Canada and the World
Current Events with a Canadian Perspective
Last update
21 April 2011
Confucianism
WHEN
K’ung Fu Tzu (551-
developed a system of social and ethical philosophy that was
built on an ancient religious foundation.
Along with Taoism, founded by Lao Zi, the two philosophies spell out moral rules and views of life that have influenced Chinese thinking and behaviour for more than 2,000 years.
The writings of Confucius were largely neglected until about a century and a half after his death. Then, several students of his disciples put together a collection of his thoughts, called the Analects.
Confucius lived in a time of social turmoil. Old, established values were being discarded and many institutions were crumbling.
Murder, robbery, and other crimes were on the increase and the gap between rich and poor was widening.
Government was widely distrusted and corruption was
common. It was also a time of profound economic change.
FOLLOWERS
There are about 160 million Confucians, most of them in China (although one source says there are only six million).
Even though China is officially an atheist state, Confucianism has survived to become an intrinsic part of the country’s culture and life. There are about 26,000 Confucians in North America.
BELIEFS
For Confucius, harmony came from an ordered hierarchy of human relationships in which everyone accepted his place and behaved with virtue toward others.
His thoughts focused on the importance of tradition, obedience to authority, rites,
and etiquette in the regulation of daily life, and a rational, benevolent existence
-
Confucius stresses obedience to the needs of family and society, to duty, to everyday responsibilities.
A central concept of Confucianism is that you can’t serve the spirits unless you first serve your fellow humans.
To a large extent, to be a Confucian means to focus on the relationships between you and your fellow human beings, and especially your family both alive and dead. If you do this you will become a superior person, or chuntzu.
The goal of Confucians is to develop the key element of ren. Someone with ren has
an abundance of positive virtues -
Confucius provided a long list of rules of behaviour that will guide a follower to ren.
In Confucianism there is no all-
SACRED TEXTS
Lun Yu (Analects) is a collection of Confucius’ sayings and teachings.
Meng-
Ta Hsueh (The Great Learning) and Chung Yung (Doctrine of the Mean) are commentaries written by several Confucian scholars.
Sources used in this series
Religions in Canada, Directorate of Human Rights and Diversity, Government of Canada.
The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Robert S. Ellwood (ed.) Facts on File, 1998.
Religion for Dummies, Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman, For Dummies Publishing, 2002.
Religious Tolerance, Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Religion, CBC Montreal
© Canada and the World, April 2011
All rights reserved
“To learn and from time to time to apply what one has learned -
Analects 1:1
Confucianism
A TIME LIKE OURS?
Confucius lived in a time of social turmoil. Old, established values were being discarded and many institutions were crumbling.
Murder, robbery, and other crimes were on the increase and the gap between rich and poor was widening. Government was widely distrusted and corruption was
common. It was also a time of profound
economic change.
GONE BUT
NOT FORGOTTEN
Ancestor worship is based on the belief that the souls of the dead live on as spirits that can advise and influence the lives of descendants.
Every person is believed to have two souls. The earthly soul is buried with the body, and requires offerings to keep it satisfied in the grave. A spiritual soul leaves the body at death and needs to be worshipped and given periodic offerings to keep it happy and benevolent.
A neglected soul might become a “hungry ghost,” bringing misfortune to its careless descendants.
In an ancient tradition, Chinese people continue to burn huge quantities of fake paper money on their ancestors’ graves every year to help ensure that dead relatives are well off in the afterlife.
“To learn and from time to time to apply what one has learned -
Analects 1:1