The Major Religions a) The lecture and individual assignment for Week Six (Sikhism and Jainism) produced both a framework for understanding and comparing Sikhism and framework for understanding and comparing Jainism. The current assignment has three (3) components. i) Component One: Reduce the frameworks Sikhism and Jainism to two (2) individual bullet point summaries of no more than 200 words each. ii) Component Two: Reduce Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism to individual bullet point summaries of no more than 200 words each. iii) Component Three: Using these five (5) summaries: (1) Draw four (4) conclusions concerning the points of continuity and discontinuity between Sikhism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism. (2) Draw four (4) conclusions concerning the points of continuity and discontinuity between Sikhism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism as a group and Buddhism and Hinduism as a group. (3) Draw four (4) conclusions concerning the points of continuity and discontinuity between Sikhism, Jainism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism and the Abrahamic religions. Taoism and Confucianism · Gain a working knowledge of the more general beliefs of Taoism and Confucianism within a consistent comparative framework that facilitates the understanding of Taoism and Confucianism relative to other religions synopsized in the same manner · Understand Taoism and Confucianism in relationship to one another and to Shintoism · Describe the relationship between Taoism and Confucianism and the other major religions of South and Southeastern Asia: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism · Explain the major philosophical differences between the religions of South and Southeastern Asia and the Abrahamic religions Introduction Tao (Dao) means way. The Tao is the ultimate reality and is a single, uncreated, unified force or path that is the basis of being for all existence. The Tao has natural rhythms and patterns. To be in the Tao means that one’s life is in accord with, in harmony with, or one with these rhythms and patterns. The Tao is the dynamic combination and opposition of two basic principles that are in a constant and unceasing state of action and re-action, the yin (negative, female) and the yang (yahng; positive, male). Taoism asserts that right being leads to right doing. Confucianism asserts that right doing leads to right being. Taoism and Confucianism: A Framework of Comparison What Does It Mean To Be Human? Taoism. All humans are part of the cosmic process, the Tao, and are composed of the complimentary forces of yin and yang. As parts of the Tao, humans are by nature inherently good, i.e., in harmony with the Tao. Confucianism. Humans are not autonomous individuals; humans exist in the context or web of relationships founded in the family and the society. These Five Basic Relationships are as follows: 1) The relationship of the sovereign (ruler) and the subject, marked by justice and righteousness 2) The relationship of a parent to a child, in particular, the father to the son, marked by proper rapport 3) The relationship of the husband and wife, marked by the separation of their proper functions 4) The relationship of an elder and a younger, marked by proper precedence given to the elder 5) The relationship of a friend to a friend, marked by faith and trust