Religion, Spirituality and Supreme Being - Essay Example

Religion and Theology Introduction The topics on religion, spirituality and Supreme Being are often confused and during discussions they overlap each other. Supreme Being is such a vast concept, it is impossible to explain its significance within the limitations of words only. Its perfect understanding is through direct experiencing. Suffice it is to say that Chinese believe in a Supreme Being, the greatest and the only force that takes care of the functioning and evolution of the Cosmos. Turn the pages of Chinese history; one sees the interplay of different religions and their lasting impact on the Chinese psyche, under one spiritual umbrella. Religion is often associated with faith in a supreme being, membership in a single organization and an emphasis of belief over practice. A truly spiritual man reposes faith on a tree, a mountain, a river or any facet of nature. Viewed from this angle the Chinese are spiritual. Religion comes next. Religion though basically faith-related, is to comply with a set of rules and regulations and rituals that have evolved as customs and traditions over a long period. So much so, that the individual loses sight of the intrinsic spiritual worth of that custom and follows them blindly. When one is member of a single organization and views all other faiths/organization with suspicion to start with, and contempt to follow, one develops fanaticism. A man without an abiding faith is not a truly religious individual. Without such an affirmation one will not be able to confine to ethical levels, which sustain the healthy growth of the society. Without faith, downward spiral of the society commences that will ultimately lead to uncontrollable social ills. Western vs. Chinese Religions To the Chinese, religion is not mere the view of life, but the way of life. Confucianism has been the eternal bridge that connects the peoples of a vast country like China. One may hail it as a philosophy and/or a religion. According to Confucianism heaven is the ultimate authority. That transcendental power engulfs everything, physical, secular, spiritual, nature and destiny. Shao Yong, Confucian scholar of the eleventh century CE, argues, “Error in human knowledge is due to the fact that we observe things from our own experience….we must view things, not with our physical eyes, but with our mind, and not even with our mind, but with the principle inherent in things. When the boundary between subject and object disappears, we will be able to see things as they are.”( xi, xii) Some of the western books on philosophy and religion are kindergarten stuffs as compared to the profundity of the Chinese spiritual lore. It is not necessary that the entire populace of the country needs to practice one faith; what is important is what type of people that faith molds! Religion and faith make it easier for the human being to reach the level of spirituality. Religions of China lay more importance on the inner development of an individual. Each individual contributes to the health of the Nation, just like each brick contributes to the strength of a magnificent mansion! Did religion exist in China prior to engagement with the West? This question is rather an affront to the people of China. China is the homeland of some of the greatest philosophies and religions in the world like, Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Folk Religion. Even when Religion is associated with faith in a Supreme Being and membership in a single organization variable belief systems exist within that faith. Some intellectuals argue that Chinese people are not very religious. But the ground reality is, religious culture has, at all times, a profound effect in molding the psyche of the Chinese people. Not China, but the West has learned many finer aspects of religion and spirituality with interaction with the Chinese scholars and people. Shao Yong argues, “Christian missionaries and those influenced by Christian images of the eastern tradition have continuously played an important role in the introduction of Confucianism to the West and in promoting the interpretation of Confucian doctrine.”(2) But the ritualistic traditions of the Chinese people are the conglomeration of different traditions like Confucian, Taoist or related to Buddhism. This indicates not only their tolerance about various faiths, but the willing acceptance of all that is good in a particular philosophy or religion. Engagement with the West might have effected certain societal changes in China, mostly in the material aspect of life, but to say that engagement with the West contributed to the Chinese belief systems is a wrong statement. Religion, as it practiced in China, needs to be understood in the broader perspective concerning the spiritual wellbeing of the humankind. Chinese people mostly accept a wide range of belief systems, including religion but it does not mean that they need any lessons in single-God worship. Their worship of local deities, superstitions, and reverence for ancestral spirits need to be understood in a broader perspective. The average Chinese is broad-minded and understands the meaning of what it is to be one with the cosmic world, instead of treading a defined path, with a fixed traditional or to be more precise with a fanatical disposition. One can experience homogeneity in the interplay of various Chinese traditions and belief systems; though they are independent, they rarely oppose or reject the belief systems of others. The contention that the Chinese are cut off from the rest of the world as for acceptance /integration of religious beliefs is an incorrect assessment. Turn the pages of Chinese history to find that foreign belief systems do reach China, and get assimilated with some branch of the local belief systems like Confucianism or Taoism and in turn they impacted to create some metamorphic transformations in those religions and philosophies. Hybrid school of thought comes into existence. View from the political angle, Communists do succeed in tampering with religion and various belief systems in interfering in this sensitive area and many temples and monasteries are taken care by government receivers, and not by monks and priests. Communism arrives from the West, and still stays strongly implanted, though it has disappeared in most of the Western countries. Chinese communists are categorized as non-religious. Officially, China is considered as an atheist country. They are once considered to form the majority as per statistics furnished by the government in the first flush of enthusiasm of the takeover of the government by the Communists. But the ground realities are fast changing and people turn towards religion once again, and the influence of the communism has begun to diminish. The religious perspectives of the ancient Chinese are the broadest. They have understanding of the natural forces like rivers, fields and mountains and for practical purposes; they often associate such forces with spirits and elements. Wu acts as the intermediary between the human and spiritual worlds who conduct ritualistic practices to secure the favor of good harvest and fair weather and to stall the evil spirits. Thus, the West cannot take credit for implanting the religious belief systems in China. This country has an officially recognized religion since 2356 B.C. But the system stands totally integrated, mythology, religion, science and government function under one central authority, as per its directions. Throughout its long history, China has gone through the process of many religious convulsions. Conclusion: In fine, it is incorrect to say that China never had one faith. From the highest levels of understanding of spirituality, China just had one faith. Unity in diversity existed there. For example, Chinese temples of all faiths have a similar layout. The western concept of individual freedom goes in tandem with Confucian tradition of individual self-improvement to achieve the final goal of spirituality. The Chinese religious response needs to be understood form the point of view of their appreciation of sense of unity with the cosmos and the world of nature. Works Cited Yao, Xinzhong. An Introduction to Confucianism (Introduction to Religion).Cambridge University Press, February 13, 2000; Print Read More