A place for my thoughts and ideas, my creative outlet, a little piece of the web for me to call my own...yeah...right...
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| a bite of chocolat... ::home:: A place for my thoughts and ideas, my creative outlet, a little piece of the web for me to call my own...yeah...right... |
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Monday, February 27, 2006 While studying Confucius in my Chinese and Japanese Traditions class, beyond the goal of understanding his impact upon East Asian history, I was also trying to understand his sociopolitical ideas in modern terms. I remember metaphorically salivating at the idea of finally studying Confucius, but later feeling let down when his ideas didn't match my over-dramatic, revolutionary expectations. Thus, I decided I must be missing something and set out to gather a sense of how Confucianism would apply in modern America. Much of what Confucius said felt (at first) easily shrugged off; he seemed only to be presenting a more sophisticated version of what we would call mere "common sense" or "common courtesy." Then I realized how incorrect that first impression was – it's actually rather ironic: common courtesy in social practice is no longer at all common in our society. We expect to fall victim to lying, cheating, and stealing. We have innumerable laws in place attempting to curb such behavior under threat of retribution. In cities, in has become necessary to enforce the "common courtesy" of quiet hours at night. Drivers in Manhattan even honk their horns at red traffic lights, an underappreciated tool in place for their safety and convenience. As children, our preschool and kindergarten teachers emphasize the Golden Rule ("Treat others as you would like to be treated.") in order to prevent such crimes as playground tyranny and grand theft lunchbox. As we grow older, however, we are prepared to enter the "real world" and warned that it is not as nice and loving as the small and often maternal educational environments of our childhood. We are told, "It's a dog eat dog world – eat or be eaten!" Competitiveness is glorified, adored, and rewarded, evident in our overpaid professional athletes and massive merging corporate conglomerates. Our delicate social fabric has been worn down into a Darwinian struggle for monetary success and notoriety, and, in the worst cases, even survival. The wisdom of Confucianism is not shockingly novel or complicated, but rather astounding in its sheer simplicity. In Book 4 of the Analects, Confucius says, "The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it." Confucianism merely asks the adult world, the "real world," not to abandon the values it teaches its children, no matter the circumstances. Consistently and forever adhering to the simple rules of one's childhood, in traditional Asian culture, is called being honorable and virtuous – to Confucius, it is called being the Superior Man. Many statements of Confucius remind me of familiar axioms. In Book 3, Confucius says, "Things that are done, it is needless to speak about; things that have had their course, it is needless to remonstrate about; things that are past, it is needless to blame," which is like the expression, "Don't cry over spilled milk." In Book 4, Confucius says, "The superior man wishes to be slow in his speech and earnest in his conduct," which reminds me somewhat of the Theodore Roosevelt quote, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." In Book 5, Confucius says, "To conceal resentment against a person, and appear friendly with him – Tso Ch'iu-ming was ashamed of such conduct. I also am ashamed of it," which could be simplified to "Honesty is the best policy." There is even a statement of The Golden Rule ("Treat others as you would like to be treated.") when, also in Book 5, a Confucian disciple says, "What I do not wish men to do to me, I also wish not to do to men." (It seems to me that this kind of cultural reverence for the simple right and wrong learned in childhood is part of the reason that there is such an emphasis on respecting and obeying one's elders. To live according to the values taught by one's parents – that is the esteemed trait of filial piety. In Book 1, Confucius says, "While a man's father is alive, look at the bent of his will; when his father is dead, look at his conduct. If for three years he does not alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial.") It is interesting to me that the whole idea of seeking to perfect one's behavior – striving to achieve perfect virtue and become the Superior Man – stems from the goal of achieving a functional and upright society and not from some ulterior motive, such as the reward of "going to Heaven" in Christianity. It seems an almost saintly altruism. In Book 5, Confucius says, "Po-i and Shu-ch'i did not keep the former wickednesses of men in mind, and hence the resentments directed towards them were few," which is reminiscent of a line in a Christian prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us." A lot of Confucianism blends well with the Western ideas of Christian humanism and democratic equality, but it does not blend well with competitive capitalist consumerism. In Book 4, Confucius says, "He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against," declaring that seeking only personal gain and not looking out for the good of the whole society will only inspire the discontent of others. Also in Book 4, Confucius says, "Riches and honors are what men desire. If they cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If they cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided." To Confucius, nothing, not even misfortune and hardship, can legitimize or excuse the abandonment of the quest for virtue. To my pleasant surprise, the apparent simplicity of Confucianism was not indicative of a lack of depth, but rather just the opposite – perhaps even more true today, in our complex, fast-paced, stressed out world of selfish excess and imbalance. posted by Shannon | 1:48 AM |
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