The Chinese nation has a rich philosophical tradition that goes back to antiquity. Concepts such as Yīn-Yáng 陰|陽, Dào 道, Qì 氣, etc. were formulated by the Chinese through observation of nature and human society and mind, and they have lasted until our days, awakening the interest of people from all the nations of the globe.
The most important genuinely Chinese philosophical currents are based on the teachings of Confucius 孔子 and Lǎo Zǐ 老子*, who lived in the 6th century B.C. At that same time, in India, Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha imparted his teachings on the path to become free from suffering and achieve awakening. Buddhism came to China through the Silk Road, and over time it took root and transformed itself giving rise to the Chán tradition (禪, better known by its Japanese name, Zen), a more philosophical than religious current with special emphasis on meditative practice, above devotion and ritual.
Bodhidharma, known to the Chinese as Dá Mó 達摩, fostered Chán Buddhism in China and laid the foundations for what was to be the Shǎolín Chán 少林禪, that is, the Chán branch characteristic of the Shǎolín Temple Order in Hénán 河南.
Notes:
* Also transcribed as Lao Tzu or Lao Tse.
The Theory of the Five Phases (Wǔ Xíng 五行) or Five Processes, sometimes called of the Five Elements, appeared during the Zhou 周 Dynasty, possibly as a way of representing seasonal changes that affected agricultural production, and underwent some important changes throughout history.
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Bodhidharma, known in China as Pútídámó 菩提達摩 or Dámó 達摩, was an Indian monk who came to China in the 6th century, and is usually considered as the founder of Kung Fu and Chán 禪 Buddhism.
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It is likely that on more than one occasion we have encountered the image of a fat, smiling and good-natured Buddha, present either in Buddhist temples, restaurants or any other Chinese establishments. This character, whom many people take for the Buddha, is actually Bùdài 布袋, a Chan 禪 monk of the 10th century whose life was somehow eccentric.
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The Yīn-Yáng 陰陽 Theory emerged in Chinese thought from the observation of nature. This theory postulates the existence of two complementary principles that are present in all that exists. These principles were called yīn, “dark”, and yáng, “luminous”.
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Death has intrigued and dismayed the human being since the dawn of our species. Death is always a cause of affliction, because it is perceived as an alteration in the normal course of things. However, nothing is more natural than death. We share here a couple of tales about death, that reflect the idea that the taoist sages have about this phenomena.
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Buddhism is one of the philosophical-religious currents that has permeated the Chinese people; mora tan that, it has been the only foreign religion that has been successful. Siddharta Gautama the Buddha was a historical character who lived in India and whose teachings spread throughout Asia and, in modern times, all over the globe.
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