Reflection Paper Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto
Is Daoism a religion or a way of life?
I do not think that classifying Daoism as a religion or a philosophy would do justice to the practice that has become very significant in the present world, expanding to the west and the world in general. Originally, Daoism, also called Taoism, started as philosophy encouraging the native Chinese nationals to live their based lives by achieving a form of balance originating from the natural environment surrounding every human being. However, with time, Daoism changed to include religious aspects, including cultic rituals and chanting in prayer (Varellen, 2015). Based on personal understanding, Daoism is a system that incorporates attitudes, practices, and beliefs that work together to guarantee a person’s comfortable living.
Over the decades of its existence in the world, Daoism has been different to different people. Three distinct features can characterize Daoism. One is that Taoism encourages people to accept their lives as it is (Schipper & Verellen, 2019). In many instances, individuals find their way to Taoism by following the healing process. Human beings find themselves in hurtful situations like the loss of a loved one or under pain originating from their relations with other humans. To overcome such situations, Taoism encourages people to accept their current status as part of who they are and move from that. The other feature of Taoism is encouraging people to follow their paths. In a world with over seven billion people, there are over seven billion ways of achieving Taoism. Therefore, each person needs to develop his or her path to achieving a happy and fulfilling life. The third and final feature of Daoism is encouraging people to follow personal breathing as a way of finding personal peace (Schipper & Verellen, 2019). In Taoism, personal happiness and fulfillment come from within, and individuals have the power to tap into that.
In Taoism, making a distinction in nature is seen as a limiting factor to human nature. Every human being is composed of different truths that are blended (Varellen, 2015). Therefore, to achieve personal satisfaction, human beings should embrace every aspect that forms who they are other than locking out some of their features based on factors such as religion. Since Taoism provides the framework that helps individuals in achieving the best version of themselves, I would classify Taoism as a way of life other than as a religion.
What are the most significant differences between Daoism and Confucianism?
In Chinese culture, Taoism and Confucianism are the ancient philosophies that define the way of living for the Chinese. However, between the two was of life, there are several differences. The first difference focuses on the person. In Confucianism, individuals should set positive examples for others in the community to follow, as described in the five great relationships. On the other hand, Taoism encourages individuals to seek a harmonious life the concept of the Yin and Yang illustrates (Vuong et al., 2019). The other fundamental difference in the two philosophies lies in the individual belief of life after death. The Confucianism philosophy believes in the start of a new life after death in the ancestral land. The ancestors and their heritage are believed to be very important, but they are not worshipped. In Taoism philosophy, a primary aim is achieving immortality. If this is not met, the evolution of the Tao continues after death following the person’s conduct during their mortal lives (Vuong et al., 2019). The two philosophies also differ in their view of human beings and human interactions. In Confucianism, human beings should accord respect to those who are superior to them. The great five relations are founded on this feature. On the other hand, the main focus of humans is not on their relationships but on how they are in sync with the Tao. If well-integrated, the Tao ensures humans experience immortality.
References
Schipper, K., & Verellen, F. (Eds.). (2019). The Taoist Canon: A historical companion to the Daozang. University of Chicago Press.Verellen, F. (2015). Taoism. The Journal of Asian Studies, 54(2), 322-346.
Vuong, Q. H., Bui, Q. K., La, V. P., Vuong, T. T., Nguyen, V. H. T., Ho, M. T., … & Ho, M. T. (2018). Cultural additivity: behavioral insights from the interaction of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in folktales. Palgrave Communications, 4(1), 1-15.