DAOIC RELIGIONS

CHAPTER 4
MODULE 11
• Human nature is basically good, and this innate goodness
can be further developed thrughh self-cultivation and
education.
• The goal of a person is to be a “gentlemen” by following
the moral way consisting of the virtues of love,
righteousness, wisdom, propriety, and loyalty to promote
harmony in society.
• Ancestor worship is important aspect of Confucianism; for
Confucius believed that one way of achieving harmony in
society was by way of performing the necessary rituals
which would bring reward (social order) or punishment
(social chaos)
• Since Confucius believed that the afterlife was not on the
realm of human comprehension, people should live based
on the promotion of social relations rather than on the
expectations of rewards or puishments after death.
• Confucius discourage his students from worrying about
the afterlife, but he believed in Tian (heaven) which is
anagolous with moral order but dependent upon human
intervention to bring its will into action; the Li or ritual
propriety is the way through which the family, the state,
and the world may become parallel with Tian’s moral
order.
DAOISM
• Daoists believe that everything comes from the Dao.
Human nature should be aligned with the rest of nature to
achieve harmony and balance. Self-cultivation should be
encourage for peopl to return to the natural mode of
existence.
• For most Daoists, spontaneity is the mode of being
experienced fully only by immortals; for most Daoists,
living a long and healthy life is their goal. They can
achieve this through practicing of methods of nourishing
life by way of physical exercises designed to improve
one’s health and lengthen life, breathing exercises,
drinking potions believed to lengthen life, etc.
• Living in harmony with nature is the way of living with the
Dao, which will lead to good health and long life(even
immortality for some) because there is a balance of yin
and yang, therefore the qi flows freely.
• Life and death are mere phases of the qi according to
Daoists. They are advised not to be afraid of death since
life and death since lfe and death are but phases of the
circulation of the qi. Thus, Daoists concept of salvation
focuses on this life than in the afterlife.
• Daoists have no concept of heaven and hell as compared
to other religions. In their scriptures there were mentions
of heaven as the abode of their deities and life on earth
should be in harmony with the will of heaven. However,
based on their concept of qi, is achieved when one
achieves immortality and, if this is not possible, then long
life is enough. They have this concept that those who
achieved immortality reside in utopian places on earth,
such as forests and mountains.
SHINTO
• For Shinto, human beings need to ensure that they
continue to become part of the natural world, which is
considere sacred; human nature is pure and in the natural
state of existence, and people need to continuously purify
themselves through rituals so as to maintain this purity.
• The goal of every human being is to become part of the
natural realm through purification rites.
• There is no clear-cut distinction between good and evil in
Shinto, but there are things which is associated with
impurity suchas blood and death; thus, it is necessary to
perform the appropriate rituals to purify oneself from these
things which are considered impure.
• As long as the people worship the Kami, they are protected and
provided for by the Kami; not performing the necessary rituals
that will appease the Kami will certainly not earn the favor of the
spirits.
• Living a healthy and bountiful life is more important than the
concept of what will happened in the afterlife; hence, shinto
prefers that people live a healthy and prosperous life here on
earth than be concerned with the afterlife.
• There is no clear concept of heaven and hell; there is mention,
however, of another world which is inhabited by the Kami; and
there is another world connected to the burial of the dead.
• Shinto is primarily concerned with humanity’s life on earth than
on the afterlife.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CONFUCIANISM,
DAOISM, AND SHINTO
 CONFUCIANISM
CORE BELIEFS
Belief in God Non-theistic religion.
Confucius, however,
believes in the Dao, which
manifests itself in terms of
change
Sacred Text The four books: The
Analects, The Great
Learning, The Doctrine of
the Mean, The Mencius
Summary of Beliefs The development of the
junzi, the five great
relationships, and the
virtues: ren, hsiao, su and li
ORIGIN
Founder Confucius
DAOISM SHINTO
Non-theistic religion. Kami- gods that are found
emphasizes the way, which in nature;later in Japanese
is not athropomorphically history, important people
God and heroes are also
worshiped as Kami
Daodejing No recognized sacred text;
Kojiki and Nihongi are
important collections of
ritual prayers to the kami.
Dao, wu wei, longevity and No one summary of beliefs
chi, and the yin-yang or creed
Laozi No one founder; took form
slowly and was called
“Shinto” to distinguish it
from Buddhism
 ORIGIN CONFUCIANISM
Place f Origin China
Practices
Worship Proper observance of
rituals, conducts, conducts
and norms
Common Lifestyle Living one’s life as a junzi,
to cultivate one’s
chararcter, and to act
according to one’s proper
role in the community
Festivals Confucian festival calendar
represents an amalgation o
various sources, and varies
according to sect, region,
and temple
DAOISM SHINTO
China Japan
The recitation of mudras Norito (public worship)
Harai (purification)
Shinsen (offering)
Naorai (symbolic feast)
Living in accordance with No particular lifestyle
Dao dictated by teachings
Daoist festival calendar Oshogatsu (New Year)
represents an amalgation Setsubun-sai and Haru
of various sources, and Matsuri (Spring Festivals)
varies according to sect, Natsu Matsuri ( Summer
region, and temple Festival)
Aki Matsuri (Autumn
Festival)
 DIVISIONS CONFUCIANISM DAOISM SHINTO
Sectarian Division Mencius, Xunxi, Dong- Northern and Southern Jinja Shinto (temple-
Dong-shu, Song and Ming Daoism, Chin tan (Golden based)
Confucianism, Korean and Elixir) Taoism, Ch’ing wei Kyoha Shinto ( community
Qing Confucianism, (Clarified Tenuity) Taoism, based)
Modern Confucianism T’ien hsin (Heart of Tsuzoku Shinto
Heaven) Taoism, Shen (community-based)
hsiao (Divine Empyrean)
Taoism, T’ung-ch’u
(Youthful
Incipience)Taoism, T’ai i
(Sumpreme Union)
Taoism, Chen ta
(Perfected Greatness) or
Tao-tao (Great Way
Taoism)
Schools of Thought Same as sectarian division None
Religious Daoism,
Philosophical Daoism
RELIGION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

MODULE 11
• Religion is very significant not only in providing meaning to
one’s life but also in regulating behavior of individuals in
society.
• Focusing on the basic similarities of world religions will make
people more tolerant of people of other faiths and will make
them realize that their world view is not applicable to everyone
else.
• Religion will continue to be relevant in the 21st century and
beyond because if understood and used properly, it can
helpmake the world a better place to live in.
INDIGENOUS RELIGION

PHILIPPINES
Indigenous People and religion

• Indigenous beliefs or folk religions are often associated

with specific groups of people typically based on ethnicity.
• Whose identities have been kept preserved againts
foreigners.
• Philippines has 14-17 million indigenous people
• 110 ethnolinguistic group
• 61%-Mindanao and 33%-Cordillera Administrative
Region, 6%-from other regions
Philippine Indigenous people Major groups

• Igorot- Based in Cordillera, the Igorot refers to various

groups such as the Kankanaey, Bontos, Ifugao, Kalinga,
Ibaloi, Isneg, and Tingguian. Igorot means “people from
mountains”.
• Lumad- is a residual category that reflects the indigenous
communities, secondary status in Mindanao as those who
dis not convert to Islam and become Moros. Lumad
(visayan word) means born fom earth. 18 major Lumad
group- Subanen, B’laan, T’boli, Manobo, Talaandig,
Mamanwa, and Manguangan.
Philippine Indigenous people Major groups

• Mangyan- these are the indigenous people in Mindoro,

Sibuyan,and some islands in Palawan. Some ethnic
groups include the Tadyawan, Hanunuo, Tabanua, and
Palaw-an.
• Negrito- they are found in the different parts of the
country but are distinguishable because of their physical
features such as dark skin and curly hair. Some Negrito
groups include the Agta in Cagayan, the Dumagat in the
Sierra Madre, the Aeta in Zambales, and the Ati in the
Visayas.
• indigenous religions are inseparable from the very life of the
local people.
• their religion is a taken for granted fact of life
• nature is a sacred entity
• kinship-based
• relate to spirits of nature, deities, and life-forces
• rituals (community’s genealogy or ancestry) to convert other
people is not their mission
• oral transmission of beliefs and practices
• receive divine revelation through visions, dreams, and spirit
possession.
• physical and material gains usually tied to their economic
 CORE BELIEFS INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS
Belief in God Nature spirits that reside in trees, bodies of water or land
forms like mountains. Some recognize a supreme creator
as head of a pantheon of gods and goddesses

No recognized sacred text; most of the traditions are

Sacred Text passed orally or through the performance of rituals

No one summary of beliefs or creed

Summary of Beliefs
ORIGIN
Founder No one founder; mostly kinship-based and relies on
genealogies that sometimes appeal to a mythical first
man.

It depends on locality; most of the indigenous peoples live

Place of Origin in the Asia-Pacific region
PRACTICES
Worship Rituals based on agricultural cycle, reinforcing kinship
ties, and special needs
 CORE BELIEFS INDIGENOUS RELIGIONS
PRACTICES
Common Lifestyle No lifestyle is particularly “religious”, but life in the tribe is
considered important and duties to kinfolk and other
friendly tribes are honored.

Festivals Festivals based on agriculture cycles and important life

events (rites of passage)
DIVISIONS
Sectarian Division None

Schools of Thought None