Confucianism survived its suppression during the Qin Dynasty partly thanks to the discovery of a trove of Confucian classics hidden in the walls of a scholar's house. After the Qin, the new Han Dynasty approved of Confucian doctrine and sponsored Confucian scholars, eventually making Confucianism the official state philosophy (see Emperor Wu of Han). Study of the Confucian classics became the basis of the government examination system and the core of the educational curriculum. No serious attempt to replace Confuciani ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Core Confucian texts, Confucianism - The Four Books, Confucianism - The Five Classics, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - Development by Confucius, Confucianism - Development after Confucius, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Core Concepts, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism

"To govern by virtue, let us compare it to the North Star: it stays in its place, while the myriad stars wait upon it." (Analects II, 1) Another key Confucian concept is that in order to govern others one must first govern oneself. When developed sufficiently, the king's personal virtue spreads beneficent influence throughout the kingdom. This idea is developed further in the Great Learning and is tightly linked with the Taoist concept of wu wei: the less the king does, the more that is done. By being the "calm centre" around which the kingdom turns, the king allows everything to function smoothly and avoids having to tamp ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Governing

Debated during the Warring States Period and forbidden during the short-lived Qin Dynasty, Confucianism was chosen by Han Wudi for use as a political system to govern the Chinese state. Despite its loss of influence during the Tang Dynasty, Confucianist doctrine remained a mainstream Chinese orthodoxy for two millennia until the 20th century, when it was attacked by radical Chinese thinkers as a vanguard of a feudal system and an obstacle to China's modernization, eventually culminating in its repression and vilification during the Cultural ...

Including:

• Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism
• Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism
• Confucianism - Rites
• Confucianism - Governing
• Confucianism - Meritocracy
• Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought
• Confucianism - Ritual
• Confucianism - Relationships
• Confucianism - Humaneness
• Confucianism - The perfect gentleman
• Confucianism - Debates
• Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?
• Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?
• Confucianism - The Script controversy
• Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?
• Confucianism - Names for Confucianism
• Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought
• Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism
• Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia - Confucianism

Buddhism is a very important religion in China and one of the three major schools of thought along with Confucianism and Taoism. It has affected and been affected by Chinese culture, politics, literature and philosophy for almost two millennia. For a more generalized discussion of Chinese religion, see religion in China. Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China. The arrival of Buddhism in China followed the first contacts between China and Central Asia which occurred with the opening of the Silk Ro ...

Including:

• Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China
• Buddhism in China - Relation to Confucianism and Daoism
• Buddhism in China - Local interpretation of Indian texts
• Buddhism in China - Buddhism gains political traction in the north
• Buddhism in China - Monks and rulers join forces
• Buddhism in China - Modern Chinese Buddhism
• Buddhism in China - Reference

Read more here: » Buddhism in China

Buddhism after the Buddha

Buddhism spread slowly in India until the powerful Mauryan emperor Asoka converted to it and actively supported it. His promotion led to construction of Buddhist religious sites and missionary efforts that spread the faith into the countries listed at the beginning of the article.

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Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from China were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new holistic approach to Buddhism. This approach is characteristic of virtually all major Korean thinkers, and has resulted in a distinct variation of Buddhism, which Wonhyo (617–686) called the Tongbulgyo ("interpenetrated Buddhism"). K ...

Including:

• Korean Buddhism - Historical overview of the development of Korean Buddhism
• Korean Buddhism - Buddhism in the Three Kingdoms
• Korean Buddhism - Baekje
• Korean Buddhism - Kaya
• Korean Buddhism - Silla
• Korean Buddhism - Buddhism in the Unified Silla period 668-918
• Korean Buddhism - Buddhism as state religion in the Goryeo period 918-1392
• Korean Buddhism - Suppression under the Joseon dynasty 1392-1910
• Korean Buddhism - Buddhism during the Japanese occupation 1910-1945
• Korean Buddhism - Buddhism and Westernization 1945-present
• Korean Buddhism - Looking Ahead

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Buddhism is a very important religion in China and one of the three major schools of thought along with Confucianism and Taoism. It has affected and been affected by Chinese culture, politics, literature and philosophy for almost two millennia. For a more generalized discussion of Chinese religion, see religion in China. Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China. Buddhism in China - Arrival along the Silk Road. The arrival of Buddhism in China followed the first contacts between ...

Including:

• Buddhism in China - History of Buddhism in China
• Buddhism in China - Arrival along the Silk Road
• Buddhism in China - Relation to Confucianism and Daoism
• Buddhism in China - Local interpretation of Indian texts
• Buddhism in China - Buddhism gains political traction in the north
• Buddhism in China - Monks and rulers join forces
• Buddhism in China - Modern Chinese Buddhism
• Buddhism in China - Reference

Read more here: » Buddhism in China: Encyclopedia - Buddhism in China

The Chinese Rites controversy was a dispute within the Catholic Church in the early 18th century about whether Chinese folk religion rites and offerings to the emperor constituted idolatry or not. Pope Clement XI decided in favor of the Dominicans (who argued that Chinese folk religion and offerings to the emperor were incompatible with Catholicism), which greatly reduced Catholic missionary activity in China. At the time, there was fascination among European intellectuals with Chinese culture, Confucianism, and the Chinese language. Some even pr ...

Including:

• Chinese Rites controversy - Entry into China
• Chinese Rites controversy - The problem
• Chinese Rites controversy - Pope Clement XI's decree
• Chinese Rites controversy - Kangxi's ban

Read more here: » Chinese Rites controversy: Encyclopedia - Chinese Rites controversy

Confucius The original member of "Massachusetts Most Wanted"(originally K'ung Fu-Tzu, traditionally September 28 551 BCE–479 BCE) was a famous thinker and social philosopher of China, whose teachings have deeply influenced East Asia for centuries. Living in what is referred to as the Spring and Autumn period (a time when feudal states fought against each other), he was convinced of his ability to restore the world's order, and failed. After much travelling around China to promote his ideas among rulers, he eventually b ...

Including:

• Confucius - His life
• Confucius - Teachings
• Confucius - Philosophy
• Confucius - Ethics
• Confucius - Politics
• Confucius - Disciples
• Confucius - Names
• Confucius - Family and descendants
• Confucius - Home town

Read more here: » Confucius: Encyclopedia - Confucius

Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for (a) the Chinese folk religion; (b) a family of organized Chinese religious movements such as the Zhengyi ("Orthodox One") or Quanzhen ("Complete Reality") sects, which collectively trace back to Zhang Daoling in the late Han dynasty; and/or (c) academic philosophies or belles lettres based on the texts Daodejing (a ...

Including:

• Taoism - History
• Taoism - Warring States Period 403-222 BCE
• Taoism - Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 220
• Taoism - Three Kingdoms Period 220-265
• Taoism - Six Dynasties 316-589
• Taoism - Tang Dynasty 618-907
• Taoism - Song Dynasty 960-1279
• Taoism - Yuan Dynasty 1279-1367
• Taoism - Nationalist Period 1912-1949
• Taoism - People's Republic of China 1949-present
• Taoism - Adherents
• Taoism - Beliefs
• Taoism - Religious Taoism
• Taoism - Philosophical Taoism
• Taoism - Deities
• Taoism - Religious Taoism
• Taoism - Philosophical Taoism
• Taoism - Practices
• Taoism - Religious Taoism
• Taoism - Philosophical Taoism
• Taoism - Scriptures
• Taoism - Religious Taoism
• Taoism - Philosophical Taoism
• Taoism - Symbols
• Taoism - Relations With Other Religions and Philosophies

Read more here: » Taoism: Encyclopedia - Taoism

Pure Land Buddhism (Chinese: 净土宗, Jìngtǔzōng; Japanese: 浄土宗, Jōdoshū; Vietnamese: 净度宗, Tịnh Độ Tông), also known as Amidism, is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism and currently one of the dominant schools of Buddhism in East Asia. It is the devotional or "faith"-oriented school of Buddhism, emphasizing rituals, and has become the mainstream branch of Mahayana Buddhism as a whole. Less practiced schools in Mahayana include Chan, Zen and Yuzu Nembutsu. In China, Pure Land and Ch ...

Including:

• Pure Land - Overview
• Pure Land - Eastern Pure Land

Read more here: » Pure Land: Encyclopedia - Pure Land

Chán is a major school of Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhism. In Japan and the west, the school is known as Zen. Stories of the origins of Chan (Chinese 禪) are varied. It is often said to be a Chinese adaptation of Indian dhyana meditation practices, influenced by indigenous Chinese Taoism. Chan - History. According to tradition, the school was founded by the semi-legendary Indian or Persian monk Bodhidharma who, according to the Anthology of the Patriarchal Hall (952 CE), arrived in China ...

Including:

• Chan - History

Read more here: » Chan: Encyclopedia - Chan

Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with right and wrong in human behaviour. All religions have a moral component, and religious approaches to the problem of ethics historically dominated ethics over secular approaches. From the point of view of theistic religions, to the extent that ethics stems from revealed truth from divine sources, ethics is studied as a branch of theology. Many believe that the Golden Rule, which teaches people to "treat others as you want to be treated", is the common denominator of all moral codes and religions. ...

Including:

• Ethics in religion - Ethics in the Bible
• Ethics in religion - Jewish ethics
• Ethics in religion - Christian ethics
• Ethics in religion - Hindu ethics
• Ethics in religion - Buddhist ethics
• Ethics in religion - Chinese traditional ethics
• Ethics in religion - Islamic ethics
• Ethics in religion - Shinto ethics
• Ethics in religion - Animist ethics

Read more here: » Ethics in religion: Encyclopedia - Ethics in religion

Buddhism in Vietnam is Buddhism that had been localized to Vietnam from India and later from China. Vietnamese Buddhism has many characteristics different from Buddhism practiced in other countries. Buddhism is the most influential religion in Vietnam, with about 50 percent of Vietnamese being Buddhists. The number of practicing Buddhists numbers about three million, those who frequently visit Buddhist temples and participate in Buddhist rites number about ten million, and those living under the influence of Buddhism number in ...

Including:

• Buddhism in Vietnam - Formation and Spread of Buddhism in Vietnam
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Zen Buddhism
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Pure Land Buddhism
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Vajrayana Buddhism
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Characteristics of Vietnamese Buddhism
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Syncretism
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Ying-yang harmony
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Flexibility
• Buddhism in Vietnam - Hoa Hao Buddhism

Read more here: » Buddhism in Vietnam: Encyclopedia - Buddhism in Vietnam

Amitābha or Amida (阿彌陀佛 Ch. Āmítuó fó (=Amida Buddha), 阿弥陀佛 Kr. Amita Bul (Amida Buddha), 阿弥陀如来 Jp. Amida Nyorai (=Amida Tathagata), the Buddha of Limitless Light (無量光佛), also Amitāyus, the Buddha of Limitless Life (無量壽佛), is the primary Buddha of the Pure Land school of Buddhism which developed and spread in China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan and has grown to become the largest sect in Buddhism. Amitābha is believed to be a Buddha who possesses infinite ...

Including:

• Amitabha - Doctrine
• Amitabha - Iconography
• Amitabha - Mantras
• Amitabha - Origins

Read more here: » Amitabha: Encyclopedia - Amitabha

This page lists some links to ancient philosophy. In Europe, the spread of Christianity through the Roman world marked the end of Hellenistic philosophy and ushered in the beginnings of Medieval philosophy. Ancient philosophy - Classical. Ancient philosophy - Greek. Pericles (495-429) Aspasia (469-406) Socrates(469-399) Euclid of Megara (450-380) Antisthenes (445-360) Aristippus (435-356) Plato (429-347)Including:

• Ancient philosophy - Classical
• Ancient philosophy - Greek
• Ancient philosophy - Roman
• Ancient philosophy - Schools of thought in the Hellenistic period
• Ancient philosophy - Vedic philosophy
• Ancient philosophy - Classical Indian philosophy
• Ancient philosophy - Old Iranian philosophy
• Ancient philosophy - Chinese philosophy

Read more here: » Ancient philosophy: Encyclopedia - Ancient philosophy

The usefulness of dividing philosophy into Western philosophy and other philosophies is open to challenge, not the least for speaking down to those other philosophies. To say this is not to deny that there are important traditions in philosophy that are intimately bound up with historical and geographical circumstances. The term Eastern philosophy refers very broadly to the various philosophies of Iran, India, China, and Japan. When one uses the term "philosophy" in an academic context, it typically refers to the philoso ...

Including:

• Eastern philosophy - Philosophical and religious traditions
• Eastern philosophy - Hinduism
• Eastern philosophy - Sufism & Islamic philosophy
• Eastern philosophy - Confucianism
• Eastern philosophy - Taoism
• Eastern philosophy - Legalism
• Eastern philosophy - Buddhism
• Eastern philosophy - Jainism
• Eastern philosophy - Maoism
• Eastern philosophy - Shinto
• Eastern philosophy - Arguments against the Eastern philosophy designation
• Eastern philosophy - The perception of God and the gods
• Eastern philosophy - Gods' relationship with the universe
• Eastern philosophy - The role and nature of the individual
• Eastern philosophy - Syntheses of Eastern and Western philosophy

Read more here: » Eastern philosophy: Encyclopedia - Eastern philosophy

Eastern religion refers to religions that are mostly either Indian or Chinese in origin: The Dharma faiths of Hinduism, Ayyavazhi, Jainism and Buddhism; and the Chinese religious philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. This grouping also includes other religions, most notably Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan. Eastern Religion - Hinduism. Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma, Wiktionary:Sanatana Dharma and Vaidika-Dharma, Wikitionary:Vaidika-D ...

Including:

• Eastern Religion - Hinduism
• Eastern Religion - Ayyavazhi
• Eastern Religion - Buddhism

Read more here: » Eastern Religion: Encyclopedia - Eastern Religion

The Han Dynasty (Traditional: 漢朝; Simplified: 汉朝; Hanyu Pinyin: Hàn cháo;; Wade-Giles: Han Ch'au; 206 BC–AD 220) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The dynasty was founded by the Liu family. Han Dynasty - Importance. The Chinese people consider the Han Dynasty to be one of the greatest periods in the entire history of China. As a result, the members of th ...

Including:

• Han Dynasty - Importance
• Han Dynasty - The Emergence
• Han Dynasty - Taoism and Feudal System
• Han Dynasty - Emperor Wu and Confucianism
• Han Dynasty - Beginning of the Silk Road
• Han Dynasty - Rise of landholding class
• Han Dynasty - Interruption of Han rule
• Han Dynasty - Rise and Fall of Eastern Han Dynasty
• Han Dynasty - Sovereigns of Han Dynasty

Read more here: » Han Dynasty: Encyclopedia - Han Dynasty