The word 宗教 is formed through the conceptual combination of its two component characters: 宗, which carries the core meaning of "ancestor", "origin", or "fundamental principle", and 教, which means "teaching" or "doctrine". Together, they conceptually merge to signify a "system of teachings based on a revered fundamental principle", directly capturing the essence of what constitutes a religion, an organized set of beliefs and practices concerning a transcendent or sacred core.