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Before the 20th century, worship of Tian was an orthodox state religion of China. [further explanation needed] In Taoism and Confucianism, Tian (the celestial aspect of the cosmos, often translated as "Heaven") is mentioned in relationship to its complementary aspect of Dì (地, often translated as "Earth").
Confucianism focuses on the practical order that is given by a this-worldly awareness of tian. [ 12 ] The worldly concern of Confucianism rests upon the belief that human beings are fundamentally good, and teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor, especially self-cultivation and self-creation.
Religious Confucianism is an interpretation of Confucianism as a religion. ... Tian refers to the God of Heaven, the northern culmen of the skies and its spinning ...
The supreme power in Confucianism is Tian, Shangdi, or Di in the early or classic Confucian tradition, later also discussed in its activity as 天理 Tiānlǐ or 天道 Tiāndào, the "Order of Heaven" or "Way of Heaven" by Neo-Confucians. [106] [107] A number of scholars support the theistic reading of early Confucian texts. [108]
Tian bridges the gap between supernatural phenomena and many kinds of beings, giving them a single source from spiritual energy in some Chinese belief systems. [2] However, there is a significant belief in Taoism which differentiates tian from the forces of earth and water, which are held to be equally powerful. [9]
Shangdi (Chinese: 上帝; pinyin: Shàngdì; Wade–Giles: Shang 4 Ti 4), also called simply Di (Chinese: 帝; pinyin: Dì; lit. 'God'), [1] is the name of the Chinese Highest Deity or "Lord Above" in the theology of the classical texts, especially deriving from Shang theology and finding an equivalent in the later Tiān ("Heaven" or "Great Whole") of Zhou theology.
"Tian is dian Chinese: 顛 ('top'), the highest and unexceeded. It derives from the characters yi Chinese: 一, 'one', and da Chinese: 大, 'big'." [note 1] Confucians, Taoists, and other schools of thought share basic concepts of Tian. Tian is both the physical heavens, the home of the sun, moon, and stars, and also the home of the gods and ...
In Daoism, Tian or "Heaven" is nature, and humanity is a part of nature, as the saying goes: "If there is man, there is also heaven; if there is heaven, there is also heaven. "Heaven and earth are born with me, and all things are one with me" ( Zhuangzi ).