Taoism

I received a letter from one of a specialist – Ching Wi who is the manager of the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Sinagpore. She told me that people who believes Taoism only will burn spirit money. So, to find out more about what is Taoism…I started to read some books about Taoism.

Below are some quotes I got from the book. The book name is Principles of TAOISM, From Bournemouth Library.

Paul Wildish, 2000, Principles of Taoism, Publisher: London; Thorsons.
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Taoism is one of the world's oldest spiritual/philosophical traditions, predating the foundation of Christianity by some four or five hundred years. The Tao encompasses a message of balance and proportion – you must seek to avoid discord and to achieve harmony by finding the middle way between any two extremes. Taoists believe in the profundity of nature that, out of its continuous cycle of change, tends always towards the most harmonious outcome. All life is therefore subject to this cycle of change, pulled between the interaction of opposite polar influences that are never wholly good nor wholly bad but, instead, are complementary aspects of the same primordial One: the Tao that manifests all existence (page 1)

Taoism, and its two great counterparts Confucianism and Buddhism, comprise the 'three teachings' whose historic dialogue has conditioned so much of the character of Chinese society (page 1)

The cosmology that forms the basis of the Taoist teachings existed long before Lao-Tzu made his journey west (page 08)

The term 'Tao' can be simply translated as 'road' or 'path', but is more commonly described as the 'Way', which if followed without deviation or restraint, will realize the individual's potential to interact harmoniously with creation (page 9). The Tao, or the 'Way', has been one of the principle influences on Chinese civilization and culture for the last 5,000 years.

In 150 CE, the Han emperor set up a shrine dedicated to Lao-Tzu and took the unprecedented step of leading official ceremonies to honour his memory. For the emperor to venerate a figure who was not one of his own ancestors in this way implicitly recognized Lao-tzu as a celestial power. Although deified in this way, Lao-tzu was not regarded as God in the sense of Judaic, Christian and Islamic traditions. Lao-tzu was remembered and honoured in the same way as Chinese families still venerate their ancestors; to ask for their guidance and to thank them for the watchful help they give to the family. All Taoist religious practice must be seen in the context of this tradition, where veneration and the making of offerings to deities does not equate with the Western religious concept of worship (page 43).

By the beginning of the 20th century, organized Taoism in China was in serious decline. Beginning in the 1890s the Manchu imperial court began to adopt a sceptical view of religious Taoist doctrine and practice. Although Taoist templea and monasteries were still supported from state funds they were no longer looked upon with any real favour. When the Nationalist government os Sun Yat-sen took power in 1911, state support for Taoism's institutions and infrastructure was severed. The Nationalists viewed Taoism as an outdated superstition and stood by to let it sink or swim on its own. By this time Taoism was in no condition to manage to keep open its monasteries and temples without state assistance. Many religious institutions, containing art works of great beauty, fell into decline and were abandoned to rot. A further blow to Taoist institutions came with Japan's invasion in 1937 and brutal devastation of China. Many temples were vandalized or destroyed by the Japanese Army (page 133).

Taoism was not the only faith to suffer during the 1930s and 1940s – the temples and churches of other faiths and religions were also destroyed in the general carnage. All faiths were again to share the same fate when the next blow fell. With the overthrow of the Nationalists and the foundation of the Communist-led People's Republic of China in 1949, all organized religion was banned (page 134).

Of course Taoism did survive persecution in exile. There are thriving Taoist communities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the USA and wherever there are large Chinese communities. These communities are lending their support to Taoism's recovery in mainland China, and it seems likely that Taoism will see a resurgence that will, once again, establish it as a major world religion (page 135).

global warming…

In my this final project that I have found some articles about burning spirit money is caused air pollution. Although this culture only practice among chinese people who believes Taoism. After deep thoughts regarding my project, I think this burning issue will raise serious debate in other countries (other people who very care of environment) about burning spirit paper.

So, I am going to interview about 10 Chinese people about this topic and also will interview 5-10 people (non-Chinese people) about the environment issue which is caused by burning spirit money. This for sure will make my research more strong and solid instead of interview among Chinese people.

The are few articles from Online Economist magazine about global warning. Burning is one of the issue raised "greenhouse" gas.

"CO2 (carbon dioxide) is a “greenhouse” gas, which means that it helps to trap heat in the atmosphere. More CO2 should, on the face of it, mean a hotter earth, and that might lead to the consequences feared by the first set of pessimists. But CO2 is also an inevitable by-product of burning…" (para 3)

"The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has been rising for more than a century, as the use of fossil fuels has become widespread. And human activity also puts other greenhouse gases…into the atmosphere" (para 5)

(Source: A Cooling off period, Nov 27th 1997 From The Economist print edition)
[Accessed 21 May 2006]

There are few relevant articles about burning activities caused air pollution and suffering respiratory problems, such as The Fire Next Time (The Economist), When the smoke clears in Asia (The Economist) and 'Global warming worse than terrorism' ( The Times of India), etc

China’s Tomb-Sweeping Day Joins Internet Age

"Chinese burned virtual candles and incense and sent digital flowers as modern technology changes the way the ancient Qing Ming Tomb-Sweeping Day is celebrated. Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional holiday when people honor their ancestors and flock to cemeteries, but many young Chinese consider conventional ceremonies like setting off firecrackers, burning real incense and paper and making offerings of food and drink as passe, Xinhua news agency said.

"Internet mourning, such as on the 'online cemetery', where virtual candles or joss-sticks are lit and virtual flowers are sent, is in fashion, saving millions of people of Chinese origin the trouble of traveling long distances in order to sweep tombs for their ancestors," it said."

Among the traditional items burned is what is known as "Hell Money" There is a nice, illustrated web page on a web site describing the "Adventures of a Big White Guy living in Hong Kong"

"In China, the word Hell doesn't carry the same negative connotation as western Hell. The popular story has it that zealous Christian missionaries warned all non-Christian Chinese they'd "go to Hell" upon death.

In a classic case of misinterpretation, the Chinese believed Hell was the English term for the Afterlife. The word was incorporated and printed on the traditional Chinese AfterlifeMonetary Offerings, otherwise known as Hell Bank Notes. Some refer to the notes as Spirit Money.

I love the denominations. This first set shows the highest dollar amount I've found yet: $8 billion.

"Hell Bank Notes come bundled in various numbers,depending on the currency. The paper ranges from smoothand thin to coarse and thick. The huge denomination notes were printed on low-grade paper." It doesn't matter, as they're made to be burned. The Chinese believe that when someone dies, his spirit goes to the afterlife,where it lives on, doing much the same things it did in life.

Surviving relatives want to send gifts to make the afterlife as comfortable as possible. Aside from intricate paper objects such as houses, cars, clothing, watches, mobile phones,appliances and even domestic helpers, Hell Bank Notes are
most popular. Burning sends them on their way."

"The Anthropology of Money in Southern California is an exhibition of the uses of money and money-like objects in the
cultural, religious or ritual practices of various communities of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. It was created fromoriginal research conducted by the students in an undergraduateclass at the University of California at Irvine, on the anthropology
of money (Anthropology 125S) in the Fall of 2004."

"The use of spirit money (also known as hell money or heaven money) in observing different rituals is deeply rooted in Asianculture. Archaeological evidence of “fake/spirit money” can beseen as far back as circa 1000 B.C. Imitations of money in the form of stones and bones (along with cowrie shells) werefound in tombs. In the Spring and Autumn periods, archaeologists have found evidence of imitation metal money. The imitation metal money was thin and fragile, made of lead and bronze.There were also imitations in clay of gold plaques. Initially, archaeologists believed that imitations were for the poor; however, that belief changed when they discovered imitation money in the tombs of the wealthy."

"Spirit money itself has many different uses; however, it is used generally as a symbol of transformation, increase in reproduction,and payment of spiritual debts. The notes used as “money” aretransformed to spirit money when they are used as symbolic offerings to ghosts, gods, and ancestors. The burning of spiritmoney allows for it to be transferred to ghosts, gods, andancestors to be used as real currency in the other world."

(Source: The E-Sylum: Volume 8, Number 15, April 10, 2005, Article 25
Wayne Homren, Editor)