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Chinese Gods Are Very Different Term Paper

In order to become a deity, an individual must attain the status of immortality. The only way for these individuals to attain such status is to master the Five Precepts of Buddhism and reach Enlightenment. Once this is accomplished then the individual can become a deity. However, each God and Goddess only emerges as a real worshipped entity once they have become enshrined through lore and mythology. The Monkey King is perhaps the best known deity in China because the mythology that surrounds him is one of China's oldest and most popular narrative traditions. This story entitled "The Journey to the West" is the real foundation for Monkey King's status as a God within Chinese culture. The concept of heaven and hell are also confusing when viewed from a western perspective....

In Chinese culture, the perception of heaven is that of a supreme power that reigns over lesser Gods and men. The term used for heaven is "t'ien" which may refer to a deity, to impersonal nature or to both. Rather than being viewed as a place, it is most often referred to as a powerful force. At the same time, the traditional conception of a "heaven" can be equated to the Divine residence of the Gods, where the Jade Emperor holds court along with all the other Gods of Chinese mythology. Hell in contrast is thought of as a traditional place of damnation. Popular mythology portrays hell as a place where many deities and spirits reside and punish sinners in a variety of horrible and painful ways. In this sense, their depiction of hell is much closer to the western image.

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