The Chinese religion of the people ( Wh . 国 国 信仰 信仰 пин пин пин пин пин пин пин пин , pinyin : zhōngguó mínjiān xìnyăng ) or shanizm is a complex of religious ideas that were formed during the historical development of Chinese civilization . It is an eclectic combination of religious beliefs and practices based primarily on honoring the ancestors and forces of nature, good and evil spirits, and also Heaven, which influences society and rulers. It has many regional forms originating from different sources; around the 11th century, syncretism was formed, based on Buddhist ideas about karma and rebirth , as well as Taoist teachings about the hierarchy of gods.
The core of all Chinese religious beliefs are four basic concepts [1] :
- The sky ( Chinese. Guid. 天 , pinyin : tiān ) is a source of moral meaning, a cosmic resonator that reacts to the behavior of humanity and sends signs to it;
- Qi ( Chinese trad. 氣 , ex. 气 , pinyin : qì ) - pneuma-ether, creative force and energy of the universe;
- Reverence of ancestors;
- Retribution for perfect actions ( Chinese trad. 報應 , pinyin : bàoyìng ).
Organizationally, the Chinese people's religion was represented in a huge number of local, village, clan and family teachings and sects, which the authorities tolerated if their followers were loyal to the existing regime. From the 11th century, the city authorities conducted a register of local cults - deities, spirits, deified departed and their “miraculous” acts. The lists were submitted to the department of the imperial rites for the identification of deities of national importance. Especially revered characters of local cults could be elevated to the rank of "king" or "sovereign" with the construction of an altar or a sanctuary in the capital [2] . After the fall of the monarchy in 1911, the republican authorities tried to fight traditional ideas in the framework of vaccination of modern values to the broad masses of the people. After the creation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, periodically campaigns were carried out to combat “feudal remnants” and “superstitions”, to which religion was counted. Since the second half of the 20th century, some syncretic sects based on traditional ideas have spread widely in mainland China and Taiwan , and are often viewed by the authorities as a mechanism for preserving traditional Chinese culture [3] .
See also
- Taoism
- Chinese mythology
- Cult of ancestors
- Religion in China
- The number of followers of major religions
Notes
- ↑ Fan, Lizhu; Chen, Na (2015). "The Religiousness of Confucianism and the Revival of Confucian Religion in China Today." Cultural Diversity in China. De Gruyter Open (1): 27-43. doi: 10.1515 / cdc-2015-0005. ISSN 2353-7795.
- ↑ Kravtsova, 2004 , p. 500-501.
- ↑ Adam Yuet Chau. The Politics of Legitimation and North-Central China // Modern China. - 2005. - Vol. 31, no. 2. - P. 236-278.
Literature
- in Russian
- Wen Jiang, Gorobets L. A. Taoism in modern China. - SPb. : Petersburg Oriental Studies , 2005. - 160 p. - (Orientalia). - ISBN 5-85803-306-6 .
- Kravtsova M.Ye. Chinese Art History: Textbook. allowance. - SPb. : Lan, 2004. - 960 p. - ISBN 5-8114-0564-2 .
- Tertitsky KM Chinese Syncretic Religions in the XX Century. - M .: Oriental Literature Publishing Company of the Russian Academy of Sciences , 2000. - 415 p. - ISBN 5-02-017961-2 .
- in other languages
- Groot, JJM de . The religious system of China . - Leyden: EJ Brill, 1892. - Vol. I. - 420 p.
- Groot, JJM de . The religious system of China . - Leyden: EJ Brill, 1892. - Vol. Ii. - 506 p.
- Groot, JJM de . The religious system of China . - Leyden: EJ Brill, 1892. - Vol. Iii. - 720 p.
- Groot, JJM de . The religious system of China . - Leyden: EJ Brill, 1892. - Vol. IV, book II. - 505 p.
- Groot, JJM de . The religious system of China . - Leyden: EJ Brill, 1892. - Vol. V, book II. - 494 p.
- Groot, JJM de . The religious system of China . - Leyden: EJ Brill, 1892. - Vol. VI, book II. - 462 p.
- Groot, JJM de . The religion of the Chinese . - New York: The Macmillan company, 1910. - 252 p.