The purpose of this paper is to select two (2) religions from those that we have studied so far. The religions I have chosen are Confucianism and Buddhism. First I will identify the cultural and geographical origin of each religion. Secondly, identify and describe at least three (3) specific religious practices of each religion. Thirdly, provide a specific example of how each religion is practiced in different parts of the world today. Then finally I will discuss three things I learned while researching this paper.
The Cultural and Geographical Origin of Confucianism
This Religion was founded by Confucius (551-479BC), China. Confucianism is a way of life taught by Confucius in the 6th-5th century BC. Sometimes viewed as a philosophy, sometimes as a religion. Confucianism is perhaps best understood as an all-encompassing humanism that neither denies nor slights Heaven. This Religion has been followed by the Chinese for more than two millennia. It has deeply influenced spiritual and political life in China; its influence has also extended to Korea, Japan and Vietnam. East Asians may profess themselves to be Shintoists, Taoists, Buddhist, Muslims, or Christians, but seldom do they cease to be Confucians.
The Cultural and Geographical Origin of Buddhism
Buddhism was founded by Siddharta Gautama (the Buddha) in c. 520 BC, NE India. Buddhism remains the dominant religion of the Far East and is increasingly popular in the West. Over its long history Buddhist has developed into a wide variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and worship of deities to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. But all share in common a great respect for the teachings of the Buddha.
Specific Religious Practices Confucianism
Honesty, politeness, propriety, humaneness, perform correct role in society loyalty to family, nation. Aside from its important ethical principles, Confucianism does not prescribe any specific rituals or practices. These are filled by the practices of Chinese religion, Taoism, Buddhism, or other religion which Confucians follow.
Specific Religious Practices Buddhism
The specific practices of Buddhism are meditations, mantras, devotion to deities (in some sects), mandalas (Tibetan) Buddhism incorporates a variety of ritual and practices, which are intended to aid in the journey to enlightenment and bring blessings on oneself and others. The practice of meditation is central to nearly all forms of Buddhism, and it derives directly from the Buddha’s experiences and teachings. Meditation is in the central focus of Zen Buddhism and the only way to liberation in Theravada Buddhism.
Practices Today in the World
There are some 4,300 religions of the world. This is according to Adherents, an independent, non-religiously affiliated organization that monitors the number and size of the world 's religions.
Side-stepping the issue of what constitutes a religion, Adherents divides religions into churches, denominations, congregations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, and movements. All are of varying size and influence.
Nearly 75 per cent of the world 's population practices one of the five most influential religions of the world: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.
Christianity and Islam are the two religions most widely spread across the world. These two religions together cover the religious affiliation of more than half of the world 's population. If all non-religious people formed a single religion, it would be the world 's third largest.
One of the most widely-held myths among those in English-speaking countries is that Islamic believers are Arabs. In fact, most Islamic people do not live in the Arabic nations of the Middle East
Three Things I Learned
Religion is a part of our shared cultural history, shaping the way we see the world and the people in it. Thus, learning to understand and appreciate the religious beliefs and practices of others can help each of us become a more enlightened global citizen.
Understanding and appreciating the different world religions is a necessity. So far I have learned how different people approach religion and spirituality will help you understand their cultures and beliefs and may help strengthen and expand your personal beliefs and faith. Religion is a fundamental part of the human experience, often defining cultures and establishing social norms. I have learn about Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and several other religions and religious practices. Most importantly, the impact religion can have on our lives and our world.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while they may be similar on several levels, Confucianism and Buddhism can certainly be worlds apart in some aspects. One of them, and most important of all the differences, is the distinction between the secular and the spiritual. Buddhism, for one, is very spiritual, as it believes in the afterworld, the spirit that unites everything (known as “Brahman”), as well as believing in reincarnation. Even though Buddhists believe in reincarnation, they desperately try to avoid it, as they want to achieve Nirvana, which stops the wheel of life. Confucianism, on the other hand, is entirely secular. Its followers devote their time solely to worldly business, not usually considering life after death and spiritual mysteries.
Many of the several facets of Buddhism adhere to many of the principles of Confucianism, respectively in their views of God, or gods in general (a wide-ranging lack of concern when it comes to divinity), as well as a common zest for attaining wisdom. They do, though, diverge when it comes to fundamental beliefs. Buddhism is spiritual, as its followers focus much of their energies to stepping out of the wheel of life. Confucians, on the other hand, devote their time to secular, or Earthly, matters. While not being identical, Buddhism and Confucianism are similar in many aspects.
References http://www.diffen.com/difference/Buddhism_vs_Confucianism http://honoriusdei.edublogs.org/2009/03/27/buddhism-and-confucianism-compare-and-contrast/ http://religions.findthedata.org/saved_compare/Confucianism-vs-Buddhism
References: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Buddhism_vs_Confucianism http://honoriusdei.edublogs.org/2009/03/27/buddhism-and-confucianism-compare-and-contrast/ http://religions.findthedata.org/saved_compare/Confucianism-vs-Buddhism
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
|NATURE OF GOD |RECOGNIZE A SINGLE DIETY AND CONSIDER OTHER |NO ABSOLUTE GOD. UNIVERSE EXISTED |Does not assert the existence of a diety but regognizes |Does not believe in a personal |…
- 564 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
"Master Kong", 551–479 BC). Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han Dynasty.[1] Following the abandonment of Legalism in China after the Qin Dynasty, Confucianism became the official state ideology of China. The core of Confucianism is humanism,[2] the belief that human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor especially including self-cultivation and self-creation.…
- 2526 Words
- 11 Pages
Good Essays -
Buddhism began in India; it was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a prince, born in Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama wandered around for awhile acting like a beggar to figure out why it was that people suffered that is when he became enlightened. At that moment is when he became Buddha or the enlightened one as people called him (Murphey 29). Not too long after that he did his first sermon where he had his first set of followers which will turn into 300, 00 in present day. Buddhism started out as a minority religion then transformed into a mass religion that spread from India to all the way to Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan (Murphey 29). However Buddhism did not spread beyond northern India. In Ceylon Buddhism was accepted and still being practiced today. They made sculptures and buildings, including statues of Buddha and his disciples. In China Buddhism continued to grow and was influenced by the leaders of the north. Buddhism was not easily accepted in Japan as many Japanese people thought of it as an alien religion (Murphey 166). In the next two centuries Buddhism became accepted in Japan, as they started to take a little bit of Chinese Culture also. Many traditions and beliefs of Buddhism stem from Hinduism, such as dharma, karma, samsara, and moksha (Murphey 27).…
- 1101 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Buddhism was founded in India, and after the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 C.E. it gained many converts in China. While Buddhism was spreading there were different views towards it; some people wanted Buddhism to spread and be the main religion, some were against it, and still others were religiously tolerant but liked the idea of Buddhism.…
- 1058 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Instructions: Complete and submit one worksheet for Hinduism OR Buddhism (week two), Taoism OR Confucianism (week three), and Shinto (week four). A total of three worksheets for the course. You will be researching some 25 aspects of each religious tradition: a total of 75 items for the course. This assignment is based on the course text readings. For full credit the worksheet, a) must be completed in full (25 separate entries), b) must identify your specific topic for each entry, c) must provide dates for entries 1-10, d) must provide examples or illustrations for each entry to explain your thoughts and ideas, and e) must not contain multiple or redundant entries of the same information (people, events,…
- 902 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
He studied and reflected on and taught the "literature" at the center of Chinese culture in its formative period. He consolidated the ancient texts and contributed commentaries upon them. He spoke about and answered questions about the most serious matters of concern to human beings. Confucianism is humanism, a philosophy or attitude that is concerned with human beings, their achievements and interests, rather than with the abstract beings and problems of theology. Confucianism was founded by the philosopher Confucius. Confucius lived from 551-479 B.C. In many ways, Confucian philosophy is a middle-ground between the harsh doctrines of the Legalist school of philosophy. Legalist philosophy adheres to rules and custom, but it pushes punishment and discipline, and it lacks the emphasis…
- 1569 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
Buddhism has grown from the flowing of a single man in his path to nirvana to a religion that spans the globe and has shaped many cultures. This paper will first present the history of Buddhism and the life of the man known as Buddha. Then, the fundamental teachings of Buddhism will be discussed. Finally, the unique aspects of Zen Buddhism will be examined.…
- 984 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
A prince named Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) founded “Buddhism” in the sixth century before the birth of Christ. Buddhism is better understood as philosophy rather than a religion and follows the concept of the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Noble path.…
- 618 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Buddhism is a religious group as depicted from the world’s history that began in the 6th century BCE, in today’s Northern India. Buddhism was founded by a wealthy man of Indian dysentery called Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha Gautama’s main concern was to teach people how to realize great spiritual development. These teachings focus on areas like tradition/customs, beliefs, ethics, meditation and philosophy and making people more enlightened; Buddha means ‘to awaken’. To the religious group boast of a huge following of about 300million across the world including 0.7 percent of U.S.A’s religious composition based on U.S’s Census Bureau Document (Seager, 2012).…
- 913 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Confucianism is a religion based on peace and equality. It centers on worshipping ancestors, it is the respect of deceased ancestors whose spirits are believed to control the opulence of others. Filial piety is also another trait that Confucianism centers on, which is the faithfulness to respect the elders of the family by the younger members. Confucianism has 6 main primary principles which is the golden rule, the gentlemanly man of virtue, the proper playing of society’s role, the power of virtue, the ideal standards of conduct, and peaceful arts. Confucius founded Confucianism. Confucius referred to himself as an examiner who deliberately tried to claim the meaning of the past by breathing vitality into seemingly outmoded…
- 117 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Common beliefs but also have their differences. Some differences are the deities worshipped, the founders of the religions, sacred writings observed, and meditation practices. Through out this essay we will explore and compare the similarities and the differences in both of these religions.…
- 1049 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Hinduism and Buddhism are both eastern traditions with much to say about the human condition as well as the reason human beings exist at all. In some ways they are different while also being similar in other ways. In this essay, those differences will be discussed and the similarities examined for their message. In conclusion, we will examine what these two faiths offer to the human beings of the twenty-first century.…
- 977 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
The idea of the religion of Confucianism was developed by the Chinese philosopher Confucius. The idea of Confucianism is teaching a person to be able to have the power to make the most logical decisions on their own. It teaches its followers a greater meaning for life which then helps them to better understand death. As a religion it is a different kind of religion. It is taught to followers that there should be harmony between the ancestors, humanity and Heaven, and the secular and the sacred.…
- 515 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Through out the many religions of the world there seems to be a common element of nature. Through the course of this paper we will seek out this element with in specific Eastern religions. There are many degrees of commitment within each of the religions discussed from the extreme of Taoism, Shinto and Confucianism, these being the religions we will further discuss.…
- 1564 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout history, Religions have played a big role in daily life and have impact the way we do things. Religions have been into existence since the early humans, and are still active today. Religion is the way of life and how people worshipped their gods or goddesses. Every religions have a certain belief and faith that set them apart from the others Religions, people have passed on their religions from generation to generation because it is a written principal that were documented for them to followed, and practice with their children. There are thousands of religions in the world presently that belief in different principal and cultural values but have similar creation stories. In my paper, I will be comparing three religions which…
- 1311 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays