SOR Assignment-Term 2 PDF

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Drawing upon your knowledge on the Ancient Orient religions/philosophy discuss how such religions/philosophy shape both the individual as well as the collective character of these regions: 1- Taoism 2- Shintoism

Written report: TAOISM

Introduction:

Taoism to many people of our time is considered as an ancient tradition of philosophy and religious belief. Today, Taoism is known to be one of the most recognised religions in China. Individuals throughout the globe who believe in Taoism are known as Taoists; Taoism is home to 7.5 million believers, which is dramatically increasing each year. Taoism is a significant religion that is deeply rooted in Chinese customs as well as world views which originated in China approximately 2000 years ago. Taoism is substantially represented by the term "Tao"; the believers of Taoism believe that Tao is the ultimate creative principle of the universe. Tao is a system of belief as well as the attitudes and practices set towards a person nature. Taoism is a religion of unity and opposites which is most frequently known as "Yin and Yang," this is a common traditional religious term used by the believers of Taoism. Yin and Yang are the opposites

of life, they complete each other, they form the world as we know it and keep it at peace and order. Taoism is an extraordinary religion which promotes the achievement of harmony/union and peace, the pursuit of spiritual immortality and the development of the inner self of believers. Practices that Taoism strictly specialises in are: meditation, Feng shui, fortune telling and the reading of scriptures. Through the concept of ancient orient religions; the report will skilfully explore how an individual is shaped or changed by their religion.

Understanding the Meaning of life: In Taoism the purpose of life is to live life according to the Tao; Tao is particularly the path or way the Taoists follow. Knowing that all opposites are relative and interdependent. The best way to live according to Taoism is to live in harmony with the natural course of things. It is believed that a Taoist does not struggle, oppose or strive in any way. The primary religious focus in Taoism it to attain immortality. Meaning eternal life, longevity of life, and the attainment of superhuman physical abilities. The Taoism understanding of the meaning of life is mainly set towards the Tao. It teaches Taoists the amazingness of life; it is something they take for granted as they do not know any better.

Creation: In Taoism, it is believed that there was chaos at the beginning of the universe. The elements and gases of the heavens and the earth were all combined in an

egg; this was known as the cosmic egg which dramatically changed everything according to the Taoists. The cosmic egg has been in its form for about 18,000 years until its incubation was finally complete, once it was complete, the cosmic egg hatched. After the hatching of the cosmic egg the heavens and the earth came into existence. The lighter most pure parts of the cosmic egg floated upward, becoming the heaven. These elements of the heavens were called yang. The heavier, impure substance of the cosmic egg descended and became the earth. This was known as yin. After the creation of the earth and the heavens a giant in the name of “Pan Ku” was born. As this giant grew larger and larger, it is believed that he divided the heavens and the earth. Four creatures were laboured daily after the division of the earth and the heavens, eventually moulding the Earth. These creatures were the tortoise, phoenix, dragon and the unicorn; together they created the world as we know it today. Pank Ku was the one and only creator according to the Taoists. Taoism was started by a man named “Lao Tsu” after the completion of the earth and the heavens. He was a wise librarian during 600BC, who believed that Yin was the dark side, and Yang was the light side, ever since his existence the world has been expanding.This is the significant Taoism understanding of creation.

Life after death Life after death in Taoism is a very unusual thing to look at when you compare it with other religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The process of

death in Taoism is called “Shijie," meaning the release of the corpse. Taoists believe that life after death is a transformation of their souls to heaven. Taoists believe that death is not necessary, their ambition is immortality. Taoism focuses on the health and longevity through diet and meditation. They understand that death is merely a return to the Tao, death is seen as another phase in life. Taoists consider that the human body is filled with spirits and monsters; the spirits and monsters help guard the human body. It is understood that if the spirits exit the body, the body will have no form of protection. For that reason, the body weakens from illnesses and dies. This is the Taoist understanding of life after death. Pain and suffering: Taoism has its unique way of dealing with pain and suffering. Unlike other religions Taoism ignores the aspects of pain and suffering, particularly focusing on the positive aspects of life. Taoism extensively deals with suffering, its main focus point is the cures. In their religious text “Tao te ching” the words pain and suffering do not appear once. When comparing Taoism with other religions, Taoism has no specific rules. There are simply ways in Taoism to minimise pain and suffering, too, therefore, live peacefully with the Tao. According to the Tao avoidable pain and suffering include physical, psychological and spiritual forms of suffering. In Taoism, it is believed that the most common form of suffering is in relationships. For example in relationships, it is all about the person sense of self-esteem. The more ego an individual has, the better the relationship will be,

therefore inflicting suffering. Taoists understand that most forms of suffering are caused by the thinking of our minds. The main problems of suffering are said to be lying in the sphere of the spirit. Suffering through old age are part of the natural way of Tao, meaning that it is entirely acceptable. Pain and suffering in Taoism teach individuals the importance of thinking positively on certain aspects of life. Rituals and its impacts Rituals in Taoism are a crucial concept to consider as it brings order and harmony to many layers of the cosmos, meaning the existence of everything anywhere. Taoist rituals involve purification, meditation, and offerings to deities. The rituals of Taoism are often very complicated and technical, for that reason the priests do most of the rituals. In various traditional Taoism rituals the priest and the assistants chant, play instruments and dance. One of the most well-known Taoist rituals is called “Chiao," which is the renewal of the cosmic. In most Chiao rituals every household in a village brings an offering to the local deities. In the ceremony a Taoist Priest considers the offerings and performs a ritual to restore order to the universe, asking God to bring peace and prosperity to each village that brings an offering to the local deities. Another Taoism ritual that is frequently made by the Taoists is a temple ceremony. Temple rituals are used by Taoists to regulate chi and balance the flow of Yin and Yang; this is a form of purification and meditation that Taoists frequently perform. Other rituals in Taoism include the recitation and the chanting of prayers and texts.

Rituals in Taoism significantly impact the life of its adherents and the society as it helps purify the souls of people, releasing and balancing the yin and the yang to the spirits.

Conclusion: To conclude, Taoism is a great religion that focuses on promoting the achievement of peace, spiritual immortality and the development of the inner self of Taoists. Through the use of purification, meditation and offering we learnt how Taoism shaped a certain individual. The meaning of life and the creation is clearly explained throughout this religion, giving us a clear idea of what they believe in. Taoism significantly took us beyond the world, teaching us how a certain individual has changed after following the religion.

Bibliography: http://www.taoism.net/theway/suffer.htm http://creationstoriesmyths.weebly.com/taoism.html http://people.opposingviews.com/taoists-believe-afterlife-7283.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism

http://personaltao.com/teachings/questions/what-is-yin-yang/ http://www.deepspirits.com/spirituality/taoism/ http://www.religionfacts.com/meaning-of-life/taoism...