Syllabus | Study Guide | Schedule/Assignments |
The Sacred Journey
ISEM 101
Study Guide for the Fourth and Final Exam
(tentative, corresponding to what we are able to cover during class sessions)
Specific Class Study Questions for the Fourth and Final Exam, with readings including the book edited by Lin, Tao Te Ching and chapter 5 "Taoism" from Smith's The World's Religions, along with the in-class presentations. Also consider supplemental materials, readings and video.
Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching, and the character, - who was this man, what was his contribution to Taoism, and what is the meaning and implications of the character shown here?
The Tao - how would you define it?
The Three Taoist Traditions - Philosophical, Augmented and Religious: how and in what ways are they similar and differentiated? including: conserving ch'i, increasing ch'i, and applying ch'i to others
Yin Yang - what are the qualities of each and in what ways would you describe their relationship to each other?
Wu Xing - what are the meanings of each of the Five Elements, and how do these elements interface with Yin Yang and the Eight Forces?
Shen and Kwei - what are these and how do they relate to the Tao and to you?
Trigrams and Hexagrams of the I Ching - what are the qualities associated with each trigram?
Ch'i - how would you define it?
Wu wei - how would you define it? In what ways is it like "water"?
Te (or De) and the "Three Jewels" (verse 67) - how would you define these qualities?
Discuss and be able to "eye juggle" the key expressions of Tao, Ying and Yang, Wu wei, De, and Ch'i in:
the Tao Te Ching,
landscape painting,
the movie genre, Wuxia - (Xia, Ru, Jiang Hu) - how would you define Wuxia?
Identify specific Taoist qualities and attributes, as well as symbolism in the video segments shown in class: "Echo Game" from House of Flying Diggers and "Calligraphy" from Hero.
From a Taoist perspective, how would you respond to the question, "why do bad things sometimes happen to good people?"