Ideas of Nature in Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism

In religions of Asian origin, a concept that touches many different thought systems is that of the Way, or the Tao (Dao). The concept is elusive even as it is specifically described in the Tao-Te-Ching, Taoism's most important document. The Tao is called the Principle, which is the origin of all beings in the cosmos, and the Principle is made visible "through te, its virtue (its unwinding)" (Lao-Tzu, 1999, p. 30). Yet the nature of the Principle is that it is "indistinct and indeterminate . . . mysterious and obscure" (p. 30). Even so, it is the fundamental reality. Implicit is the idea that the "beings in force," which are embedded in reality, are meant to unpack meanings from what is indeterminate. Yet as the Tao-Te-Ching makes plain, Lao-Tzu has eliminated virtually all force, or "uselessness" (p. 28) from his life, "concentrated in myself. Indeterminate, like the immensity of the oceans, I float without stopping. They are full of talent, whereas I seem limited and uncultured" (p. 28). Repeatedly, the Tao-Te-Ching returns to the idea of rejection of material goods, material ideas, in particular artificial, conventional, and political "wisdom and prudence (in order

. . .
: Heaven does not speak; yet the four seasons run their course thereby, the hundred creatures, each after its kind, are born thereby. Heaven does no speaking! (Confucius, 1991, p. 214) At III.13, Confucius says that one "who has put himself in the wrong with Heaven has no means of expiation" (p. 97). That tends to suggest that natural law is meant to be obeyed no matter what. However, it is important to recognize Confucius' social and elitist orientation, his wish to recover the golden age of the Chou culture. Thus educated elites who understood their culture were placed on a whole different plane from the peasantry, who were undoubtedly closer to the vagaries of nature but for whom Confucius had vague contempt. The challenge (for the elites) was to find the proper balance between the natural and the cultural world. This can be seen at VI.16: When natural substance prevails over ornamentation, you get the boorishness of the rustic. When ornamentation prevails over natural substance, you get the pedantry of the scribe. Only when ornament and substance are duly blended do you get the true gentleman. (Confucuis, 1992, p. 119) Shinto, far more than Confucianism or Taoism, verges on being a folk reli
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Buddhism Japan, Tao Implicit, III13 Confucius, Golden Rule, Tao-Te-Ching Taoism's, Imperial Land, Repeatedly Tao-Te-Ching, Chou Zhou, Confucianism Shinto, Sixth-century Buddhist, littleton 2002, yin yang, pelikan ed, earhart 1982, natural world, analects confucius pp, confucius pp, university press, analects confucius, shinto buddhism, natural law, pelikan ed sacred, confucianism analects confucius, sacred confucianism analects, ed sacred confucianism,
Approximate Word count = 2111
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Ideas of Nature in Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism