İnanç Dosyası 26 | Confucius

Vietnam – Hanoi, Van Mieu, Vietnam’s principal Confucian sanctuary, altar of Confucius.

The teachings of K’ung Fu-tzu (6^th century BCE.), known in the West as Confucius, is the dominant influence in China, Japan and their neighbouring countries. In China, his texts became the basis of Chinese education until the end of Imperial China. His teachings were designed to maintain the balance and harmony (balancing the opposite forces of Yin and Yang) between heaven, earth and humanity. Respect for teachers, ancestors and tradition is fundamental. 

Hanoi’s most revered temple complex has been devoted to the cult of Confucius since 1070.  Two pavilions on either side of the main temple building once contained altars dedicated to the 72 disciples of Confucius. In the temple’s ceremonial hall, the king and his mandarins (imperial bureaucrats) would make sacrifices before the altar of Confucius, with drums and bells. From the 11th until the 19th century the Vietnamese educated their princes and high officials in Confucian doctrine. 

During c. 1766- c.1123 BCE., spirits, rather than man, were considered to be the controlling forces in human affairs. Ancestors, who constituted a special class of spirits, served as mediators. c. 1122 – 771, man gradually came to replace the spirits as master of his destiny. Ancestors rose to become Heaven’s ‘’counterparts’’. The Mandate of Heaven was no longer dependent on the Lord’s pleasure but on man’s virtue. The tide of humanism was rising. The period was characterized by great variety of opinion, critical spirit, and freedom of expression, similar to that of ancient Greece. In China, the dominant notes of the schools were man and society.

Man is the keynote of Confucius’ teaching. ‘’ It is man that can make the Way ( tao ) great,’’ he said. He taught the ‘’three universal virtues’’ of wisdom, humanity, and courage. 

Confucian moral values are filial piety,brotherly respect, propriety, liberatily,diligence, generosity, sincerity, humility, self-respect, eagerness to learn, carefulness in thinking, loyalty, friendliness in appearance, earnestness in handling affairs,  righteousness,  good faith and all possible virtues.

He called the man of perfect virtue the ‘’superior man’’ or ‘’gentleman’’. Confucius radically changed the meaning of the term gentleman to refer not to birth but the character.

According to him, poetry and music were very important in raising levels of culture. Music promotes higher thought processes in the mind. It is believed that before he wrote his books or took up teaching, he achieved concentration through music-making. Confucius believed people would develop more easily when they had mastered the art of music and had submitted their hearts and minds to discipline Peoples Republic of China - Beijing, Kong Miao Confucian Temple.

Confucius’ basic moral rule was “What you do not want done to you, do not do to others”. He is considered “The Headmaster of the Nation” and the most renowned moralist in China. Confucius has also been honoured as “The Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations”. 

Confucius, who taught people to trust in their own culture for their advancement and not in supernatural beings, believed that better families, better governments and a better world would be brought about with the development of a person’s own talents. 

The Five Confucian Classics are, I Ching (a book of divination with philosophical and folklorist accretions), the Shu Ching (a collection of official documents), the Shih Ching (classical poetry), the Li Ching (a book of rituals with an accompanying record containing anecdotes) and the C’un Ch’iu (an annal of the state of Lu where Confucios was born, consisting of topical entries of the major events from 722 to 481 BCE. His teachings was recorded by his followers. The strategy of classic Confucian education is to memorize moral precepts as a means to improve one’s character and to have an impact on thinking. The I Ching came to be used as oracles. This was the status of the book when Confucius began his study of its texts, judgements and images. He too expanded the book’s scope with a series of commentaries that are generally referred to by the term ‘’Wings.’’ 

But another source says: ‘’ According to a very doubtful tradition, I Ching was edited by Confucius, has exerted influence on Chinese writers for over 2000 years as a result of its inclusion in the Confucian canon.’’

During the first decade of the Han dynasty (202 BCE.- CE. 221) Taoism*, Legalism** and Confucianism rivaled each other as the state philosophy. But finally, in 136 BCE. Confucianism became the state ideology and the Confucian ‘’supremacy’’ dominated Chinese government, society, education and literature until the 20th century.   After the communists took over in 1949, his works were criticized as destructive of creative thought. Confucian temples were abandoned. Today the Chinese are beginning to rediscover his teachings. Now Confucian temples draw crowds of students to learn his works  by heart. In his temples today, percussion, string and wind instruments are considered an integral part of worship. But, critics think, his way of teaching is an obstacle to modernism. 

*   Taoism will be our next topic.

**  Legalism : The Legalists valued society above the individual, they considered that man’s nature was basically evil and should therefore be conrolled. The Legalists emphasized the present, revolted against antiquity, and taught the application of objective, standardized, specific and written laws to all without discrimination. They were realists and totalitarians; they put totalitarian measures into practice in the Ch’in state and helped establish the Ch’in dynasty (221-207BCE.) as the first united empire in Chinese history.

Peoples Republic of China - Beijing, the statue of Confucius at the entrance of Kong Miao Confucian Temple

The Sayings Of Confucius 

Some Sayings

( Source : Harvard Classics )

 

“As long as his father lives a son should study his wishes; after he is dead, he should study his life.  If for three years he does not forsake his father’s ways, he may be called dutiful.”

“The young should be dutiful at home, modest abroad, heedful and true, full of goodwill for the many, close friends with love and should they have strength to spare, let them spend it upon the arts.”

“A man without love, what is courtesy to him? A man without love, what is music to him?”

“A heart set on love will do no wrong.”

“A gentleman has nine aims.  To see clearly; to understand what he hears; to be warm in manner; to be dignified in bearing; to be faithful of speech; to be painstaking in work; to ask when in doubt; in anger to think of difficulties; in sight of gain to remember right.”

“A gentleman considers what is right; the vulgar consider what will pay.”

“The best men are born wise. Next comes those who grow wise by learning; then, learned narrow minds. Narrow minds, without learning are the lowest of all people.”