Analects of Confucius

[nanema]

I haven't read the Analects of Confucius; can someone tell me a little about them? All I know about Confucianism is what I read from the Zhuangzi and the Liezi...so, now I don't know what to think about Confucianism...Isn't there a lot of ritualism or something? Like you have to mourn the death of a dead family member for exactly four years after they died? Which is ridiculous, imo.

 

Also, I read this article by Robert Anton Wilson (http://www.deepleafproductions.com/wilsonlibrary/texts/raw-taojoyce.html - and this was before he took psychedelic mushrooms and got into Crowley) and he was saying that there's a chapter in the Analects about how the Taoists are crazy and that that chapter was written by a Taoist - what chapter is that? And what would a Taoist be doing writing in the Analects of Confucius?

 

 

But, then again, why would a Taoist do anything? Tao only knows (ha - get it!)...

[Marblehead]

Hi Nanema,

 

I can't present anything direct regarding Confucius, as it has been a long time since I read any of his works, but there is a lot of wisdom in his writings, especially regarding social order.

 

Reading him is not anything necessary for a Taoist but it does give the reader a fuller understanding of Chinese thought and culture.

 

Happy Trails!

[Yoda]

nanema,

 

Great idea for the book club!

 

A friend of mine on another thread said that Confucianism is more interested in maintaining excellent virtue without as much emphasis on internal cultivation to support it so is simpler than Taoism in a way but more challenging in another.

 

Thanks for bringing up the 4 year thing... It is a part of Taoism as well. Per Taoist theory, the recently departed need time to make their transition to the yin dimension and like to be with their yang family members. The need for this connection lessens with time and I'm sure varies tremendously per individual.

 

So during the mourning period, it is best to be as ethical, happy (but not manic), clean lifestyle, and as positive in talk and thought as possible. It can be a time of reduced luck and happiness for the yang relatives as they are carrying a bigger energetic load than normal so anything that can help the transition process is a plus.

 

Death of a friend is similar but on a smaller scale.

 

your pal,

Yoda

 

here's a Confucius pdf: http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Lunyu&no=1

[Marblehead]

Interesting too that just last night I watched a 30 minute documentary on the Festival Of The Dead held annually in some parts of Mexico by the Mayan people. Their fesival is held for direct ancestors of the family and it continues throughout the life of the people.

 

Happy Trails!

[Ninpo-me-this-ninjutsu-me-that]

Interesting too that just last night I watched a 30 minute documentary on the Festival Of The Dead held annually in some parts of Mexico by the Mayan people. Their fesival is held for direct ancestors of the family and it continues throughout the life of the people.

 

Happy Trails!

 

The Chinese have one every year too called 'Qing Ming Jie', they translate it something like 'tomb sweeping day', I've never been too sure of the translation to be honest, but most foreigners call it 'Day for the dead', it's really funny when Chinese students get their translations mixed up and call it 'Day Of The Dead' hahaha, just like the crummy horror film!

[steve]

My (very limited) understanding is that Confucianism and Daoism are inseparably mixed into Chinese culture. Many of the traditions intertwine. I've read somewhere that Confucius addresses more of the social and familial conventions whereas Daoism was directed to a large degree at political and spiritual matters and this has been verified by my teacher who is Chinese and Daoist. I think this a gross oversimplification but the two disciplines are by no means mutually exclusive.

Edited October 17, 2009 by steve f

[~jK~]

In Confucious time, China needed most what he focused on: order.

 

Tao = all that there is AKA the universe.

Tao of Confucious = China's social repair mechanic.

Tao of Buddha = China's meditation and mental health clinic.

Tao = The Way = the Scientific approach to analyzing the situation

An interesting point is that Confucious was the father of modern western science.

Confucious used the dialectical approach of Yin & Yang Dualism to express and define his ideas.

http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?id=2176

Even today the easiest way to understand chemisty is through the valance approach of positive & negative balance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valence_(chemistry)

 

From:

http://www.vibrationdata.com/tao.htm

TAOISM AND CONFUCIUS

Taoist authors often poke fun at Confucius.

Confucius valued duty and morality. Confucius was concerned with a very deliberate effort to attain virtue, particularly by following rituals and by obedience to parents and authority figures.

On the other hand, Taoist believed that people who sought virtue through outwardly duty would do so to earn the praise of men. This desire for praise would turn virtue into evil.

A Taoist's quest for enlightment was a personal, inward process. Again, Confucius was concerned with outwardly duty and loyalty to authority figures.

Taoists also distrusted political authority. Basically, they believed that power corrupts. Chuang Tzu wrote a parable in which a prince appointed him as prime minister. Chuang Tzu rejected the appointment by saying that he would rather be a "turtle dragging its tail in the mud."

Edited October 18, 2009 by ~jK~