Elements of Chinese Religious Culture Resisting the Dominance of Euro Americans

[Name of the Instructor]Elements of Chinese Religious Culture Resisting the Dominance of Euro Americans

Introduction

China also known as the People's Republic of China, came into existence in 1949. It is the world's largest country having the population of more than 1.3 billion people, which is approximately 1/5 of the world's population. By area, it is the world's third largest country having the area around 9.6 Million Square Kilometers. Also, it is one of the permanent members of United Nations Security Council. Because it has the world's largest economy, it is playing a prominent role in the world.

History of China

Ancient Chinese civilization, one of the earliest civilizations in the world, grew in the fertile basins of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. The first dynasty of ancient China was the Xia and dates back to 4,000 years before the present. The Qin Dynasty, the first united central government of China, founded in Two Hundred and Twenty One (221) BCE. The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty which ended in 1912. With the end of the civil war, the People's Republic of China came into existence in 1949. (Changgang, 2011)

Religions in China

In China, there are 5 categories of religion-namely, Buddhism, Daoism (Taoism), Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Folk Religion of Chinese is in the category of folk customs or folkloric beliefs. Confucianism is a system of thought rather than a kind of religion, albeit there was once a movement of Confucianism in the early 20th century in an effort to promote Confucianism as a religion, and there is still debating today in academia as to whether Confucianism should be established as China's national religion.

1. Buddhism

It is one of the largest organized religions in China, introduced during the rule of Han Dynasty in the first century CE and flourished during the rule of different dynasties. Such as Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty and by the descendants of these dynasties. With centuries of development, Buddhism entrenched in the Chinese culture so deeply that it considered as one of the traditional religions of China.

Buddhism in China has three branches: Chinese Buddhism (Chinese versions of Mahayana Buddhism), Tibetan Buddhism or Lamaism, and Theravada Buddhism. The vast majority of Chinese Buddhists are Han Chinese. The believers of Tibetan Buddhism normally live in the areas of Tibet, Qinghai Province, and Inner Mongolia while Theravada followers are among the ethnic minorities, such as Dai, Blang, and Deang, who live in southwestern areas such as the Yunnan Province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

2. Daoism (Taoism)

Daoism is China's indigenous religion. It came into existence in the East Han Dynasty (25-220 CE) around the second century CE, but its philosophical concepts can be traced back to a renowned sage, Lao Ze (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius. (Little S. 2000)

Dao means “path” or “way.” The ultimate aim of Daoism is to seek the way to a long life or become a celestial being. Dao De Jing ...