each balance them as best we can
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Taoism can mean many things to many different people.\n\nAt its simplest, Taoists don't "worship" anything but strive for the balance in the universe.\n\nWhen Buddhism was introduced into China, certain Taoist sects borrowed many of the deities from Buddhism, while others did not.\n\nThis is a complex question much akin to asking What do Christians worship? Christians believe similarly but not all set the same precedence on Christ, the Trinity or the Lord.
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In a very real sense one can consider Tai Chi Chuan to be a physical expression and manifestation of the principles and philosophy of Taoism\nhttp://www.taopage.org/\nhttp://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/taoism.html\nhttp://www.taoism.net/
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I thought Kung fu was Buddhist, Tai chi is Taoist so is Akaido.
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You have to understand that Buddhism blends wherever it goes. Although the core teachings remain intact, but the outer bark--the "form" that the religion/philosophy expresses--adapts to the receiving culture. Therefore, iconic representations of ideas or teachings differ from area to area. Tibetan Buddhism has a unique flavor, and so do Japanese Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, Sri Lankan Buddhism, and so on. \n\nYou can think of Buddhist teachings as a vehicle, a car. You'd have all sorts of models, parts, designs, etc., but a car is still a car despite all its variable forms to choose from. \n\nTo get back to your question, the Fat Buddha ("Laughing Buddha") has been an image exclusive to Chinese Buddhism. It has come to represent good luck and wealth, which reconciles amicably with the Chinese merchantship. As for the actual, historical Fat Buddha.. we don't know if he did exist. He's as far back as a legend. I could be wrong though, about the legend part; I'm not an expert in Chinese Buddhism. You have to go dig history. \n\nThe Buddha--Siddhartha Gautama--has taught, and lived, a life of moderation so it is insensible for people from any culture to portray him as having a fat, gluttonous belly.
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yes, of coz...\nit's deeply embedded into every chinese (not as a religion, but as a guide to morality and ethics).\nexamples: morals, loyalty to one's country, fillial piety, insistence on education, etc \n\nDaoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Christian 3%-4%, Muslim 1%-2%\nnote: officially atheist (2002 est.)\n\nconfucianism & ethical consumerism have no conflicts.
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Look into "Taoist sex"\n\nThe beginning stages of Taoism if you have a lover are:\n\n1. A man learns to sustain erection for as long as desired and regulates his ejaculation.\n\n2. Both partners re-direct sexual energy through the body into higher regions of the heart and brain.\n\n3. The lovers exchange their super charged energy with each other.
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confucius (551-479 BC) or kung-fu-zi was an ethical philosopher that (still) dominates  chinese moral values.\nhis defination of patriotism defines official moral and political doctrine since Han dynasty, until today.\n3 doctrines (or religions, if you consider buddhism & confucianism as religions) dominates chinese moral values until today : confucianism, buddhiam & taoism. these 3 doctrines interwoven each other so tightly, that even many chinese are confused. \nto answer your question, 'NO' is the answer. confucianism is not a religion, although some chinese pray to 'him' for luck in examinations *roll eyes*
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hi there, mehereintheeast.  I'm not sure exactly where you can take Chinese classes.  I took some Chinese a few years ago and the way I found a teacher was by going to the campus of a university and asking people who looked Chinese. (Amazingly, every person who I thought was Chinese was actually from China.)\n\nYou answered my question about Guru Rinpoche, and I have a few more questions about it.  Your answer implied that Buddhas are not monks.  Most forms of Buddhism consider Shakyamuni Buddha to have been a monk, and in the Pali texts, he refers to himself that way, as do his disciples.  Is there a different view in the Nyingma school?  In the present case, I am not calling only lamas monks, but all five levels of ordained practitioners as defined by Tibetan Buddhism. Also, is there any record of Padmasambhava having been ordained?  He trained at monasteries in India, but I don't think he was actually ordained.  And finally, have you had any contact with Tibetans, Nyingmapa or otherwise, who feel that his choice to have various female consorts prevents him from maintaining the status of being a monk?  I understand that some people there feel that way.\n\nThanks.
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1st of all, many chinese themselves confused buddhism, taoism & Confucianism altogether,as the these 3 theologies made a very deep impact in chinese culture.\nso, its a 'distorted' view that deities/ 'god' are auspicious.\n(buddha never said he is god, but that's another story altogether).\n2ndly, money/ wealth is very important to chinese way of life. why? because chinese seldom sees peace reigns for a long time. chinese often fight against chinese for the past 5000 years. therefore, with wealth, it equates with 'power'.\nso, to answer your question, why do people (assuming you meant chinese people, sorry if i'm wrong) believe a buddha is good luck, is because people needs affirmation that buddha protects them in wealth & health. it is public knowlege that buddha promotes compassion & loving-kindess.\n(buddha never said that if you pray to him, you'll get wealth & health either. another distorted point of view again).