My Great Endeavors : February 2021

Introduction

There are many traditional religions in China. Altogether they are known as Chinese Folk Religion. These various religions have several things in common. Membership is kin based. People of different positions have various roles in these religions. Sum of these religions based on historical people. They have been influenced by Taoism and Confucianism. The Chinese Communist party is suppressing these religions.

Commonality

Chi: This is the energy that keeps us alive. It travels in our body as meridians.

Jingzu: This is ancestor veneration. Ancestral spirits play an important role in these religions.

Shen: This is the word for deities. They are a very big deal.

Tian: This is what the supreme being is called. You can think of it as Brahman or Tao.

Baojing: This word means karma.

Yin & Yang: These are complementary forces, such as male and female. There is some yang in yin and some yin in yang, because they're 2 sides of the same coins.

Hun & Po: Hun is similar to the etheric body and Po is similar to astral body. The Hun stay by the grave and Po travel to higher realms.

Membership

People of the same last name fellow the same religion. They build a temple and venerate ancestors together. They share resources and property together. These temples support schools and give to charity. These lineage associations are common among the Han tribe.

Leaders of Spirituality

Shamans in Chinese Folk Religion are called Wu. They are healers and diviners. They may also have the power to make it rain. Some of them are priests, which are called Huowushi. They officiare community rituals. Bloodline shamans are called Nanwu. They are men that get their position from there fathers. Nu wu are female shamans, they heal with herbs and interact with spirits. Some of the rituals of these religions promote longevity. They also do rituals to venerate their ancestors.

People's Religion

Mazuism: There was a shaman named Lin Monianing . She lived over a millennium ago. She rescued many fishermen and merchants. She was deified as a sea goddess after she died. There are over 100 million adherents of this religion and over 1,000 temples. It's popular in Taiwan. She was born on 3/23 and became a goddess 9/9.

Caishen Worship: He is the god of prosperity. Chinese New Year is his holiday. He may be the most powerful shen. Alchemy is one of his powers; he can turn iron into gold. Many Chinese politicians and military leaders were incarnations of him. He may be a deified ancestor.

Influences

Taoism: This religion was created by Lao Tzu. He also wrote the Tao Te Ching. It is a book full of paradoxes. The 3 Jewels are important in Taoism. They are compassion, frugality, and humility. Yin and yang and the 5 elements (water, wood, fire, earth and metal) come from this religion. Each element has more or less yin or yang. Earth has an even amount.

Confucianism: This is a religion based on the teaching of Confucius. The 5 Classics are holy texts of Confucianism. They deal with divination, poetry, politics, rites, etc. Social morality, humaneness, loyalty, and filial piety are very important in this religion. There are several vertical relationships. Husband over wife, older brother over younger brother, master over student, and the only horizontal relationships are friendships.

Buddhism: This religion is based on the teaching of Buddha. It is very psychological; you can learn a lot about the mind from it. There are 4 Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. It describe the problem and solutions. The goal is to escape samsara by attaining nirvana. There are 2 major forms of Buddhism and a minor form. Tibetan Buddhism is my favorite because it's the most magickal.

Communist Suppression

The government of China destroyed over 5800 temples in 2019. That made me so angry!!!!!! Being religious in China is tough, because of the government. Recently many Uighurs been put concentration camps. They practice the religion of Islam. I wish there was religious freedom in China.

Conclusion

The traditional religions of China has several things in common. They are as followed: ancestor veneration, chi, jingzu, shen, Tian, baojing, yin/yang, and hun/po. Membership is based on kinship. Shamans play a huge role in these religions. Some of the religions are based on deified ancestors. It has been influenced by Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. It is surpassed by the Chinese government. I love these religions!!!!!