RELIGIONS OF CHINA

SHINTOISM

• There is no specific founder.
• The followers of Shintoism believe that spiritual powers exist in the natural world.
• They believe that "spirits" called kami live in natural places such as in animals, plants, stones, mountains, rivers, people and even the dead.
• Shinto places of worship are called shrines and are usually found in beautiful natural settings.

BUDDHISM

• The founder of Buddhism is Buddha Shakyamuni.
• One belief is that they believe in reincarnation.
• One of the Buddhist teachings is that wealth does not guarantee happiness and also wealth is impermanent.
• They believe in karma.

TAOISM

• The founder of Taoism is Lao-Tze
• At certain dates, food may be set out as a sacrifice to the spirits of the deceased or the gods, such as during the Qingming Festival.
• Taoism favors philosophical anarchism, pluralism and laissez-faire-government.
• The taijitu as well as the Ba Gua are associated with Taoist symbolism.

CONFUCIANISM

• Founder: Confucius
• Order and education are very important.
• Hierarchy in a well-ordered society is important.
• Obey parents and parents obey the government.

BUDDHISM AND CONFUCIANISM

• Similarities:they both share indifference for the gods. Secondly, Buddhism and Confucianism consider wisdom a fundamental part of life.
• Differences: The main differences between them is that Buddhism has numerous deities, whereas Confucianism only has One God. Confucianism is from the country, while Buddhism was imported into the country.