Chinese philosophy Essay Example for Free

Chinese philosophy EssayThe 6th century B. C. E. was an amazing time of philosophical suppuration for ancient China. It was during that time that the two most influential spiritual leaders native to China, Confucius and Lao-tzu, be ideal to have lived and taught. The philosophies that they practiced, Taoism and Confucianism, existed simultaneously in dynastic China, attracting countless numbers of followers over the past 2,500 years. The bewitchment of both the Eastern and Western worlds with these two legendary figures and the philosophies that they created remains strong. The Old MasterLao-tzu, translated as all(a) Old Master or Old Boy, is believed to be the author of Taoism. Very little is known of his brio he may non all the same have existed. According to myth, at his birth around 604 B. C. E. , Lao-tzu came from the uterus as an old man, white-haired and full of wisdom. He eventually took a position as mountain pass librarian of the Imperial Archives. Saddened by societys lack of goodness, Lao-tzu decided to leave his home in Luoyang to live forth the rest of his life in quiet and solitude somewhere beyond the Great Wall of China, maybe near Tibet.As he passed through the city gates for the final time, the gatekeeper asked Lao-tzu to write round off his parting thoughts. The Old Master agreed, and three days later returned with a small book. Lao-tzu then left hand civilization, never to return. His writings were titled the Tao Te Ching, and became the most important text of Taoism. The Vinegar Tasters Lao-tzu smiles while the Buddha and Confucius resile aft(prenominal) they taste-test vinegar. The philosophies of ancient China are summarized in the faces of its three most colorful characters.According to Taoism, the completed universe and everything in it flows with a mysterious, unknowable force called the Tao. Translated literally as The appearance, the Tao has many different meanings. It is the lift that describes ultimate realit y. The Tao also explains the powers that drive the universe and the wonder of human nature. Taoists believe that everything is one despite all appearances. Opinions of good and evil or true and false only happen when people forget that they are all one in the Tao. Therefore, it is the aim of Taoists not to forget, and if forgotten to remember that oneness.However, Lao-tzu reminds believers that the Tao is difficult to grasp the Tao that tooshie be spoken is not the true Tao. Over time a Taoist religion evolved, worthy somewhat different from the philosophy of Taoism just described. While religious Taoism held some of the same beliefs, it also called for holiness of many gods and ancestors, a practice that began during the Shang dynasty. Other religious practices included the cultivation of bodily energy called chi, the world of a system of morals, and use of alchemy in attempts to attain immortality.The folk religion of Taoism became popular after its adoption by China as the s tate religion in 440 C. E. , and continues to be practiced even to the present-day. Confucius and the Analects The other driving philosophy of dynastic China was created by a politician, musician, and philosopher named Confucius. Born in 551 B. C. E. , Confucius wandered throughout China, first as a government employee, and later as a political adviser to the rulers of the Chou dynasty. In later life, Confucius left politics to teach a small group of students. afterwards his death in 479 B. C. E. , the ethics and moral teachings of Confucius were written down by his students to become the Lun-yu, or Analects. many another(prenominal) of his clever sayings are still followed today. It is as hard to be poor without complaining as to be rich without becoming arrogant. Lao-tzu, the founder of Taoism Lao-tzu, known as the Old Master, wrote his parting thoughts on the Tao or The Way before he left civilization. The Tao Te Ching, as this writing came to be known, has influenced million s during the last 2,500 years.Learning to be human was the goal of Confucianism. According to Confucius, each person should act with virtue in all fond matters family, community, state, and kingdom, to ensure order and unity. Mans virtue in all its forms is called jen. Jen is all encompassing and unable to be defined, in some respects similar to the Tao. Confucian ceremonies contained many rituals based in the Five Classics, especially the I Ching, or Book of Changes. Procedures for birth, marriage, and death were rigid and specific.For example, according to Confucian funeral tradition, a willow branch is eternally carried behind the body of the deceased symbolizing the soul of that person. However, by far the most influential persuasion of Confucianism remains the Analects Not to teach a man who can be taught, is to waste a man to teach a man who cannot be taught, is a waste of words. The wise will retire neither men nor words. It was sayings such as this one that made Confuci anism the social philosophy of China from the Han dynasty in 202 B. C. E.until the end of dynastic rule in 1911. Rival Philosophies Taoism and Confucianism have lived together in China for tumesce over 2,000 years. Confucianism deals with social matters, while Taoism concerns itself with the search for meaning.They share common beliefs about man, society, and the universe, although these notions were around long before either philosophy. Both began as philosophies, each later taking on religious overtones. Legend states that Confucius and Lao-tzu did in fact meet to discuss the Imperial Archives.Lao-tzu was unimpressed by the beautiful robes worn by Confucius, and did not agree with looking back on the past. Put away your polite airs and your vain boast of fine robes. The wise man does not display his treasures to those he does not know. And he cannot learn evaluator from the Ancients. Regardless of the disagreements between Lao-tzu and Confucius, both Taoism and Confucianism ha ve served as guides. They have led China through the peaks and valleys of its Brobdingnagian history, the longest continuing story on the planet.