Religion on the island is syncretic, dominated by ancestor worship, Taoism and Buddhism. The Taiwanese approach to spirituality is eclecti...
Religion on the island is syncretic, dominated by ancestor worship, Taoism and Buddhism. The Taiwanese approach to spirituality is eclectic and not particularly dogmatic; many Taiwanese will combine elements from various religions to suit their needs rather than rigidly adhering to one particular spiritual path. This is something that many Christian missionaries have found frustrating; many Taiwanese don't feel that a conversion to Christianity should imply giving up the myriad folk beliefs that have long-standing meaning to their culture.
Religion plays a number of roles in Taiwanese society. It fosters a sense of shared culture and identity, creating a kind of spiritual glue that brings together people from different economic backgrounds. Temples, especially in less urbanised areas, are usually not just places of worship, but community centres as well. All of course, religion gives Taiwanese people an excuse to get together many times a year and throw massive parties, complete with fireworks, huge multicourse meals, gifts and much making of toasts all around.
But there's a supernatural component too. Most Taiwanese homes have shrines, meant as a sacred place to burn incense and place offerings for ancestors. In a well-to-do household, this shrine will often be on the fourth floor (the word for 'four' and the word for 'death' are almost the same in Mandarin). Many Taiwanese wear amulets for good luck and the jade bracelets that adorn many women's wrists were once thought to have supernatural powers to protect the wearer from harm.
Most residents of towns and villages practise special folk customs that pertain to a historical event or person particular to that area. Folk temples are dedicated to the myriad gods and goddesses that populate Taiwanese folk religion. Some of these deities were actually real people who later became deified due to their earthly reputation as a hero or a healer. The warrior Guan Yu, the famous general from China's legendary Three Kingdoms, has temples dedicated to him all over Taiwan. The most popular deities in Taiwan are the god of heaven, who personifies justice, the earth god, who watches over the harvest, and the house god, who protects families when they move into new homes.
Probably the most popular deity in Taiwan is Matsu, goddess of the sea, who watches over fishermen when they go out to sea. Matsu's birthday, which falls on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, is one of the most important religious festivals in Taiwan and Matsu temples around the island host celebrations to honour the goddess.
Taoism
There are some 4.55 million Taoists and over 7000 Taoist temples in Taiwan. Taoist temples in Taiwan. Taoist deities in temples sometimes share space with folk deities and the two religions are often intertwined. At the heart of the faith is the philosophy of Dàojiào (Taoism), based on the Tao Te Ching, attributed to the 6th century BC sage/philosopher Lao-tzu. The Tao, or way, according to Lao-tzu, is the essence of all things in the universe but ultimately cannot be defined. A central facet of Taoism is the concept of wúwéi (nonaction), meaning to live in harmony with the universe without forcing things to your will.
In time, Taoism split into two branches - religious Taoism and philosophical Taoism, each taking very different approaches to Lao-tzu's teachings. Religious Taoism, borrowing concepts from Buddhism and folk religion, became ultimately concerned with the afterlife and achieving immortality. Taoist magicians banished demons through exorcisms and won over the public with demonstrations of their supernatural powers. China lost several emperors who died after drinking elixirs given to them by Taoists promising eternal life. Philosophical Taoism remained a way of life for hermits and for sages, who withdrew from the public life.
Chuang-tzu is one of the most interesting Taoist writers and the Chinese often quote him today. Numerous translations of his work exist and are easy to locate in bookshops around Taipei.
During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, many Taoist temples were forced to become Buddhist. It wasn't until the KMT arrived that the Taoist temples were restored to their original status. Many of the Chinese immigrants who came after 1945 considered themselves Taoist and established Taoist organisations and fellowships in addition to schools, hospitals and publishing houses.
Confucianism
Rújià Sĩxiăng (Confucian values and beliefs) form the foundation of Chinese culture. The central theme of Confucian doctrine is the conduct of human relationships for the attainment of harmony and overall good for society. Confucius (551-479 BC), or Master Kong, lived during the upheavals of China's Warring States era, a time of disunity and fear. Master Kong took it upon himself to re-educate his fellow citizens in the words and deeds of earlier Chinese rulers, whom he believed had wisdom that could be applied to his chaotic times. His goal was to reform society through government. Society, he taught, was comprised of five relationships: ruler and subject, husband and wife, father and son, elder and younger, and friends. Other things he taught were deference to authority and devotion to family.
Over the course of his lifetime Confucius attracted a steady following of students. After his death at age 72. disciples carried on his work and thousands of books were published with sayings and advice attributed to the philosopher. The five classics of Confucianism are the Wujing, consisting of the I Ching (Book of Changes), Shijing (Book of Poetry), Shujing (Book of History), Liji (Book of Rites) and (Chuzu (Spring and Autumn Annals). Confucian disciples also published other collections of his work, including the Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean and Classic of Filial Piety. Perhaps the single most influential book attributed to Confucius is the Lunyu (Analects), a collection of essays and dialogues between Confucius and his students. This slim little book contains the central teachings of Confucianism and is standard memorisation for Chinese children.
Over time Confucianism developed as a philosophy, with Confucius' word and teachings adopted by Chinese emperors. One of his most important followers was Meng-tze (Mencius; 372-289 BC) who continued to spread the Confucian teachings and expand on Confucian thought.
Confucianism's influence on modern Taiwan society remains strong, as it does in most Chinese communities around the globe. Family is the most important unit of society, friends come second and country comes last. The close bonds between family and friends are one of the most admirable attributes of Chinese culture, a lasting legacy of Confucian teachings.
Buddhism
When Buddhism reached China in the 1st century AD it was already about four centuries old in India and had split into two schools: the Hinayana and Mahayana. In the Hinayana tradition, it was believed that Siddhartha Guatama was the sole Buddha who had given humans a simple path to attain freedom from suffering. The Hinayana stressed that Buddha was not a god but a man who had attained perfection and left the cycle of suffering. In the Mahayana school, Siddhartha was believed to be the reincarnation of a series of Buddas, stretching from the past into an indefinite future. In later Mahayana beliefs, Buddas became gods of transcendence and listened to the prayers of followers. It was Mahayana Buddhism that entered China and eventually made its way to Taiwan and other parts of northeast Asia.
Buddhism came to Taiwan in the 17th century, after the Ming loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung drove out the Dutch and relocated his troops to Taiwan. With him came a steady stream of Buddhist monks who had faced persecution in China and wanted to set up temples and monasteries on the island.
Many Japanese were devout Buddhists and supported the growth of Buddhism during their occupation. They were active supporters in the building of temples on the island and financed the construction of Buddhist schools and hospitals.
Buddhists in Taiwan largely follow the Mahayana school, believing in redemption for all mankind. In many Buddhist temples on the island, visitors will see the female Bodhisattva Guanyin, te goddess of mercy, who watches and protects people from harm. Translated, the name Guanyin means 'the one who listens to complaints'.
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