Koichi Matsumoto, "What is the Religion of the Chinese, Taoism?" Summary and Comments - Recommended as an introduction to Taoism! Lots of photos and documents.
I would like to introduce "What is Taoism, the Religion of the Chinese," written by Koichi Matsumoto and published by PHP Research Institute in 2006.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
Taoism, which teaches the way to the immortal immortal, the immortal immortal. Its history spans 2,000 years and is deeply embedded in the constitution of the Han Chinese people. What is Taoism, with its diverse esoteric teachings such as feng shui, I chi, divination, and traditional Chinese medicine? Qigong, a well-known health practice, was originally a method of training to become a hermit. Where does this mysterious power come from? Taoism has also had a profound influence on the religion and customs of the Japanese people. From Yin-Yang-Do and Shugendo to Kushin worship and Chugen, Taoism has had a profound influence on Japanese religion and customs. This book is an introduction to the whole picture of Taoism, which has been less talked about than Buddhism and Confucianism.
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What is the Chinese Religion, Taoism?" is a recommended introduction to the Chinese religion, Taoism.
In the "Introduction" to this book, the author says the following about this book and Taoism. This is a bit long, but it is an important part of the book, so I will read it carefully.
Recently, many books for the general public dealing with Taoism have become available in bookstores. Taoism is a religion with which Japanese people are not very familiar, and with which they have little contact in their daily lives. In fact, its influence is felt in a variety of places, but we are rarely aware of it.
However, if you have traveled to Taiwan or Hong Kong, or to Chinatown in Southeast Asia, Europe, or the United States, where many of the so-called overseas Chinese live, you will surely come across a shrine or temple, which is equivalent to a Shinto shrine in Japan. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, it would be a wonder if you do not come across one after walking around for a few minutes.
In these shrines and temples, Confucian deities, Buddhist Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Taoist deities, and local deities are enshrined together. In other words, at the level of people's beliefs, there is little awareness of the differences between the various religions.
To tell the truth, Chinese people are Taoists, but since Taoism has a strong image of magic and witchcraft, and Buddhism has a more intellectual atmosphere, when asked, "What is your religion? When asked, "What is your religion? However, people who visit shrines and temples may not be aware of what is Buddhism and what is Taoism, and the question itself may not make much sense to them.
Taoist Taoists, the equivalent of Buddhist monks, are still an indispensable part of people's lives in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Whenever there are problems or difficulties in their lives, Taoists visit a temple or shrine where gods are enshrined at home, and they search for the flow of destiny and the causes of problems through divination. Then, they are further asked to perform a conjuration ritual to solve the problem.
There are also large-scale ceremonies at shrine and temple festivals, such as the one described in the main text, as well as the Chugonsetsu Festival, which is equivalent to the Japanese festival of Shigataki.universalTheir hands are needed in a variety of situations, such as in the funeral service or in funeral rites. (omitted).
The fact that Taoism has been able to meet people's needs for so long, and to attract people to it, may be due in large part to the fact that their rituals and practices have such deep theoretical underpinnings.
Taoism is often referred to as the folk religion of the Han Chinese, and as such it is deeply related to all areas of Han Chinese life and culture. It is deeply related not only to the belief in gods and magical rituals as described above, but also to traditional Chinese arts such as divination, feng shui, Chinese medicine, poetry and fiction, painting, calligraphy, and music.
Furthermore, not only the Han Chinese, but also ethnic minorities in large areas of China have been influenced to a greater or lesser extent by Taoism. In other words, the content of the religion of Taoism is much deeper and broader than it appears at first glance.
Although this book can only introduce a small part of this religion, due to the author's inability to do so, I cannot help but hope that it will provide an opportunity to learn about the depth and breadth of this religion, which also has deep ties to Japan.
PHP Research Institute, Koichi Matsumoto, What is Chinese Religion, Taoism, P3-6
In the shrine, Confucian deities, Buddhist Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Taoist deities, and local deities are all enshrined together. In other words, at the level of people's beliefs, there is little awareness of the differences between the different religions."
Taoism is often referred to as the folk religion of the Han Chinese, and as such it is deeply connected to all areas of Han Chinese life and culture."
What is the religion of the Chinese? This question has always been a mystery to me as well, even though we are neighboring countries. I knew that Buddhism came from China and that Japanese culture was strongly influenced by China. But what kind of beliefs were actually practiced in China was a mystery to me.
Confucianism? Taoism? Buddhism? Or even communistic irreligion?
In this book you will learn about Taoism among them. As you can see in the words above, Taoism is so deeply rooted in the lives of the Chinese people. And interestingly, it is also mixed with Confucianism and Buddhism and is still believed in today. This is similar to the way the Japanese have their religion.
Taoism is not easy for Japanese to visualize, but this book is visually friendly with many photos and documents.
I am also pleased that the explanations are designed to be easy to read and understand even for beginners.
I highly recommend this book as an introduction to Taoism.
The above is "Koichi Matsumoto, "What is the Chinese Religion, Taoism" - Recommended as an introduction to Taoism! Many photos and documents".
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