2.  Confucius was a
Chinese philosopher
who lived from 551-479
B.C. who wished to be
an advisor to a noble
 Confucius taught and
emphasized the
importance of “correct
behaviors”, an art known
as li
 He traveled from region
to region with a small
group of students, his
disciples
Brittany Cole

3.  Confucianism is an ethnic religion
because it focuses primarily on works
 Confucius believed that any perception
about the after life was beyond human
comprehension
 Confucius also rejected the idea of “sin”
but viewed mistakes as an opportunity to
do better the next time
 Their ultimate goal is to be perfect and
moral
Brittany Cole

4.  Confucius actually did not write anything
 The "Five Classics" of Chinese literature
are attributed to him as writer.
 The "Analects" is a collection of
aphorisms put together by Confucius's
students after his death.
 The "Liji," or "Record of Rites," also
contains
dialogs, discourses, anecdotes, and
narratives about Confucius and his
teachings.
Brittany Cole

5.  Confucius believed that ordinary life was a
sacred time because he could not
comprehend an external reality.
 He also believed that each day should be a
ritual (wake up at the same time, eat at the
same times, etc.) so that the day would be
more sacred.
 He also theorized that rituals united large
groups of people and made a stronger
community.
Brittany Cole

6.  Essentially, Confucius  Worship
simply left most › No definite means of
questions worship other than
living a good life
unanswered, making a
very undefined religion.  Holy Days
 He ultimately believed › Each day is an
opportunity to be
that he should try to be
better
good, and that he did
not and could not know  Holy Places
anything beyond that. › None on earth
 Morals are surprisingly
undefined
Brittany Cole

7.  Only definite symbol
associated with
Confucianism
 Means “scholar” in
Chinese
 Also associated with
to “yin” of yin-yang
Brittany Cole

8. Daoism’s Origins and Beliefs
 Founder is believed to be
Lao-Tse who is rumored to
have lived from 604-531
BCE.
 Many historians argue that
he could be mythical, or
mixture of many different
political leaders
 Searching for a way to
avoid constant warfare and
feuding during his lifetime
 Started as a combination of
psycology and philosophy
Emily Harris

9. Daoist Belief
 Believe in the Tao, the first-cause of the universe
 There is no god that they worship or pray to, try to achieve
answers through meditation and observartion
 Believe in small spirits/deities, but they aren’t personified
 Promote health and vitality
 Must nuture Ch’i (air/breath) that has been given to them
 Be kind and virtuous to others, but are also looking for the
behavior to be reciprocated
 Plan in advance and think through each decision carefully
 Follow “wu wei,” letting nature take it’s course
 Believe people are naturally kind and compassionate
 Five main organs of the body correspond to the five parts of
the sky: water, fire, wood, metal and earth.
Emily Harris
 Ultimate goal is to harmonize oneself with the Tao

10. Daoist Holy Books and
Writings
 Tao te Ching-The Book of the Way. Said
to have been written directly by Lao Tzu
Emily Harris

11. Daoist Traditions, Rituals, and
Practices
 Tai Chi-believed to balance energy flow
and improve the function of the
organs, nerves, and bloodstream
Emily Harris

12. Yin Yang
•Represents balance of opposites in the
universe
•When it is in balance, all is calm. If
not, things are in chaos.
•Swirling shapes represent change, believed
to be the only constant in the universe
•Humans upset the balance of Yin Yang
•Yin corresponds to night and is
darker, feminine, passive, and more
downward-seeking
•Yang corresponds to day and is
brighter, masculine, active, and more
upward-seeking
•Nothing can be fully black or white, that is
why there is a dot of the opposite color in
each swirling shape. Emily Harris

13.  http://www.patheos.com/Library/Confu
cianism.html
 all-famous-quotes.com
 www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/religio
n/confucianism/
 http://www.religioustolerance.org/taois
m.htm
 http://www.ishwar.com/taoism/