Faith and Ritual
What does "Lao Tzu" mean?
"old master"
What is "wu-wei?"
it means "inaction" ("creative quietude", etc.)
What is a "sage"?
a wise person; someone who is in harmony with the Tao through their actions or lifestyle; a practicing Taoist
What is the primary "religious" text of Taoism?
Tao Te Ching
Confucian: the "way of humanity (we can/should be)"
Taoist: the "way of Nature (we are)"
Who is "the Master"?
Confucius
What is "li," and what is "te?"
Li = "rite" or "sacred ritual" (propriety, appropriate behavior at any given moment or circumstance)
Te = "virtue" (of leading by example)
Who can be a "sage" of the Taoist tradition or a chun-tzu of the Confucian tradition?
anyone who practices wu-wei or the virtues taught by Lao Tzu and Confucius, respectively
paradoxes
What is Yin and Yang, what do Taoists/Confucians believe about the nature of humanity?
Yang - masculine, heavenly, light, strength
Yin - feminine, earthly, weakness, darkness,
BALANCE within ourselves (Yin/Yang) and our environment (wu-wei) is the GOAL; we are imperfect ("imbalanced") beings of nature due to our "tendency" to behave according to the "Yang" within ourselves; access more of Yin to balance with Yang
Describe the era of China's history in which Lao Tzu and Confucius lived and taught.
the Warring States; civil war among provinces for 200 years (Zhou Dynasty)
What are two translations of a chun-tzu (junzi)?
a "gentleman" or "mature person"
Who are the second founders of Confucianism and Taoism?
Mencius (Confucianism) and Chuang Tzu (Taoism)
What are the two "strands" of Taoist believers, and how does each "practice" their religion (becoming one with the Tao)?
"philosophical" Taoists attempt to understand the mystery of the Tao by reading (Tao Te Ching, Chuang Tzu) or discussion of paradoxical expressions or relative moral issues
"religious" or "popular" Taoists attempt to achieve immortality through exercise (Tai Chi), diet (herbal remedies), and meditative practices
his mother (poor, single, paid his way in youth)
Lao Tzu (instructed him at some point as an adult)
Name four of the six "ethical practices" involved in a day-to-day approach to "wu-wei" AND describe them.
naturalism
humility
non-aggression
non-competition
naturalness
passive rule
Why did Chu Hsi (and other Chinese philosophers) revisit traditional ethics, fostering a Neo-Confucianism?
What are the "four books" of Confucianism?
the Analects
the Book of Mencius
the Great Learning
the Doctrine of the Mean
For a confucian, what would be a "religious ritual"? Why?
any action in life; behaving with propriety (Li) towards other people, leading by example, being good when no one sees: ALL ARE SACRED MOMENTS AND ACTS
born at 82, with a beard, conceived by a shooting star
What is the Confucian ideal of wen, and what are four aspects of it original practice?
being skilled in the "cultural arts," including...
poetry (grammar/language), music, archery, horse-back/chariot riding, calligraphy (handwriting), mathematics
What are the five "constant relationships" according to Confucianism?
father-son
elder-younger
husband-wife
ruler-subject
friend-friend
circumstances and limited knowledge or wisdom determine how we INTERPRET what is right and wrong; ultimately, ethics are only defined by the individual and how they see things; there is no ultimate "right" or "wrong"