Bao ying
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| Chinese folk religion |
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Major cultural forms
Main philosophical traditions: Ritual traditions: Devotional traditions:  Confucian churchesand sects: |
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(June 2021) |
Bàoyìng(Chinese:Báo ứng) is a concept of cosmic and moral reciprocity in theChinese folk religion.It implies that people dwell in a moral universe, a universe that is kept ordained bymores,good actions, thus moral retribution is in fact acosmic retribution.[1]It determinesfate,as written in theBook of Documents:"on the doer of good, heaven sends down all blessings, and on the doer of evil, he sends down all calamities." ( thư kinh • canh cáo )[2]
InBuddhismandDaoism,bàoyìng is equated to the concept ofdharmic retribution.
The cosmic significance ofbào yìngis better understood exploring other two traditional concepts of fate and meaning:[3]
- Mìngyùn(Vận mệnh), the personal destiny, in whichmìng(Mệnh) is "life" or "right", the given status of life, andyùn(Vận) defines "circumstance" and "individual choice";mìngis given and influenced by the transcendent forceTiān( thiên ), that is the same as the "divine right"(tiānmìngThiên mệnh ) of ancient rulers as identified byMencius.[4]Personal destiny (mìng yùn) is thus perceived as both fixed (the status of life) and flexible, open-ended (the individual choice in matters ofbào yìng).[5]
- Yuánfèn(Duyên phận), "fatefulcoincidence",[6]describing good and bad chances and potential relationships.[7]Scholars K. S. Yang and D. Ho have analysed the psychological advantages of this belief: assigning causality of negative events toyuánfènbeyond personal control, people tend to maintain good relationships, avoid conflict, and promote social harmony;[8]meanwhile, when positive events are seen as result ofyuánfèn,personal credit is not directly assigned, and this reduces pride on one side of the relationship and envy and resentment on the other.[9]
Mìngyunandyuánfènare linked, because what appears on the surface to be chance events (for better or worse), are part of the deeper rhythm that shapes personal life based on how destiny is directed.[10]They are ultimately shaped bybào yìng,good action. Recognising this connection has the result of making a person responsible for his or her actions:[11]doing good for others produces further good for oneself and keeps the world in harmony.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Fan Lizhu, Chen Na.The Revival of Indigenous Religion in China.Fudan University,2013.