中国哲学与宗教英文PPT.pptVIP

Philosophy Religion in China Chinese Folk Religion Taoism Confucianism By Laura Ellen Shulman Chinese Folk Religion Belief in spirits Reverence for ancestors Priests perform blessing rituals: purifying space Exorcising evil spirits (“hungry ghosts”) Astrology Divination Chinese metaphysics is about… Energy Change Balance Harmony Inter-relationships Chinese Metaphysics Movement of cosmic energies: Rising Falling Expanding Contracting Rotating Represented by and expressed in the “five elements” of nature… The “Five Elements” Wood Water Metal Earth Productive cycle Fire The “Five Elements” Wood Water Metal Earth Fire Destructive cycle X X X X X Chinese MetaphysicsConcepts Chi – life force, life energy (“ultimate”) Yin-Yang – harmony of opposites Yin = passive state of energy Yang = active state of energy [ Tao – the “way” of the cosmos, of nature Heaven (t’ien) and Earth “Mandate of Heaven” Practical applications: I-Ching and Feng Shui The I-Ching“Book of Changes” Ancient divination technique (at least 3000 years old) Intended to guide humans in decision making Based on combinations of lines representing the ever changing relationship between passive (yin) and active (yang) energy flow of heaven, human, and earth = yang = yin The Tri-gramsEight combinations of three lines each: wind / wood Fire lake earth mountain water thunder heaven Using the I-Ching Tool Symbolism of the lines: Upper line = energy state of heaven Middle line = energy state of human Lower line = energy state of earth Two sets of trigrams are divined to create a hexagram Use coins or sticks to divine one of 64 hexagrams Use I-Ching text to discern meaning of the hexagram and any additional meaning for “changing lines” (energies on the verge of changing) A skilled interpreter is needed to apply the generic meaning of the hexagram #31 Feng Shui The Chinese art of placement (geomancy) Means “wind water”– symbolically, the constant flow of wind and water that creates const