Religion in China - A Reflection of my Experiences

   What an experience the last year has been. The experience of the people, the history, religion and my time as a teacher are memories I will never forget. I might be teaching one last year in China as well, though that is something I'm still figuring out.

    Religion in China is complicated. Historically it has been used to both promote the status quo of power (power of the gentry and noblemen through Confucianism and the Emperor as "Son of Heaven") while also acting a force of resistance against the gentry in government, as seen by movements such as the Yellow Scarves, the Taiping Rebellion and others. Many times they were used to empower the people by having communal food for all and other means of supporting the families who joined said movements.

     An interesting point is that even the Cultural Revolution could not do away with the old traditions. The old ways were never fully crushed. This past school year I worked in the countryside and took part in Mid-Autumn Festival with my colleague who is also a friend and saw the fruits that were laid out in honor of the Moon Festival and in hopes of wealth and success.

     First I want to mention Confucianism and how important it has been historically in relationship to education. When Confucianism became the base for the hypothetical reason for lords being able to advance, China became one of the earliest meritocracies. This focus on reading, writing and general knowledge in Confucianism is a part of the Chinese system that lives on this day, and is something any nation can learn from.

     I also visited Linggue Temple in Baoying a few times and witnessed how much a part of life it is for the community. The Temple is an important part of funerals, marriages, births and festivals. A few years ago I saw Fajing Temple in Hangzhou serving the same purpose. Religion in China helps with facing all the different parts of an individuals life.


    Though like America, there is also the corruption and connection to Money. At Linggue Temple my friend and I would get conned by a man who worked there and I would witness in Suzhuo the Xuan Miao Taoist Temple and it's connection to money by blessing gold at a gold shop that sat just outside the Temple...that whole area was the market and material meeting the ancient rituals and philosophy that contradicted said materialism.  


     China has also had a great diversity of faith. The Abrahamic Faiths of Judaism, Islam and Christianity have all settled to some degree in China (less so Judaism though), as well as the ancient traditions that still carry on and the big three of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. 


     The big three with a few exceptions still live the contemplativeness of their past teachers. Many a Buddhist and Toaist Temple can still be found on top of a mountain, and most temples are designed to be large spaces...like a cathedral. You can get lost in reflection and can see how nature is always changing and impermanent in the fish, plants and turtles that are living within the Temples. 


     There will always be more to write, but these are some of the major things I noticed during my amazing year teaching in China. 


   

Xuanmiao Guan - Suzhou, China - April 1st, 2012

This entry was hard to write. I've never been at a place where I've felt such a mixture of emotions (except perhaps when I visited the Vatican). I think the best way to tackle it is how I first met the Temple.

At the gate there is a building that was part of the Temple complex but now serves as a high end place for people to buy gold (blessed by Taoist monks, yep). Outside the Temple gates (and within I would soon learn) are shops and more shops. Clothes, high end tea, figurines and even things with naked women on them that look like they came out of a trailer park. These shops and more surround the Temple and are spread throughout the Temple grounds.

Once we passed through the gate we were greeted by a swarm of shoppers who were visiting the different craftsmen and sellers that covered the grounds of the sides of the Temple. Wanting to get out of the noise and feeling of emptiness I made for the main building of the Temple which was separated by a small gate.

Once inside I was greeted by a throng of people who sat watching a Taoist service taking place. The music was peaceful, the chanting was order to the chaos outside. Inside the Temple three Golden Immortals rose up where offerings were placed. The monks were dressed in colorful robes and around was a guardian for each birth year on the Chinese Zodiac.

The people were mid-age (a few 20ish) but mostly older married couples. You could see that they were experiencing something in the ritual and peace that the main hall brought. Even as a tourist site, it hadn't completely gone to the dogs. It was still an active temple and for all the people there it meant something.

Of the things that stood out in the main hall, there was a one horned bull that was rubbed on the head and snout for luck, an immortal who was most likely Guan Yin of Buddhist lore who was in three corners of the Temple. There also was a bridge placed in the middle of the hall painted black and gold.

After we crossed through to the back we found a hall with tacky lights around a God or Immortal of War, the room was nearly empty, and then in the main hall the three Gods of Long life. We crossed through the hall and ended up back with the shops. The shops were impossible to get away from, except in the Temple rooms.

The last thing we saw were the God of Literature. The fact that one exists made me smile a bit inside. It's nice to know that something like that has been admired for thousands of years. It was outside this temple where in the shop that was selling Gods, porn on plates and stuff was also being sold.

This place made me feel peace and want to wretch. Peace because of the people there worshiping and the times I myself prayed and other wretch because of how close money as God was present...it was hard to tell where the good of religion and worship of money began as they overlapped in a messed up ball of humanity...

The House Taoist Temple - Yangzhou, China - March 11th, 2012

During the adventure around the Old District, Randy and I would stumble upon an old house that had been converted into a Temple. I can't remember the man who owned the house years ago, but the House Temple itself is what really stands out. I believe it was a Taoist Temple, which I will explain more later in the entry.

The Temple was very much a mixture of Taoism and Buddhism. Upon the wall of the entrance was the Taoist symbol of the Yin and Yang, as well as the colors of Taoism...being orange and yellow. Most of the statues were bearded and men as well, which leads me to believe if it wasn't an outright Taoist Temple than it was the main influence of the place. Usually the only bearded Buddhist Bodhisattvas that are seen are of the Three Kingdoms warrior Guan Yu or local honored heroes...which may have been a part of the Temple considering the overlap between Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism here in China. I think it is more likely to be a Temple to the Immortals though, since all the men had very long beards which is a Taoist Temple trait.

There was an area for candles and where incense could be placed where the incense had burned down (you'll find this in any Temple in China be it Taoist, Buddhist or Confucian)and there were only two buildings. The first with the bearded deity at the entrance and at the back a large building where there were three different deities, all bearded men.

The Temple was small and had no entrance fee...it really hit back the better part of religion in serving the common good and community. It was here I saw it being practiced when a middle aged women came with incense to honor one of the deities. The abbot or monk present (bearded, another reason for why it might have been a Taoist Temple, Buddhist Monks don't have facial hair). The monk was pretty impatient though when helping the woman which gave a bit of a bad vibe since so much of Taoism is balance (it's like seeing an angry Buddhist Monk, though Taoists are much more comfortable with emotions and the randomness of them in my reading of the texts (Tao Te Qing, Writings of Chuang Tzu). His actions towards her where in contrast to the place which had older folks walking through it who were at peace as outside people bought tourist items and food. It was like an Oasis in a desert and I don't think I'll forget the visit to that tiny Temple anytime soon.