外人・・・様！ Posted March 8, 2005 at 01:16 AM Report Share Posted March 8, 2005 at 01:16 AM It seems to me that China and Japan are not very religious countries. I think when the communists took over China they intentionally... what's the word I'm looking for... "ended" religion. In Japan, people go to shrines and temples, but I don't think anyone actually has faith. There is the idea of 1)Born shinto 2)Marry Christian 3)Die Buddhist... Anyone have a comment on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted March 8, 2005 at 02:12 AM Report Share Posted March 8, 2005 at 02:12 AM They are religious but they don't actively preach their religions. Religious activities are just part of the tradition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ananda Posted March 9, 2005 at 04:43 PM Report Share Posted March 9, 2005 at 04:43 PM Taoism and Buddhism are the most important 'religion' in China. Both of them have no restrict ritual and no goal for expanding the members. For Daoism, it's hard to call it a 'religion', it's originally a mixture of tales and fairies to the point of people's view, it borrowed Tao's philosophy and became a religion. Buddhism influenced China during Tang & Song dynasties, after the controversy between the confucius scholar and the buddhists, a china-style-Zen Buddhism overwhelmed(so it's said that one could be a success Zenist if he is not a good confucian and pure-land buddhist.). Buddhism doesn't aimed for salvation, but to let you know the five-essence(form, feelings, perceptions, formations, consciousness) doesn't differ with emptiness, and through the hundreds of thousands practicing way, you could jump out the circles of life and reach the status of nirvana. You and your behavior help yourself. You could practice in every place and every time in any method even walking, running, zazen. So not only those who are in the temples are the disciples, the disciples could be in any places and with any appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
外人・・・様！ Posted March 9, 2005 at 10:43 PM Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2005 at 10:43 PM The intresting think to me, is that the purpose of reaching nirvana is to end the cycle of reincarnation... Because life might be worse than not living. Hmm... Zazen, how would you it be pronounced in Chinese? (座禅） Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quest Posted March 10, 2005 at 04:02 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 at 04:02 AM Zazen, how would you it be pronounced in Chinese? (座禅） In modern mandarin, it's pronounced "zuo4 chan2". In Cantonese, it's “zo6 sim4". Shanghaiese or Fujianese pronunciations may be closer to the Japanese pronunciation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenjing*girl Posted March 10, 2005 at 06:34 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 at 06:34 AM It seems that religion here is more of a duty than a conviction of the heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ananda Posted March 10, 2005 at 11:29 AM Report Share Posted March 10, 2005 at 11:29 AM The intresting think to me, is that the purpose of reaching nirvana is to end the cycle of reincarnation... Because life might be worse than not living. Hmm... Zazen, how would you it be pronounced in Chinese? (座禅） sorry I can't provide more deep explanation about nirvana 'cause I'm quite a newbie to Buddhism. But nirvana is not only about life or death, but .... Zazen is 坐禅(zuo4 chan2) or 禅定(chan2 ding4) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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