Brian Griffith's Blog - Posts Tagged "common-sense"

As popular religion revived in modern China, it mainly grew from the grassroots up, very commonly led by local women. Their home-brewed versions of Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, or Christianity offered healing, vitality, harmonious relationships, good fortune, goddess worship, spirit mediumship, or inner peace. No doubt most of these “new religions” involved beliefs in afterlives, deities, spirits, and bonds of loyalty. But in general, these religions were less about meeting sets of requirements than pursuing options for better living. If a spiritual practice made for better relationships in this life, then that spiritual journey might continue beyond death. Michael Saso tried to summarize Daoist common sense about mutual loyalty: “The person who is filled with respect and benevolence for others and compassion for all living things, and who lives in close harmony with nature, lives long and is filled with inner peace and blessing.” Perhaps that would describe modern China’s “popular religion,” however much people still believe in authoritarian order and patriotic solidarity. A Galaxy of Immortal Women: The Yin Side of Chinese Civilization