Confucianism: A Revival of Virtuous Virtuosity in Ancient and Modern China

Virtuoso is not the word that comes to mind for most when thinking of philosophy, or a master of.

Yet, by virtue of the rich technical aspect of Confucianism’s rites and rituals alone, there exists a potential

for the adept to achieve even the common meaning of virtuoso.1

Going deeper into the etymology of the

word the potential for Confucian virtuosity is even more compelling. “Virtuous” of course pops right out,

whose word origin is the late Latin virtuosus2

which is rooted in the Latin virtus.3

Virtus shows the closer

contact virtuoso’s aged meaning had with virtue and morality. It is virtue, and the “moral life and conduct”

it creates, that is part and parcel of the Confucian philosophy, which sought in its adepts a mastery of virtue

on the individual, familial, social and governmental level. The accomplishment of this daily throughout all

the rich affairs of life implies no small amount of study, practice, skill and craft. There is then seeming

potential that many of Confucianism’s revered figures and main propagators of the past, who mastered the

skill and art of the virtuous, could themselves be called a virtuoso in the, debatably, truer sense of the word.

This essay will explore and introduce Confucianism through a summary of various aspects of the

philosophy. Offered up will be an introduction to its origination, principle teachings, place and use in

Chinese history and modern China, and a look at a surprising thing or two I learned personally along the

way of researching and writing this essay. In the end this preliminary study should show that this purely

Chinese philosophy is a system of virtuous principles and practices, that historically has had cycles of

support and neglect, is very alive today and still aiming at fostering humanity’s harmony. This essay will also

illustrate the empowering aspect of virtue, and the Confucian system of realizing and expressing it, which

could create a type of virtuoso that would be a harmonizing, and timely, addition to today’s humanity.

1

Virtuous. Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press. [Online].

http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803120023535. 5 November 2017. 2

Virtuous. Online Etymology Dictionary. [Online]. Harper, Douglas. https://etymonline.com/word/virtuous. 5 November 2017. 3

Virtuous. Online Etymology Dictionary. [Online]. Harper, Douglas.

Where and When Did the Philosophy Originate?

To answer this question well focus first needs to be shifted

toward the lifetime of the sage-philosopher-teacher and most highly-

revered propagator of the Confucian philosophy, Confucius4

. He

lived from 551-479 BC and was born in the kingdom of Lu, in the

area of what is China’s present-day Shandong province. With that in

mind preliminary answer of place and time of origination is found.

Importantly though, in The Analects [7.1], Confucius regarded

himself as merely a conduit of the philosophy rather than a creator:

The Master said: “I am a transmitter, rather than an original thinker.”5

It was Jesuit missionaries6

who would enshrine his name atop

this philosophy and etch it into the western mind for millenniums, yet

for Confucius the philosophy’s principles were laid down eras before

his. Examples of events and people drawn from times prior to his own

abound throughout his teachings. The wisdom of arguably the most profound text in Chinese history, the

ancient Classic of Changes, finds place in Confucius’s philosophy as he goes on to revere the text’s wisdom

which will keep the sage “free from error” into his old age.7

In The Analects, three more examples are

found. First, he extols the virtuous ruling of the pre-Xia and Xia dynasty sage-kings Yao, Shun and Yu8

;

then refers to respect of elders for a basis of government in the pre-Zhou Book of History9; and succinctly

summarizes the earlier Zhou dynasty text Book of Odes while simultaneously putting forth the virtuous

fundament of Confucianism:

“The Master said: “The 300 verses of the Book of Odes can be summed up in a single phrase:

‘Don't think in an evil way.’”10

Therefore, it seems more accurate to say that Confucianism was not an origination but was, by

Confucius, a revival. This revival was his own benevolent response, in the form of an extant antidote, to the

individual and sociopolitical ills ailing China after the fall of the Zhou dynasty. The propagation of the

virtuous principles and undertakings of historical Chinese figures was Confucius’s response to the signs of

the times, which would continue during the centuries that followed his own. Times that saw widespread

turmoil as violent power struggles collectively eroded the quality of life throughout the fractured states of

China.11

4 Figure 1. Kano Tan'yu. “Confucius and his Disciples Yan Hui and Zeng San at the "Apricot Altar"”, Japan, 17th century, Kenyon

College Department of Religious Studies, http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln471/Conf+2.htm, 10 November

2017. 5 Muller, Charles A. “The Analects of Confucius”, Resources for East Asian Language and Thought, [Online]. First translated

during the summer of 1990. Revised 9 May 2017, http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/analects.html#div-8, 27 October 2017. 6 Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, [Online].

http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/#H10, 27 October 2017 7 Legge, James. “Confucian Analects”, [7.17] 8 Legge, James. “Confucian Analects”, Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/index.htm

[8.18-21], Accessed 27 October 2017. 9 Legge, James. “Confucian Analects”, [2.21] 10 Muller, Charles A. “The Analects of Confucius”, [2.2] 11 Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”.

Fig. 1 Confucius Figure 1 Confucius

It was among this backdrop that Confucius’s revival was born and among which he taught, largely in

itinerancy, to the groups of students that would help him re-initiate the transmission of this ancient

philosophical tradition. From his time on, the philosophy would be adopted and forsaken numerous times.

Causing for Confucius, if he were alive today, a probable wrinkling of the brow with grave concern and

sadness for the repeated neglect and questionable application of the philosophy. Also, probable, from the

depths of his benevolence, would be the self-reflection of any teacher, on the degree of effective

transmission of Confucianism during the revival. Yet despite this, the teachings of the Confucian

philosophy, revived in a turbulent era of Chinese history by a man on a mission, have impressed countless

people throughout history and still prominently inspire reverence, study and practice around the world

today.

What Are Some of the Principle Teachings of Confucianism?

Figure 2 By Prospero Intorcetta12, "Life And Works Of Confucius".

To best introduce and explain the profundity of some of the principle teachings of Confucianism for

the modern mind and reader, I feel there needs to be a brief introduction given of three important concepts

utilized, implicitly understood and explicitly taught by Confucianism:

1) The universe is a hologram

2) Interpenetration

3) The fundamental goodness of humanity

With an understanding of these three a conceptual basis can be formed which I think will help better the

effort to comprehend the wisdom and vast influence of this philosophy and specifically the few selected

principles that will be introduced in this part of the essay.

12

Figure 2. By Prospero Intorcetta, Philippe Couplet et al. - "Life And Works Of Confucius", Prospero Intorcetta, et al., 1687,

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2523905. 20 October 2017.

The Universe is a Hologram

Confucianism is predominately known and revered as a humanistic philosophy13

and less as a

philosophy of the cosmos.14

It is the discovery of the “holographic” nature of the universe, by modern

quantum physics, that propels Confucianism from its merely humanistic, to one of also cosmological,

impact. The key dynamic of a hologram is that it is a whole thing, that has its parts, yet every single part

contains the whole thing. This is how any holistic organism or system works, like a hologram.

“A main characteristic of a hologram is that every part of the stored information is distributed over

the entire hologram.”15

If the reader replaces “hologram” in the previous quote both times with “universe” an even clearer

understanding of what is being described as the nature of the cosmos might be had. For the visually

oriented the quantum physics principle is illustrated in this image:

Figure 3. Image from author Gregg Braden’s book “The Divine Matrix.”16 No matter how many times or how small you divide a whole into parts, all parts contain the whole.

Though the holistic influence of its own principles was never lost on Confucianism they were

largely focused on and refined for holistic effect upon worldly humanism. In the text of The Great

Learning, one verse describes the effect cultivating oneself has, not only on one’s family and country, but

also on the “whole kingdom.”17

The Analects goes there too, when Confucius explains the ripple effect the

cultivation of oneself impeccably for one day has on the entirety of humanity.”18

What quantum physics’

discovery of the holographic nature of the universe has done is to add a scientifically-viable confirmation of

Confucianism’s philosophical influence beyond the “kingdom” and world and out into the cosmos. For

13

Violatti, Cristian. "Confucianism." Ancient History Encyclopedia. [Online]. Last modified August 31, 2013.

https://www.ancient.eu/Confucianism/. 22 October 2017. 14

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”. 15

Andrew, A. M. "The decade of the brain - further thoughts". Kybernetes. 26 (3): 255–264, 1997. 16

Braden, Gregg. The Divine Matrix—Bridging Time, Space, Miracles and Belief. Hay House, Inc. California, (2007), p. 83. 17

Legge, James. “The Great Learning”, Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/index.htm

[8.18-21], 30 October 2017. 18

Muller, Charles A. “The Analects of Confucius”. “Yan Yuan asked about the meaning of humaneness. The Master said, “To

completely overcome selfishness and keep to propriety is humaneness. If for a full day you can overcome selfishness and keep to

propriety, everyone in the world will return to humaneness.” http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/analects.html#div-13.

two-plus millennium countless people from all walks of life have developed deep respect for its humanistic

side. The implication now is that its influence has potential to grow and include more of the scientific

community. It’s influential expansion also can extend more into the spiritual and scholarly community, that

before might have underestimated it’s deep and vast influence. When attempting to understand the

profundity of the principles of Confucianism the concept that the nature of the universe is holographic

could be a good thing to keep in the back of one’s mind.

Interpenetration

A formidable aspect that the above

quantum physics’ principle suggests is the

mutual influence of all parts, even the very

smallest, on the entire whole. This dynamic

of holistic influence and intimate

interconnectivity of all parts has been termed

interpenetration. It is defined by Charles A.

Muller of Tokyo University19

as the

“penetration of inner by outer and vice versa.”

Not only are all parts of the whole connected but they mutually penetrate one another and

exert influence. Mr. Muller goes on to say that for many classical Chinese texts, including the

Confucian, “…to be appreciated fully, necessitate an understanding of a worldview in which the

thoughts and actions of an individual penetrate, and carry influence throughout the entire world.”20

This interpenetration has always been presumed and implied by Confucianism. Now it’s quantum

physics, in catching up with the past, that has presented an element of modern scientific concreteness

and support of interpenetration through the principle of the holographic universe.

The resulting personal and collective implications for humanity are empowering and

simultaneously daunting. Empowering because the individual, regardless of any identity or location,

exerts influence upon everything. Daunting because the responsibility that arises knowing that human

behavior—one single silent thought, one spoken casual word or sentence, or one mundane daily

physical action—constantly reverberates throughout the entirety of the universe causing and creating a

beneficial, neutral or negative effect, dependent on its nature.

This begets the question that on the individual level what would be best for individuals to be

thinking, feeling, saying and doing and thus affect upon everything? The same question is also present for

humanity as a collective. While endeavoring to discover an answer to this large question, and in order again

to understand the principles of Confucianism to be laid out in this essay, a look is needed at a principle

underlying not only Confucianism, but Chinese culture as whole. This principle suggests the above answer

is less about affecting a change and more about allowing what is already, and always, fundamentally present

to just be.

The Fundamental Goodness of Humanity

The concept that humanity is basically good might be a glaring cultural difference for westerners

when either traveling, working or studying in the east. This concept has been etched into the Chinese

19

Muller, Charles A. “East Asia’s Unexplored Pivot of Metaphysics and Hermeneutics: Essence-Function/Interpenetration”,

Resources for East Asian Language and Thought, [Online]. 5 November 2017,

http://www.acmuller.net/articles/indigenoushermeneutics.htm 20

Ibid.

psyche and culture notably via their recitation in school of a centuries old Confucian elementary education

text, Three Character Classic. The first, and most remembered, line from the text has impressed deeply

the idea that humans are fundamentally good, while what separates humans, and fosters immorality, are

habits formed during life.21 Undeniable influence on western culture and thinking comes by the Christian

principle that holds humankind is born in sin and fundamentally evil. In contrast, except for the Confucian

scholar Xun Zi22

who happened to agree with western Christians, nearly all sages and scholars of

Confucianism regard the essence of humanity to be good. What can then be said then about the evil or

wrong-doing that humans commit? Where does that come from? Mencius sheds some light:

“According to the feelings that come from it, then you can say that they are acting with goodness. This is

what I mean when I say human beings are inherently good, I am talking about their most fundamental

emotional qualities. If someone does evil, it is not the fault of their natural endowment.”23

It was humankind’s allowance of external circumstance to influence their behavior towards immorality

rather than immorality coming from a deeper intrinsic nature. He goes on:

Mencius said: “It is true that water has no predisposition for east or west. But doesn't it have a

predisposition for up and down? The goodness of the human nature is just like the downward tendency of

water. Just as all water has a down-going tendency, all people have a tendency toward goodness.”

“Now you can splash water and make it fly over your head, or you can force it to rise up by damming it. But

are these the nature of water? These are after all, forcing it. You can push people into doing evil, but is this

their basic nature?24

Mencius, with his allusion to water to illustrate goodness, echoes the original Daoist sage Lao Zi, who wrote

in the Dao De Jing “The highest goodness is like water.”25

The nature of water is completely deferential,

uncaring of which way, in to where, or in to or out of what, it flows, and there is always a downward

inclination. Another quality of water that relates to the nature of humanity, is the selfless nature of water. It

has “no I.”26

It is this absence of “I,” or to be egoless, that Confucius himself taught,27

attained and

exemplified.28

So it was for Confucius and Mencius, and most that followed them, that fundamental

goodness flowed naturally as water, without any selfish contrivance and desire for gain.

In this sense fundamental goodness expressed itself in a way that in this day in age is seen most

often and clearly in children. Scientific evidence towards their natural inherence of goodness has been

accumulated. At the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, a study was

done that resulted in a repeated, obvious and natural tendency in children to aid adults in situations of

need.29

21

“Three-Character Classic: A Confucian Road Map for Kids”, Yellow Bridge. [Online]. 5 November 2017. The first line of the

classic is “People at birth, are naturally good. Their natures are similar; their habits become different.” 22

Robins, Dan, "Xunzi", 6. Human Nature and Agency, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. [Online]. Spring 2017 Edition,

Edward N. Zalta (ed.), 5 November 2017. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2017/entries/xunzi/#humans 23

Muller, A. Charles. “Mencius (Selections)”, Resources for East Asian Language and Thought, [Online]. Updated 27 October

2017. 20 October 2017. http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/mencius.html#div-9 24

Muller, A. Charles. “Mencius (Selections)” 25

Muller, A. Charles. “Daode Jing”, Resources for East Asian Language and Thought, [Online]. First translated July 1991, updated

4 June 2016. 20 October 2017 http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/daodejing.html#div-9 26

The Mandarin Chinese 無我，wu wo, literally means “no I” or “no me.” 27

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, see note 14. 28

Legge, James. “Confucian Analects”, [9.4] 29

Knudson, Jenn Director. “Little Helpers”, Greater Good Magazine. 1 March 2006. Web. 10 October 2017.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/little_helpers

Yet, fundamental goodness finds itself expressed throughout humanity and is by no means reserved

only for Hollywood heroes with supernatural powers. It is more obvious in the stories and efforts made by

those people risking personal safety to save the lives of others. Less obvious, yet equally apparent if paid

attention to, are the more mundane examples in situations like a sudden spontaneous effort of a stranger to

help an elderly person knocked off balance while standing on a jolting public bus.

Debates and doubt will regardless remain over the principles of the holographic universe,

interpenetration and the fundamental goodness of humanity. Nonetheless it appears some of the principles

of the Confucian sages, along with their parallels in the Daoist and Buddhist traditions, are increasingly

being echoed through the halls of modern science. That would be good news too in light of the need of

specifically tailors solutions for the problems facing the increasingly diverse and globalized humanity. It is

the above three principles that can be kept in mind to form a conceptual foundation for introduction to the

following Confucian principles. It is a foundation from which to view the potential virtuosity of

Confucianism due to the profundity, wisdom and potential solutions for humanity and the cosmos it’s

principles might provide.

Humaneness

In Confucianism, fundamental goodness was labeled and taught as Ren, or humaneness. It was

regarded that all human beings possess humaneness as it is part and parcel of the fundamental goodness

inherent, and from it all other virtuous expressions, internal and external, arose. When thinking of the

structure of the philosophy, humaneness is at once foundational as well as one of the primary pillars.

Confucius himself regarded humaneness as so fundamentally essential that without it a Confucian could not

sincerely cultivate other principles. Humaneness is also one of the five pillars of the Five Cardinal Virtues,

along with righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith. Yet without humaneness the other four were unable

to properly manifest. In The Analects, Confucius succinctly expresses the essentiality and pillar-like

position of humaneness (ren):

“The Master said: “If a man has no ren what can his propriety be like? If a man has no ren what

can his music be like?”30

Humaneness played another role for the sage’s teaching of his students as it was for him the high standard

to which he put historical figures and contemporaries up to measure,

few of whom ever reached that standard.31

Humaneness can be regarded as akin to compassion. It is the

non-intellectual ability of humans to put themselves in the shoes of

others to the point of not only understanding another’s plight but also

to the point of being moved to sympathize and even act with sincere,

virtuous altruism. The Chinese character in the image to the right is the

character for humaneness, which consists of the radical32

for “person,”

on the left, with the character for the number “two,” on the right. The

entire character symbolically impresses that humaneness is realized and

30

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [3:3]. 31

Ibid., See Mr. Muller’s [Comment] below [1:2]. See also [5:19]. 32

Radical (Chinese Characters). Wikipedia. [Online]. Last edited on 17 November 2017.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_(Chinese_characters). 15 October 2017.

Ren, the Chinese Character for Humaneness.

developed through human relations, specifically “…when the self and others are not separated, when all

things form one body, and when the feeling of compassion is aroused...”33

To come to terms with the

separation humans often experience between “self and others,” especially in situations of diverse cultures,

once again focus goes to the ego. It is when it, and the selfishness it creates, decreases, humaneness thus

increases, and becomes the fount from which motivation for virtuous thought, word and action towards

others springs.

Going back to Confucius’s student Yan Hui (or Yan Yuan)34

, asking of his teacher the meaning of

humaneness, Confucius emphasized “overcoming oneself” as means for the realization of humaneness. It

is Confucius, who instructs his student, and all who study and practice the Confucian teachings thereafter,

that the way to the realization and fulfillment of humaneness was indeed the internal reduction of the self

and ego. Completely achieving “overcoming oneself” for even one day takes extraordinary, impeccable and

oft underestimated effort.35

This virtue-based effort of virtuosity, that drastically reduces “self” and “ego,”

can allow the proper manifestation of the remaining four cardinal virtues. How can this reduction and even

eradication take place? The sage taught that the cardinal virtue of propriety could develop, or rather since it

is always fundamentally present, aid the revival of humaneness.

Propriety

Propriety refers commonly to the rites and rituals taught and practiced by Confucius, the ancients

before him and the Confucians that survive him to this day. Propriety, or Li in Mandarin Chinese, was not

only meant to be the ritualized practice within temple and religious life but was also taught as a means to

engage human relationships, daily affairs and material objects. It was a way to practice and garner within

oneself a deep reverence for all the happenings of human life as well as an avenue for the expression of

humaneness.

Humaneness was crucial to the fulfillment of reverence, for as Confucius said “…If a man has no

ren what can his propriety be like?”36

This teaching alludes to the distinction between the internal and

external self-transformation of a Confucian. Whereas

humaneness was an internal experience, springing forth from

the immaterial depths of the fundamental nature of humans,

propriety was instead the opportunity to express one’s

humaneness. The expression was at once the creative

manifestation of humaneness in human life and at once an

expression of spiritual reverence for Heaven or Tian.37

The

latter expression is symbolized in the Chinese character for

propriety shown in Figure 4.38

The image shows various forms

of the character throughout history to today. Except for the top left character all the remaining characters

possess a radical on the left meaning “spirit.” On the top right is the character “曲” for “bent; crooked,”

33

Tay, Wei Leong. Kang Youwei, “The Martin Luther of Confucianism and his Vision of Confucian Modernity and Nation”,

Secularization, Religion and the State, UTCP Booklet 17, p. 102, http://utcp.c.u-

tokyo.ac.jp/publications/pdf/UTCPBooklet17_08_Tay.pdf. 34

See footnote 14. 35

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [12:1] [Comment] “For instance, do we really know what it is like to

“completely overcome our selfishness” for a full day, and be perfectly guided by proper action?” 36

See footnote 29. 37

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [7:23] [8:19]. 38

Figure 4. Image of Chinese Character for Propriety. Li, 禮. Sohu. [Online]. http://www.sohu.com/a/119277109_523144. 15

October 2017.

Figure 4. Li, Chinese character for propriety.

while under it is the character “豆” for “sacrificial vessel.”39

The character symbolically suggests that

propriety is the spiritual act of a reverent offering of the daily worldly life. It is an offering of individual

thoughts, actions and words, family and social relations, governmental and daily affairs as well as objects

which, compared to the unworldly Heaven, were “bent,” “crooked” and unrefined.

Formal rites and rituals are numerous and vary in focus and function. One essential ritual was the

practice of reverence through respectful worship of “Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Ancestors, and Master.”40

Being very much a part of lay life as well as the temple, this rite focused humaneness towards these five

essential entities of human life. It goes almost without saying that humanity would not even exist, let alone

sustain itself for millennia, without the benefice of these five entities. Confucianism thus propagated this

form of propriety to inspire and focus Chinese society’s respect on where it came from, on its sources and

benefactors. This rite helped to engender a sense of place for the individual as part of the celestial, earthly,

social and familial that could thus foster harmony between humanity and heaven and earth as well as

amongst itself.41

As stated above through the explanation of the Chinese character for propriety, propriety was not to

begin and end with the formal rites at temples. Its fulfillment was to take place in all aspects of life as its

expression must naturally and necessarily spill over into government and society.42

Naturally because just as

humaneness is essential to propriety it is also essential to humanity and thus all aspects of human life.

Necessarily because to foster harmonious social order, society and its affairs and relationships outside of the

temple must also be properly ordered and fulfill propriety. Accordingly, Confucianism focused the

expression of humaneness upon an order of relationships within society that helped best align the individual

and society with Heaven.43

This expression of propriety in all parts and walks of life to create and sustain harmonious social

order found example in the principle of the Five Bonds. The Five Bonds being “ruler to ruled, father to

son, husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother, friend to friend.”44

These roles and the methods of

interaction within their accompanied relationships were based on a hierarchy of position that best helped

society mirror the hierarchy that was presumed by the Confucians to occur between humankind and

Heaven. The positioning of the roles, along with the humaneness given by the roles atop the hierarchy, and

the respect given by the roles below, was taught so as to best create a waterfall effect of virtue that “fell” or

“graced” from above and molded the behaviors on down and out to all people in society. Which was a

mirroring of the benefice of Heaven above.

Due to the myriad roles each person performed in mutual tandem with all others, one who could

master humaneness-based propriety, daily, in all situations, could very likely be called a virtuoso.

39

禮 is 示(spirit)+曲(bent; crooked)+豆(sacrificial vessel )

https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E7%A6%AE 40

See the “How Were the Teachings Incorporated into Chinese Life Both at the Government Level and Generally Among the

People?” part of the essay below. 41

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”, “When persons and things are in their proper places - and here tradition is the

measure of propriety – relations are smooth, operations are effortless, and the good is sought and done voluntarily. In the

hierarchical political and social conception of Confucius (and all of his Chinese contemporaries), what is below takes its cues from

what is above.” 42

Confucianism. Wikipedia, [Online]. Last edited on 26 October 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism#Rite.2C_right.

10 October 2017. 43

Tay, Wei Leong. Kang Youwei, “The Martin Luther of Confucianism and his Vision of Confucian Modernity and Nation”, p.

100. 44

Confucianism. Wikipedia, [Online]. last edited on 26 October 2017, Web. 10 October 2017

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism#Relationships

Confucianism taught a unique approach to the fulfillment of familial, social and governmental roles, which

could allow attainment of a virtue-based virtuosity. This was the principle and practice of filial piety.

Filial Piety

Prominently emphasized among the

virtues to be practiced among human

relationships was filial piety, or respect for

one’s parents and elders. The Chinese

character for filial piety directly exemplifies a

social and familial hierarchy that was to be

adhered to. The Chinese character is made up

of two characters with the character for “old,

elderly, the revered” “老” above, and the character for “son” “子” below.45

This virtue of deep respect by

progeny for parents is key and unique to traditional Chinese culture. It is a culturally remarkable difference

between the far east and west as well, especially when contrasted with western philosophical and ethical

systems. Though the blazoning and propagation of this virtue is also seen in Chinese Buddhism,46

its

thoroughly deep integration into the Chinese culture and psyche is, with little doubt, due to Confucianism.

The specificity used to teach what is proper, or not, per filial piety is remarkable. One of many

examples is Mencius’s detailed discernment of virtuous and unvirtuous behavior for younger generations to

take heed of. He mentions numerous things that sons and daughters should navigate their lives away from

in order to fully respect parents. He instructs awareness around five things still pertinent today that in turn

might result in children’s neglect of their parent’s health, livelihood, reputation and safety.47

Terms of the

modern and possibly fashionable habits of current times might replace things like “chess playing” with

online gaming, perpetual social networking and pornography etc. Certainly, younger generations and

certain cultures around the world today would buck at inhibiting themselves in these ways, yet for the sake

of individual health, family harmony and peace near and far, it might well be worth reflecting on the often-

problematic nature of what Mencius suggests, and apply some, or all, of his teachings. “No harm no foul.”

The principle of filial piety’s implied hierarchy aimed to engender understanding respect of one’s

place in the network of holistic life. Understanding and the respect aided in fostering the insight into the

inseparability of the individual from that network, thus eroding excessive egoism. This becomes an integral

basis for the practice and attainment of the Confucian ideal of “sagely within and kingly without.”

45

Figure 5. Of all types of goodness filial piety is first. (百善孝为先). Xue Xi La. [Online].

http://www.xuexila.com/shufa/zuopin/2101006.html. 2 November 2017. 46

The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha's Fundamental Vows Chapter 1: Miracles In The Palace Of The Trayastrimsas Heaven.

Sutra Translation Committee of United Canada. (2001). Buddhist Door. [Online].

http://www.buddhistdoor.com/OldWeb/resources/sutras/Ksitigarbha/sources/ksitig1.htm. 10 November 2017. “Thus have I heard.

Once the Buddha was abiding in Trayastrimsas Heaven in order to expound the Dharma to his mother.” 47

Legge, James. “Mencius”, Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/menc/menc16.htm [16],

15 October 2017. “Mencius replied, 'There are five things which are pronounced in the common usage of the age to be unfilial.

The first is laziness in the use of one's four limbs, without attending to the nourishment of his parents. The second is gambling and

chess-playing, and being fond of wine, without attending to the nourishment of his parents. The third is being fond of goods and

money, and selfishly attached to his wife and children, without attending to the nourishment of his parents. The fourth is following

the desires of one's ears and eyes, so as to bring his parents to disgrace. The fifth is being fond of bravery, fighting and quarrelling so

as to endanger his parents. Is Chang guilty of any one of these things?”

Figure 4 "Of all types of goodness filial piety is first." Filial Piety is the center character.

Sagely Within Kingly Without48

As explained above Mencius laid out specifics on the performance of filial piety, clarifying

specifically the role of the child in the parent-child relationship of the Five Bonds. Filial piety was

commonly held to subsequently result in respect for leadership later in life49

which put it in a very prominent

position within the approach Confucianism offered to develop social harmony in society external fulfillment

of propriety. Explained earlier was Confucius’s teaching that propriety, and thus filial piety, offered the

opportunity to erode the humaneness-obstructing ego as its practice helped one to “overcome oneself.”

Remembering that propriety cannot lack humaneness we can see the dual emphasis of internal and external

self-cultivation.

Within the dual approach of inner and outer cultivation the predominant “psychological

interiority”50

of humaneness can be seen. For the sake of sincere expression of respect while performing

rites of propriety, for the sake of avoiding hypocritical speech and behavior that would disturb personal,

familial and social harmony, humaneness is the focus of internal cultivation. Humaneness is the necessary

fundamental state of the internal world of a Confucian. Due to the holographic nature of the universe and

interpenetration, a Confucian can, according to one of the Four Books of Confucianism, The Great

Learning, become the starting point of virtuous global change. The Great Learning illustrates within its

verses how, from the individual’s mind, on through the individual’s external behavior and rippling out

toward family, country and the world, virtuous change takes place.51

The internal individual change

eventually affects that “everyone in the world will return to humaneness.”52

This dynamic interpenetrating

effect of the internal on the external, is at the heart of the Confucian ideal of the “sagely within and kingly

without”.

The dual internal and external cultivation of Confucianism creates, for the individual cultivator, an

ideal byproduct known as “sagely within and kingly without.”53

Via a moment to moment and life-long

48

Figure 6. Chinese Calligraphy. Sagely Within and Kingly Without. [Online]. www.sohu.com/a/140360646_738494. 2 November

2017. 49

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [1:2]. 50

Muller, A. Charles. “Tiyong and Interpenetration in the Analects of Confucius: The Sacred as Secular”, Bulletin of Toyo Gakuen

University, March, 2000 (p. 95). 20 October 2017 http://www.acmuller.net/articles/tgu-kiyo-2000-analects.html#_edn2. 51

Legge, James. “The Great Learning”, Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/conf2.htm. 1

November 2017. “The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own

states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated

their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to

be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such

extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.” 52

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [12:1]. 53

Tay, Wei Leong. Kang Youwei, “The Martin Luther of Confucianism and his Vision of Confucian Modernity and Nation”, P.

100, http://utcp.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publications/pdf/UTCPBooklet17_08_Tay.pdf, “In other words, the moral spiritual ideal of a

Confucian consists of attaining “sageliness within and kingliness without.”

Figure 5 Chinese calligraphy of the idiom "Sagely Within and Kingly Without."

endeavoring to reveal and maintain humaneness, and therefore properly perform propriety, the Confucian

cultivator has the same opportunity as anyone to cultivate sage-like qualities within. The opportunity to

cultivate to such a high level is due to humaneness being fundamental to all human beings. In this light

Confucianism’s essential teaching is simple: be a proper human. Though technically simple, to “walk the

walk” of Confucius’s teaching, and practice humaneness impeccably for just one day, is an effort that by no

means is to be underestimated. The arduousness of his teaching is one of which even experienced

practitioners of other philosophies of self-cultivation can appreciate. This is so because, although propriety

in one’s speech and physical behavior is comparatively easy, it is a daunting challenge to fully and

completely maintain, without one wavering moment, humaneness, just in one’s thoughts, for a whole day.

Despite that daunting quality The Great Learning clearly teaches any substantial change to the individual

externally, the so-called “kingly without,” and any substantial change in the world, first starts with a sincere

change to the individual internally.54

As humaneness is increasingly revealed and informs more and more the internal and external

world of the individual “illustrious virtue,” or “明德” is subsequently revealed.55

This virtue, also translated

as “moral force,”56

was considered by Confucius to be bestowed to him by Heaven57

and to him possessed a

force and power of attraction and interpenetration that influenced, among other things, an element of

natural and organic government that inspired obedience, rather than required it:

The Master said: “If you govern with the power of your virtue, you will be like the North Star. It

just stays in its place while all the other stars position themselves around it.”58

This more natural ruling and ordering of society is strikingly akin to the philosophy of Daoism,59

where the absolute Dao, cosmically natural, is expressed in humanity via virtue. The implication is, and to a

degree within Confucius’s thinking and cultivation, that order is not created or governed by humankind per

se, but rather by humaneness-based virtue which can manifest itself to different degrees in different people

depending on the degree of their cultivated “moral force.” Those who manifest it more, and thus have

attained a greater degree the ideal of the “sagely within and kingly without,” naturally draw others to their

cause and use their great humaneness and wisdom to guide and aid others. This might be to guide those

who endeavor to cultivate the power of virtue themselves or aid those who need its help for any part of

government, social, familial and individual human life. In this way, order for humanity is not arbitrarily set

according to selfish human whims, or even instincts for survival, but is realized naturally by aligning itself to

the humaneness-based power of virtue. According to Confucianism it is Heaven that would be governing

humanity, being that the “power of virtue” is sourced from it.

It is possible to respect that one who attained the ideal of the “sagely within and the kingly without”

is worthy of the title of virtue-based virtuoso. To master the subtlety of the ego to reveal humaneness

internally and express it appropriately externally within society, is no small feat of skill and art. Prior to

Confucius’s time those that were revered for this attainment were the sage-kings. It could be that the

“kingly” part of a Confucian cultivator’s ideal was related to these kings and their achievements of

54

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [12:1]. With regards our true understanding and experience of Confucius’s

meaning Muller questions: “For instance, do we really know what it is like to “completely overcome our selfishness” for a full day,

and be perfectly guided by proper action?” Italics for emphasis are Muller’s. Vis a vis the interpenetrating and powerful influence of

an individual he suggests “…that perhaps we do not know the level of spiritual influence that may be brought about by the

actualization of one's inner perfection.” 55

Legge, James. “The Great Learning”. 56

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”. 57

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [7:23] “The Master said: “Heaven gave birth to the virtue within me.” 58

Legge, James. “Confucian Analects”, [2:1]. 59

Muller, A. Charles. “Daode Jing”, [25] [65] [Online]. http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/daodejing.html#div-26 [25] “Human

beings follow the Earth. Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows the Way, The Way follows things as they are.”

cultivation. These kings of yore were said to have received, what Confucianism calls, the Mandate of

Heaven.

The Mandate of Heaven

In ancient Chinese history, farther back and beyond

Confucius’s time, the “power of virtue” sourced from Heaven was a

justification of rulership only given to “sage-kings.” This divine

dictate of authority over ancient Chinese kingdoms was called the

Mandate of Heaven 天命 and it connected those kings to the order

and dictates of heaven.60

Confucius regarded these kings and their

leadership as epitomes of virtue that the rulers of his time should

emulate.61

If discord occurred within government, for example due

to corruption, or within society, for example due to agricultural,

economic or foreign invasion problems, the leadership with the

mandate to rule could be overthrown under the auspices of that

very mandate.62

Throughout imperial China’s series of dynastic rule,

many dynasties rose and fell in relationship to the mandate.

Alternatively, and seemingly auspicious for humankind

today, one foundational Confucian text teaches that the Mandate of Heaven and the fundamental nature of

humankind are one and the same:

“What Heaven has conferred is called The Nature.”63

Like some translators of The Analects, an antiquated assumption has been preserved. This being that true

understanding, attainment or possession of the principles and teachings of Confucianism were only reserved

for imperial and governmental leaders. In other words, society was not only feudal but knowledge and,

more importantly, insight, was too.64

This assumption runs contrary to humans being essentially the same in

the eyes of Confucian philosophy. Due to the inherent existence in all humans of fundamental

humaneness and “nature”65

, and according to the seminal Doctrine of the Mean,66 it follows suit that the

Mandate of Heaven is part and parcel of humanity, accessible by all. Could it be supposed that Confucius’s

own process of setting his life’s purpose on the task of learning (at age 15) and which progressed until his

understanding of the Mandate of Heaven (at age 50),67

was an illustration of the process of cultivation that all

of humanity can, and must, undergo, for the sake of individual and collective harmony? If so, is the utopic

Confucian aim of harmony for all contingent upon all of humanity knowing and attaining this mandate?

The answers are seemingly of secondary importance as Confucius’s own process of learning shows that the

60

Szczepanski, Kallie. "What Is the Mandate of Heaven?" ThoughtCo. [Online]. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-mandate-of-heaven-

195113. 11 November 2017. 61

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects”, [8:19]. 62

Szczepanski, Kallie. "What Is the Mandate of Heaven?" ThoughtCo. 63

Legge, James. “The Doctrine of the Mean”, Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-

texts.com/cfu/conf3.htm. 3 November 2017. 64

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects”, [12:1]. See Muller’s [Comment]. 65

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects”, [17-2]. 66

Figure 7. Painting and Calligraphy by Ji, Zhong Liang. (籍忠亮). The Doctrine of the Mean.

http://jzl.artron.net/works_detail_brt025939300084. 67

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects”, [2-4].

Figure 6 Chinese painting with calligraphy. The large calligraphy means

"The Doctrine of the Mean."

principle teachings of Confucianism were learned and cultivated far before any concern for, or

understanding of, the Mandate of Heaven occurred.

The principle teachings of Confucianism themselves aim to restore the realization of humaneness

as the foundation of harmony amongst humanity. Coinciding with and upon an implicit understanding that

the universe is holographic and interpenetrating, and that all humans are fundamentally good, this internal

foundation of humaneness influences and substantiates the external behavior of propriety. With

increasingly impeccable cultivation individuals can attain internal and external virtue and thus become a

highly-dignified virtuoso who is “sagely within kingly without.” With increasing numbers of people

cultivating in this way proper external social order upon earth, that mirrors Heaven, will manifest itself into

a more harmonious humanity.

How Were the Teachings Incorporated into Chinese Life Both at the Government Level and

Generally Among the People?

The Confucian teachings were incorporated into Chinese life to educate and guide citizens of all

walks of life to create social order and harmony. For this harmonious order to arise the teachings

emphasized personal roles that each person was to fulfill. The roles for the individual were necessarily

dynamic due to the variety of roles each person might have within governmental, professional, familial and

social life. Confucius himself throughout his life filled the roles of son, student, husband, father,

government minister68

and teacher, while of course some were fulfilled simultaneously. Each role at

different times, and in relation to different people, had different duties, yet generally speaking according a

hierarchical order respect was given “up” to elders, heads of family and government leadership while

benevolence was given “down” to youth, other family members and those in service to the state. For the

individual Confucian, Confucian families and, for example, for the Han and Tang imperial governments

that officially sanctioned Confucianism69

, the daily fulfillment of these roles was a life-long effort to express

humaneness through the practice of propriety and other Confucian virtues in order to bolster social order

and harmony.

Specifically, for government and its appropriate functioning, Confucianism taught of how the roles

of governing and their mutual relationships were to be performed. In The Analects [12:11], Confucius lays

out to the duke of the kingdom of Qi in the simplest of form the simplicity involved in governing if persons

take their proper positions: “There is government, when the prince is prince, and the minister is minister…”

At the time Confucius had been invited to the neighboring kingdom of Qi to consult for the duke and after

viewing the situation in the kingdom he offered the above solution to the glaring problem of wealthy

ministers in the imperial government usurping power from the duke, thus destabilizing the kingdom. The

duke unsurprisingly appreciated this advice yet was unable to take it. From this interaction, particularly in

what Confucius said following his ordering of “prince” and “minister,” we can see the unique wisdom

particular to Confucianism’s approach to governing wherein that order can only result “…when the father is

father, and the son is son.” Proper government starts at home and its basis is filial piety. Mencius detailed a

bit more:

“Between father and son, there should be affection; between sovereign and minister, righteousness; between

husband and wife, attention to their separate functions; between old and young, a proper order; and

between friends, fidelity.”70

For Confucius and Mencius, sincere respect, and thus that for government, did not start once appointment

within the governing body was given, but was embodied first by the parents, who internally and externally

cultivated their power of virtue which then “spoke louder than words” and impressed a virtuous education

upon their children. Their children, growing within humane and virtuous home environments, in

68

Confucius. [Political Career]. Wikipedia. (Last edited on 6 November 2017). [Online].

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius#cite_ref-dubs49-275-6_25-0. 11 November 2017. 69

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”, http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/#H8. 70

Legge, James. “Mencius”, [4], Chinese Text Project, [Online]. http://ctext.org/mengzi/teng-wen-gong-i.11 November 2017.

adulthood would rise to positions of power yet retain that virtue and emulated by their forebears and

express it properly in their roles in government.71

This virtue-based order, and respect for the governmental and familial hierarchy it engendered,

did not presume total obedience by those of “lower” position or age. Disagreements or suggestions that

either the “ministers” had for the ruling “prince,” or the “son” for the “father,” were to be dutifully given,

but with the utmost respect72

and care.73

In return, those disagreements or suggestions were to be heard,

considered, accepted and/or denied with humaneness74

and without any selfish or temperamental wielding

of power or empty gestures that might erode mutual respect and harmony.

What can be extracted from the above, and which can’t be understated, is the integral part filial

piety plays in the creation of the Confucian ideal of social harmony. Though China’s long and rich history

has had no shortage of philosophies and religious systems, filial piety has largely been a unifying thread.

Due to its fundamental position in Confucian philosophy it has either reared its head in popularity and

prominence or remain hidden yet influential in popular neglect. It found unique expression, especially in

Xunzi’s time75

, in the custom of 25 months of ritualized mourning that was to be done by descendants

following the death of a parent or grandparent.76

In the Ming dynasty sons that fulfilled this filial mourning

were looked favorably upon by the imperial government and were deemed good candidates to become

ministers as their filial piety was perceived as precursor to loyalty.77

The prevalence of filial piety, and the Confucian teachings in general, throughout a great part of

Chinese history, is due to its inclusion in ancient Chinese education. During the Han dynasty the “Five

Classics”78

were established as required curriculum for the imperial service examinations which were equally

required for anyone seeking an imperial position. Up until more modern times this style of imperial

examination was still being taken by citizens seeking official positions albeit in different form due to the

reformations of the exams by the Confucian scholar Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty. The reformed exams

notably included The Analects, one of the “Four Books” of Confucianism.79

Confucian moral education

found need to educate the principles of filial piety, as well as other virtues, outside of the more well-known

texts and imperial exam curriculum, particularly for children. This inspired the creation of texts for early

and elementary education. One such text was the Song dynasty’s creation Three Character Classic.80 This

71

Sarah Schneewind, Review of Norman Kutcher’s “Mourning in Late Imperial China: Filial Piety and the State”. Ming Studies, 45-

46, pp. 170-173. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1179/014703701788763143?needAccess=true. 15 October 2017. 72

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects of Confucius”, [4:18]. 73

Legge, James. “Mencius”, Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/menc/menc16.htm. 1

November 2017. “To urge one another to what is good by reproofs is the way of friends. But such urging between father and son is

the greatest injury to the kindness, which should prevail between them.” 74

Legge, James. “The Li Ki” (The Book of Rites) [2:19] Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-

texts.com/cfu/liki/liki07.htm. 1 November 2-017. “What are 'the things which men consider right?' Kindness on the part of the

father, and filial duty on that of the son; gentleness on the part of the elder brother, and obedience on that of the younger;

righteousness on the part of the husband, and submission on that of the wife; kindness on the part of elders, and deference on that

of juniors; with benevolence on the part of the ruler, and loyalty on that of the minister;--these ten are the things which -men

consider to be right.” 75

Robins, Dan. "Xunzi", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Archive. Xunzi’s lifetime was during Warring States period (479–221

B.C.E.). 76

Hagen, Kurtis. “Xunzi and the Nature of Confucian Ritual”, Journal of the American Academy of Religion. 71.2: 371-403.

http://www.academicroom.com/article/xunzi-and-nature-confucian-ritual. 1 November 2017. “The “three-year” mourning period

was really twenty-five months, that is, into the third year.” 77

Sarah Schneewind, Review of Norman Kutcher’s “Mourning in Late Imperial China: Filial Piety and the State”. Ming Studies. 78

Hare, John Bruno. Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010, [Online]. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/index.htm#fivecla. 1 November

2017. The Five Classics of Confucianism: The Book of Historical Records, The Book of Odes, The Book of Changes, The Book

of Rites I and II. 79

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”, http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/#H8. 80

San Zi Jing: Three-Character Classic: A Confucian Roadmap for Kids. Yellowbridge. [Online].

https://www.yellowbridge.com/onlinelit/sanzijing.php. 1 November 2017.

text, along with the Hundred Family Surnames and Thousand Character Classic, formed a trinity of

educational texts known as the San Bai Qian and were seminal in ancient Chinese elementary education.81

The simpler form of the texts allowed for learning of language and history as well as expounding and

impressing the Confucian moral principles to young learners. In effect this would aid in the students moral

and intellectual growth so as allow them to be beneficial and effective parts of family, society and

government.

With regards to the incorporation of Confucian rites within

common society one fine example was the rite of revering and

worshiping “Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Ancestors, and Master.”82

This

rite was greatly impressed into the Chinese culture by Xunzi during the

Warring States period, and though mainstream use appeared in the

Ming dynasty, the prevalence of this particular rite was later encouraged

probably by the political motivations of the Qing imperial leadership.83

The practice of the rite focused on five fundamental sources

of human life or heaven, the earth, the country and its leadership, family

and teachers. Traditionally, each of the five entities had one

representative Chinese character that was either carved in wood on a

tablet, or written in calligraphy on paper, and was presented vertically

with Heaven at the top.84

The tablet or calligraphy was then set in an

appropriate place in the home and given reverence through rites of

incense and other offerings. The order of these five entities provided a

symbolic totem of hierarchal order. Together they represented a

quintessential organization of the entities that allowed the existence and

succession of human life. For Xunzi they were the very source of

propriety and ritual.85

Confucianism definitely had its ups and downs as it fell out of favor with imperial leadership at

certain times, was cut down like timber during the Cultural Revolution and was intermittently surpassed in

practice and popularity by Daoism and Buddhism. Regardless its principles proved to have stamina and

were revered, studied, practiced, and employed regularly within governments and society throughout

Chinese history. Propriety and filial piety notably helped it make unique marks among the philosophies of

China. Its incorporation into government and society via imperial examinations, elementary education and

its principled and ritualized use within the home ensured continuous expansion of Confucianism’s

influence. It brought clarity to individual roles in Chinese life. It founded within Chinese history a deep

reverence for human life, its sources and its affairs. All of which helped Confucianism establish itself

culturally on such a level that it is still making impressions on Chinese government, society and family

today.

81

Three Character Classic. Wikipedia. (Last edited on 17 November 2017). [Online].

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Character_Classic. Accessed 1 November 2017. 82

Jo¨el Thoraval. Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Ancestors, Masters: Some Remarks on the PoliticoReligious in China Today. 2016.

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/47331814.pdf, 20 October 2017. 83

Jo¨el Thoraval. Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Ancestors, Masters: Some Remarks on the PoliticoReligious in China Today. P.7. 84

Figure 6. CRI Online. [Online]. 9 November 2008. “Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Ancestors, and Master” Memorial Tablet.

http://gb.cri.cn/1321/2008/09/11/661s2238448.htm 85

Xunzi: On Propriety. “Propriety has three sources: Heaven and Earth are the source of life. Ancestors are the source of

humanity. The Sovereign and the Masters are the source of rule.” 荀子：禮論 “禮有三本：天地者，生之本也；先祖者，類之

本也；君師者，治之本也.” My own English translation. http://ctext.org/xunzi/li-lun.

Figure 7 Traditional wooden tablet carved and painted with, from the top,

the Chinese characters for Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Ancestors, Family.

To What Extent, if any, Is Confucianism Still Important Today?

Today in China, Confucianism falls under the umbrella term Traditional Chinese Culture. For a

country with purportedly 5,000 years of history and culture under its belt that is a lot of culture. In recent

years, and especially since the ascendance of Xi Jin Ping to the presidency, China’s traditional culture’s

prevalence, popularity and influence have grown quite rapidly.86

Prior to Xi’s presidency officially and non-

official the traditional culture was still radiating its effect. Officially sanctioned Confucius Institutes87

had

already been well established around the world promoting Mandarin language learning and Chinese culture,

albeit as an avenue to expand China’s soft power. Within China, especially on the grass root level, pockets

of traditional culture in various manifestations were always present to a degree. Traditional Chinese

medicine clinics, Beijing opera plays at senior citizen associations, groups of tai ji quan practitioners at a

park, Buddhist temples, calligraphy, tea etc. could be found without too much effort. These for the most

part went largely unnoticed as the government, and thus most of mainstream Chinese society, were still

immersed in the opening up of China economically and culturally.

While still under the previous president Hu Jin Tao there was a strong collective inclination

within China to learn from non-Chinese cultures. It was Wen Jia Bao, the premiere under Hu, who made

national headlines for his reading of and respect for the philosophical musings of Marcus Aurelius’

“Meditations.”88

Could it be that the attention the former premiere brought to this text and its musing on

philosophy and morality brought more Chinese, including the following president, around to the moral

systems already imbued in their own culture? Did modern Chinese intellectuals after immersing in the

values and ideals of western culture have a happenchance meeting with a fellow countryman who posited

alternatives sourced right from their own country? Could it be that though the western philosophical

traditions were enlightening to post opening-up China’s citizens, they didn’t sufficiently answer questions

whose answers came aplenty from Chinese philosophy? At any rate the trend towards a more Chinese

influenced development of China’s modern culture has been evident in the last four to five years.

Evidence of this has come by none other than the selected ideas used by, and subsequently made

popular by, another politician. This time it has been Xi and the version of the governing party under him

bring ancient values back to the forefront of Chinese government and society.89

Due to the Chinese

president national spotlight was placed on the Confucian thinker and writer Wang Yang Ming after multiple

uses of this thinker’s ideas found way into Xi’s speeches and talks. One prominent idea heralded by Xi was

an idiom meaning “the unity of knowledge and action.”90

For Wang Yang Ming the meaning of the first

86

(25 September 2014). China commemorates Confucius with high-profile ceremony. China Today. [Online].

http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/english/news/2014-09/25/content_641732.htm. [12 November 2017]. 87

Confucius Institute Online. http://www.chinesecio.com/ 88

Zhu, Linyong. (28 November 2008). Reading on High. China Daily. [Online]. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-

11/28/content_7251268.htm. [20 October 2017]. 89

Du, Yinshan. (19 April 2014). 知行合一王阳明(Knowledge as Action-Wang Yang Ming). Bai Du Bai Ke. [Online].

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%9F%A5%E8%A1%8C%E5%90%88%E4%B8%80%E7%8E%8B%E9%98%B3%E6%98%8E/163

31173?fr=aladdin. [22 October 2017]. 90

Wang Yang Ming. Wikipedia. [Online]. (Last edited on 18 October 2017).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Yangming#Knowledge_as_action. [22 October 2017].

character of the Chinese “知” meant more than just the common meanings of “to know” or “knowledge,”

going deeper philosophically into meaning “innate knowing.”91

For the Chinese president the idiom has been used many times over the years internationally and

domestically. In the foreign diplomatic arena it appeared in his essay published in the French publication

Le Figaro, in 2014.92

Noticeably without either a direct or indirect connection to Wang’s “innate knowing,”

Xi emphasized the fusion of thought and action in diplomatic partnership.93

Domestically, he employed the

idiom slash political slogan to instruct his political party members in the promotion of party ideals in

Shanghai in 2014, saying there should be “unity of knowledge and action and action speaks louder than

words.”94

How much the Chinese leader understands personally about the Neo-Confucian philosopher’s

ideas, and how much they can actually mesh with political ideology and social norms, is still unclear. It is of

course a particular challenge when “innate knowing,” for example, is as tangible as it is governable and a

virtue-based virtuoso is not always aligned with political correctness. It might be that throughout Chinese

history, which has already shown multiple times that the country’s ruling elite will employ Confucianism as a

platform and justification for their own ruling and/or policies,95

the rise and fall of the use of Confucianism is

due to the intangible ideals inherent in the philosophy which aren’t always attainable by those in the highest

seats of office.

Regardless of the potential for another decline in popularity and use of Confucianism, across

society there has still been an up swell of interest in it, particularly in education. Getting a nod from the

central government, and a visit from the president in 2013, one such example is a leadership academy

where government officials are taught Confucian morality.96

Another part of that up swell, also in lieu of

government policy change, is the increase in traditional Chinese content in official textbooks from 30% to

50%.97

In the private education sector there has been an eruption of schools now focusing on teaching

traditional culture or “Guo Xue”98

which often use the classical Confucian texts as a major part of the

curriculum.

The growth in interest in the ancient culture is part of a response and solution to a collective

introspection and discussion sparked by modern social problems. Environmental and food safety concerns

have long been topics causing frustration and sadness, increased also by their international reputation.

Economic development has helped many abundantly meet their material needs causing the very pursuit of

material-based happiness to also be questioned. These issues are all topped off by the increase in

nationwide obesity,99

amongst other numerous modern health problems hampering the red and gold

91

Wang Yang Ming. Wikipedia. [Online]. (Last edited on 18 October 2017).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Yangming#Innate_knowing. [22 October 2017]. “…Wang Yangming developed the idea of

innate knowing, arguing that every person knows from birth the difference between good and evil.” 92

Special Friends, Win-Win Partners. China Daily. [Online]. (27 March 2014)

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2014xivisiteu/2014-03/27/content_17381756.htm. (22 October 2017). 93

Special Friends, Win-Win Partners. China Daily. [Online]. 94

习近平在上海考察(Xi Jin Ping Checking Up on Shanghai). People. [Online]. (24 May 2014).

http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0524/c1001-25060582.html. (22 October 2017). “贵在坚持知行合一、坚持行胜于言.” My

own translation to the Chinese is: “Pursuing “knowledge as action” is paramount, persistence speaks louder than words.” 95

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”, http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/#H8 96

China Focus: CPC Revitalizes Confucianism for Public, Official Education. Xinhua Net. [Online]. 28 September 2017.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/28/c_136645600.htm (22 October 2017). 97

Yu, Ran. When Everything Old Seems to be Gold. China Daily USA. [Online]. 9 September 2016.

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2016-09/09/content_26749926.htm. (22 October 2017). 98

Yu, Ran. When Everything Old Seems to be Gold. China Daily USA. [Online]. “…traditional Chinese culture, or guoxue, refers

to any field of studies that is traditional and native to China, be it Confucianism, Taoism, historical writings, ancient poems,

traditional Chinese paintings and traditional Chinese medicine.” 99

Patterson, Sky. Obesity in China: Waistlines are Expanding Twice as Fast as GDP. US-China Today. [Online]. 4 August 2011.

http://uschina.usc.edu/article@usct?obesity_in_china_waistlines_are_expanding_twice_as_fast_as_gdp_16595.aspx. 11 November

2017.

dragon. Coincidentally, and/or fortunately, the modern Chinese search for solutions to support their

economic development has found that its own ancient culture may be replete with health, education, moral

and, such as Confucian, philosophical solutions.

For some older generations Confucian education being reintroduced and utilized makes perfect

sense100

while for others it has met with hesitancy as some are skeptic about China closing up again and thus

falling behind the world.101

Yet for now the positive uptick in moral behavior in some children, due to their

attendance in classes at schools teaching traditional culture, is enough for parents to allow this “new” style of

education some space to grow. When these parents see the education of “respect for elders” in action102

they can breathe a sigh of relief as still fresh on some minds are the “little emperor”103

days of the now no

longer used “one child policy.” The single child, spoiled like royalty as six raised one, has resulted in,

among other things, self-centered people often lacking basic respect for elders.104

Ultimately just how much Confucian-influenced education will benefit China in the short term,

and just how sustainable any benefits will be in the long term, is still unclear. Parts of China, like urban

centers such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, have developed into international business and cultural centers.

Scientific and technological innovation, business and financial acumen, popular international trends in art

and music etc. are highlighted over filial piety, propriety and other traditional Confucian virtues that are

easily perceived as culturally regressive, as the undeveloped China of recent past is still too fresh in people’s

minds.105

There might though be a place found in the minds and hearts of the modern Chinese for

Confucianism due to arising issues of modern development. Two particular issues, urbanization and

materialism, have thinned the fabric of family and community. This has helped spark a religious revival

currently underway in China.106

Daoism and Christianity, along with Buddhism, are all growing under the

auspices, and control, of the central government, with President Xi even speaking about Chinese Buddhism

with notable favorability.107

There are schools too that are bridging some of the best of eastern and western

education which might assuage concerns for modern-minded parents wary of cultural regression. One

example is Real Oriental Education, a private early and primary education school headquartered in the

capital city of Fujian province, Fuzhou. Here they juxtapose traditional Confucian education in Chinese

with English language learning through the recitation and study of famous western classics. Additionally,

development of student creativity and innovation, via non-Chinese traditional methods, are emphasized in

coursework.108

For the time being Confucianism is on the rise within China’s government and society. It might

also be enjoying another ride upon the rising slope of another potential cycle of rise and decline that it’s

undergone throughout China’s long history. How long the current up swell will last isn’t clear now, as it still

100

Wee, Teo Cheng. China's Young Return to Confucian Roots. The Straits Times. [Online]. 21 November 2015.

http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/chinas-young-return-to-confucian-roots. 22 October 2017. 101

Wee, Teo Cheng. China's Young Return to Confucian Roots. The Straits Times. [Online]. 102

Wee, Teo Cheng. China's Young Return to Confucian Roots. The Straits Times. [Online]. 103

Little Emperor Syndrome. Wikipedia. [Online]. (Last edited on 24 May 2017).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Emperor_Syndrome. 11 November 2017 104

Healy, Melissa. China's 'Little Emperor' generation fits stereotypes, study finds. Los Angeles Times. [Online]. 11 January 2013.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/11/science/la-sci-china-little-emperors-20130111. 11 November 2017. 105

Wee, Teo Cheng. China's Young Return to Confucian Roots. The Straits Times. [Online]. 106

Wang, Will. China Expert Sees Religious Revival. Yale Daily News. [Online]. 24 October 2017.

https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/10/24/china-expert-sees-religious-revival/. 1 November 2017. 107

Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China At UNESCO Headquarters. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

of the People’s Republic of China. [Online]. 28 March 2014.

http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/zyjh_665391/t1142560.shtml. 1 November 2017. 108

Real Oriental Education. http://www.zdfedu.com/aboutInfo.aspx?TypeId=10438.

must, in part, conform to the agendas of government.109

Unclear is if the rise ends will there be a plateauing

interest following, or just a precipitous drop off akin to the late 191960’s early 70’s cultural revolution. That

all possibly depends on the sincerity with which it is employed by leadership, society in general, families and

individuals alike. Its increase in popularity comes at an important time when modern Chinese society

needs a virtuous foundation upon which to continue their growth in a healthy and harmonious manner.

May the modern Confucian revival really take hold. If a customer can walk into a fresh food market, get

the price of a kilogram of carrots from a seller, and experience not the least bit of distrust as to whether or

not the price is fair, well then, the Confucian revival just might have taken hold.

109

Lesley, Allison. Xi Jinping Urges Chinese Religions to Resist Foreign Influence. World Religion News. [Online]. 26 May 2015.

http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/christianity/xi-jinping-urges-chinese-religions-to-resist-foreign-influence. 11

November 2017.

What Surprising Thing Did I Learn That I Didn’t Know Before?

There were fortunately quite a few new things that struck me as surprising. On a milder level of

surprise, the western usage of the name “Confucius” is sourced to the Latinization of the Chinese “Kong Fu

Zi” by Jesuit missionaries.110

On a bit of a stronger level I was struck by the discovery that the Chinese term

“dao chang,”111

a large place for religious study, ritual and practice, which I had seen so often used by

Daoism and Chinese Buddhism, was also used as a Confucian term.112

Even more striking was that not only

was there a myth created and passed down about Confucius in early Chinese history, but that myth has two

stories mirroring a story each found within Buddhism and Christianity. The first is nearly identical to the

Buddhist story of the birth of the most recent Buddha. It tells of Confucius’s own birth where his body was

said to bear the extraordinary markings of one who was destined for abnormal greatness in life, just as the

story of Shakyamuni Buddha.113

The second eye-opening similarity, this time in parallel to the story of the

Resurrection of Jesus in the Christian tradition, was the mythification that Confucius appeared and taught

again to his students after his death.114

Despite the stark impressions given me by the above examples it actually was the Confucian

principle of the Rectification of Names that surprised me the most.115

Just by being new it stood out but it

was also more striking because it fit right in as a possibility of something that could help me better deal with

a continual effort that I have been making for many years: bridging gaps between people and cultures with

different thought, moral and value systems that actually have amazing and, often, very fundamental

similarities. To bridge these gaps, correct terminology and definitions are essential for clarity, and thus

understanding, which aids in connecting and harmonizing different, and apparently, conflicting systems. My

personal take is that this is increasingly important in an increasingly globalized world.

Specifically, for Confucianism the purpose of the Rectification of Names was to label individual

positions and roles in government, society and family in a proper way. Proper being that which at once

could best express humaneness and allow the best performance of propriety which would then create and

support holistic harmony throughout humanity.116

Clear and, more importantly, “right” naming was essential

for proper understanding and fulfillment of roles and duties throughout society. “Right” in the Confucian

sense refers to “morally upright” which is sought after for the state of affairs in government and society, and

is importantly aided by proper “names.”

110

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”, http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/#H8 111

Dao Chang (Ashram). Baidu Baike. [Online]. https://baike.baidu.com/item/道场/2547584?fr=aladdin. (25 September 2017).

“佛、道二教诵经、礼拜、修道的场所.” “A place of sutra chanting, ritual prostration and practice of the Way for Buddhists and

Daoists.” (My translation). 112

Dao Chang Xin Wen (Ashram News). Kong Sheng Tang. [Online]. http://www.kongshengtang.org/News/index96.html. (11

November 2017). 113

Kohn, Sherab Chodzin. 1994. The Awakened One: A Life of the Buddha. Massachusetts. Shambala Publications. p. 4-5. 114

Richey, Jeff. “Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)”, http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/#H8 115

Robins, Dan, "Xunzi", 9. Philosophy of Language, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 116

Rectification of Names. Wikipedia. [Online]. (Last edited on 16 October 2017).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectification_of_names. 7 November 2013.

To attain an “upright,” moral and subsequent harmonious state a

look can be taken at the Chinese word for Rectification of Names, “正

名.” The first character “正,” or “upright; correct,” could be providing

a symbolic lesson and approach. This one character contains the

three characters 下 (down), 上 (up), and 止 (to stop). Noticeably,

“down” is atop “up” denoting an “upside-down” condition. Bringing

to mind again Confucius’s suggestion to the Duke of Qi that if princes

and ministers, and fathers and sons, are in their correct position, then

government can take place.117

If instead ministers are condensing

power and wealth to effectively replace the prince then, according to

Confucianism, roles are upside-down, and government and social

harmony is impossible. Therefore, an external correction to this

situation was proposed in the form of the Rectification of Names.

For a possible further clue into how to reverse this condition,

through what appears to be an internal “stopping,” we can look to a

verse from The Great Learning. “When you know where to stop, you

have stability.”118

Legge translates stop as rest.119

This resting, is not in

terms of relaxation but instead is the mind’s return to its rightful place

and divine nature.120

Once this is accomplished then naturally follows

the taming of the notorious “monkey mind,”121

a term more common

to Buddhism,122

and subsequent internal immovability from that place. The Great learning continues on later in the text to describe the

subsequent step by step process of internal self-cultivation

interpenetrating and benefiting the external world.123

Through the discovery of The Rectification of Names another

external approach to accompany the paramount internal cultivation

was found. It provided a degree more clarity how Confucianism

aimed for collective harmony while providing a platform for

117

Muller, A. Charles. “The Analects”, [12-1]. 118

Muller, Charles A. “The Great Learning”, Resources for East Asian Language and Thought, 4 July 2013,

http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/greatlearning.html. 119

Legge, James. “The Great Learning”, Internet Sacred Text Archive, 2010. Interestingly, both in Muller’s and Legge’s translation,

there is suggestion of a place or location where stopping/resting is to take place. See footnote 42 above for citation of Legge’s

translation. 120

(No Compiler or Editor Given). June 2006. New and Simplified Commentary on The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the

Mean. 学庸浅言新注. Taiwan, Taipei. Zheng Yi Shan Shu Publishing. Page 7: “But initially for those who desire to learn the

practice of the Great Learning, knowing what place the mind should rest in is needed. It’s called resting in the heavenly nature.”

“然初步欲学大学之功。须先心知止於何处。曰止於性天也.” (My own translation). 121

Ibid., "Heart like a frisky monkey, mind like a cantering horse." “心猿意马.” See Figure 7 By Chinese painter of the 10th century

- The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA

Publishing GmbH., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149254 122

Mind Monkey. Wikipedia. [Online]. (Last edited on 12 June 2017). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_monkey. Accessed 7

November 2017. 123

Muller, Charles A. “The Great Learning”, “The ancients who wanted to manifest their bright virtue to all in the world first

governed well their own states. Wanting to govern well their states, they first harmonized their own clans. Wanting to harmonize

their own clan, they first cultivated themselves. Wanting to cultivate themselves, they first corrected their minds. Wanting to

correct their minds, they first made their wills sincere. Wanting to make their wills sincere, they first extended their knowledge.

Extension of knowledge consists of the investigation of things. When things are investigated, knowledge is extended. When

knowledge is extended, the will becomes sincere. When the will is sincere, the mind is correct. When the mind is correct, the self

is cultivated. When the self is cultivated, the clan is harmonized. When the clan is harmonized, the country is well governed.

When the country is well governed, there will be peace throughout the land.”

Figure 8 Chinese painting depicting the Chinese idiom "heart like a frisky monkey,

mind like a cantering horse."

discovering modern day solutions to issues of today. There is no illusion that the attainment of a holistic

and utopic order is something I will see in my lifetime, or humanity will see in the next many generations to

come. In this age of mass information where mass expression of information via social networking is

fostering moral relativity and truth and fact increasingly elusive. Resulting amongst this blurred effluvium of

information and opinion is confusion, which at best is discordant, at worst violently conflictive. It is now a

time when level-headed dialogue about the myriad issues facing the human community is necessary, locally

to globally, to find substantial solutions for an increasingly globalized cross-cultural human community. The

principled platform the Rectification of Names provides struck me as a place to start on the external level

for bridging the terms and meanings of diverse moral and value systems.

In the last three years as a teacher in China, for whatever subject taught, I have been laying the

groundwork of a clearer understanding and awareness around the term and topic of “love.” In the early

phase of a course with new groups of students I endeavor to impress as deeply as possible the “names,” or

attributes, that fundamentally are hard to be without if anything is to truly be called a thought, word or

action of “love.” My experience as a student and teacher have shown me that a learning environment is

much more effective when teacher and students are aware of and embody said attributes. To clarify, those

attributes are honesty, kindness, caring, trust, respect, helping and warmth. Whether it be love of the

universe (or Heaven), the earth, one’s country, leaders, family, friends or spouses etc., expressions of those

forms of love all contain one or more of the above seven. In fact, if anything is called “love,” yet completely

lacks all of those seven qualities question of its authenticity is immediate, implying the seven attributes are

basic to the myriad expressions of love, and so they are called collectively Basic Human Love.

Basic Human Love (BHL) provides a clear and simple system of naming and labeling that

provides clear awareness to individuals about personal thought, word and action. On another level the

clarity and simplification provided by this system of naming offers a platform from which productive

communication and collaboration between people can take place. Without honesty, mutual respect and

trust, and the willingness to help and be helped, the necessary bridges that are needed between people,

cultures and countries will all eventually be hindered, or even start in conflict.

Some have and will say that BHL is an oversimplification and constraining while actually

achieving mutual agreement among different groups of people on the “names” or attributes of anything is a

monumentally difficult, if not impossible, undertaking. With regards to the simplicity of BHL, I suggest

with further study, practice of and reflection on it, insight can be attained as to its validity. On a global and

social level though, simplicity is a must, especially in this day in age, with the ever-growing complexity of

globalized life, mass amounts of information, the interconnectivity via the internet, ease of global travel, and

inter-cultural business, marriage and community etc. All of this in combination with the blurring of family

and social roles, and even genders, the need for a correct and simplified system of “naming” can be very

useful in preserving what little harmony remains today, and even increase it going into the future.

The USA and Europe with their current cross-cultural issues, and China with its continuing issue

of applying harmoniously its ancient and modern culture, all have examples of groups positioning

themselves to preserve their own dignity. Increasingly so, arriving at an agreement of “names” on a wide

variety of issues is supremely complex and difficult, which necessitates a shift of focus from butting heads on

the details of the differences between groups towards achieving agreement on more fundamental issues of

humanity. One approach to this may be that we can look towards Confucianism’s principle of humaneness as that fundamental quality of humanity that unites us all, and look towards Basic Human Love as part of a

clear system of “naming” and expressing that fundamental quality. With more people refining their internal

“sage” and being “kingly” to others, in the Confucian sense, then humanity might be able to reach the point

where important topics can be discussed with level-headed objectivity and respect in order to discern the

best way forward.

So, it was, that I was struck with subtle lightning by the principle of the Rectification of Names in

my research and study for this essay. The resulting surprise became touched with clarity as some conscious,

and previously unconscious, ideas became clearer as I wrote. I look forward to any and all synchronistic

study, practice and reflection that might occur in the future that will further develop and refine these ideas

and their application.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my respect has deepened greatly for Confucianism due to the writing of this essay.

Specifically, for the depth and breadth of its philosophical principles, its sustainability through the roller-

coaster trials of application and neglect, its current proliferation in modern China and the viability of its

inclusion as a solution for modern problems facing all of humanity today. With regards to any substantial

and sustainable solution for those problems my personal conclusion is that sincerity124

must be at the core of

any Confucian-inspired solution and is required for the Confucian virtuoso. It is no small act of skill and art

to moment to moment, word upon word, and action upon action engender and embody sincerity. Herein

lies the potential of the virtuoso, and so the necessity of internal and external self-cultivation.

Self-cultivation, for the Confucian, is the meaning of “learning.”125

It is a process of revelation

rather than accumulation. Mencius’s words reverberate the profundity of this idea when he said “True

learning is going after the stray heart,”126

alluding to the inseparability of learning from the understanding of

oneself and the taming of one’s monkey mind.127

In light of the Confucian principle of “innate knowing,”128

when the mind is tamed there is a wealth of “knowing” naturally present. Confucius himself in The Analects [15:3] said “The answer is no,” when telling a student that his own knowledge and mastery of

philosophical principles came by virtue of study and memorization of texts only, going on to say “I

penetrate all with one.” Echoes reverberate with the original sage of Daoism, Lao Zi, who suggested the

very same about “knowing” when he said “Without going out the door, knowing everything, without

peeking out the window shades, seeing the Way of Heaven.”129

Humaneness is part and parcel of “innate knowing.” From this well of humaneness sincerity is

inspired which brings the substantial nucleus to all other Confucian virtues. The revelation of humaneness,

and its continuous sincere expression, takes great technical skill that produces an interpenetrating130

and

holistic effect. For a student and practitioner of Confucianism, who may ascend virtuous skill to a level of

artistry and affect profound benefit, this very well might be the type of virtuoso needed today.

124

Muller, A. Charles. “Tiyong and Interpenetration in the Analects of Confucius: The Sacred as Secular”, Bulletin of Toyo Gakuen University, March, 2000 (p. 94). 125

Muller, A. Charles. “Tiyong and Interpenetration in the Analects of Confucius: The Sacred as Secular” (p.105). “This is, indeed,

the very essence of the Confucian notion of xue (學), as it is to be measured not as accumulation of factual knowledge, but as the

extent of the process of self-transformation.” 126

Muller, A. Charles. “Mencius (Selections)” [6A:11] Mencius said, “Humaneness is the mind of human beings. Fairness is their

path. To abandon the path and not follow it, or to lose the mind and not know enough to seek it: this is a pity indeed! When people

lose their chickens and dogs, they know enough to look for them, but when they lose their mind, they do not know enough to seek

it. The way of study and inquiry is none other than the search for the lost mind.” 127

See footnote 112 128

“…Wang Yangming developed the idea of innate knowing, arguing that every person knows from birth the difference between

good and evil.” Footnote 81 129

Muller, A. Charles. “Daode Jing”, [47]. 130

Refer to “Interpenetration” in the “What are some of the principle teachings of Confucianism?” section of this essay.