Confucianism and Contemporary Issues

Confucianism and Contemporary IssuesThis essay will illustrate the history of Confucianism and the stage setting of Master Kong (Confucius) in the early branchs of the religion. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the normal characteristic of Confucianism with other east religions, the contemporary issues it faces, and the interaction amongst the red-brick orb and Confucianism. Also the paper list the nine most plebeian text of literature used by the religion and it includes the role of women and the tail fin bonds too known as the five slap-up relationships. chronicleConfucius was innate(p) August27, 551 BC in a small state called Lu. His birth name is Kong Qui or Kung Fu-tzu. The modern name of Confucius is an early Western r terminateering of the acutes Chinese honorific name Kung-fu-tsu (Confucius, 2013) It is noted that Confucius was born in answer to his p arnts prayers. Confucius surname Kong means an utterance of thankfulness when prayers leave been answered. H e stemmed from the Chang dynasty 500 years before the birth of Christ. fit in to the text, the exact details of his childhood vary. around say that he grew up in a wealthy household. Other reports say that he stemmed from a poverty stricken background. Scholars do agree that Confucius existed during a date of crisis in China.The crisis stemmed from the challenge to the ruler posed by the trine Huan families. By heredity they had the right to oc transfusey the ministerial offices of the Lu government. It is put down that he entertained himself during his y let onh by arranging rituals and staging ceremonies. This upheaval in society had an effect on Confucius. He thought that if the sentiment of society would change it would change the counseling things were done. The notion of society must(prenominal) change. Individuals must strive to be noble as possible. (Confucius, 2013) During his early magnanimous life, Confucius took on odd jobs to support him-self and assumedly hi s family. He was most often fired with precise little bullion. He was said to be a very humble and sympathetic man that had a passion for government. He believed in sharing his knowledge with the world.What was most important to Confucius was not holding an prescribed governmentalposition merely upholding his moral beliefs. Confucius held ii moral honours. Per the text, his two main ideals were to produce excellent individuals that would be great social leaders. And secondly, he wanted to create a harmonious society. (Molly, 2010) His concern for others is demonstrated through his regard for the linguistic rules communicated in the belief of do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That principle is more familiarly known as the Golden Rule. Confucius as well believed that everyone had a social responsibility these social responsibilities were communicated into the five great relationships. Duties were identify by what social classification you were included in. With all five of the great relationships there is a high level of respect that is shown. Each political party is held in the uniform regard as the other.He established a civilize with the intent to produce and develop supreme individuals. He wanted to check his students to mentally and morally expand their social views and to practice self-discipline. Confucius teachings to his disciples were recorded in the book of Analects. His teachings were informal and primarily de lovered in lectures. His teachings were not religious. The focus of his teachings turn around the Six Arts archery, calligraphy, music, computation, chariot driving and ritual. (Confucius, 2013)According to an article pen by Valerie Sartor, she notes He (Confucius) must have been a highly ingratiatory speaker, and a magnetic per passwordality, for he convinced many men to deform his disciples. (Sarator, V., 2009) He is said to have had 3,000 students and 72 disciples, with whom he traveled with passim China. (China Today, 2005) Confuciuss principles and virtues still have a heavy influence on Chinese religion. At the time, his teachings provided guidelines for the Chinese educational system. Common characteristics the Confucianism religionConfucius put aside unselfishness to gentlemans gentlemanity and kind-heartedness and teaches raft to do unto others what you would like for yourself, (19962013 A+E Television Networks, LLC). His social philosophy was based primarily on the principle of Ren, loving others (Moloy 2010). The people believed in him and his teachings. Confucius, said when people are amend the distinction between classes of people will disappear and this will work push through harmony amongst people. Religions, such(prenominal) as Buddhism has a lot in common withConfucianism, both(prenominal) believed in spiritual development, having good morals and harmony amongst ourselves.Confucianism and Buddhism also believed that people should act with good manners, and have good etiquette. In directlys world, Chinese strongly push themselves in education, learning unlike languages, mathematics and arts. Confucius saw no difference between people with money and the ones without money. He believed that anyone after part be superior and he teaches his student to be noble and with good character and with education you potful achieve a lot and anything. Education will also make a best(p) way of life. Confucianism also value potents over females there for males have command over the women.The comparison between Confucianism and Hinduism teachings is that they are both similar, both religions speculate and having good ethics. Confucianism and Buddhism are also similar. They both do meditation and they both believe in end of ugly and the love for each other.Interactions between the modern world and ConfucianismIn todays society it is easy to match that religion in the modern world would face multiple challenges and changes. Some of the advances toda y scientifically such as DNA genetics, reproducing of children, and major harmonium transplant surgery are all questions that men and women in the earlier times didnt have to worry about. They are many eastern cities that are the home base for certain religions. At one aim these religions were thought of as foreign. We now live in a world where every place to visit and Remote Island in the world is may be featured on the travel channel. Television exposes all humankind in the world the different cultures and diversity as well as the different religions.Every day this world we live in is constantly evolving. It makes you mobilize of where this world would be in the future. The writer started to question in what slipway would religion change. From the beginning when religion was first introduced just foreshorten a moment to think about how much it has changed. at that place is no way possible to predict that far into the future, but we can make an ameliorate guess based on th e things that are transpiring today in religion. There are many different influences that make up religions and how they wrap up to evolve throughout the years. It was not long ago, the legal age of most human beings in the world lived as farmers, and in small villages, and monarchs ruled the majority of thecountries.As time passed we slowly begin to see less(prenominal) kings and queens and in some counties they just disappeared. Some governments were formed and a lot of people traded in rural life for a big city lifestyle. There was a period of time where people traveled sometimes out of the country in raise to taste different food or experience firsthand the way of living for another culture. Now you can purchase a Whopper at a burger king located in Switzerland or have the pleasure of drinking a cup of Starbucks coffee in Hong Kong. With all these changes and our world as we know it today is steadily evolving it makes you take a moment to think about how the pagan unificati ons will change religion.In the past many religions preached the value of being less fortunate and living a simple but comfortable lifestyle. Things that were taught held value because it was a reflection of the lifestyle of the majority of people. Today in religion we see exhortation from the poor to get ahead and how money can be the center of the religion. In the new world contact is evermore attainable. There are many different items that we have that can be used to educate men and women on Confucianism and some of the religion interactions. Its common to utilize television, radio, books, magazines and most important internet to close in the gap that once kept every culture and religion separate. more frequently are we seeing where religions adopt different beliefs and religious shipway from other religions. Contemporary Issues in ConfucianismThe beliefs of Confucianism are written in the numinous Narratives as Confucian thinking, believed that learning from the past is fund amental (Beversluis, 1995). Confucius did not run through the possibility of a reality beyond the human world. However he believed that a human did not have the capacity to understand such a world. He believed that human morals should be based on human relationships, without reference to some higher order (Beversluis, 1995). Most Confucian scholars believed that the human being existence is based upon reaching ones highest potential in life. And that by achieving the ultimate goal of a perfect person is a lifelong process of self-cultivation (Beversluis, 1995).We also see that the belief in suffering and evil by some Confucian scholars are fateful in human life. These two problems can promote learning and growth. A mistake does not label one as a sinner, but one should take it as opportunity to learn and growfrom the mistake. purge though some humans are incapable of feeling empathy, the suffering of others for most should provide motivation for moral growth (Beversluis, 1995). C onfucius believed that human beings should live and conduct their lives with good moral statures so that they can exist in harmony with others, rather than hoping to be rewarded or punished in the afterlife (Beversluis, 1995). Womans role in ConfucianismNow let us take a look at the role of women in Confucianism. A chars role in this religion is that of subservientness and obedience. Scholar Xiao Ma has said Women always have been fighting for a way out of the Confucian shadows. According to Women And Confucianism (1996-2012)the Confucian structure of society, women at every level were to occupy a position lower than men. Most Confucians accepted the subservience of women to men as natural and proper order of life. At the same time they accorded womens honor and power as mother and mother-in-law within their family end quote.Some Neo-Confucian saying as it regards to women are, Womans greatest duty is to produce a son, Disorder is not sent down by Heaven, it is produced by women, Women are to be led and to follow others and a favorite by male Confucians is, A woman should look on her preserve as if he were Heaven itself, and never weary of thinking how she may yield to him (Women And Confucianism, 1996-2012). tabu textsSacred texts associated with Confucianism are The vanadium Classics. These are the Book of Songs (Sh Jng), The Classic of History (Sh Jng), The Classic of Rites (L J), The Book of Changes (I Ching), and The Spring and Autumn record (Chn Qi). The Four Books, which are The Analects of Confucius (Ln Y), The Mencius (Mng Z), The Great Learning (D Xu) and The Doctrine of the Golden cerebrate (Zhng Yng). The Thirteen Classics and the Three Commentaries (Hare, 2010).The Five Great RelationshipsThe Five Great Relationships were implemented by Confucius so that everyone would know the role they vie in society and conduct themselves accordingly. These five bonds are those of ruler and put in compassion in rulers, loyalty in ministers and subject s father and son kindness in thefather, filial piety in a son husband and married woman righteous behavior in the husband, obedience in the wife elder brother and younger brother gentility in the oldest son, lowliness and respect in the younger siblings and friend and friend humane consideration in elders, deference in juniors.Confucianism today, is mainly practiced in China, Korea, japan and Vietnam. There are over six million devotees who practice Confucianism. In the past Confucianism was the state philosophy in China, but this has drastically decrease in todays world due to communism in China (Beversluis, 1995). However as recently as 2011 we saw prexy Hu Jintao introducing the idea of a Harmonious Socialist Society in order to officially revive this fading religion in China. There has been some(prenominal) network of cultural Confucius institutes set up globally by the Chinese government, as well as erecting a statue of Confucius in Tiananmen Square.ConclusionMaster Kong ( Confucius) was a man of great moral standings and character. Even if many in the beginning of the religion disliked him, he has been immortalized by the Chinese Government because of the millions of followers he has to this day.