Three teachings

In East Asia, the three teachings, known as the San Jiao (三教） in Chinese, are considered to be Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism. The use of the phrase the "three teachings" as an aggregate title of these three belief systems first occurred during the Wei Dynasty and Jin dynasty.

The Three Teachings Harmonious as One (三教合一)

The phrase the "three teachings harmonious as one" has both an academic meaning and a common one. Academically, this was the name of the sect founded during the Ming Dynasty by Lin Chao-en that combined Buddhist, Confucist and Daoist beliefs. The common understanding of "three teachings harmonious as one," however, has little to do with this ancient sect. Today, many Chinese take the phrase to simply reflect the long history, mutual influence, and (at times) complementary teachings of the three belief systems.

Illustration

In Henan Province's Shaolin Temple, a stone tablet represents the concept of the "Three Teachings Harmonious as One." The tablet is an optical illusion. Looked at in one way, it appears to be a single, fat monk holding a scroll; looked at in another way, it is clearly an illustration of three monks bent over the same scroll. The man on the left is Laozi, the founder of Daoism. The man in the middle is Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, and the man on the right is Kongzi (Confucius), the founder of Confucianism. If you look closely, the three men have only one nose--this represents the ultimate harmony of their respective faiths.