WORLD ARTS AND IDEAS analyze 1/2 hour

The influences that have occured from Taoism and Buddhism are many. Starting with thier attitued toward nature steming from religious philosopy. An unlearning of what society has tought them on how to interpret landscapes and nature. There was an idea of associating nature to spiritual practice, saying that the isolation in nature will help you understand the spiritual aspect of life better. A self-cultivation to better oneself.  

A piece from the Song period that caught my eye was A Solitary Temple amid Clearing Peaks. This was a hanging scroll from the Northern Song period. What I thought was interesting is the fact that the temple is kind of an after thought to the landscape. The landscape relly draws you in with the towering mountains and flowing river. The tress almost hide the temple making the landscape even more important. This sums up what I was trying to explain above. Nature seems to be the most important part of this time period in regaurdes to religion. It is almost like it is there god and that is what is being worshiped.