a worldview, a pattern of acting in the world, a philosophy – not so much a "religion"
3 values are notable: Filial piety, humaneness, and ritual
influence in China 2,500 up to the present
Taoism
philosophy? or religion? a way of life?
founder Lao-tzu "the wise old man"
the Tao, "the Way", is the origin and law of all things.
yin / yang
Introduction to Hinduism
Common cliche
Overlay of Foreign concepts
The concepts of Hindu and Hinduism are problematic for several reasons.
Hindu and Hinduism are words of Persian origin from the 12th century C.E.; thus, they are not native to India.
Those who have conceptualized Hinduism have been western European
Hinduism Is / Is not
Hinduism is not just a part or aspect of Indian life or culture; it
is far more encompassing than that.
It structures and influences every aspect of Hindu life, including
arts,
music,
medicine,
etc.
Veda, classic Scripture
most authoritative text for Hinduism
composed between 2300 and 1200 B.C.E.
oldest named Rig contains thousands of songs of praise
many different gods sung to
e.g. The oldest and most important of these collections contains more than a thousand songs to various gods and goddesses and is aptly named the Rig, meaning praise. Scholars believe it was composed between 2300 and 1200 B.C.E.
Humans
The Veda regarded humans as being individual souls
and members of a stratified society.
For the Aryans, the essence of human life is the soul, which they associated with the breath, designated by the word atman.
The Aryans' strong emphasis on ritual over doctrine and belief - was the basis of the Vedic tradition.
Classical Hinduism
during Axial Age Vedic thought and ritual were re-evaluated
beginning of belief in afterlife
from cosmic maintenance to personal enlightenment
established the central problem of human existence for Hindus, viz. samsara
During its 2,500-year history, from the time of the Buddha to the present day, Buddhism has grown from a tiny religious community in northern India into a movement that now spans the globe.
the tradition begins simply with a human being – Siddhartha Gautama who found a solution to the problem of human suffering.
Buddhists focus on his experience, and they deny the existence of a single, almighty God.
The most basic Buddhist expression of faith is called the triple refuge:
I take refuge in the Buddha;
I take refuge in the Dharma [ the Buddhas teaching ];
I take refuge in the Samgha [ the community of the Buddhas
followers ].
Buddha
The doctrine of reincarnation or rebirth is known as samsara (literally, wandering). Samsara was not considered a pleasant prospect. For many people, it was not an opportunity as much as it was a burden, and they tried to find a way out.
The release from samsara is found in moksha
emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release; both a deep wisdom and a goal for life
Four Noble Truths
Four Noble Truths (The Buddha's first teaching) are:
the truth of suffering (Gurkha): all is suffering
the truth of the arising of suffering: it is from desire
the truth of the cessation of suffering (also known as nirvana or nibbana): i.e. cease from desire
the truth of the path that leads to the cessation of suffering: via 8-fold path
The path to nirvana is divided into eight categories:
right understanding,
right thought,
right speech,
right action,
right livelihood,
right effort,
right mindfulness,
right concentration.
The logic might be expressed in 3 categories:*
sila, or moral conduct; virtue
samadhi, or mental concentration; meditation
pa-a, or wisdom
circa 1st c. CE a reforming and "missionary" impulse
Buddhism was able to associate Taoist concepts and practices with the way of Buddhism
Mahayana spread to China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, Vietnam
One of the Mahayana traditions most important innovations is the bodhisattva ideal.
A bodhisattva is a Buddha-to-be or future Buddha who does not attempt to go straight to nirvana but returns to this world to help others along the path.
emptiness: Hinduism there is an eternal self. Buddhism there is “no-self”
non-duality (physical / spiritual)
Chinese adoption of Buddhism blended with an adaptation of Chinese Taoism
the Tao is the "Way" and Buddhism generally rejects theism
samsara can be understood as similar to the evolution and manifestation of the Tao over time
most Taoists today follow a Buddhist way
compare "one with the Tao" with the "release found in moksha"