Hatuwezi, tutailinda imani yetu ya kiasili kwa wivu mkubwa, na hata tukiwakaribisha hatutawapa siri zote za imani / tamaduni yetu sije wakatugeuka.
Vivyo hivyo huko Ulaya / Mashariki ya Kati / China / Japan / India wanatukaribisha kusoma ktk madarasa / madrasa / hekalu / temple / Vyuo Vikuu vya Theology/ Dini n.k lakini kamwe hawatatupa siri zote za imani , elimu , ilmu zao.
Taoism China :
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Taoism
道可道，非常道。A way that can be the Way, is not the usual way.
名可名，非常名。A name that can be a name, is an unusual name
The lines above are the opening lines of the Dao De Jing (The Way of Power and Virtue Scripture, 道德经) that is the main religious text of Taoism. How to translate the words into English and what the words mean is obviously the mystery of Dao.
The word Dao means Way. The Way of Life. The Meaning of one’s life. In usual Chinese usage, the word “dao” means path or road. Nowadays, the name Taoism is used as a general name for any kind of native Chinese religion or ancient belief. The term covers anything from Qigong or Tai Chi exercise, to ancestor worship, to belief in any of hundreds of gods or reputed immortal people, to martial arts, to healthful food recipes to Taoist philosophy.
Taoism is basically a term for China’s indigenous philosophies and religious beliefs, and as defined this way, it has always been China’s main religion that colors all the others.
Daoism is China’s
oldest religion. At one time, the land called China was the home of numerous peoples with different racial origins. All these ethnic groups probably had their own special gods and religious beliefs. Over time, kingdoms and empires grew in various areas and started incorporating more and more people into them.
One common theme in these kingdoms and empires was a belief in life after death as can be seen in ancient tombs all over China. So people had to pay homage to and care for the dead. Some Chinese have fear of the dead, and they try to obey the dead or appease them. Another idea that is very strong in Chinese philosophy is as Chinese people say: “If you believe something, it is real.” Along with this is the idea that reality isn’t really and there is really no Truth. So it doesn’t really matter if a certain man named Laozi who wrote the Dao De Jing really existed or not. 名可名，非常名。 A nameable name usually isn’t the name.
Chinese people generally didn’t want to die. They generally wanted to live a long time. So ancient Chinese developed different methods to keep living. It is said by some Daoists that there are humans who are hundreds or thousands of years old who involve themselves in their lives and in China’s affairs, and some Daoists worship these immortals. Some immortals once died but came back to existence in another way. It is said there are both internal and external methods of prolonging life. Internal ways involve controlling and moving around the Chi or meditation or inaction. External ways involve drugs made of minerals or elements like mercury or herbal medicines.
Modern Taoism
Bagua
There are various kinds of Taoism. Some Taoism is based on the study and belief of ancient scriptures like the Dao De Jing. Most “Taoists” in China who probably wouldn’t call themselves Taoists (Daojiaotu, 道教徒) practice native folk religion that varies from place to place. This folk religion is more common in the country among peasants. This includes ancestor worship and palm reading or Feng Shui (geomancy, 风水).
Many modern Chinese practice Tai Chi exercise or Qigong that is a kind of Taoism. This exercise is especially popular among older women. They can be seen practicing in groups after sunrise in public places all over China. Some Taoists believe in prolonging life or reaching immortality through internal and external techniques. Some worship native or personal gods.
The Dao De Jing
The history of Daoism is as old as the history of religion in China. Much of Taoist religion comes from Chinese folk religion. Buddhist ideas were adopted, and ideas of Confucian philosophy were added. Confucius is said to have been born about the year 550 BC. It was a time of political turmoil and war. Historians differ about when Laozi was born or if he even existed. He may have been a contemporary of Confucius or he may have lived about 380 BC. During the Han Dynasty about 2,000 years ago, the philosophy of Daoism developed with the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi recognized as the main texts.
Towards the end of the Tang Dynasty, emperors favored Taoism and claimed that Laozi was a relative. But they were against Buddhism that had grown very powerful and also against Nestorian Christianity. They repressed what they called “foreign religions.” Later, some Song Dynasty emperors promoted Daoism. Then Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism was synthesized in what is called the Neo-Confucian school. During the Qing Dynasty, the Manchus favored Tibetan Buddhism and Confucianism. Taoism was in disfavor with the ruling class, but folk religion continued until the 20th century
