Yin and Yang are the basic principle and concept for both Chinese philosophy and culture that is traced back to the third century BCE. According to the principle, all the things that exist and surround us are inseparable and contradicting. Examples of this are female-male, old-young, darkness-light. These opposing aspects attract each other and, as it is illustrated by the well-known symbol of Yin-Yang principle, each of opposites has a part of the other in its core.
According to the principle, Yin stands for:
Feminine
Black
Dark
North
Cold
Providing spirit for all things and so forth
On the contrary, in terms of Chinese philosophy Yin means:
Masculine
White
Light
fire
warm
young
providing a form to everything
Talking about the importance of the Dao De Jing it may be said that it is significant for its taking a precise look at such themes as the development of a unique cosmology, that is centered on the Dao and the world and their interactions, and the explanation of wu-Wei principle in terms of the cosmology.
Besides being one of the most important works for the Chinese philosophical thought the Dao De Jing has also influenced a great variety of Chinese religious beliefs.
3. Daoist art was developed as a result of the elites in China being unable to find their place in the government of the Mongol Yuan dynasty. As a result of this, the Daoist art is especially developed in the 13th- and 14th-century graphic arts. This form of art may depict the principles and ideas of Daoism along with the depiction of the deities present in the Daoist pantheon. For example, Dragon Pine by Wu Boli includes such important aspect of Daoism as qi also known as “cosmic energy” by means of a pine tree that is curved in the way as the yin-yang diagram is.
4. As the time passed, Daoism has decreased in its popularity as it is seen in some parts of Asia. However, the Daoist thought remains strong in Hong Kong and Taiwan and experiences its increase of popularity in China.
One of the main problems which impede the development of Daoism in the modern world is that social networking connected to the religion is poor. Moreover, people lack information about teachings of Daoism as very little sources are available. In addition, Daoism as any other small religion is being constantly ridiculed by the members of other (more widespread) faiths such as for instance, Christianity.
5. Wu Wei implies means no action and that fact creates many advantages and disadvantages for one’s life. Being a positive principle it may be highly beneficial when a conflict occurs. That may help one stand out of the heated discussion and bring no harm to oneself and other people. In few words, the principle that implies doing nothing keeps a person from any trouble whether in any relationship. However, the same aspect of the principle may be harmful to a person when some external factors threaten the welfare of other people and oneself.
Confucianism
Confucianism has influenced Chinese culture and society greatly. Being more a philosophy of life than a religious practice it dictates the rules to the successful cooperation in terms of society. From this perspective, the concept of Li is one of the most crucial and fundamental for Confucianism. The concept discusses and explains how people practicing the belief are required to lead and prioritize their lives. Here is where the notion of the Five Great Relationships appears.
The purpose of the concept is to promote healthy behavior and structure within a society. According to Confucius’ Five Great Relationships, a good ruler must be generous and kind while his subjects must be loyal. The relationship between father and son are based on the son's obedience and the father's love. Moreover, the similar relationship must be developed between husbands and wives. Younger siblings should respect the older ones who are required to be gentle in return. At last, the relationship between two friends should be based on respect for each other.
As one may notice, three of the five principles are connected to family life. Thus, it may be said that Confucianism puts a great emphasis on the importance of family that plays the main role in the construction of a successful society.
Another significant aspect from the Confucian perspective is the cultivation of character. The main idea of the cultivation is the development of social responsibility and personal strength in a person (Ng, 2009). According to the idea, there are two purposes of learning and one of them is becoming a moral and upright person.
When the virtues which are required for this are cultivated it becomes possible for an individual to apply the things he learned. The main moral obligation of such a person is serving the state and the people (Ng, 2009).
Confucianism has been an integral part Chinese society since the very moment of its creation and formed the modern society of China. The belief encourages such principles of social interaction which are beneficial for Chinese society in terms of its development (such as social order, respect for elder people and so forth). In addition, it may be said that due to the fact that Confucianism is focused mostly on the ideas similar to those of Humanism some elements of daily life became sacred. Moreover, Chinese political thought and culture of the country have also experienced a great impact of Confucianism.
Modern Shinto Practices
Talking about Shinto practices it may be said that they experienced two great changes in the contemporary period. The first one is connected mainly to the changes in the political life of the country while the second one is affected mostly by the new currents which appear in the religious world of Japan (Nobutaka & Koremaru, 2006).
The firs change occurred when The Meiji government created policies which separation of Buddhism from Shinto and provided national support for shrine Shinto. In addition, the government established an imperial institution that is seen also in the modern world and had a great influence on the world of Shinto (Nobutaka & Koremaru, 2006).
As a result of this, there occurred an increase in the number of the Shinto sects. As the time passed, Shinto became placed on the same level as other religions as shrines became religious juridical persons in accordance with the Religious Corporations Ordinance and later Law (Nobutaka & Koremaru, 2006).
The popular Shinto belief has also changed as the time passed since it was greatly influenced by such processes of the modern world as industrialization and urbanization. As the lifestyles of the citizens began changing there was also a change in the rituals and annual events connected to Shinto (Nobutaka & Koremaru, 2006).
References
Ng, R. M. C. (2009). College and Character: What Did Confucius Teach Us About The
Importance of Integrating Ethics, Character, Learning, and Education?. Journal of College and Character, 10(4).
Nobutaka, I & Koremaru, S. (2006). Modern and Contemporary Shinto. Retrieved 20 January
2017 from http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=738
