Chinese Folk Religion
Chinese folk religion is composed of a syncretistic combination of religious practices, including Confucianist ceremonies, ancestor worship, Buddhism and Taoism. Chinese folk religion also retains traces of some of its ancestral neolithic belief systems, which include the veneration of (and communication with) the sun, moon, earth, the heaven, and various stars, as well as communication with animals. It has been practiced by Chinese people for thousands of years, for much of that time alongside Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
Ceremonies, veneration, legends, festivals and various devotions associated with different folk gods/deities and goddesses form an important part of Chinese culture today. The veneration of secondary gods does not conflict with an individual's chosen religion, but is accepted as a complementary adjunct to Buddhism, Confucianism or Taoism. Some mythical figures in folk culture have been integrated into Buddhism, as in the case of Miao Shan. She is generally thought to have influenced the beliefs about the Buddhist bodhisattva Kuan Yin. This bodhisattva originally was based upon the Indian counterpart Avalokiteshvara. Androgynous in India, this bodhisattva over centuries became a female figure in China and Japan. Kuan Yin is one of the most popular bodishisattvas to which people pray. Other folk deities may date back to pre-Buddhist eras of Chinese history. The Chinese dragon is one of the key religious icons in these beliefs.
The Chinese call it "ZHOU Li". Li is a universal concept of how to conduct oneself in a set of given circumstances. Or loosely translated into English as politeness, deference, ceremonious, courteous, or even pompous if necessary.
The main idea is that in the absence of LI, you will be luan, or chaos.
We are nourished by Heaven (tian) and Earth (di) and they are thus deserving of our respect. We are thus the union of Heaven and Earth who are conceived as Male and Female.
[The proceeding portion of the article read like it was written by a High School Dropout schooled in Llewellyn Wiccan lore. I tried to extract what I think they were trying to convey.]
There are hundreds of gods and goddess as well as "saints," immortals and demigods. After apotheosis, historical figures noted for their bravery or virtue are also venerated and honored with their own festivals.
Shou Xing (寿星 "god of longevity"), who stands for a healthy and long life. He is portrayed as an old balding man with a walking stick in his right hand and a peach in his left.
The Eight Immortals (八仙) are important literary and artistic figures who were deified after death and became objects of worship.
Shangdi Shangdi (上帝) (lit. Supreme Emperor) is originally the supreme god, synonymous with the concept of Tian. This title/name was later applied to the supreme deity of various religions, including Yu Huang Dadi and the Christian God.
Yaochi Jinmu (瑤池金母), also known as Xi Wangmu (西王母), the "Queen Mother of the West" who reigns over a paradisaical mountain and has the power to make others immortal. In some myths, she is the mother of the Jade Emperor (玉帝) [q.v. Taoism]
I find natural spiritual expression to be fascinating. I realize that I have a limited sample group, but recurring themes of harmony, but not necessarily subservience, with the elements (nature, Planetary Bodies, etc) and reverence for ones ancestors -- i.e., those things which shape oneself -- predominate in multiple cultures from diverse races.
Ceremonies, veneration, legends, festivals and various devotions associated with different folk gods/deities and goddesses form an important part of Chinese culture today. The veneration of secondary gods does not conflict with an individual's chosen religion, but is accepted as a complementary adjunct to Buddhism, Confucianism or Taoism. Some mythical figures in folk culture have been integrated into Buddhism, as in the case of Miao Shan. She is generally thought to have influenced the beliefs about the Buddhist bodhisattva Kuan Yin. This bodhisattva originally was based upon the Indian counterpart Avalokiteshvara. Androgynous in India, this bodhisattva over centuries became a female figure in China and Japan. Kuan Yin is one of the most popular bodishisattvas to which people pray. Other folk deities may date back to pre-Buddhist eras of Chinese history. The Chinese dragon is one of the key religious icons in these beliefs.
The Chinese call it "ZHOU Li". Li is a universal concept of how to conduct oneself in a set of given circumstances. Or loosely translated into English as politeness, deference, ceremonious, courteous, or even pompous if necessary.
The main idea is that in the absence of LI, you will be luan, or chaos.
We are nourished by Heaven (tian) and Earth (di) and they are thus deserving of our respect. We are thus the union of Heaven and Earth who are conceived as Male and Female.
[The proceeding portion of the article read like it was written by a High School Dropout schooled in Llewellyn Wiccan lore. I tried to extract what I think they were trying to convey.]
There are hundreds of gods and goddess as well as "saints," immortals and demigods. After apotheosis, historical figures noted for their bravery or virtue are also venerated and honored with their own festivals.
Shou Xing (寿星 "god of longevity"), who stands for a healthy and long life. He is portrayed as an old balding man with a walking stick in his right hand and a peach in his left.
The Eight Immortals (八仙) are important literary and artistic figures who were deified after death and became objects of worship.
Shangdi Shangdi (上帝) (lit. Supreme Emperor) is originally the supreme god, synonymous with the concept of Tian. This title/name was later applied to the supreme deity of various religions, including Yu Huang Dadi and the Christian God.
Yaochi Jinmu (瑤池金母), also known as Xi Wangmu (西王母), the "Queen Mother of the West" who reigns over a paradisaical mountain and has the power to make others immortal. In some myths, she is the mother of the Jade Emperor (玉帝) [q.v. Taoism]
I find natural spiritual expression to be fascinating. I realize that I have a limited sample group, but recurring themes of harmony, but not necessarily subservience, with the elements (nature, Planetary Bodies, etc) and reverence for ones ancestors -- i.e., those things which shape oneself -- predominate in multiple cultures from diverse races.