RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO MODERNIZATION IN TAIWAN THE CASE OF I-KUAN TAO 59
to form a syncretism of the Chinese and Western religious traditions. In the same way that Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism are traditionally said to form a unity, today Christianity and Islam are included in this overall religious tradition. Consequently, the former slogan san chiao he i, “the three teachings form a unity", has been changed into wu chiao he i. "the five teachings form a unity".
As an illustration of the attempts to give a theoretical, or theological, foundation to the unity of the five religious I shall quote some passages from an I-kuan Tao publication. The chapter is entitled "The theory of the unity of the five teachings" and starts as follows:
The so-called unity has the following aspects: 1. The unity which is due to the common origin of the five teachings in the Tao. 2. The unity which is due to the fact that the doctrines of the five teachings shed light on each other. 3. The unity which is due to the fact that the doctrines of the five teachings complement and complete each other. 4. The unity which is due to the fact that according to the trends of development of each of the teachings they must reunite in the Tao."7
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In the succeeding parts of the chapter these four aspects of the unity of the five teachings are explained in detail. I confine myself here to a few selections:
1. The five teachings have their common origin in the Tao. The culture of all mankind has its origin in the Tao. Prior to the Chou dynasty there was only one school of the Tao. During the time of the Warring States at first the separation between Confucianism and Taoism developed, later on Buddhism, Christianity and Islam rose in India and in the West and so it came to the five religions coexisting side by side. One can compare the Tao to a fountainhead, the five teachings are like five streams springing from this fountainhead. They each run through different lands and on their way nurture the hearts and enrich the lives of the people [in their respective lands]. ... Although the five teachings are separated, in their sayings there are no differences, since in reality they all belong to the same principle.
2. The doctrines of the five teachings shed light on each other. Irrespective of their differences regarding race, colour and sex all men are brought forth by Heaven and have the same nature given to them by Heaven. Therefore, the human