REL 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Laozi, Mazu Daoyi, Tzu
Religion in China
I. Religion in China
A. Common Assumption
1. Communist Society, Since 1949, P.R.C. (Peoples Republic of
China)
• Atheism do not believe a god created the world
B. But the reality is,
1. Religion is permitted
• Tightly regulated short list of approved religions
o Can only practices these during the right time and
place
II. Key Features of Traditional Chinese Religious thought
A. Syncretism drawing from multiple resources
1. Will draw from 3 teachings
• Buddha: Pure land
• Knnyfutzu: Confucianism
• Lao Tzu: Daoism
2. Prothero assumes they think of religions like westerns do
• They do not believe in mutual excluding the -isms
B. Gods and Spirits
1. “they only matter is they matter”
• Example Shang Ti
o Ruler of Universe
o Doesn’t create the world, only governs it
o Least important deity
o Only responsible for big things (keeping stars
aligned) not individual problems
• Example Mazu
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2
o Ocean Goddess
o Became popular in 1849 when people where
immigrating to California for gold rush
o They only expect to be prayed to by people that
need them
2. Exist in a two-way relationship with humans
• Example “earth god”
• They don’t issue commands or care if we believe in them
only want respect
• Want an alter or temple (doesn’t have to be big) and it
kept clean with offerings brought regularly
• Obligations Make sure village is safe and has enough
food
• If they don’t do their job they can be fired
o Would be replaced by an invited ancestor
C. Ancestors
1. Treated like the gods and spirits
2. They are seen as still here (leave place for them at table) and
you are still obligated to them
• Graves are their permanent home and must be in a nice
place, well kept, and visited often
3. They also have obligations
• Example Mulan
• Ancestors protect and help the family
• The person they were alive is how they will help you
dead
o “only matter if they matter”
D. Priests
1. Middleman between Gods, spirits, and ancestors and humans
• Tells us what the spirits want from humans and vice
versa
E. Divination
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3
1. Example Feng Shui (Energy called Chi)
• Americanized: rearranging a room in a way to let energy
flow better for wealth, happiness, etc.
• Traditional: practice a priest uses to locate the proper
place your parents should be buried
o Also used to find where you should live or have a
business
• Means “wind and water”
III. The teachings of Kung Fu-Tzu
A. The life of Kung Fu-Tzu
1. Late Chon Dynasty, 6th Century BCE
2. Social Context: “incivility”
• Political breakdown
• Lost ability to respect and to be civil
3. Kung Fu-Tzu’s reaction? (social conservative)
• Wanted to recreate the Chinese Golden Age
• Becomes a private teacher to teach “the five classics”
• “the five classics”
o History
o Music
o Poetry
o Dance
o Ritual
▪ Important**
▪ Basis of Confucian Philosophy
4. Kung Fu-Tzu’s “success”
• Completely ignored
• Only had a few followers
• Within about 3 centuries his teachings come back as the
official imperial philosophy in China
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