Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism represent the main philosophical sources and essence of the traditional Chinese culture.

Confucianism, or "rujia" in Chinese, came down in one continuous line with the Shang culture that originated in Shangqiu and bloomed in Anyang, both in Henan. In the early period of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the adherents of the preceding Shang Dynasty who consciously retained the Shang culture were called ru. Ji Zi, a man of the late Shang Dynasty, authored a masterpiece of political philosophy, Hong Fan (The Grand Rules). The theories of the five elements, of nature and man responding to each other, and of the Kingly Way (benevolent governance), which he elaborated on in the book, could be considered the precursors of Confucianism, or the school of the ru. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius (551-479 BC), a thinker and educator from the State of Lu, drew on the rich ancient culture and established Confucianism that valued virtue, benevolence, justice, and a rigorous system of norms centering on rituals and music.

Buddhism, created by Sakyamuni of a kingdom in ancient India (in present-day Nepal), is one of the three main religions in the world. It advocates equality of all and karma. Buddhism spread to China in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) and blended with the traditional Chinese culture. The Baima Temple in Luoyang built in 68 was the first government-funded Buddhist temple in the country, and therefore it is regarded as the ancestral chamber and place of origin of Chinese Buddhism.

Daoism is a philosophical system originating in the Warring States Period. It is based on the principles established by the philosophical school of Huangdi and Lao Zi (dates unknown), such as seeking peace of mind and non-action. After Emperor Wu's reign (141-87 BC) in the Han Dynasty, Huang-Lao teachings caught on among the common people and blended with folk beliefs and immortal alchemy. Later, Zhang Daoling (34-156) created the Wudoumi sect of Daoism, which worshipped Lao Zi as their religious ancestor and honored him as the supreme deity. The Laojun Mountain in Henan's Luanchuan County has more than 2,000 years of history associated with Daoism. It is considered the cradle and ancestral place of Daoism because Lao Zi, who was generally believed to be the founder of Daoism, had lived here in seclusion for self-cultivation.

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism had represented the mainstream traditional Chinese culture ever since the Han Dynasty, and they further integrated in the late Yuan and early Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.

Confucianism, which encourages self-cultivation and contribution to good governance, for a long time was upheld as China's official philosophy in state governance, with rituals and rules established in ancient Chinese society. It has also exerted great influences on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. Daoism advocates nourishing one's nature and emphasizes that dao, or the Way, follows nature, meaning letting things take their natural course. It holds that people should follow the natural laws and pursue inner quietude and freedom. Buddhism, on the other hand, urges people to relieve themselves of misery and discontent by cultivating the heart and attaining enlightenment. The three schools of thoughts competed and assimilated with each other at the same time, jointly constituting the philosophy of life in traditional Chinese society.

儒釋道

儒、釋、道是中國傳統文化的主要思想來源和精髓。

儒文化與起源于河南省商丘市，興盛于河南省安陽市的殷商文化一脈相承。周初時期，那些自覺保留了殷商文明的前朝遺民開始被稱為“儒”。殷商末期的箕子撰寫的《洪范》是中國古代政治哲學的重要奠基著作，其中的五行學說、天人感應學說、王道學說可稱為儒學的先驅；春秋時期魯國孔子借鑒豐富的上古文化資源，創建了以“道德仁義”為宗旨、以“禮樂正名”為特色的儒家思想體系。

“釋”是古印度（今尼泊爾境內）釋迦牟尼創立的佛教，故又稱釋教，為世界三大宗教之一，主張眾生平等和因果報應。自漢朝傳入中國后，佛教同中國傳統文化相融合。始建于東漢永平十一年（公元68年）的洛陽白馬寺是佛教傳入中國后興建的第一座官辦寺院，也因此被認為是中國佛教的發源地，有中國佛教的“祖庭”和“釋源”之稱。

“道”是以黃老學派“清靜無為”思想為基礎形成的哲學思想體系，起源于戰國時期。漢武帝后，黃老學說走向民間，與方仙道合流，由張道陵創立了五斗米道，奉老子為教祖并尊稱其為“太上老君”。位于河南省洛陽市欒川縣的老君山，距今已有兩千多年人文歷史，是道教中歷史最長的山脈。春秋時期，被公認為道教始祖的老子李耳到此歸隱修煉，使之成為“道源”（道教起源地）和“祖庭”（祖師之庭）。

秦漢以后，中國傳統文化的主流基本是儒釋道三家。元末明初，儒釋道三家進一步融合發展，形成“三教合一”。其中儒家修身“治世”，作為一種治理國家的意識形態曾長期作為中國官方意識形態，確立了中國傳統社會的禮儀規范與典章制度，其影響波及朝鮮半島、日本、中亞、東南亞地區；道家養性“治身”， 強調“道法自然”，認為人應該順應自然規律，追求內心的平靜和自由；佛家修心“治心”，主張通過內心的修行和覺悟來消除痛苦和不滿。三家既相互競爭，又彼此吸收融合，共同構成了中國傳統社會的處世和哲學基礎。