Taoism
Confucianism
Buddhism（the Chan sect）
Taoism is a religion that originated in China, formed in the 2nd century AD, and has a history of over 1700 years. Taoism was founded by Zhang Daoling in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, who was referred to as’ Zhang Tianshi ‘. Taoism regards the path of immortality as its highest belief.
Confucianism originated in China. Based on the Five Teachings and Sacrificial Rites of Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the ancestral lineage of Yao and Shun was established, with a charter for civil and military education. The teachings were established through poetry, books, rituals, music, and the establishment of the Spring and Autumn period.
Confucianism regards “Confucianism” as its highest belief and is highly respected by Confucian scholars. In order to distinguish it from Taoism, which advocates the ideas of Huang Laoliezhuang and others, later generations began to call it “Confucianism” from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the Confucian religious “Confucianism” in the Qing Dynasty also belonged to the branch of Confucianism. Confucianism has significant Chinese cultural characteristics and reflects the thoughts of Chinese culture.
Zen Buddhism, a sect of Chinese Buddhism. Advocating the practice of meditation, hence the name. Also known as the Buddha Heart Sect, it refers to itself as the “Transmission of Buddha’s Heart Seal” with the aim of awakening the inherent Buddha nature of all sentient beings. The ancestral temples of Zen Buddhism include Shaolin Temple in Henan, Yuexi Second Ancestral Temple and Tianzhushan Third Ancestral Temple in Anhui, Huangmei Fourth Ancestral Temple and Fifth Ancestral Temple in Hubei, and Nanhua Temple in Guangdong.
Cultural Insights
Explore China’s mysterious traditional culture, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism（the Chan sect）
Stories recorded in history
The 30th generation Celestial Master of the Zhengyi Heavenly Master Dao.In the second year of Chongning reign of Emperor Huizong of Song (1103 AD), the salt pond in Jiezhou, Shanxi overflowed, making it impossible to extract salt and collect salt taxes. Taoist Xu Shenweng claimed that the evil dragon was causing trouble and requested Zhang Tianshi to come and collect the demons. Therefore, Emperor Huizong sent people to invite the 30th generation Tianshi Zhang Jixian to come to the capital. After arriving in the capital, Zhang Jixian was ordered to draw talismans on iron slips and instructed his disciple Zhu Yongyou to follow the eunuch to Jiezhou and throw the talismans into the collapsed area of the salt pond bank. Suddenly, thunder and lightning roared, and the day was as dark as darkness. When the light of day returned, the wicked dragon was chopped to death in the water. Zhang Jixian informed Emperor Huizong that Guan Yu was the one summoned to kill the evil dragon this time, and he held a seal sword and cast a spell to summon him. Emperor Huizong was greatly surprised and awarded Guan Yu the title of “Chongning True Lord” with the Chongning copper coin in his hand.
It can be seen from this that in the traditional culture of Chinese Taoism, the magic and mystery of talismans can assist people in pursuing immortality and help kings and leaders solve incredible things.
Zigong saves Lu
At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the situation in the state of Lu was critical, and the state of Qi intended to attack Lu. Confucius was extremely anxious, and many of his disciples begged for help to relieve the plight of the state of Lu. However, Confucius chose Zigong alone.
After receiving the order, Zigong went to the state of Qi and met with Qi Prime Minister Tian Chang. He knew very well that Tian Chang had great ambitions, but was constrained domestically, so he advised, “If you want to expand your power in Qi, attacking Lu is not a good choice. Lu’s city walls are thin and low, the land is small, the monarch is foolish and unkind, the ministers are hypocritical and useless, and the soldiers and people hate war. It is really difficult to win. However, Wu’s city walls are tall and thick, the land is vast, the troops are abundant, and the generals are good at fighting. If you attack Wu, Qi will definitely suffer losses. In this way, the domestic forces against you will weaken, and your position in Qi will be more stable.” Tian Chang was tempted after hearing this, but Qi had already made preparations to attack Lu and rashly turned to attack Wu, fearing suspicion from others.
Upon seeing this, Zigong said, “You hold your fire, and I will go persuade the King of Wu to rescue Lu and conquer Qi, so that you have a reason to attack Wu.” After leaving Qi, Zigong rushed to Wu without stopping. He said to King Fuchai of Wu, “Your Majesty’s ambition is to seek hegemony. Now that Qi wants to annex Lu and strengthen its power, it will compete with you for hegemony. This is a heaven sent opportunity. If you save Lu and conquer Qi, you can demonstrate benevolence and righteousness, weaken Qi, and intimidate Jin, and your hegemony can be achieved.” Fuchai was worried that Yue would take the opportunity to retaliate, so Zigong went to Yue and said to King Goujian of Yue, “King Wu is wary of Yue. If you help Wu conquer Qi, make them believe that Yue is loyal. When King Wu’s attack on Qi is defeated by Jin, Yue can take advantage of the situation and enter.” Goujian followed the plan and not only presented generous gifts to Fuchai. He also sent troops to accompany Wu on the expedition.
Everything was ready, and Zigong went to the state of Jin again to inform the Jin ruler: “Wu and Qi are about to go to war. If Qi is defeated, Wu will definitely take advantage of the victory to attack Jin. You must be prepared.” Later, Wu defeated Qi greatly in Ailing and indeed launched an attack on Jin, but was defeated because Jin had already been prepared. At this time, the state of Yue took the opportunity to attack the state of Wu and ultimately destroyed Wu’s dominance.
Zigong, with his outstanding eloquence and precise grasp of the situation, shuttled between various countries and single handedly changed the fate of the five states of Lu, Qi, Wu, Jin, and Yue. He successfully rescued the state of Lu from danger and became a legendary example of Confucianism’s “learning for practical use and helping the world”.
Debate on Wind Banners
In the Faxing Temple in Guangzhou, Master Yinzong is giving a lecture, and everyone is listening attentively. Suddenly, the flags and banners in the temple were blown by the wind, causing two monks to whisper and discuss.
One monk said, “Look, this is the wind moving.” The other monk retorted, “It’s clearly the flags moving, what does it have to do with the wind?” The two of them held their own opinions, their voices gradually increasing, and they argued endlessly, attracting many people around them to look at them.
At this moment, Huineng, who was silently listening on the side, spoke up and said, “It’s not the wind or the flag moving, but the heart of the benevolent.” As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked and turned their gaze to Huineng. Upon hearing this, Master Yinzong’s heart was shaken, knowing that the person in front of him was not ordinary.
Master Yinzong is busy inviting Huineng to sit on the throne and humbly seeking advice on the wonderful teachings of Buddhism. Huineng calmly answered, demonstrating a profound understanding of Buddhism and a thorough comprehension of the mind and nature in his words. Master Yinzong was greatly impressed and determined that Huineng was the inheritor of the Zen tradition passed down by Master Hongren, the fifth ancestor.
Originally, Huineng came from a poor family and after hearing Buddhism, he was deeply moved and went to Huangmei Dongshan Temple to pay homage to the Fifth Patriarch Hongren. Hongren asked him, “You are from Lingnan, and you are also a monk. How can you be a Buddha?” Huineng replied, “Although people have north and south, there is no north and south in Buddha nature. The body of the monk is different from that of a monk. What is the difference in Buddha nature?” His answer showed extraordinary roots and was appreciated by Hongren. Hou Hongren asked his disciples to compose verses to examine their understanding of Buddhism, and selected the successor of the robe. Shen Xiu wrote a verse, ‘The body is a Bodhi tree, and the mind is like a mirror platform. Wipe it diligently at all times, and do not stir up dust.’ However, Hui Neng, who cannot read, asked someone to write on his behalf, ‘Bodhi has no tree, and the mirror is not a platform. There is nothing originally, where can dust be stirred up?’ This directly points to the human heart, and when one sees their nature, they become Buddha and ultimately pass on the legacy of the Five Ancestors.
After the debate over the wind flags, Huineng officially shaved his head and became a monk, promoting the teachings of Zen Buddhism. He conveyed the true essence of Buddhism to the public in a simple and understandable way, making Zen Buddhism widely spread throughout China and benefiting countless people.
