Confucianism

Welcome to Confucianism! Jada C.

With no clergy and with no gods to worship, Confucianism is not a religion in the traditional sense. Because there are no deities or teachings of an afterlife. It is and ethical system that provides direction for personal behavior and good government. It has spread to Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Confucianism means "The school of Scholars."

Confucianism has 6.5 million followers 
 * Followers **



Confucianism is based on the teachings of [|Confucius]. Confucius was a Chinese philosopher. Confucius was born in the state of Lu, and at three his father died. Because of his father's death, the family was left in poverty. When he was 22 years old, he opened a school. A conflict with the Marquis of Lu, he left the state and traveled for 13 years throughout China, giving advice to their rulers. He had a small band of students during this time. The last years of his life were spent back in Lu, where he devoted himself to teaching. Confucius taught law, He died about 479 BCE at the approximate age of 72.
 * History **


 * [| Beliefs] **
 * || Li: includes ritual, propriety, etiquette, etc. ||
 * || Hsiao: love within the family: love of parents for their children and of children for their parents ||
 * || Yi: righteousness ||
 * || Xin: honesty and trustworthiness ||
 * || Jen: benevolence, humaneness towards others; the highest Confucian virtue ||
 * Chung: loyalty to the state, etc. ||

There are three holy books of confucianism. [|The Analects] A collection of Confucius' teachings thought to have been recorded by his students. They are considered the only sayings that can safely be attributed to him.
 * The Holy Books of Confucianism **



[|Five Classics] Five works traditionally attributed to Confucius that form the basic texts of Confucianism. They are the Spring and Autumn Annals, a history of Confucius's native district; the I Ching (or Book of Changes ), a system of divining the future; the Book of Rites, which outlines ceremonies and describes the ideal government; the Book of History ; and the Book of Songs , a collection of poetry. Together they promulgate a system of ethics for managing society based on sympathy for others, etiquette, and ritual. Although the dates of these books are uncertain, they were probably written before the third century B.C.



[|Four Books] The Four Books refer to The Analects of Confucius (Lùn Yǔ), The Mencius (Mèng Zǐ), The Great Learning (Dà Xué) and The Doctrine of the Golden Mean (Zhōng Yóng). The former twoare collections of sayings and teachings of Confucius and Mencius as well as sayings of their disciples while the latter two are chapters in The Classic of Rites(Lǐ Jì). Chu Hsi, a famous scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty, held that The Four Books together outlined the basic system of Confucian thoughts and constituted a better introduction to the complicated materials in the Classics, thus selecting these four texts from Classics and put them together as the Four Books.


 * [|Symbols] **

Unique among the great religions of the world, Confucianism has no standard universally recognized symbol similar to the Christian cross, the Islamic crescent moon & star, the Wiccan pentagram, etc. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> This is an ideogram for water that is often used to represent Confucianism. It represents the source of life in Chinese philosophy. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> This is a symbol often used in wedding ceremonies within the Chinese culture. It is also sometimes used to represent Confucianism. It means total harmony, righteousness, in your own life and in your relationships with others. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> The yin-yamg symbol of Taoism is also sometimes used as a symbol for Confucianism. It symbolizes balance in nature between opposing forces. Unbalance can lead to confusion and dissaray.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> There are no sects in Confucianism.
 * Sects **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> The major celebration is Confucius's birthday.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">[| Celebrations] **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> The celebrations of Confucius birthday begin at 4 o'clock in the morning in the Confucius temple and other Confucius temples throughout China. This day is distinguished for its modest ceremonies at temples throughout the island of Qufu, and some individual practitioners even takes time off to observe the day in their own ways, contemplating the virtues of Confucius. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> You can see grand celebrations on Confucius birthday. The events include musical performances and dancing using ancient instruments, wearing traditional costumes and other rites. The memorial party is joined by thousands of people. Good foods are also sampled at night street stalls. On Confucius birthday, not only is his life celebrated but his death is also venerated. Worship People who follow confucsim worship their ancestors. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">**Ancestor worship** (also called **ancestor veneration**) is a ritual practice that is based on the belief that deceased family members have a continued existence, take an interest in the affairs of the world, and possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living.