The Origins of Confucianism and The Six Principles

     Confucianism is often doubted as a religion, dealing primarily with moral conduct and social order, hence the cataloging often attributed by some to Confucianism of a philosophy of life. It's based on the ideas of a Chinese philosopher named Confucius that lived between 551 and 479 B.C.

      At the time of Confucius China was divided into feudal states that fought each other for absolute power. These conflicts often resulted in mass executions of innocent populations occurring solely and exclusively by the payment attributed to each soldier who takes the head of his enemies to his master. So that the old, women and children of villages in neighboring domains were decapitated.

     It is then within this age of violence and cruelty that Confucius creates the principles for the existence of a perfect world. According to him justice for all, human principles of courtesy and piety, loyalty and integrity of character would create a perfect world of coexistence among humans (here we see the ethical and moral influence that Confucius spread, but his teachings go a long way besides the ethical sphere).

     This philosopher affirmed that the human nature is good, that Heaven exists and influences the men in the earth. In addition to this, he also created two great religious precepts, the first to demonstrate that the ancestors were obliged to be venerated and the second precept of filial piety, and that these two precepts prove that Confucianism is not restricted to a philosophical system.

     Let us now turn to the Confucian doctrine. According to Confucius the Human Being is constituted by four dimensions: the Self, the Community, Nature and finally Heaven (source of definitive self-realization) and it is from these four dimensions that the Human Being is completed. The remaining doctrine can be synthesized in six key concepts:

1. Jen (humanitarianism, kindness and benevolence) It is the norm of reciprocity "do not do to others what you do not like others to do to you" and corresponds to the highest virtue of the five existing in Confucianism known as "Love of neighbor";

2. Chun-Tzu (Superior man) According to the Chinese master for man to be perfect he must be wise, humble, magnanimous, sincere and kind. Here is the second essential virtue of man "Disinterested wisdom and sincerity";

3. Cheng-ming (adequacy of the titles to the behaviour) According to Confucius Man has to adapt the designative title that he has to his behavior in the day to day. Here is the third virtue "Compliance with the appropriate rules of conduct";

4. Te (power and authority) Confucius taught that power was necessary to guide any society, but it should be used with moderation and justice by rulers. This concept corresponds to man's fourth essential virtue of "justice";

5. Li (reverence) The Confucian doctrine teaches that every ruler should be benevolent and provide a good standard of living for his people by promoting moral education and rituals, for without these two aspects man will not be able to render proper worship to the ancestors and gods of the Universe. This concept corresponds to the last virtue to "Self-consciousness of the will of Heaven"

6. Wen (fine arts and music) Confucius believed that all artistic expression was a symbol of virtue manifested in society.

Confucianism is a polytheistic religion that believes in natural divinities and ancestors but has the particularity of believing also in a supreme force in the World in a Supreme Governor who is a favorite target of worship. The cult of this supreme being is led by the highest rulers of the nation (since Confucianism has no creeds or priests) and these leaders are direct descendants of the deity and would soon have their prayers in favor of the people more easily served. This worship was held annually at the winter solstice (22 December) and consisted in offering food and wine accompanied by music, lights and processions to the altar of heaven in Beijing.

     Another of the religious practices is the worship of the ancestors, and this veneration is a sign of gratitude and respect, and allows the spirits of the dead to help the living in their success, prosperity and harmony. For this to happen, family members have to provide all that is necessary for the ancestors to live beyond the grave in a similar way to the living. This includes: the provision of food, clothing, utensils, weapons, etc. all these goods are placed in the tomb or at special festivals. If this is not fulfilled, the Confucianists believe that the spirits return in the form of ghosts to do evil to the living and this fear to the evil spirits is so much that still today a festival is celebrated in which food and other goods are placed at the door of house to to calm the spirits whose descendants they did not venerate.

YuanTong temple, Kunming, Yunnan Province

     Finally we have the practice of the filial piety which consists in the veneration and entire dedication of the younger elements to the well-being of the older relatives, and post-mortem must continue to weep and lament them, this being the second. In Confucianism the fundamental duty of all man is and the practice of Prognoticism which is a practice of divination that consists of lying on the table and analyze the figures that are formed or also in the analysis and observation of lightning, flight of birds and everything related to "Heaven" (gods and phenomena that they believe caused by them).

     Currently and despite Communism ban all religious practices 25% of Chinese admit to live according to Confucianism, outside China this religion is estimated to have 6.3 million adherents between Japan, South Korea and Singapore.