Major Religious Traditions
33
and the natural world.
Feng shui
, meaning wind and water, is a method
of aligning dwelling and working places in harmony with nature in order
to bring prosperity and good health. From the Dao
we have the principles
of Yin (feminine, passive, dark, associated with the moon and night) and
the opposite, Yang (masculine, active, bright, associated with the sun and
day). The concept of Qi (Chi) meaning air, breath and energy is also
important. Energy permeates the
universe and also human beings, and
qigong is a way of getting oneself into harmony with this essential energy.
In Oriental art the brushstrokes used in calligraphy, writing and painting
are infused with Qi and the paintings include spaces for the energy to
flow. The Dao or Tao is a mystical work which points beyond the every-
day world, and this is expressed in its well-known opening sentence,
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
28
Confucianism
Generally accepted as being a younger contemporary of Laoze, K’ung Fu-
tzu (Confucius) (551– 479 BCE) was a Chinese sage whose teachings
were eventually brought together by his disciples into the Five Classics
three centuries after his death. These works include the
I-ching
or
Book
of Changes.
Biographical details are sketchy but it is thought that Confucius was of
noble birth but became a civil servant. He left
Lu where he was born and
travelled throughout China for many years, promulgating his moral
teachings. His sayings and actions were later recorded in
Lun Yu
(
The
Analects
). He was mainly interested in ethical and political matters and
The Analects
comprise a guide to living with compassion for others. His
message was one of
li
or moral rectitude, social cohesion, study and ritual
piety, perhaps more philosophical than religious. It is from Confucius
that
we have the Golden Rule of
jen
or virtue: ‘What you do not wish for
yourself, do not do to others’.
Judaism
At its heart, Judaism is a religion founded on the relationship of a cove-
nant between God and his chosen people with the terms set out in the
Torah
, the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch
.
In the book of Genesis, the story of the first covenant is told, that
between God and Noah, a covenant wider than just with the Jewish
Religious
and Spiritual Experience
34
people. At the time of a great flood, sent by God to destroy his creatures
because of their wickedness, Noah followed God’s instructions in build-
ing an ark and he and his descendents were saved. The sign of the cove-
nant was that of a rainbow.
29
The second covenant was with Abraham,
formerly Abram or Avram.
He left Ur of the Chaldees in Mesapotamia for Canaan and was to be the
father of the nation. The twelve tribes of Israel are his descendents through
his grandson Jacob. According to the book of Genesis, Abraham con-
ceived his first child at 99 years old. His obedience to God was tested
when he was instructed
to sacrifice his son Isaac, who was only spared at
the last minute.
30
Although Abraham is seen as the first monotheist, it is Moses who is
usually accepted as the founder of the Jewish religious tradition, as it
was to him that the Torah was given. Moses was born in the 13
th
Century
BCE, while the people of Israel were captive in Egypt. As a baby,
Moses was hidden in a basket among the reeds and was discovered and
adopted by an Egyptian princess. His loyalties were, however, with his
own people, and he killed an Egyptian who had beaten a Hebrew slave.
He subsequently fled Pharaoh’s court, and became a shepherd. It was
while tending sheep that Moses had his first recorded spiritual experi-
ence, of seeing a burning bush, which was not consumed by the fire and
of hearing the voice of God instructing him to liberate the Israelites and
to lead them to the promised land. This
was the land of Canaan,
nowadays known as Israel or Palestine. Assisted by his brother Aaron,
Moses brought down extraordinary plagues upon Egypt to convince
Pharaoh to let the people go. The Exodus is still commemorated by Jews
today at
Pesach
(Passover).
The covenant between God and his people was fully revealed to Moses
on Mount Sinai with the commandments recorded in the
Torah
(which
means ‘divine instruction’). Moses was seen as standing before God in a
unique way, subsequently reflecting the glory of God.
And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write these words; in accordance with
these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ And he
was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights;
he neither ate
bread nor drank water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the
covenant, the ten commandments.
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of
the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses
did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been
talking with God.
31
Major Religious Traditions
35
Moses is revered not only by Jews, but also by Christians. Muslims too
hold him in high esteem, referring to him as Musa, one who conversed
with God. Both these religious traditions have
their roots in the Jewish
tradition. After the time of Moses, the Prophets of Israel including Elijah,
Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, reported revelations from God, giv-
ing warnings and advice. Jesus too was considered to be a prophet in this
line, but one whose entire will was so submitted to God, that he was later
called the Son of God.
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