Japanese prime minister: Full text of Abe's speech in US Congress- Nikkei Asian Review s.nikkei.com/1EDn0du
Confucianism is an ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.
The core of Confucianism is humanism which emphasizes loyalty to your family, friends, and rulers as well as the cultivation of virtue-
and maintenance of ethics. It is based on the belief that human beings are teachable and improvable through personal and communal endeavor.
The basic Confucian ethical concepts and practices include ren(altruism and humaneness for others),
yi(upholding of righteousness and moral disposition), and li(system of ritual norms and propriety),
and zhi(the ability to see what is right and fair in others' behaviors).
Taoism, or Daoism, is a philosophical, ethical, and religious tradition of Chinese origin that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao-
meaning "way", "path" or "principle". Taoism values mystical contemplation and balance, viewing human beings as a microcosm of the universe-
and the Chinese concept of yin-yang(complementary duality) as a model of harmony. Taoist schools traditionally have reverence for Laozi,-
ancestors, various divination and exorcism rituals, and practices for achieving longevity or immortality.
Throughout history, Taoism has been closely connected with Chinese astrology, Chan(Zen) Buddhism, several martial arts,-
and traditional Chinese medicine.
Shinto is the indigenous and the largest religion of Japan with no formal dogma or no holy writ.
Shinto has 100,000 shrines and 20,000 priests in the country. Shinto today is a term that applies to the religion of public shrines-
devoted to the worship of a multitude of gods(kami) for various purposes including war memorials and harvest festivals.
Kami are defined in English as "spirits" or "gods", referring to the energy generating the phenomena or divine essence-
that manifests in various forms including rocks, animals, places, and people.
Kami and people coexist within the same world and share interrelated complexities.