Chinese Religions And The Western World - 1227 Words

Until very recently, the Chinese religions have remained fairly unknown to the Western world. Unlike the religions that have stemmed from the Middle East or the Indian subcontinent, East Asian philosophies have never had a strong concept of missionary spirit. Therefore, their expanse remained confined to the East Asian nations of China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan and Mongolia. However, in the last hundred years or so, an increase in political, commercial, and cultural contacts of the East Asian region with other parts of the world broke this trend. This helped to spread the philosophies of East Asian sages all around the globe. Scriptures and traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism spread beyond the East Asian region and reached areas far and beyond, thus spreading their concept of harmony, and love for the beauty of nature. Today, a considerable amount of East Asian populations live throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas and continue to influence the people and cult ure of these regions (Hopfe, 170.) Therefore, to acknowledge the impact of the aforementioned East Asian philosophies on American culture, this essay discusses three significant elements of the American lifestyle — healthcare, cuisine, and art. Traditional Chinese Medicine, based on Chinese traditions of more than 2,000 years, comprises of various medicinal practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicines, massage (Tui Na), and exercise (qigong). Unlike other branches of medicine, the ideologyShow MoreRelatedThe Differences Between China And Western Europe843 Words   |  4 Pagesa different way of living in society, economically and politically. Everything would be different if China would have went about and conquered Western Europe during the 14-1500’s. There are many things in history that can mark the milestone differences between China and Western Europe. No one really knows when Chinese culture really began, however Chinese civilization began near the Yellow River (Huang He) becoming North China, and Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) indicating South China. The first DynastyRead MoreThe Discovery Of The New World1191 Words   |  5 PagesThe discovery of the New World brought many irreversible changes not only for the European countries, but to the natives of the land that was being discovered. The sense of exploration began expanding more and more among the European powers. Every time the explorers invaded, they would be more avaricious and aggressive against the natives of the land. 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Japan and ChinaRead MoreA Community That Effects The Lifestyle Of The Elderly Essay1186 Words   |  5 Pagesthat people from across the world are looking into, and hoping to better the lives of those effected. â€Å"Aging isn’t just a biological process — it’s also very much a HYPERLINK http://isdpr.org/isdpr/publication/journal/25/1996-07-25-01-03.pdfcultural one.† ( HYPERLINK http://www.huffingtonpost.comwww.huffingtonpost.com) This paper will discuss the different aspects of a community that effects the lifestyle of the elderly community in different parts of the world. Religion, tradition, and law are threeRead MoreThe Discipline of Chinese Painting: An Internal Reflection of Life Art1548 Words   |  7 Pagescomes into contact with a Chinese painting, the style is almost instantly recognizable. The attention to detail, craftsmanship, and vast depictions of elaborate landscapes appear to pay homage to mother earth in an attempt to reach a state of eternal balance with nature and life. 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Although Confucius was Chinese, Confucianism has been practiced throughout all of Asia. In Korea, many of the practices when it comes to aging is based on the Confucian value of Filial Piety. â€Å"In Confucian philosophy, filial piety is a virtue of respect for one s parents, elders, and ancestors† CITATION Wik16 l 1033 (Filial piety, n.d.). This is one of the three basic values of Confucianism, but often it