Shendao () is a Chinese philosophical perspective on religion. It originally refers to conformation to the momentum of

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

, following the subtlety of the operation of , and setting up teaching in

World In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

to make

people A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

obedient. Later, the

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...

were used as a means of

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

to advise the world by means of the saying of the cause and effect of woe and fortune.。The Chinese idea of "Shendao" arose in the early

Western Zhou The Western Zhou ( zh, c=, p=Xīzhōu; c. 1045 BC – 771 BC) was a royal dynasty of China and the first half of the Zhou dynasty. It began when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye and ended when the Quanrong n ...

and later became a strategy and means of character education in the

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or a ...

ideological system.

Shang Dynasty

In the

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty and ...

system of

Polytheism Polytheism is the belief in multiple deities, which are usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own religious sects and rituals. Polytheism is a type of theism. Within theism, it contrasts with monotheism, t ...

, the supreme god, the "

Shangdi Shangdi (), also written simply, "Emperor" (), is the Chinese term for "Supreme Deity" or "Highest Deity" in the theology of the classical texts, especially deriving from Shang theology and finding an equivalent in the later '' Tian'' ("Heave ...

", is only a natural manifestation of the "". The "emperor" in the divination is similar to what Xunzi said during the Warring States period, "Heaven has its own course, not for Yao to exist, not for Jie to perish" (Xunzi - Treatise on Heaven). ", as a natural law without direct influence on earthly affairs. Shang sacrifices were never only to ancestral gods and nature gods, often asking for "emperor" but never offering sacrifices to "emperor". The Shang belief in ghosts and gods is not essentially different from prehistoric beliefs, and there is no element of artificial political control and deception in later times.
晁福林《论殷代神权》，《中国社会科学》1990年第1期
/ref> 晁福林《说商代的“天”和“帝”》,《史学集刊》2016年第3期

Zhou dynasty

In contrast to the primitive polytheism of the Yin, the Zhou strengthened the divinity of the

and weakened the many ancestral and natural gods. The King Wu of Zhou established a special "imperial registry" to worship God.，And the god of the land was built with chestnut wood to "make the people tremble"，The Zhou people also created the "imperial court" as the "office" of the Emperor.

King Li of Zhou King Li of Zhou (died in 828 BC) (), personal name Ji Hu, was the tenth king of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 877–841 BC or 857–842 BC (''Cambridge History of Ancient China''). King Li was a corrupt and decadent ...

believed that the emperor could send down "a great Lu order to protect my house, my position, and the body of Hu" (Hu Gui, Zhonggui 4317). There are also Yi inscriptions that say, "The emperor is weary of the death of the wrecked emperor, and the pro-insurance of my (there is) Zhou, the summer of the people of the four directions, the death of not Kang Jing. (Shi Xiang Gui, Zhonggui 4342), meaning that the glorious emperor was always looking down on and blessing our Zhou dynasty and the common people in the four directions, so that everything under the sky was safe and stable. The emperor of the Zhou dynasty not only "sends down virtue", but also monitors the words and deeds of his subjects.，The world of the gods, mainly "emperor" and "heaven", became a strong backing for the kingship of the Zhou Dynasty, and established the concept of rule with " Mandate of Heaven" as the core, while the king of the Zhou was analogous to "heaven" as a father-son relationship, thus the term "Son of Heaven" began to appear.。This practice of the Zhou was Shendao's establishment of religion, which became a tool for political rule and adapted to the needs of patriarchal kingship.

, on the other hand, asserts that "a gentleman has three fears: fear of heaven, fear of adults, and fear of the words of the saints. When the words of Saint are taken as the precepts of "God," Shendao becomes a special

Religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

that is godless and man-made.

Belief, worship and ritual

Shendao is a religion based on the way of ghosts and gods, which is from the Tuan Chuan of the Zhou Yi

Kong Yingda Kong Yingda (; 574 – 648), courtesy names Chongyuan () and Zhongda (), was a Chinese philosopher during the Sui and Tang dynasty. An amorous Confucianist, who is considered one of the most influential Confucian scholars in Chinese history. H ...

《》："Shen Dao, subtlety, no direction, the reason is not known, the eye is not visible, do not know so however is called Shen Dao, and the four seasons of the season is seen."The common term for witchcraft and divination is "Shendao", which is different from the original meaning of the Zhou Yi. The ancient Chinese ruler's policy towards religious beliefs was to strengthen his rule by the divine right of " Heaven and Man", also known as Shendao. The use of sacrifice, divination and other superstitious propaganda to fool the people was slightly different from the original meaning of the Zhou Yi. However, there are some thinkers who do not believe in ghosts and gods, Fan Zhen completely deny the existence of ghosts and gods, but affirm the role of Shendao set up teaching. It is said that it "can govern the country and tranquilize the people and change the customs".

References

{{Reflist * 《中国哲学大辞典》 * 《四书五经辞典》 * 《中国古代典章制度大辞典》 History of religion in China Classical Chinese philosophy History of Chinese philosophy Confucianism Religious Confucianism

Shang Dynasty

Zhou dynasty

Belief, worship and ritual

See also

References