Mulan is a Disney film that debuted in 1998. The film is set in China during the time of the Hun invasion. Mulan doesn't like to conform to the traditional Chinese daughter and is a bit of a tomboy. Therefore, Mulan takes it upon herself to take her elderly and injured father's place by disguising herself as a man. With the help of Mushu, a small Chinese dragon sent by her ancestors to protect and help her, she proves herself to be a warrior woman. In the end, Mulan honors her family. Daoism is the religion that emphasizes living in harmony with nature, finding natural balance in the "Dao", "chi" or "way". According to the book: “To experience the Dao, we must leave behind our desires for individual things, a concept that runs counter to everyday concerns – how much something costs, what time it is now, whether something is big or small. The Taoist way of seeing things is so strange to some people that at first it seems like trying to see in the darkness, as the end of the first chapter of the Daodejing describes: Darkness in the Darkness. The door to every mystery." Confucianism focuses on attaining virtues by respecting elders, honoring family, serving in government, and studying Confucius. Buddhism is based on the teachings of the Buddha and promises to escape suffering. The film Mulan very well incorporates themes and philosophies used in Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The opening scene of Mulan shows the Great Wall of China. During this scene, the elements of Confucianism aimed at defending China and serving the motherland are presented. According to the text, “Daoism is strong in Taiwan, Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities, such as Malaysia and Singapore. After being initially repressed by the Communist Party, Daoism is experiencing a resurgence on the continent. A large statue of Laozi was erected in 1999 in southeastern China, and pilgrims from Taiwan and other places routinely travel to the mainland to honor the goddess Mazu at her pilgrimage site, Meizhou Island in the south- east China". In Chinese temples it is not uncommon to encounter trance-bound shamans and their followers. Some temples try to keep shamans away with warning signs. Watching the first fifteen to twenty minutes of the film I noticed that more elements of Confucianism were shown. Chinese soldiers bravely defended the wall displays by choosing the community over an individual. There is an effort to impress the matchmaker and honor her family. Mulan's father prays to the ancestors in an attempt to make things right. Mulan says she wants to "uphold the family's honor" after her father tells her that she "disgraces him." Additionally, conscription notices are sent out throughout China to enlist men to serve their country. The Daoist religion is based on the teachings of the first Daoist philosopher, Laozi. Laozi lived from 606 to 530 BC Laozi's first teaching was that the purpose of life was to achieve maximum unity with the Dao. The Dao is known to be a universal force that connects nature, but it can only be experienced and felt. Furthermore, Daoism reinforces the teaching that humans should represent themselves as part of nature and fully understand that change is also a part of everything. The Daoist religion emphasizes that the best way to find peace is to live simply and in harmony with nature. Laozi discovered that to feel how nature works he had to sit near a river, feel the breeze and observe the nearby clouds. Furthermore, Taoists do not believe that a strong government is necessary, but ratherthat happiness and peace are achieved by thinking about nature and leading a balanced life. The life of a Taoist is not fulfilled by following the rules and laws of society. Ying and yang are the teaching of harmony of Daoism. Ying and Yang are the symbolism of the balance between the opposing forces of nature. The qualities of Yin includefeminine, dark, earthy; the attributes of yang are male, light, sky and heat. The Daoist religion is the belief that one should simply live with little rules. Daoism follows the flow of nature and controls it only when necessary. The song "I'll Make a Man Out of You" states: "Peaceful as a forest, but on fire inside." Once you find your center, you are sure to win." These lines from the song draw comparisons and similarities between a soldier and nature. Furthermore, the scene in the film where Mulan has to fire a cannon on the snowy mountain to create an avalanche and kill the Hun army uses nature to defeat the enemy. Towards the end of the film the Emperor tells Shang that “The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.” I believe the Emperor means that “a woman who seems like a disgrace ultimately ends up being the best of all”. There were some signs of Buddhism in the movie Mulan. The religion of Buddhism is based on the teachings and life of Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha Gautama is known as the Buddha, and Buddha means "enlightened one". Siddhartha Gautama lived in India from 563 to 483 BC, and Buddhism was introduced to China around 200 AD by Buddhist monks and traders. These Buddhist monks and traders traveled some distance to China from India and Central Asia following the Silk Road. The teachings of the Buddha are known as the Four Noble Truths. The First Noble Truth is that "all life is suffering and pain." The Second Noble Truth is that "suffering and pain are caused by the desire for wealth, pleasure, fame and power." The third Noble Truth is "to end suffering, one must overcome desire." The final Noble Truth is "to overcome desire one must follow the Middle Way." The Middle Way emphasizes good conduct and compassion for every living being. Therefore, the Middle Way guides the path to a calm and pure mind. Furthermore, the Buddhist religion believes in reincarnation. An example shown in the film is Mulan's hair comb with a lotus on it. Lotuses are known to be the symbol of Buddhism. Even after the lotus petals begin to wither, the stem remains strong; therefore, which means that even after someone's death their spirit will be reincarnated. Reincarnation is the belief that when someone dies, their soul is reborn into a new entity. Additionally, Buddhists firmly believe in the condition of desiring nothing, also known as nirvana. Once someone holds nirvana, they break the cycle of life and death and are not reincarnated into an earthly life of suffering. Another example of Buddhism is seen in the film when Mulan burns incense before heading to camp at her father's house. Buddhists burn incense to purify their surroundings. Ultimately, Buddhists believe that their ultimate goal is to lead a life that leads others to enlightenment. The religion of Confucianism is based on a strong belief system based on the teachings of Kong Fu Zi. Kong Fu Zi lived in China from 551 to 479 BC The Europeans first called Kong Fu Zi Confucius. Kong Fu Zi worked on developing philosophies of life and governance. These philosophies were oriented towards proper conduct, respect for elders, education, and government service. Filial piety is the way of acting towards others, such as family and society. Maintain a polite, kind, loyal, faithful attitude,generous and hardworking is important. In China, everyone's main goal is to bring honor and courage to their family and ancestors. Kong Fu Zi thought that this would create a well-rounded, peaceful and solid society. Confucius built his philosophies and ideas on ancient Chinese traditions of respect and hard work. Confucius' code of behavior centered on five relationships. These relationships were 1) sovereign and subject, 2) parent and child, 3) husband and wife, 4) brother and sister, 5) friend and friend. He firmly believed that with harmonious relationships everyone would remain loyal, courteous, honest, faithful and obedient to authority figures. Confucius also believed that if a ruler's life was lived based on strong virtues, his subjects would follow his example. Therefore, the result is harmony and a stable society. Confucianism has a philosophy that emphasizes correct behavior and the belief that those of the lower class must obey the upper class to create harmony. In the film Mulan the first song "Honor We All" is the line "We must all serve our emperor, who protects us from the Huns." A man who carries weapons, a girl who bears children describes that everyone must fulfill their particular role in society in order for everything to move forward. A man serves his country during war to keep his family and country safe, meanwhile, a woman is giving birth to children who will eventually grow up to defend their country. Women had a more difficult role when it came to their Confucian beliefs. Women have always been seen as a lower class than men and were expected to bring honor and courage to their family. Not only were women expected to be devoted to their parents, but also to their in-laws, husbands, and children. Women were expected to be quiet and respectful. Traditionally, women abandoned their families of origin once married. The purpose of leaving her family of origin was to become part of her husband's family. A few minutes before the song "Honor to Us All" begins, Mulan's father comes alive praying to his ancestors for good luck. Confucians pray to their ancestors to show them respect. Throughout the film we see beliefs, ideas and concepts of Confucianism. This allows the film to be portrayed accurately and realistically since it is set in China and Confucianism is primarily Chinese. Ancestors are valued in Confucian religion and are well used in Mulan. Every home has a temple dedicated to their family's ancestors and is prayed to frequently. It is believed that ancestors protect the family in difficult times. Another example of Confucianism is shown when Mulan is revealed not to be a man, but a woman and sentenced to execution. A woman's role is not to fight in war; therefore, upsetting society and everyone's duties. He is disgracing his family at this point in the film. Subsequently filial piety is shown throughout the film. An example is when Mulan listens to her parents. Another is that the Zhao family name is respected, and Mulan respects her father's word. Lastly is when all the sprites were talking about Mulan and her disrespect towards them by pretending to be a male soldier. These are the examples of filial piety in the movie Mulan. In the movie Mulan, honor is shown in many ways. An example is when the soldiers asked for one male from each family to fight in the war, Mulan's father, Fa Zhou, said, "it will be a great honor to fight." Another way the film illustrates honor is when Mulan would become the bride of a matchmaker. Finally, when Mulan saves the emperor from Shan Yu and his Huns, the emperor tells her "save us all." Bottom line, that's how it is.