It would be more interesting for this thread if more whom know would paticipate in this thread with their perspectives and further our knowledge on
our origins.
Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism do share some similar charateristics. They are all secular in nature and teaches mankind civilised way.
Buddhism had survived largely intact despite some minor obvious schisms, as normal in human affairs for no man with free will would think alike, ,
with much thanks to the noble monks order. It only teaches a way of life, of co-existance with others and tolerance, and widely accepted even by many
political leaders whom see no threat to their rule.
Confuciansim on the other hand places a higher emphasis on respect of elders and seniors, which makes many a monarch happy with such idealogy, for
mankind would have to be humble always to the most senior and non other than the ruler of a nation, even if he is wrong, which accounts for this
ideology's longetivity.
Taoism owes much to the teachings of Lao Tzi whom taught mankind a way of life to achieve peace and harmony, but unfortunately, perhaps due to much of
his teaching that were either lost or corrupted, there was a mysticism aspect taught along with it, such as the reverence to a pantheon of gods akin
to hellenistic traditions.
Perhaps, greece had been a bigger influence in Asia than modern day historians give credit for. Alexander the Great did not 'dream of cows' as only in
a dream, and thus his conquest of the ancient world. Someone must had told or taught him such of civilisations further than the greek islands, perhaps
traders whom had ventured far and wide, and returned.
And through such contact was hellenistic beliefs shared with the animist indigenous people then in China, for remarkably, very much of the greek gods
and doings were similar with ancient chinese and indian beliefs, such as heavenly wars and divine interventions in daily human affairs.
It was also believed that the Taoists knew and recorded 'superhuman feats' such as flying, paranormal senses, etc, but had only been ridiculed as
myths. The closest modern day evidence of such feats is Tai Chi - internal strength, practiced by the old with seemingly slow motion movements one
sees them performing in the morning as excercises.
I remember once during a martial arts class when i was called to take on with an old man. I refused to fight him as I was a big strapping youth. But
the instructor told me to do so. I walked up to him, and just for show, to land a punch on his face lightly, but it was thwarted by him unbelivably
fast for an old, to my surprise. My classmates were laughing me then.
I got serious and attacked with full angry force, only to be thrown by him to the wall about a few yards back, stunned. According to my instructor,
what he did was to use the method of Tai Chi - to use my forceful strength, absorbed it and with what little strength as an old man would have, used
mine and his force/strength to repel me back. Such were the little known and understood powers of the eastern hemisphere by the west.
I believed that there was more to it as I reseached into Taoism mysticism, but somehow, overtime, those superpowers were either lost through neglect
or by force, such as the burnings of books by the god-on-earth wannabe 1st emperor of China, who claimed to be the son of heaven in order to make use
of beliefs to consolidate his rule.
Perhaps it was good that such powers were lost over time, for with power comes responsibility, and very often, flawed mankind only proved
irresponsiblities when handling power, to the detriment of his fellow men.
During the initial years of an united Han dynasty, the son of heaven was meant indeed as it is - an immortal, but as time went by, when those emperors
died, masses knew they were not immortals, but only man. Thus, a westerner must never be confused by the concept of 'son of heaven' as 'son of God'.
No mortal would call the Japanese, English or Thailand monarch an immortal today. It was only a term to mean a mandated intermediary to the
heavens
edit on 18-1-2012 by SeekerofTruth101 because: (no reason given)
