Timeline for Sacred Books: file:///C:/Programs/Sacred%20Texts/time/timeline.htm
History: Grew up in reaction vs. Animism &c. (collectively called ‘Taoism’ after its most sophisticated manifestation – LaoTzu, TaoTeChing) but continual interplay eventually produced Neo-Confucianism (New Text 206 bce ff, Old Text 25 ce ff).
1111–255 bce – Chou dynasty (preceded by Shang) Western Chou till 771, then Eastern Chou till Warring States period (last 3 centuries of Chou dynasty)
551-479 – Master K’ung Fu-tzu ((fl. vi-v century) itinerant teacher of sons of the wealthy, short time official
475–221 bce – Warring States period (Chan-kuo/Zhang-guo)
479-438 – MoTzu (fl. v c – universal) & earlier, YangChu (fl. iv c – egoist)
371-289 – MengTzu (aka ‘Mencius’ fl. iv – iii c, ) idealistic – human nature is good [54] & chooses to work toward righteousness [57]
298-238 – HsünTzu (fl. iii c bce) (for Ch’in & influenced Han), naturalistic “Heaven” [116f]
contemporaries of ChuangTzu & Plato
213 book burning by LiSsu, Ch’in ShihHuangTi pm - language & literary (history, religion &c.) control
206, &c. – Revivals of (Neo-)Confucianism in Han, T’ang, Sung, Yuan, Ming, Ch’ing dynasties
‘Bible’: ChuHsi’s Confucian Classics: (basis of civil service tests 1313-1905)
§ Analects (LunYü) – matter-of-fact ethics derived from ancient Chou (Chou-kung paradigm emperor). When the Ch’ou succeeded Shang dynasty, founded their power on being “virtuous” and thereby having “Heaven’s mandate.” (“Heaven” [T’ien] was non-personal for them.) – compiled by Confucius & followers. from ancient texts; chapters iii – ix most likely to be Confucius’ own words.
o Asked about serving Spirits, said “1st, men!”; asked about death, “1st know life!” [10.11]
o Wisdom = devoted to duties of humankind & respecting spirits (li)—from a distance. [6.22]
§ Mencius (MengTzu) – idealistic, belief that humankind are born good (…as hills were once forested)
§ Doctrine of Great Learning (Ta Hsüeh) – jen in practice; socio-political, rational method/procedure – compiled by Confucius & followers from ancient texts
§ Doctrine of Golden Mean (Chung Yung) – psychology, metaphysics, human nature, reality : human way & Heaven’s way [98ff] – compiled by Confucius & followers from ancient texts
§ Book of Change – I Ching considered fundamental to mechanistic workings of the universe – 64 articulated states of being, each next to another it may evolve from, & each represented by hexagram
Core Beliefs:
§ Fate cannot be manipulated from earth; we can control only our behavior.
o The point of living is not to change Nature, and not even to live so that you appear to be in harmony with it; but to live the best you know how, in the spirit of Jen (Humankindness) and with faith in JuChiao (Nature’s order, or “the scholar’s faith”).
o Proto-scientific orderly universe which is beyond human or divine manipulation.
§ Cosmic patterns – patterned on astrology’s consistency, assumed change is patterned (I Ching) and that finding Nature’s Way (Tao) leads to harmonious life – cf feng shui, yin & yang, music, &c.
o Eschewing superstition, Ch’ou was ethical, mainly; ritual sacrifice, a barter with Heaven. [11.11]
o Righteousness (Yi) posited fundamental consistency—vs. the behavior of supernatural powers under Shang theory. Virtuous behavior is jen (humankindness). Quest for profit (li) often deters us from jen & accepting ming (fate).
§ Jen at home = practice hsiao (filial piety) & t’i (fraternal love)
§ Jen in the world, practice chung (true to self) & shu (altruism, considerateness)
§ Good fortune cannot fail when the state and the individual are in harmony with the Mean; Disorder, famine, poverty must come from being out of step with the Mean (Heaven’s mandate).
§ Be the best you can be — best you know how. “Superior man” (chun tzu) is always happy (i.e., content).
§ Happiness can be yours eating only vegetables, drinking only water, & you only pillow a bent arm.
§ Ill-gained wealth and honor are just wispy, wandering clouds.
§ Neither complain against Heaven nor blame men.
§ Study this life to know Heaven’s way…. [7.36 & 14.37]
Key Teachings of Mencius: People essentially good [6A:6]; Jen must be coupled with Yin - & both inherent in human nature [7A:15, 7A:1]; cultivate personal nature & then “wait for Fate” [5A:6]
Key Teachings of HsunTzu: People essentially evil – born with desire for gain, envy, hate & lusts; good is acquired [xxiii]; “Heaven conducts itself with constant regularity – respond with peace & order & it is beneficent, …with disorder & it is calamitous [xvii]; vs supernaturalism [xvii]; view of human conduct not much different from MengTzu [xxii]
Mencius said: “All people
have a heart which cannot stand to see the suffering of others.
The ancient kings had this heart which could not stand to see the suffering of
others, and, with this, operated a government which could not stand to see the
suffering of the people. If, in this state of mind, you ran a government which
could not endure people’s suffering, you could govern the realm as if you were
turning it in the palm of your hand.”
“Why do I say all human beings have a heart which cannot stand to see the
suffering of others? Even nowadays, if an infant were about to fall into a
well, anyone would be upset and concerned. This concern would not be due to
the fact that the person wanted to get in good with the baby’s parents, or
because s/he wanted to improve his/her reputation among the community or among
his/her circle of friends. Nor would it be because he/she was afraid of the criticism
that might result from a show of non-concern.”
“From this point of view, we can say that if you did lack concern for
the infant, you would not be human. Also, to lack a sense of shame and
disgust would not be human; to lack a feeling of humility and deference is to
be “in-human” and to lack a sense of right and wrong is to be inhuman.”
“The sense of concern for others is the starting point of jen
(Humankindness). The feeling of shame and disgust is the starting point
of yi (Righteousness). The sense of humility and deference is the
starting point of li (Propriety) and the sense of right and wrong
is the starting point of chih (Wisdom).”
“People’s having these four basic senses is like their having four limbs.
Having these four basic senses and yet claiming inability to act on them
is to cheat yourself. To say that the ruler doesn’t have them is to cheat the
ruler. Since all people have these four basic senses within themselves, they
should all understand how to enhance and develop them. It is like when a fire
just starts, or a spring first bubbles out of the ground. If you are able to develop
these four basic senses, you will be able to take care of everybody within
the four seas. If you do not develop them, you won’t even be able to
take care of your own parents.”
Mencius said: “How is it that
the arrow-maker is being less jen than the armor-maker? The arrow maker
is worried about people not getting hurt, while the armor-maker is worried if
people do get hurt. The situation is the same with the healer and the
coffin maker. Therefore, you should be careful about choosing your occupation.
“Confucius said: ‘It is the degree of jen in a village that determines
its beauty. If you choose not to abide in jen, how will you ever attain
wisdom?’
“Now jen is that which Heaven prizes above all else, and it is the
proper abode for human beings. Nobody can be hindered from being jen by
anyone else. —This is merely a hindrance to wisdom. To be not-jen and
not wise is to lack propriety and Righteousness and become a slave to others.
Being a slave to others and being ashamed of it is like the bow-maker being
ashamed of making bows and the arrow-maker being ashamed of making arrows. If
you are ashamed of these things you should work at your jen. The jen
person is like an archer. The archer prepares himself before shooting. If, upon
shooting, he misses the bull’s eye, he does not blame the man who beat him. He
turns and reflects on himself.”
Mencius said, “The greenery
on Niu
Mountain was once beautiful, but since it was near a large city, it was
attacked by lumberjacks. How could it retain its beauty? Still, by breathing in
the sunlight and rain, how could new buds and sprouts not appear? But then
cattle and sheep came and fed themselves, and by the time they were done, it
was completely barren.
“If people saw this barrenness, they might have imagined that there had never
been any greenery. How could the mountain be inherently like this?
“In the case of people, how could they lack the mind of jen and
Righteousness? But the daily damaging of the goodness of their mind is just
like the lumberjacks on the mountain. Being chopped down day after day, how can
it manifest its natural beauty?
“One may breathe in fresh air day and night, but if you allow the enjoyment of
evil doings with people to close in on you, the air gets thin, and your daytime
activities stifle you. Because of this stifling, the fresh air is insufficient.
Being insufficient, your goodness of mind is not nourished, and there will be
little difference between you and the animals. People see our animalistic
nature and assume that we have never had great endowments. How could this be
our real nature?
“Therefore, if it is properly nourished, there is nothing that will not
grow. If it is not nourished, there is nothing that will not die.
Confucius said: ‘Use it and you will keep it; ignore it and you
will lose it. No one knows the times of its coming or going, nor its
location.’ What else could he be talking about but the mind?”