Paper Example on Confucius and Mencius

This is a unique way of life proposed by Confucius in the 5th century and was employed by the Chinese people for a very long time. Mencius was also as a Confucian philosopher, and was second to Confucius himself. Even though it becomes eroded over time, it still acknowledged as a foundation of learning the sources of good morals and values and social ways of the Chinese people. Its powerful influence has spread across various countries like Japan, Vietnam, and Korea. Confucianism is, therefore, terminology that is recognized as worldly, a social ethic, a political belief, and an acceptable way of life. Many people view it as a philosophy wills others as a religion. But it can be simply understood as a rich way of living and thinking that revolves around a prominent human-centered belief.

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Confucianism is different from other religions, as it is not organized. It started spreading to other countries in Asia due to the rich literary culture of the Chinese people and influencing the spiritual and political orientation of these countries. The emergence of the theory and the widespread practice of Confucianism changed the patterns of society, government, education, and family of the countries of East Asia. It has, in many years, served as a means of inspiration and framework that ensure good morals among individuals, communities, and nations that practiced it.

Confucius labeled himself as a transmitter to change the older ways with a new one. The key ideas in Confucian ethics are Jen, Li, Yi, Hsiao, Chih, and Te. 'Jen' means love, human-heartedness, good behavior, and humanity. 'Jen' is virtues standing for human qualities that help relate well will other fellow humans. Li, which is the principle that guides relationships of good actions. It is referred to as the principle of social order. Yi guides people to choose what is right and wrong. Hsiao, which implies that parents are to be given physical, emotional, and spiritual richness. Chih, which is a virtue of that helps know the difference between right and wrong. Te, this refers to the power of leading another right. Confucius mainly advocated towards a paternalistic government in which the people were respectful and obedient while being led by honorable leaders. But after his death, two schools of Confucius's thought were established, in which one was headed by Mencius and the other by Hsun-Tzu. Mencius continued the teaching of his former by mainly stressing in the goodness in human nature, he, however, believed that forces could deprive true human goodness of nature, and in politics, he was considered the pioneer of democracy. On the other hand, Hsun-Tzu believed that every person is born evil but can be made good through moral teachings. He was the main rival to Confucianism ritualism.

Daoism and Buddhism

Daoism is a religious and philosophical tradition that has been recognized for shaping Chinese culture for almost 2000 years. Daoism emerged as a retroactive grouping of beliefs and writings that were centuries old, which may, in one way, include or excluded traditional ancestral movements. Daoist teachings towards life are reflected in accepting and yielding the happy Chinese character that complements the moral and purposeful character formulated by the Confucianism. It is, in another way, characterized by a positive attitude towards the theories of natural reality. The Daoist religion is therefore based on the ritual worships among the Dao and all those believers who identify themselves as Daoists. The Taoist religion is usually considered by many as the link that connects the Confucian tradition and the folk tradition. The two traditions have shared many ideas that define a man, the society, and the sovereign rulers, heaven, and the whole universe. This believed not created by either school but emerged from traditions that were they're earlier than Confucius and the Laozi. However, Confucianism limited its self from the desire to create a moral, political system that suited the society and the dynasties; on the other hand, Daoism, in some sense, was more concerned with personal attributes of people.

But Buddhism, also a major tradition that has greatly influenced china main concepts like, nonexistence of people's ego and the illusory condition of the physical world as opposed to Daoism The origin of Buddhism date back about 2500 years ago, that resulted when a prince named Siddhartha Gautama that begun to question various aspects of his life like shelter, fortunate life. As he left his palace, he encountered different people challenged by life, a sick man, an old man, a dead man, and a monk. This scenario made him reach a realization that even a prince can escape the harsh realities of life. The monk advised the prince to become a holy man and work hard to identify why people suffer. He was then given the name Buddha than mean enlightened one. The influence of Buddhism became rapid in the Tang Dynasty in 618 to 906, which main target was the largest and most prosperous Dynasty in china's History the time Chinese culture reached the outside world. At this period, the Chinese monks went to India to seek their Buddhism sutras, and at the same time, the Indian monks moved to china to spread their beliefs. This direct link between these two worlds allowed cultural exchanges.

Buddhism is best defined as a way of practice and spiritual development that leads to an understanding of the real nature of reality. In Buddha, practices like meditation are done as a way to transform someone and acquire qualities like awareness, knowledge, and kindness. This experience was developed and has been used in the Buddhist traditions that have been in use for very many years now. Because Buddhism does not, in any sense, involve the worship of a supreme being, many do not see it as a religion. The basics ideas about Buddhism are very simple since nothing is expected to last forever, decisions have consequences, and changing is possible for everyone. Therefore it is not limited to race, nationality, gender, or sexuality. The religious policies by Chin are divided into two broad categories, those that suppress the development of Taoism and Buddhism and those that support their development. The most common is the ruler's patronage of known religious figures.

Chan Buddhism and Neo-Confucian and Relation from Earlier Thought of Schools

Chan Buddhism is a more indigenous form of Chinese that came to existence at the beginning of the sixth century CE and spread throughout the rest of East Asia. Chan originated from the known traditions of Zen Buddhism. It was not possible to distinguish Chan within Chinese Buddhism in its use of meditation. What mainly distinguished Chan is its language use in its Novel, different narrative forms, and, most importantly, the Buddha awakening. Different from other schools that focused on metaphysical attributes, Chan ideologist was experimental and easily relational. In appreciating the philosophical ideas developed by Chan, one requires to also know Buddhist thoughts and practices. Theories of how other schools in the development of Chan have been established and rely on speculative correction than the record in writing form. Some people believe that Chan was probably established from the close interaction between Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism, while others claim that it originates from yogic practices, most importantly, the Kammatthana.

Neo Confucian, on the other hand, was revived from the Confucian philosophy and also the political system that emerged in the 9th century and attained new grounds of intellectual and social reformation in the 11th century in the established Northern Song dynasty. The first phase of the reborn of this philosophy was succeeded by the most influential philosopher of that time, Zhu Xi. This master was also a teacher of moral self-cultivation.

Development of Writing Techniques and Their Changing Forms

Chinese were among the first people to develop writing technologies. Writing technology in China can be dated back as the hieroglyphs that were used in the Song and Han dynasties. This literature originated from thousands of years. However, even at the period of the Qing dynasty, most writers composed in literacy that date back to about 2000 years. Chinese writing work included fiction, philosophical, scientific, poetry, and religious works. The most influential works, those of philosophy and religion, became the foundation of the Chinese culture, religion, and most of their social beliefs, which was described as the spring and autumn periods. This was advantageous to Taoism and Confucian literature and other prominent religions. The Han dynasty's era was the most known for scientific advancements in writing.