Abstract
The three teachings (Sanjiao 三教, the traditional moral teachings in Chinese context.) of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism are not ‘religions’ in the traditional Western sense, a concept which was introduced and popularized in China during the modern era, but that of ‘moral teachings.’ Aside from an inclusion of god-based worship and ethical humanism, the ultimate concern among them has never been about either living in this world, or that of transcending it, but about guiding people away from evil and toward goodness, as well as improving the social and moral climate.
We are grateful to Dr. Professor Shan Chun for his support. We thank him for reading the manuscript and providing insightful feedback and giving valuable suggestions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Sanjiao 三教, the traditional moral teachings in Chinese context.
- 2.
The translations of classical Chinese texts are from three sources: (1) The published English books or papers (see references); (2) The open sources and database; or (3) Translated by translators themselves according to the Chinese version.
- 3.
(Southern Liang Dynasty) Seng You. (Tang Dynasty) Dao Xuan. Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism · Extended Collection for the Propagation and Clarification of Buddhism. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1991, p. 142.
- 4.
In this work, the system generally used to romanize Chinese names and notes is pinyin.
- 5.
(Yuan Dynasty) Liu Dabin (Ed.). (Ming Dynasty) Supplemented by Jiang Yongnian. Treatise on Maoshan, Volume 1. Revised by Wang Gang. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2016, p. 298.
- 6.
Lin Yutang. From Pagan to Christian: The Personal Account of a Distinguished Philosopher’s Spiritual Pilgrimage back to Christianity. Translated by Xie Qixia, Gong Yi, Zhang Zhenyu. Shaanxi Normal University General Publishing House, 2007, p. 77.
- 7.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun, The Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha. Eastern Publishing Co., 2016, p. 371.
- 8.
Mou Zhongjian. Daoist Philosophy and Daoism as a Religion. Religious Culture Press, 2014, p. 117.
- 9.
“禅宗” is translated into Zen Buddhism throughout the text.
- 10.
Annotated by Wang Ming. Annotations to Inner Chapters of the Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity. Zhonghua Book Company, 1980, p. 47.
- 11.
Daoist Canon, Volume 24. Tianjin Ancient Books Publishing House, 1988, p. 779.
- 12.
(Song Dynasty) Qi Song. Canon of Zen Buddhism, Volume 3. Ming Wen Book Company, 1981, p. 31.
- 13.
(Ming Dynasty) Naluoyanqu, Haiyin Shamen Shi Deqing. Annotated by Yichen. Interpretation of Laozi’s Daodejing Annotated by Hanshan. Tongji University Press, 2013, p. 34.
- 14.
(Northern Qi) Wei Shou. The Book of Wei, Volume 8. Zhonghua Book Company, 1974, p. 3035.
- 15.
(Han Dynasty) Ban Gu. The Book of Han, Zhonghua Book Company, 2007, p. 333.
- 16.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. Mencius. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 173.
- 17.
The Six Training Skills is more commonly translated as the “Six Classics” (Feng Youlan. A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, Volume 8. Zhonghua Book Company, 2017, p. 77.)—translator’s note.
- 18.
(Han Dynasty) Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Thread-Binding Books Publishing House, 2006, p. 238.
- 19.
Complete Works of Han Yu. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2013, p. 261–262.
- 20.
Quoted by Kong Yingda (574–648), in the Preface to his sub-commentary on Wang Bi’s (226–249) The Commentary on the “Yi”. (Feng Youlan. A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, Volume 8. Zhonghua Book Company, 2017, p. 264.)—translator’s note.
- 21.
Wang Shouren (1472–1529), whose zi (social name) is Bo’an, was a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. He was later known as Master Yangming because he resided in the Yangming Cave in Kuaiji Mountain.
- 22.
Qi, literally, vital force.
- 23.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 1, 137.
- 24.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. Mencius. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 147.
- 25.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. Mencius. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 244.
- 26.
Posthumous Works of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, Volume 2. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2000, p. 65.
- 27.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 57.
- 28.
(Song Dynasty) Zhu Xi. Collected Annotations of the Four Books. Zhonghua Book Company, 2011, p. 71.
- 29.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 173.
- 30.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. Mencius. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 124.
- 31.
Complete Works of Han Yu. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2013, p. 253.
- 32.
Zhang Xin (Ed.) The Book of Documents. Chinese Literature and History Press, 2003, p. 265.
- 33.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 8.
- 34.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 8.
- 35.
Annotated by Wang Wenjin. The Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean with Annotations. Zhonghua Book Company, 2008, p. 2.
- 36.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 106.
- 37.
Zhang Xin (Ed.) The Book of Documents. Chinese Literature and History Press, 2003, p. 70, 143.
- 38.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 142, 109, 41.
- 39.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. Mencius. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 250.
- 40.
Zhang Jue. Annotations to Xunzi. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1995, p. 148.
- 41.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. Mencius. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 5.
- 42.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 56.
- 43.
(Qing Dynasty) Su Yu. The Commentary on the Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Revised by Zhong Zhe. Zhonghua Book Company, 1992, p. 32.
- 44.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 125, 99, 56, 189.
- 45.
The Book of Rites. Revised by Cui Gaowei. Liaoning Education Press, 2000, p. 186.
- 46.
The Book of Rites. Revised by Cui Gaowei. Liaoning Education Press, 2000, p. 192.
- 47.
Huang Shouqi and Zhang Shanwen. Annotations to the Book of Changes. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2004, p. 541.
- 48.
(Song Dynasty) Zhu Xi. The Commentary on the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean. China Social Press, 2013, p. 22.
- 49.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 28.
- 50.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 169.
- 51.
Posthumous Works of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, Volume 2. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2000, p. 65.
- 52.
The Book of Rites. Revised by Cui Gaowei. Liaoning Education Press, 2000, p. 190.
- 53.
(Song Dynasty) Collected Works of Zhang Zai. Revised by Zhang Xichen. Zhonghua Book Company, 1978, p. 320.
- 54.
(Han Dynasty) Ban Gu. The Book of Han. Zhonghua Book Company, 2007, p. 333.
- 55.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. The Analects, Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 45.
- 56.
Annotated by Yang Bojun and Yang Fengbin. Mencius. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 115.
- 57.
The Book of Rites. Revised by Cui Gaowei. Liaoning Education Press, 2000, p. 75.
- 58.
The Book of Rites. Revised by Cui Gaowei. Liaoning Education Press, 2000, p. 75.
- 59.
(Han Dynasty) Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Thread-Binding Books Publishing House, 2006, p. 284.
- 60.
(Han Dynasty) Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Thread-Binding Books Publishing House, 2006, p. 284.
- 61.
(Han Dynasty) Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Thread-Binding Books Publishing House, 2006, p. 284, 286.
- 62.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. Commercial Press, 2003, p. 145.
- 63.
(Han Dynasty) Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian. Thread-Binding Books Publishing House, 2006, p. 284.
- 64.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi, Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 280.
- 65.
Annotated by Yin Xiang and Guo Quanzhi. Ji Kang Variorum. Huangshan Publishing House, 1986, p. 122, 231.
- 66.
(Han Dynasty) Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian, Thread-Binding Books Publishing House, 2006, p. 544.
- 67.
(Han Dynasty) Ban Gu. The Book of Han, Zhonghua Book Company, 2007, p. 622.
- 68.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 25.
- 69.
(Ming Dynasty) Wang Yuan. Compilation and Explanation of Chu Ci. Edited by Dong Hongli, Beijing Ancient Books Publishing House, 1994, p. 164.
- 70.
Annotated by Song Zuoyin. The Book of Changes. Yuelu Publishing House, 2000, p. 343.
- 71.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 233.
- 72.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 295, 221.
- 73.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 875–876.
- 74.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 226.
- 75.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 134.
- 76.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 69.
- 77.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 102.
- 78.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 260.
- 79.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 349.
- 80.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 215, 145.
- 81.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 246.
- 82.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 147, 183, 274.
- 83.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 188.
- 84.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 130.
- 85.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 270.
- 86.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 273.
- 87.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 875.
- 88.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 301.
- 89.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 134.
- 90.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozii. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 241.
- 91.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 256.
- 92.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 262.
- 93.
(Song Dynasty) Edited by Zhang Junfang. Annotated by Jiang Lisheng et al. Yunji Qiqian. Huaxia Publishing House, 1996, p. 94.
- 94.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 280.
- 95.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 280.
- 96.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 332.
- 97.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 332.
- 98.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 239.
- 99.
(Han Dynasty) Wei Boyang. (Song Dynasty) Annotated by Zhu Xi et al. Annotations of the Kinship of the Three in Accordance with the Book of Changes. Central Compilation & Translation Press, 2015, p. 20.
- 100.
(Tang Dynasty) Annotated by Wu Chengzi and Liang Qiuzi. Classic of the Yellow Court. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1990, p. 6.
- 101.
(Song Dynasty) Edited by Zhang Junfang.,Annotated by Jiang Lisheng et al. Yunji Qiqian. Huaxia Publishing House, 1996, p. 570.
- 102.
Edited and revised by Bai Ruxiang. The Collected Works of Wang Chongyang. Qilu Press, 2005, p. 159.
- 103.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 18.
- 104.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 80.
- 105.
Annotated by Chen Guying. Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 107.
- 106.
Annotated by Chen Guying, Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 260.
- 107.
Annotated by Chen Guying, Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, pp. 108, 229.
- 108.
Annotated by Chen Guying, Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, pp. 291, 271.
- 109.
(Tang Dynasty) Annotated by Wu Chengzi and Liang Qiuzi. The Classic of the Yellow Court. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1990, pp. 30–32.
- 110.
Annotated by Chen Guying, Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 201.
- 111.
Annotated by Chen Guying, Contemporary Annotations of Laozi. The Commercial Press, 2003, p. 349.
- 112.
(Southern Liang Dynasty) Tao Hongjing. The Record of Nourishing and Prolonging Life. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1990, p. 7.
- 113.
(Song Dynasty) Edited by Zhang Junfang. Annotated by Jiang Lisheng et al. Yunji Qiqian. Huaxia Publishing House, 1996, p. 94.
- 114.
Annotated by Chen Guying, Contemporary Annotations of Zhuangzi. Zhonghua Book Company, 2009, p. 195.
- 115.
Daoist Canon, Volume 10. Bashu Publishing House, 1995, p. 149.
- 116.
Annotated by Han Tingjie. Annotations to Vijnaptimatratasiddhi-sastra. Zhonghua Book Company, 1998, p. 9.
- 117.
[Indian] Long Shu (Nāgārjuna bodhisattva). The Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom. (Later Qin) Translated by Kumarajiva. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1991, p. 181.
- 118.
(Sui Dynasty) Ji Zang (Ed.). The Commentary on Madhyamika-sastra The One-Hundred-Verse Treatise Dvādaśanikāya Śāstra. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 1994, p. 119.
- 119.
Also Chan Buddhism. “禅宗” is translated into Zen Buddhism throughout the text.
- 120.
Annotated by Ding Fubao. Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2011, p. 80.
- 121.
(Song Dynasty) Edited by Shi Yanshou. A Compreshensive Mirror for Buddhist Records. Sanqin Publishing House, 1994, pp. 1023, 838.
- 122.
Yang Renshan. The Volume of Yang Renshan. Wuhan University Press, 2008, p, 240.
- 123.
Master Taixu. The Principles of Dharma and Human Conducts. In Master Taixu (Ed.). The Complete Works of Master Taixu, Volume 3. China Religious Culture Publisher, 2005, p, 157.
- 124.
Revised and edited by Fu Jie. The Collected Essays on Academic History by Zhang Taiyan. Yunnan People’s Publishing House, 2008, p, 111.
- 125.
Ouyang Jingwu. Buddhist Anthology of Ouyang Jingwu. Wuhan University Press, 2009, p. 16.
- 126.
Tang Yongtong. A History of Buddhism in the Han, Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties. Peking University Press, 2011, p. 487.
- 127.
Tang Yongtong. A History of Buddhism in the Han, Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties. Peking University Press, 2011, p. 487.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 People's Publishing House
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mou, Z. (2023). Introduction. In: A Brief History of the Relationship Between Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7206-5_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-7206-5_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-19-7205-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-19-7206-5
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)