The Tao is often associated with a "virtue" of being, the de or te. It is often considered to be the source of both existence and non-existence. Similar to the negative theology of Western scholars, the Tao is compared to what it is not. Believed to be the influence that keeps the universe balanced and ordered, the Tao is associated with nature, due to a belief that nature demonstrates the Tao. The Tao may be roughly defined as the flow of reality, of the universe, or the force behind the natural order. "Far Eastern religion" or "Taoic religion" may refer only to faiths incorporating the concept of Tao, may include Chan and Japanese Buddhism, or may inclusively refer to all Asian religions. "Tao religion" is often used for Taoism itself, as well as being used for many Tao-based new religious movements. Further complications arise from the inconsistent use of many terms.
Syncretism is a common feature of East Asian religions, often making it difficult to recognise individual faiths. Terminology ĭespite a wide variety of terms, the traditions described as "Far Eastern religions", "East Asian religions" or "Chinese religions" are recognized by scholars as a distinct religious family. The place of Taoic religions among major religious groups is comparable to the Abrahamic religions found in Europe and the Western World as well as across the Middle East and the Muslim World, and Dharmic religions across the Indian subcontinent, Tibetan plateau and Southeast Asia. East Asian religions include many theological stances, including polytheism, nontheism, henotheism, monotheism, pantheism, panentheism and agnosticism. Some ancient Chinese philosophical schools merged into traditions with different names or became extinct, such as Mohism (and many others belonging to the ancient Chinese Hundred Schools of Thought), which was largely subsumed into Taoism. Įarly Chinese philosophies defined the Tao and advocated cultivating the de, "virtue", which arises from the knowledge of such Tao. Īll these religious traditions, more or less, share core Chinese concepts of spirituality, divinity and world order, including Tao, 道 ("Way", Pinyin dào, Japanese tō or dō, and Korean do) and Tian, 天 ("Heaven", Japanese ten, and Korean cheon'). Chinese salvationist religions have influenced the rise of Japanese new religions such Tenriism and Korean Jeungsanism as these new religious movements draw upon indigenous traditions but are heavily influenced by Chinese philosophy and theology. The group also includes Japanese Shinto, Tenrikyo, and Korean Muism (Korean shamanism similar to Chinese Wuism), all of which combine Shamanistic elements and indigenous ancestral worship with various influences from Chinese religions.
This group includes Chinese religion overall, which further includes Ancestral Worship, Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Taoism and popular salvationist organisations (such as Yiguandao and Weixinism), as well as elements drawn from Mahayana Buddhism that form the core of Chinese and East Asian Buddhism at large. In the study of comparative religion, the East Asian religions or Taoic religions, form a subset of the Eastern religions.
Weixinism is a Chinese salvationist religion. Main hall of the City of the Eight Symbols in Qi, Hebi, the headquarters of the Weixinist Church in Henan. Worship ceremony at the Great Temple of Yandi Shennong in Suizhou, Hubei a practice of Chinese folk religion.
Not to be confused with Eastern religions.
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