Confucianism is more about human behavior in the context of civilized society. During the Qing Dynasty, Confucian teachings were organized and proclaimed as Chinas state religion. (Yao 28) This political move stained the publics perception of Confucianism, making it even more difficult to be classified as a religion. However, Confucianism is strictly about how to live a morally upright life based on good deeds and good citizenship. Despite this political underpinings, Confucianism remains the ideology of choice for most Chinese.
Unlike most Western philosophers, Confucius used sayings and maxims to forward his ideas. Confucius adages were very specific to Chinese culture, which explains why his teachings remain misunderstood by the Western world. People who have no knowledge of Chinese life will have a difficult time understanding Confucianism. Confucianism involves a rigid set of rules that dictates how people should behave in specific social situations. The teachings are wide-ranging and encompass every aspect of living. All of these teachings are practiced through a system of rites that puts people in their proper places, depending on the social situation. Similar to Buddhism, followers of Confucianism believe that self-discipline is key to the attainment of an ideal life.
While history generally regards Confucius as the founder of this religion, Mencius is widely accepted as the one who truly made its tenets applicable in practical life. Because of this, most people believe that Mencius was the most influential follower of Confucianism. It was Mencius who took Confucian beliefs and applied it to human nature. Mencius underscores the importance of social supports in order to maintain and bring out the innate goodness in people.
The principal teaching of Confucianism is virtue or goodness of character based on existing societal norms. Followers of this philosophy believe in the capacity of human beings for greatness and live extraordinary lives. Mencius believes that people are capable of achieving perfection through discipline and conscious effort. Confucianism does not dictate a particular set of rituals and practices. Rather, it provides general guidelines on proprietary behavior. Indeed for all intents and purposes, Confucianism is not a religion, at least not in the conventional sense of the word. It detaches itself from any forms of spiritual thoughts to focus on mans everyday existence in an ordered society as Mencius envisioned it to be. Confucianism does not preoccupy itself with what exists beyond life, rather it dictates how to achieve harmony in the here and now, in our present lives. It does not see beyond anything than what it means to be a good person and a good citizen. This is the reason why Confucianism lends itself well to religious systems because its ideas of virtue and goodness are universal.
However, while not originally intended as a religion, Confucianism does have features that are religious in nature. Confucian followers believe in performing religious rites they believe in the intimate relationship between a divine guiding force, humans, and nature. In fact it was these rituals that were believed to purify people and make them more able to resist temptation. Humanitys oneness with nature and the divine is what gives him the capacity to behave in ways that are morally right and in compliance with what society perceives as acceptable behavior. Confucius himself believed in a divine force and believes that the way of the virtue is in harmony with this guiding force and this view was applied by Mencius to everyday living.
Of course some disagreements are always expected and this is what Xunzi brought to Confucianism a challenge. Xun Zi was a faithful follower of Confucianism but he disagreed with Mencius and Confucius on one key point that is man is innately predisposed to do bad things and those bad tendencies can only be restricted through controlling factors such as education and strict adherence to rules and rituals. Unlike Mencius who believed that people are good by nature and the role of society is to preserve this goodness, Xun Zi believed that society acts to limit the bad tendencies of its citizens. This belief made Xun Zi one of the classical proponents of law as a system of punishment for the criminals.
The Spirituality of Daoism
In contrast to Confucianism, Daoism is more spiritual. In Daoism, emptiness is not the absence of form, but liberation from the limitations of substance and materiality. In Emptiness, a person becomes one with truth by becoming detached from everything and visualizing images of higher truths. It means voidness that everything in life is void or empty of substance or self. A thing only becomes meaningful when taken in the context of its relationship with another. Thus, the concept of Emptiness refers to the non-existence of self, and is a necessary stage to the achievement of Emptiness. When a person is emptied of mundane thoughts, he opens himself up to the truths of Daoism and is filled with enlightenment. With constant practice, emptiness, imagery, and enlightenment create within ones self the Perfected state. The Dao, acting like water, fills in the vacuum of emptiness and relies on the interdependence of things. (Bokenkamp Nickerson, 1999, p. 115)
So central is the concept of Emptiness to LaoZis Daoism that even the scriptures which hold the doctrines and philosophies of Daoism is regarded as only a means to an end. This desire for emptiness is also the desire for happiness, which is an innate desire in all humans. Master Zhuang believes that to pursue ones happiness is a need and that conformity can be detrimental to such pursuit. The best that one can do is to find ones own path in a life of so many forces that pushes and pulls us to many directions.
In Daoism, language and words are seen as impermanent and non-absolute, and thus have no enduring presence. Thus, words are mere instruments their value lies in their ability to help Daoists accomplish ascendance. In Daoism, the scriptures have no intrinsic value that makes them transcendental. The words or language of the scriptures find meaning when a person deliberates and reflects on what it is saying. The existence of language and the self is only the vehicle with which our consciousness reaches absolute clarity and the enlightenment. The Emptiness in Daoism denies the inherent essence of a thing. To Daoists, there is no singular aspect that defines anything. The definition exists by virtue of our perspective and experience. A thing becomes itself because it was experienced from empty it became real. The Purple Text subtly emphasizes the process towards emptiness and transcendence. The Perfected State, which is the final goal of all Daoists, is an absolute state of acceptance and the absolute absence of discrimination or ignorance. By ignorance.
Unlike most Western philosophers, Confucius used sayings and maxims to forward his ideas. Confucius adages were very specific to Chinese culture, which explains why his teachings remain misunderstood by the Western world. People who have no knowledge of Chinese life will have a difficult time understanding Confucianism. Confucianism involves a rigid set of rules that dictates how people should behave in specific social situations. The teachings are wide-ranging and encompass every aspect of living. All of these teachings are practiced through a system of rites that puts people in their proper places, depending on the social situation. Similar to Buddhism, followers of Confucianism believe that self-discipline is key to the attainment of an ideal life.
While history generally regards Confucius as the founder of this religion, Mencius is widely accepted as the one who truly made its tenets applicable in practical life. Because of this, most people believe that Mencius was the most influential follower of Confucianism. It was Mencius who took Confucian beliefs and applied it to human nature. Mencius underscores the importance of social supports in order to maintain and bring out the innate goodness in people.
The principal teaching of Confucianism is virtue or goodness of character based on existing societal norms. Followers of this philosophy believe in the capacity of human beings for greatness and live extraordinary lives. Mencius believes that people are capable of achieving perfection through discipline and conscious effort. Confucianism does not dictate a particular set of rituals and practices. Rather, it provides general guidelines on proprietary behavior. Indeed for all intents and purposes, Confucianism is not a religion, at least not in the conventional sense of the word. It detaches itself from any forms of spiritual thoughts to focus on mans everyday existence in an ordered society as Mencius envisioned it to be. Confucianism does not preoccupy itself with what exists beyond life, rather it dictates how to achieve harmony in the here and now, in our present lives. It does not see beyond anything than what it means to be a good person and a good citizen. This is the reason why Confucianism lends itself well to religious systems because its ideas of virtue and goodness are universal.
However, while not originally intended as a religion, Confucianism does have features that are religious in nature. Confucian followers believe in performing religious rites they believe in the intimate relationship between a divine guiding force, humans, and nature. In fact it was these rituals that were believed to purify people and make them more able to resist temptation. Humanitys oneness with nature and the divine is what gives him the capacity to behave in ways that are morally right and in compliance with what society perceives as acceptable behavior. Confucius himself believed in a divine force and believes that the way of the virtue is in harmony with this guiding force and this view was applied by Mencius to everyday living.
Of course some disagreements are always expected and this is what Xunzi brought to Confucianism a challenge. Xun Zi was a faithful follower of Confucianism but he disagreed with Mencius and Confucius on one key point that is man is innately predisposed to do bad things and those bad tendencies can only be restricted through controlling factors such as education and strict adherence to rules and rituals. Unlike Mencius who believed that people are good by nature and the role of society is to preserve this goodness, Xun Zi believed that society acts to limit the bad tendencies of its citizens. This belief made Xun Zi one of the classical proponents of law as a system of punishment for the criminals.
The Spirituality of Daoism
In contrast to Confucianism, Daoism is more spiritual. In Daoism, emptiness is not the absence of form, but liberation from the limitations of substance and materiality. In Emptiness, a person becomes one with truth by becoming detached from everything and visualizing images of higher truths. It means voidness that everything in life is void or empty of substance or self. A thing only becomes meaningful when taken in the context of its relationship with another. Thus, the concept of Emptiness refers to the non-existence of self, and is a necessary stage to the achievement of Emptiness. When a person is emptied of mundane thoughts, he opens himself up to the truths of Daoism and is filled with enlightenment. With constant practice, emptiness, imagery, and enlightenment create within ones self the Perfected state. The Dao, acting like water, fills in the vacuum of emptiness and relies on the interdependence of things. (Bokenkamp Nickerson, 1999, p. 115)
So central is the concept of Emptiness to LaoZis Daoism that even the scriptures which hold the doctrines and philosophies of Daoism is regarded as only a means to an end. This desire for emptiness is also the desire for happiness, which is an innate desire in all humans. Master Zhuang believes that to pursue ones happiness is a need and that conformity can be detrimental to such pursuit. The best that one can do is to find ones own path in a life of so many forces that pushes and pulls us to many directions.
In Daoism, language and words are seen as impermanent and non-absolute, and thus have no enduring presence. Thus, words are mere instruments their value lies in their ability to help Daoists accomplish ascendance. In Daoism, the scriptures have no intrinsic value that makes them transcendental. The words or language of the scriptures find meaning when a person deliberates and reflects on what it is saying. The existence of language and the self is only the vehicle with which our consciousness reaches absolute clarity and the enlightenment. The Emptiness in Daoism denies the inherent essence of a thing. To Daoists, there is no singular aspect that defines anything. The definition exists by virtue of our perspective and experience. A thing becomes itself because it was experienced from empty it became real. The Purple Text subtly emphasizes the process towards emptiness and transcendence. The Perfected State, which is the final goal of all Daoists, is an absolute state of acceptance and the absolute absence of discrimination or ignorance. By ignorance.
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