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Religious studies 103

Asian Religion (Victoria University of Wellington)

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Reli 107:

Lecture One: 07/13/16

Religion in Asia:

There is no such thing as Asia- what is the east.

*Temalius: highest mountain of the world and turkey is the Bastus straights- goes
right throuh istanbul but one side is europe whereas the other is Asia.
 Geographically.

Or maybe look at the population and people:

e.g. languages: Indo-european language family. Therefore people in england have
more in common in Mumbai India than people through Asia does.

Until the 19th C all of Asia really had no contact with each other- not until trade
route via europeans were opened up.

Main point- politically, culturally, linguistically and politically different- only 2

thing holds them together- known as by the westas the great other and that
Buddisim was known as the common religion. Still Buddhism is still not enough to
tie all of Asia togerher.

Modernity:
Between 15-18oo’s big change took place affecting the entire world.
European nations navigtated and traded around the world- then colonised.
(Brtish empire- round the world- the sun never sets).

Scientific revolution: From Newton to World Wars. (Ginigus Khan on steriods…).

Serial different things now: Globalised, new realtion to the material world. Now
have a culture that is more of a private matter.

Religon has been ushed out the centre and into the margins- the world is becoing
more uniform. The world is in a direct or indirect interaction with one and other, :
Gloabalisation different religions are increasingly or influence and mimic or copy
one and other.

Modernity changes the past too.

e.g. confusisism- looking back at thow great the past was and how do we get back
there? Different from now. Looking back at confusism we would/may say that how
he looks back at the past is inaccurate.

The very concept of religion only emerges in the modern era, as a product of
Western enounters with remote other cultures throuhg mercantile and colonialist
expanision.

Originally the idea of Asia was invented through Europeans partically missionaries
and colonialism.

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Orientalism:
Basically: the phenomenon whereby Western cultures view Asian cultures through
some sort of distorted lens. Old fashioned word for Asian studies.

Edward Said- 1935-2003

Wrote his important book- addressing the western stidy of aribic civilisation.

Example of Orientalism:
-Turkish Bath by Ingres 1862: viewed as lazy less rational, as sexual objects who
are avliable, etc.
-Algerian Women in their chambers by Eugene Delacroix: Chambers was a centre
focis for western artist and durgs were a big focus as well. Showed the polar
opposite of all ideals- Same in Ejypt with the “Love Labor Lpst” by Edwin Long.
-Also sirrationally obsessed with the superstisous world- Prayer in Cairo by Jean-
Leon Gerome.

-these culutres are passive and we are active and they are feminine but we are
masculine. They were irrational and we were irrational.

white mans burden duty.

One of the main places that orientialism has gone is sciencefiction.

Said was saying that there are three types of O:

1
2.
3.--> New Version that O is A system ____

**This course we should adapt Said’s version to use in the course.

-Two modifications: Orientalist discourse can be either megative or positive and
ALSO Orientalist discourse is not a western monopoly…….

Last thing: Religion.

What is religion? R is a concept and product of the modern era.
- Idea of Gods, faith or worship and also belief.
Dictionaries do not aim to give the best description but aim to replicate popular
understanding- not a great thought out thing.

 Lecturer belives that C is a unique religion.

Can specialist scholars do better in defining religion?

Three aims:
1. Skills-
2. Stuff- What you know- religious literacy.
3. Ideas-
-Questionable that Asia is a combined unity, this is a problematic and bias view.
What is now the modern understanding of Asia today through history?

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Lectures 3-6:
Four topics on contmepory asian religions- yoga, meditation, mizuko kuyo, Falun
gong.

7-16: Comparision of method of inquiry.

17-19:
further aspect within the modern period in Tibet and India.

IN class test: October 12th. 4 short essays.

-> Reading response

1. summaries the argument
2. critical or creative to what the author was arguing- asses=critical, does it work?
Yes or no. Creative as in- suggest a further direction or different direct it could be
takren- be concreate.

Lecture Two: 07/20/16

Introducing Asian Religions: Modern Forest Meditation and Yoga.

** Join a Blog Extra credit, do so after next Wednesday.

First Research topic: Modern Buddism: The example if the Thai forest tradition.
-Some dynamics can be generalised.

Stoke Valley Buddist Monestry- Not a thai looking building as has westernised and
adapted.

-Stooper, type of buddhist symbol/ statue: built to contain the relics of the Buddahs.
The relics were collected as save and distributed between 7 kings and then
enshrined in these monuments to be worshippped.

Major sterotype is that buddhism is all about meditation- historically speaking not
really true.

Another practise for lay people is donating goods such as food and coins. Unusally
historically for you to meditate. Would focus more on donating and worshipping
monks. I fluckily in serval life times in the future would be born again as a monk-
note: monks are forbidden from keeping their own food. Only allowed to eat one
full meal before noon a day. Would have to beg for lay people for food.

This monestary serves about 4 different ethnic communities- and each community
takes food each day.

Man of the monks in Stoke Valley tend to be white and international.

signifigance of nature or bush or jungle is so different world wide- e.g. from NZ to

Thailand.
Transmisssion of Asian religions to the West:

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Ian Adams: Ajahn Thiradhammo- meaning the Buddhist teaching and steady or
stable.

Was a deliberly missionising movement of Buddhists send out by their masters to

spread Thai tree Budhism to the West. Breaks what people think in regards of
social norms. Reason Buddhism is the most sucessful Asian religion is due to
rigiorous missionary goals.

Has monasteries in CA, London, NZ.

Established by Ajahn Chah (Ajahn meaning master)- on eof the most influential
people in the 20th C. 1918-1992.

 Rule aginst claiming you are enlightened (or falsly).

Famous for the rigor of his practise and teaching and for his innovation way of
spreading the teaching and encouraging practise.

Ajahn Chah;s teacher was Ajahn Mun- 1870-

And his teacher was Ajahn Sao- 1861-1941.

-That’s as far as we can trace- need to consider that it was around this time theese
traditions were revived.

-Western attempts to understand Asia was getting a huge turbo boost.

Asian reformist who are attempting to help survive their own cultures aginst
outside threats who are claiming their culture is superior.
It is scholars and those who studied budhisim that throguh reading old buddhist
texts that meditation is a keys aspect of Budhism.
It is a possiblity that one branch of the thai tradition responding to modernity.
Maybe that is one reason why we cannot trace it back any further.

Alternative theory that these traditions were actually invented much more recently
and put back on history. This is a bit extremem because:
1. If we look back to early Buddhist texts- many put forwad that meditation is
very important and if we look forwaard it has always been an important
factor in some but not all. SO not just an obticle illusion. Terms and
passages that show that monks were mean to meditate and also live alone.
Also that meditation was amoung the most sacride practises atleast
amoung monastics.
Forest- Why?
Thought of as a place that is not under human control and monks want to leave
human society and renounce their name and sometimes connections to their
family- leave home. They get ride of all their normal coding to show their identify-
e.g. hair and clothing- they are suppose to be a symbol of no idenity at all. A good
way to do that is to go out to the jungle which is not cultivated. When building a
monestry should build away from cultivation- though cant be in middle of no where
as will starve.

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Also seen as really dangerous. It was important as were forced to contront all of
their fears ever fear of losing own life- fear of animals. Especiallly tigers- when
having to walk and sleep in the open. Dangerous in a supernatural sense as being
haunted by supernatural spirirts as well. Lots of ways they were contronting
danger and this is suppose to be key and forces you to give up any idea of what you
thik you and let go of everything in order to be free.

 Also lots of beliefs that undergoing tests proves their spiritual power. In one way
or another- a sucessful contrintation of a tiger shows were a good practisioner.

QUESTIONS:

If were revived in late 19th C- why? What was going on at the time? Also bear in
ind reformed these practises but suceeded. Attracted world wide following. What is
the selection mechanism that means some suceed (forms) and some don’t?

Is there a connection between orintialism and the potential revitialism-

interaction where buddhist were aware of what was happening in Weestern
univrsities where they felt obliged to adopt them or react against them.

The largest Asian religion in most westrn countries- there is more than 1 kind of
buddhism- faulty view can spilt into 2 type: types practised by asian migrant and
those who are born in the west and adapt to westernised buddhism (convert
budhism). Why is B the religion that has been the most sucessful in the West ? Don’t
have al ltypes in west- why some more than other?

 What changes is buddhimsm undergoing as it is moving to the west?

Topic of Yoga: Modern Postural Yoga.

-Great example of an invented tradition in Asian religions.
-Can’t be traced back much further than 1930.
Two main phases known as Spiritual and Postral.
-Believe had more of a marketing push than a missionary push.

Four Phases of Yoga:

***REFER TO SLIDE

-talking abou the fact that yoga energed in the last 200 years on these 4 phases.
De Michelis argues that the yoga we know can be divided in 2 set- 1. Is a traditional
yoga in India and text that dates back to 1780’s and is true that one part of that
system includes ideas of physical posture. However are aspects from western
culture that only came about through the indian and british interaction.

1. The disrepute of yoga in Britian in imperial India. Associated with violence

and terriosts. Were regarding as living on the fringes of society and
therefore were quite suspect. Also known or thought of as fraud. Idea of
violent fighting yogi- kind of like khon-fu……
Photo- are in extremem and interesting posture- focus on physical flexiability was
places as importance.

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2. late 19th C:
Presents spiritualised and pure yoga to a global audience- htroughing off B
colonialism and establishing independent power.

Both of the following: Partially european education (1863-1902)- both invovoled in

attempts to think or bring about a new independence- and invovled in an
engagment with the western world.

Vivekananda: Went to Chicago to the world parliament of religion- interesting

event where the ambition of the organisors of the event would manage to agree
upon a universial set of spiritual beliefs. 1893. i.e. wanted it to be protestant
Chirstianity. Wrote a book- Raja-Yoga was like german philosphy and kept very
mcuh to do with ideas and was very abstract. Wanted to turn it into one of the
highest forms of religious ideas and take away the past associations.
Yogananda Paramahamsa- means the supremem goose who experiances the
bliss of yoga. Gooses in Indian myths aer known as bird with certain types of
mythical powers and regial qualities.

Third Phase:
In the early 20th C where yoga was used for a set of practises that was cross-
fertalised with western ideas of a healthy body. Listed on the SLIDE- are several
non-yogic sources/antedents of postural yoga.
******copy from slide
Fit- as in Dwanian nature- more liekly to survive via survival of the fittest.

-Scandinvain gymnastics and early body building. Indian body builidng- argued
was an act against the British imperialist as indian was seen as a femanine race.

Sideshow contortionism: Bizzare, exotic and extreme. And also womens helath.

Case Study:
T. Krishnamacharya’s yogasala: palace in Mysore, India.
Iyengar: was famous yoga master. Attaining those higher levels of spiritual
entertainment.
This type of yoga is in wellingotn: highly precise and use of props.

3. The post war global boom:

Global yoga boom- hippies, advent of backing holidays, etc :reasons why.

Bikram Yoga:
Newer version.

Larger comparisons:
Looks very much of another example of a invented tradition- actually truns out ot
be less than 100 years old that is a result of globalising events.

-Spritiualism :
The most generic alternative for western cultures in current time.

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Questions:

Invented traditions:
List of examples on SLIDES.

Lecture Three: 07/27/16

Religion in Asia:

Defn: O is in the sense that is useful for us, mena: something that is presented as
objective knowledge about asia but is bias or distorted in some way and that bias
or distorted is linked to an or shown to serve some agenda.

-Three elements in this defn- so when trying to identify if this is orientalism then
you can hold it up against these ideas.

Can just be a matter of opinion but needs to be distorted.

and needs to be connected to culture politics between the east and the west.

Topics: Falun gong- a new religious movement=NRM) and the Chinese Communist
State.

Has had the biggest impacct on western cultural views- as we see them and know
so much about this one specific group but not many others.

Founder: Li Hongzhi- he is one of the most powerful dagaties in the universe. Has
many other dimensons in his beings. He can travel through higher dimensons.
Left China and his movement has become enemy number one against communist
China.

His teachign circulate in various forms- speecha nd written down and ther are two
collections of his work- Zhuan Falun and Falun gong.Supplimentary teaching have
also been released onlines.

Not all ordinary beings ahould not be able to understand it, only those with the
higher powers.

Set of key practises:

study(of central scriptures = Li’s work)
Exercise/Meditation
Morality- behaving well

FG in its basic structure echos buddhims. Fa meanign law and when Buddha
started teaching the Fa he set the wheel of the law in motion.
FG is a type of religon that combines all types of thing s and this is sometimes called
sycnritism,

Three Core values of Morality:

-zhen- truth

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-shan- goodness but frequently trasnlated as compassion even though not quite
correct in FG.
-ren- forbearance, tolerance and patience.

Ideas: Teaches the moral problem that needs to be solved- which is that we have
bad karma- which is physical and black and it sticks to your body that only certain
people can see and the goal isto get it off your body and replace it wth white
karma. Drawing on both buddhist and darwinis, concept of dun- meaning
extremely good karma that can help you do stuff. In Dawinism it is a spiritual force
or the minipulation of chi. Chi understood to circulate in the body and is known as
air or breathe.

When initiated Li himself instatles a wheel into your abdomin. Once installed it
starts turning and onceit sarts turning it produces that white good karma and can
make it turn faster by participating in medication.

We live in time where there is a final battle going on between good and evil and
you better pick the right side. The evil is embodied in the Hcinese communist party-
FG denies it is not a political movement whereas they really have declared war on
the Chinese communist party. Claim being unfairly prosecuted. Some people may
even end up dying the death of Mayrthers for this cause.

Major phases/ Outline of History:

1992-1999:

Communist revolution in 1949-1976.

In the 1980’s: China opened up and reformed in the 80’s. Popular to scientifically
prove that Chi exisits.
Hence this was the big boom in the Li Fgmovement- BUT in the 1990’s things
changes and he declared he had these divine and extra powers.

Backlash against the movement and suprisiingly these believer openly prtested
against these critques by the media. The tipping point was when the group sat
7,000 people outside there compound in silent protest and this was a surpirse to the
CCG.

CCG says that FG is an evil cult bt that saying they are not a religious group but a
political group in disguise.

Another problem is that communism itelf is atheist- Marx believed that religoin
only exists because society is unjust and is suspicous of all religion. If religion still
exists then it is not a just society.

The movement was forced into exile and underground.

FG has fought back and the doctrine states that the most honourable way to die is
marytered in defense of FG. Was an attempt to persuade memebers of the party
from within.

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Also various forms of art from palys displaying the torture taken out on FG
believers in the prision and also picture painting the chi/gong that you cant see.

The most distribing element in all of this story in 2005/2006- reports started
circulating that the CCG was killing FG people in medical practises and putting it in
the organ market. The US and canada conducted an investigation- but if it is
happening will be impossible to find out but on the other hand- FG has a huge
motive to say it is happening even if it is not as it forces the world to play attention.

Sources of FG:
Example of Syncretism:
Buddhism
Daoism (Taoism)
White Lotus movements
Qigong movements
Neo-Confucisnism
Apocalyptic, millenarian cults and ideas
Popular science, science fiction, iideas western alternative spiritualities (e.g.
Theosophy) (c.c the problematic globalisation of religious ideas).

Visual reteric movement:

Using people and colors using to represent their movement and are stealing the
way that the CCP is using.

Using ideas and things that are an monoply to CC government. Hence the party
thinks it is pretty mcuh declaration of war.

FG has been officially found as a dangerous character and dangerous cult- category
of cult has an interesting history in the west- cult is this socially constructed known
category.

Mizuko Kuyo:
Meaning offerings to children who were unable to obtain life in this life.
Make offerings not the the child themselves but to a powerful buddhist. Jizo is this
powerful buddhawho will help those in the bottom 3 world or the lost children and
he is the protector.

Have an alter- and make offering of flowers, tea, sweets, etc

Paper tomb r name stome which is hung up or burnt and then there is chanting of
texts that generate spiritual power in some way.

Ad- Babies of heaven- there is always a reason that there is a baby in your tummy.
One of the ploys via using publicity material.

Three ascpects of the problem:

1. Background in the Japanese tradition

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2. Background in modern Japanese history and society

3. As a problem in acedmeic Religious Studies.

Background in the Japanese tradition:

MK- occurred not much before WWII.

Also not suprising that Japan created a ritual like this as infanticide was a common
method used due to no birth control.

Relationship between tradition and moderinity- only looking at one element- a

tradition does not dictate or determine what is going to happen.

Religions and concerns with fertility.

Need food and people- production and reproduction- need people to make the food
and food to feed the people.

Some communities don’t have this so they invent religious technologies to take care
of it.

MK- is a troubling sign that the reproductive system has failed and unforutnatley
maybe the community will follow.

Cult in Japan means: practises and worship.

There are certain objects, places and times where the the suprnatural can inverene-
Buddhism defines itself with death.

Koshinto: like halloween.

Background in modern society and history:

immediate post war period.
Infanticide replaced by abortion.
Lobbying of gynecological profession
Reduction of family size
Advent if scanning technology
Post war challenges to the Buddhist establishment- urbanisation, secularisation,
prosperity and rise of NRM
Post war Japanese myths of maternity, maternal nature.
Womens movement and womens media

3 interpretations:
1.japanese is so nice how they are there to support there women
2.Not so nice as has taken away birth contorl and then make them feel bad about
birth contorl nad like they need to work hard- so can stay submissive.
3.Transformation within japan going bank rupt in this post war period- hence the
MK ritual.

Need to look at history and society not just the individuals.

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Thrid thing- is that MK comes to the west:

Especially in the USA- think about the issue of abortion too in the west- the demand
side.

Another view- asking Japanese buddhists what they are doing.

Lecture Four: 08/03/16

The concept of Religion, Theories and Religoin History:

3,500-2,500 years ago- Indian History looked at Specifically.

**Can use on all test answers.

-Three things regarding to concept of religionand how to define it.

-
-A way of undersanding a relationshi pbetween religion and History.

The [roblem in the schorly district of how to define religoin- have been several
attempt n scholars over the years and can group into: A) either trying to find
something all have to have or- Intellectual defn B) Affective defn- associated with a
feeling- I feel really religious (A and B are both close tp Chirstian understand of
what R si about) or C) Functional defn-define religion in terms of functions for the
ordinary world- e.g for a society or individual e.e.g this is a family resemblance
type of defn- not all people have the same trait but have enough to known that they
all belong to the same family . First this is a complicated problem and when
approaching a problem like this thing about the definition than assuming their
already is one. If you look at an ordinary dictionary the defn has problems and
wont be uselful I na course like this.

One of the ressons for this is that dictionaries do not aim to provisde the most use
meaning of a word but instead to defn how the english language is used by the
ordinary speaker- much different from the rigerous speakers. Morespecifically the
problems repaeated are cristocentric- due to english being dominated mainly by
Christianity that therefore the defn religion tends to fit relion particarly well.

This means if we want a better defn that can cover all religion we need to therefore
be aware of bias’s and that there will eb ana emphasis on belief whichi s particalrly
ture in C but not in otuher religions.
Aswell as worship and God or Gods- creator or in the sky who awards or punishes
them.

How we use the word R- detemines and has determined today how we use the
word today and therefore it is extremely important that we know the history.

-Our english word comes form the Latin word- relegio: can mean a kind of power
that exists outside us as humans, that can compell us to do magical things.

- Adjective- mighty incumbent… to do it.

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-Also used to mean a specific cult- rites and bservances- owed to a particular deity.

Then early Chrsitiantiy comes alone- (suceeded in the Roman empire/in the roman
world) :
Uesd the word Relegio- with a new meaning attached to it and it comes to mean the
church.

-Also comes to mean a feeling- a new concept of faith.

-And more generally- his/ a worshippers feeling towards the almighty God.

Then post anticqity –whereas only one relgiion could be true:

-Therefore started talking about true religion vs false religion. Hence why many
Chrsitians were willing to die only practising C and no others. Therefore
Marthydom made it a very reality.

Then later again in Medievil Christianity:

-After Augustine- the word is used very little throughout the middles ages.

-Religio is used most saliently- had a special designation of the monastic life……

This sitaution is continued into the second minellium and used to refer to ritual and
to mean the enlgihentinemt of the monks.

Not what relgion still does not mean:

Copy from slide

SO where does this all come from??

The first place we see a concept emerge that include all these is in:
Manicheanism Was an extremely large or important religion in a pursan world-
Zarathustra.
M- is the religion of money.
In m we already see all these elements and that money was systematically setting
out a religion and that this was because- pursia back then was living at the
crossroads of the world and it was where all the cultural currents came together.

Then Modernity/the modern world came along:

-European exploration of the globe throguh trade an dexploration and then
political and capitialistic ways.

-Also was natural scientific exploration

-massive expansion of wealth

-There was a transformation of the economic systems and industrialisation

-transformation of social structures

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-Transformation of plitical arrangments

-In the end means that what had historically been call R in the wwest is
underminded and need to be rebranded.

Enlightenment :Rebirth of classical (non-christian) thought, art and ideas.

The reformation:
Split from the Catholic church- sereis of fundemental rebellions against the
authority of the Catholic Church.

Diversification of the European religious landscape- no longer just “one” church

Splintering of Western Chirsitianity into the large number of denomiations- called

protestant- meaning protest, against the catholic church.

Martin Luther

Now looking the transformation of the word religion over time- there are new
uses in the early modern europe.

18-19th C- the emrgance of Social sciences and religious studies.

Religion has a very complicated history and if you want to arrive a a critical
understang without bias, then need to know the history.

Concepts and theories and what they are useful for?

Our big concepts have been construsted for no-humn things.

Because they are tools you need to be careful to use them for the right purposes.

Orientalism: Said’s definition.

 A system of bias or fantasied knowledge about Asia which distorts “reality”
…………

Is Bardwell Smiths argument bias?

Look at KEY CLAIMS:
MK- is just a kind of buisness that temples are using to make money.
But main thesis:
________

1. Does his arguments contain any inacuratcy?

2. Is it linked to any agenda (political)?

Theories and concepts are for analysising against arguments. It is way of

understanding or better understanding.

Review assignment: hand in hard and electronic copy.

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Does other type of hisotric change cause a chane in religion or is it vise versa?

Is ti true that there a correlations between historical and religious events and if so,
then why?

Pre written history: First civilisation with centralised sataes (assuming when
writing comes along)- The Bronze Age, Iron Age and Modernity.

Four major types of religon, linked to historical ages and coniditions.

1)relgiions of small local community(agricultural, ritual/ claendar, communal
focus nd centred on festival, etc)
2)Relgions of Kingship and state- high gods with lavish sacrifice.
3) Fonder rligiond “of the book”- named founder and with a centreal palce for the
novel.
4)religon of modernity

We are going to prepose that there is atleast a correlation.

Native India: Vedic 1500-500 BCE:

Vedic ritual seen through the Asvamedha ritual.
-A sacrifical ritual religion in Bronze Age India and China.

Timeline:
ON SLIDE

texts in the Sanskrit (perfect) language, an Indo-European lanuage. And is a

cousin of Latin and Greek.
 Bronze
Migration of an Indo-european “vedic” people from outside India.

Veda- knowledge/sacred knowledge or holy truth.

Vid- to see and therefore to know
Knowledge which was bought intio the human world by holy sages.

Children in the upper most classes- being priests: recited and leant these texts-
were learnt over 1500 years before writing them down and were learnt so well-
that they recorded them reciting the text- that thye did it to perfection.

The values of Vedic society and religion:

1.efficacy of sacrifice
2. sanctity of the married, pious life
3. sexual reproduction (of sons)
4. ritual hegemony of an elite group, namely the brahman class.

These are agreed upon facts by many schoolars.

Note- Brahman were almost exclusively vegetarians. Turned ot sacrificing
vegetables instead of animals.

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This ritual world also seems to have a world view-

The Gods tend to look like the latin and greek Gods.
Polythesit
Initally not based on the assumption of reincarnation but instead on the pitrloka,
world of the fathers. Not you make offering to the gods to looka fter your dead
ancestors or make offering straight to the ancestors.
Angi- fire as deified intermediatly between the worlds of gods and men- the
maintance of the ritial fires (usu 3) as a denfiinitve duty of every householder. If
you let them go out then you let your family go out- fire is so special as is a God and
he is the messanger between this world and the other- you burn the offering and
the God takes it and delivers it to who you are sending it to. Many used oil or gee-
purified buttter onto the offering to burn it.
-oblations- offerings and gifts.
-Very rare today in its pure form.

Two parties to the sacrifice:

The priests and the partons.

Brahmins and the Ksatriyas- the threeofld model of ari

The royal horse sacrifice ritual in India:

**Note not a typical ritual.
This is how individuals knew they had a claim to the throne.
A horse is very fast and strong, especially compaired to a human on foot and if you
have to fight someone, then you have the advantage.

By tying these animals together you are combining the spriitual qualities together
to represent you and probably all the qualities that are required by a king.

This is a lavish and materially expernsive ritual.

Is the King really a legit king?

1. actually fact that he has command over so much power that anyone hwo
defies him is doomed.
2. Because he command so much symbolic and sacride power- with god on his
side as well that it is pointless to defy him.
3. It is a signal that cannot be faked.

Lecture Five: 08/10/16

Confucius’s teachings and broze age china:

Note lecture 7 and 8 are comparisons:

Last week and this weel: sacrifical rituals in both India and China; need to ask, wat
is similar and what is differernt any why?

What is the connecion between religion and wordly power and what possible
political function can religon serve?

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Two basic concepts of Shang.Zhou ritual: (the two earliest religious dynasty)
-divination- fortune telling of a kind
-Sacrifice/offerings

shang- 1600-1046 B.C.E

Zhou- 1122=771 B.C.E

Problems: is that these text are written for diff purposes than how we are
researching.

Both these things are a key similarity- sacrifice.offerings and a key dimination(diff)
being divination.

Note- on the map the prple bits were ancient china and the other green bits were
“others”.

Oracle bones- used before we had texts- whereas in India these texts were not
written down on bones and turtle sheels- “shell bone writing” and this is the only
written ecord that we have of China for the first 3/4 Centuries.
theocracy- rule by chiefly class.

-Note- blades were actually shoulder blades of cattle.

1899- traditional Chinse scholar got sick and traditional chinese medic gave his
prescription for dragon bones.
-given it before they were ground up as are meant to be put in drink- he specialised
in oldest Chinese when they engraved in bronze. He traced it back- supplied from
these pits.
Found discovered that the Shang dynasty- created these pits to bury the writings.
Have niw more than 100,00 pieces perhaps 200,000.

-This is a religious culutre in which sacrifice and offerings are very important- can
tell as use bones to write on.
-Also know of another feature very diff from India- these ritual evidence that were
made in bronze.

Bronze combnied with the introduction of hroses and battle chariots- made them
very advanced.
-Note- Chinese broze is also used for luxery goods, esecially used for ritual vessels.

Zun- is a type of sacrifical instrument, some are huge and weigh over a tonne.
Bells were also made out of bronze.

One of the main features of this religious system is that people de offering:
-made oferings to and through demination- trying to figure out what the world
holds. E.g. Will we go to war in 10 days. And then heat was applied in some way and
the heat was very intense and caused the bone to crack and the way the bone crack
gave a yes or a no. sometime the cracing was done before the wrting was done.

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These pits therefore on one hand were acting like the royal archives.
The concerns were quite wordly concerns rather than individuals ot=r ultimate
relgious salvation.

Secondly the workd view seems to be a heighracyly arrangment of supernatural

Gods or being and the lower ranks are filled with ancestors of known human beings
that have already died.

**Slides contain more information.

-One with power are high and inaccessable and the ones that were accessable have
little power.

Several major generalisation:

-one of the major sterotypes is that (ancestor worship)- religious interaction that
relates to the spirits of dead ancestors are at the centre o fCHinese religoin.
--highly specialised religious profession (and society momre generally).
-Large differnetials of wealth and power-“theocracy”- doubling of preistly and
kingly funations in the person of one ruler “ancestor worship” – a heighrachial
arragned pantheon with most recently dead ancestors at the bottom but closest to
hand and the most powerfu lGod at the top and most remote at the bottom.
-Also many of these functionals were done by the king himself- and he is therefore
the high priest. Whereas in Inida
: the two highest groups in traditional indian- the Bruhmans: e.g. the preiests and
the Chutiers: being the warriors and kings.
Theocracy- is that of both roles.

Differences:
-writtten vs oral text
-divination vs propitiatoin
-historical/calendrical vs mythic time
-permanent vs dispensible materials
-this-wordly vs other worldly
-ancestros vs Gods
Smiliarities:
-ex[ense of materials and execution
-sacrifice and offering
-mintence of dead 9ancestors)
-legitimation of royal power

Objectively the two rituals between Indians and Choniese look very different
however as seen above there are both a variety of similarities and differences.

Claim that there are particular type of religious form that are lnked to similar
social structure in different moments in history.

-examines extremely lavish and wastful rituals.

Part two:

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Confucius and the Analects.

What do C and Buddha have in common? How do they differ and why? Does C have
anything in common with Christ? Any difference? And why?

The Axial Age:

-Karl Jaspers (1883-1969)- the iron age. –created the term Axial Age.
-Transcendentla breakthrough- the idea of a transcendent beyond the world as a
new feature of human thought.
-associated with classes of specialist clerics (also usually but not always in writing).
-prestige languages
-Axial age- meaning the time in which everything turns into a completely diff
model.

another realm that was radically different and higher and more important than
anyone can know- associated with the supernatural- not just because ahvea
religion that believes in spirits and Gods don’t necessarily have to be supernatural.
By contrast some religions do think that the universe is divided into 2 completley
sepreate domains.

Jasper- believes that all religion underneath all there difference are actually the
same.

The golden age of Zhou:

Eastern Zhou:
-Spring and Autumn- 742-481 B.C.E
-Warring States period- 481-221 B.C.E- that would help defeat friends enemy and
then they therefore owes you a offering and it did not then you’d declare war on
them. –Period in which farily large states were at war with one and another.

-C Zhou nostalgia: “The Zhou is resplendent in culture, having before it the example
of the tw previously dynasties. I am for the Zhou, I follow the Zhou.

Note- with noosragia- you have to have some ide of what life was like 700 or so
years ago to want to be back their.

C was a scholar and into his books.

The arms race cycle:

Have a perios of stability and propserity (were you innovate)  Will then at some
point innovate new menas of distruction, first ones who have it have a huge
advanctage and exploit the materials over their enemy and therefore is a scrabble
for everyone to get hold of the new Tech  diffusion comperition and conflict as
indiividuals fihgt it out to see who is the winner where you then again come to 
Prosperity.

E.g.--> europeans arriving in NZ in the early 1800’s and guns.

Also in Japan and the introduction of muskeets by the ports.

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This cycle applies to china and it was iron that upset the balance in China. Iron can
be made moe cheaply and is harder than bronze- therefore pretty mcuh replacing
bronze to make beter armour and weapon in addition to plough share- to increase
are of cultivation covers per farmer.
-This is the age of theroman legance in the medditerianian.

Confucisus was a class member of the class of shi.

-political and moral action that C sold.
Note- this is politics and therefore does it really count as a religon and if it does
what does our defn of religion look like?

-force was on morals instead of minipulating power.

Confucius is a latinised version- that has a latin name in modern english. Analects
means in chinese- the words and arguments.

Shi- were the new social class- firs professional known as scribes and intellects.
Nothing about his social class in the book of the JOL…

Note is a big difference between Confucius himself and his own ideas and
Confuciusm- how he it taught.

He appreantly is extremely dis-interested in the supernatural. That you should

still show interest in spirits and ancestors but don’t focus on it too much
-didn’t pay too mch attention to it as it doesn’t make much differnece.
-Best way to conduct these offering “as if” the spirits and the ancestors were there.
-centrally concerned with the “sage” or a person of perfect wisdom of some time-
the very early emperors. C believed need to be a new sage. SO therefore who is the
sage going to be? He therefore thinks he is the new sage- he denies it in an elegant
way. Also said was not intrpoducing any innvoations what so ever but at the same
time where he says the world is in chatoic state and a solution is new so obviously
he is proposing something new?
-correct human beign and human perfection
-family relationships and values
-ideal of the gentlmen.

-C ended up being the most inlfuential figure of Chinese intellect. When China was
united under a single power, that person found it just to adopt C’s teachings.

-He believed that social and human relationships were very important and needed
to constantly be checked and nurtured.

-Believed in family- a good fmaily having good relationships between both th living
and the dead.

key concept of ritua;- LI

and the connection between that and Humanity and human feeling- (ren).

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C thoguht the most important thing to do is to behave correctly and be trained

throguh the performance of Li- seems to have generalised li outside the
interpertation that you would think as religious. Transfers as if we are interacting
with the spirits.
-Inner-moral virtue that is boght out through Li.

Lecture ___: 09/28/16

Buddhist communities and Chicago 1893- world parliament of Religion:

-interplay between human monuments and also nature monuments, which ae both
worshipped.

 Tibetan Theocracy in an Age of Excile:

Governed by an interesting and unusual structure- theocracy: governemnt by
someone who is related to God or divine- but due ot Buddhism not to Gods but
divine.

Dalai Lama- 1989 of the noble peace prize. Head of state and spiritual leader of the
Tibetan people.

His title- lama: teacher or high spriitual rank

Dalai- is from the mongolian language meaning ocean.

He is understood as a being who is certain to become a buddha in one of his future

lifes.

Beings who chose and do to be reincarnated to come back and help the rest of us
and the Dalai Lamam is the most famous and he is in fact the 14 th.

Tibetan Buddhism is also found in Mongolia.

Is extrememly elevated and is very isolated. Very large- half the area of the USA.
With a popoulation of about 6 million ethic tebatans- very unpopulated. Currently
ruled by China for the most part.
Also has quite a large number of rare mineral reasources.

Tibetan language:
Sino-Tibetan language family
Tibetan Burman language fmaily has several dozen languages related to it
Language itself is unrealated to Indian languages and the Tibetan script is derived
from Inidan scripts.

By the 1000’s or 1100’s Buddhism became permanent and was never really
challanged.

Because the west knew next otnothing about what was happening the larger the
curiosity. Was less solid information.

20th C:

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 Early 1900’s B via the Guru massacra invaded with machine guns on boats.
Force to end its isolation and trade.

Then WWI occurred- which tIbet was lef tundisturbed.

Then the great depression and then WWII.

In 1949- Chinese had their communist revolution

In 1959- went into and imposed their rule on Tibet and the Deli Lama fled to India.

DL and its people belive that their language and culture wont survive another
decade- not allowed to sepak tibetan at school and etc.

Also policies of hostilily towards Tibetan rleigion due to the Chniese communist
govt.

DL set up a shadow govt unitl 1991 where ne wconsitution was drafted- which
allowed for limited demorcrac.

2001- the first democracy election held for the ofice of Prime Minister, won by
Lobsang Tenzin.

1. Tebiten was ruled by a devine being that geld power.

2. up until int the 20th C T was still run on traditional ines meaning very wealthy
and others who were very poor- even serfs! Many of the land lords were monstaries.
This is a syste that would be regards as not particularly fair.

The juducal system was much like the J system in premodern society- lots of capital
ounishment and having limbs cut off.
T understanding- not a bunch of guys who has held this possition for centuries but
instead is the very same being- and therefore oversaw that system.

Also operation with CIA via gorilla warfare to free Tibet from China- clash of
interests.

Religion and politics should be kept separate and also people are outraged by Iran
due to mix of relgion. Politics is dominated too much my religious agenda. SO how
do we explain this contrdiction then?

Answer is recommended that it is due to some type of Orientalism- presetned about

knowledge about Asia, whici is distorted in some sense to serve a certain politic
agenda. Can be positive and negative.

The DL ha sbeen sucessful in the west due to being extremely sucessful missionaries.
When lsot his home land- looked for alternative power base, being the western
world.

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Classic orientalism- western systems of knowledge that contain asisa objects and
once such systems have been constructed means that they are taken and used in
mny many idfferetn ways.

Part 2:
The way which non-western cltures were represented and the actions of all of the
culture.
Finally 3 case studies of reformants that were representing Asian studies.

CC- discovered the Americas in 1492.

Late 1800’s/early 1900’s sense of dominance. Great crystal palace built for it and
build eiffel tower in france. These expos were to show off wealth. Also olympics
originating in 1896- display science training and etc to show how vigorous their
human bodies are- stronger, quicker and faster.

these 200 buildingd was a display or americanisation and that they were
advanced- their technology and industrial power. For the people who went to the
fairs it was like an attempt to see the world all in on e place.

Certain groups were exlcuded as fell outside the relam of civilisation:

African Americans
Mormorns
Native American
And to a lesser extent women.

Right on lake Michigan.

Three things included: -classical medditerrian (classic greek) and the bible and
modern science-many bibilical and classical themes

Mid-way placons- where all the cultures of the non-western world were put and
geogrpahically. 1893 chicago.

Each of the states in the US get as much representatoin as the countries everywhere
else.

Japan created- ho-o-den which was a very famous important japanese buddhist
temple.

Midway Plaisance was very mcuh a muesum of inferior living humans- mixed fair
ground aor side show and science.
Planned with the cooperation of th most respected authorities in ethnography o the
day.

Different days where diff parades would be held- e.g. scence from a samoan village.

Mexico was represented by the Aztec temples left for the Spanish.

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Along side the fair itself was the auxiliary: to do with conference regardin arts,
science- all regardin acedemic and intellectual endevour.

World Paliament of religions was one of these held in the Auxiliary.

As a part of the spirit of progress- Q: what is the faith of religion in all of this?
-194 were participants and 43 were asian.
10 worlds religions represented: Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Hinduism,
Buddism, Jainism, Zoroastrainism, judaism, Christianity and Islam.
-Scholar of religion also participated- interface of nascent “religious studies” and
religious practise.
Were suppose to come to some agreement on universal principles of religion-
insome universal harmony.
hWHat actually happened: Similar bias- the west was more than half, while other
religions were treated as “one unit”.
-IN the end the religions that were invited form outside the west that turned up-
shows a sterotype that there are some religons that have different staus to other
religions in the worl called world relgions.
-shared assumption that the religion wa sgoing to look a lot like Chsitanity- their
own religion.
-The Asia delegates had initally been casted to agree and cheer along with
Christianity.

Seager- summarises this trun of events with the thesis which was that is was a
masiv ehistorical ironary.
Beginning of the erosion of this confidence as the west encounter strong eastern
figures which stood opposed.

Figures who represented Asian religions at the meeeting:

1. Shaki Soen (zen/Japan) and D.T Suzuki
2. Angarika Dharmapala (Theravada)
3. Swami Vivekananda (hinduism/yoga/India).

Advocate for greater Indian atonomy or independence.

A.D: Sri Lanka, Buddhism; note he was not a monk and took it upon himsledf to
go across the world and represent Buddhism. He was heavily invovled in the reform
of S.L buddhism and he was wanteing independence from the British. Schools
system was handed over to British missionaries and this greatly stopped Buddhism
and felt like it was in crisis.

Shaku Soen:
Japanese and representitive of Zen- came to a conclusion that J buddhism was not
authentic- wenr to Sri lanki and reordaned as a monk and started thinking of
reforming Jaanese traditions- this is inter Asia reformation and then he took it
upon himself to go to Chicago.

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D.T Suzuki- lived in the USA for many years and became famous for being the most
active and well known exponent of Zen to the west. Was Shaku Soen’s translater
and personal assistant during the convention.

**recreating thwir relgiions that ould be better serving to nationalism.

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