Watching the Tree: A Chinese Daughter Reflects on Happiness, Spiritual Beliefs and Universal Wisdom. Adeline Mah Yen

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      For over 2000 years Confucius had a greater influence on China than any other individual. He was a philosopher, not a prophet, and Confucianism was a way of life, not a religion. His word was law and a quote from Confucius ended all arguments. He taught that xiao

      Confucius was born in 551 BC in the state of Lu, which is now the province of Shandong in north-eastern China. His surname was Kung

      By all accounts, he was athletic and adept in sports such as archery, hunting, fishing, driving chariots and riding. He had a passionate temperament and described himself as ‘a person who forgets to eat if he is enthusiastic about a project; someone who becomes unaware of worries or the approach of old age when happy.’ Once, after listening to a piece of music, he was so overcome that, for three months, he could not taste meat, saying, ‘I never thought music could be so beautiful.’

      During his life China was only nominally united under the royal house of Chou (1122–256 BC). The various states were in effect miniature kingdoms, each with its own ruler, court, bureaucracy and army. The kings fought battles against each other almost as a past-time, while oppressing and mercilessly taxing their subjects to finance their wars.

      Distressed by the misery and chaos, Confucius resigned his post and spent the next fifteen years teaching. Gradually, a group of young men gathered around him and became his disciples. He studied the character of each and sought to develop the total man by teaching him how to think and find answers for himself. He conversed with his students and these dialogues were recorded by them in The Analects. Of his followers, more than half were ultimately successful in obtaining government posts in different states.

      In his dialogues, whenever Confucius used the word ‘world’, he meant the Chinese world. When he used the term jun zi

      At the age of fifty Confucius was given a high post in the government of his native state of Lu, supposedly as the Minister of Justice and Assistant Minister of Public Works. However, it was a ceremonial post without authority and he was unable to put any of his ideas into practice. After four years he resigned in disgust and spent the next thirteen travelling from state to state in search of an enlightened ruler who would appoint him as chief administrator. He was imbued with the belief that he had a ‘heavenly mission’ to carry out political and social reforms. However, no ruler would employ him, and he spent the last five years of his life teaching in his home state of Lu until his death in 479 BC at the age of seventy-three.

      Confucius seldom spoke of the supernatural; nor did he seem to worry about the immortality of his soul. However, he did not deny the existence of spirits or the possibility of life after death. When asked directly, he replied, ‘When one does not understand life, how can one understand death?’ Elsewhere he said, ‘Offer sacrifices to the spirits as if the spirits are present … Respect the spirits, but keep them at a distance.’

      Confucius advocated a doctrine of practical common sense which attempted to create order and harmony in the society of his era. His sayings stayed close to home and wrestled with human life and human problems. In short, he was not a prophet but China’s first educator and foremost sociologist. Confucianism was welcomed by dynastic rulers throughout China’s long history because it viewed the state as a big family headed by the emperor, who was like a benevolent father, constantly devoted to his people’s welfare. Confucius taught that all territory and all citizens belonged to the sovereign, whose right to rule was given by the Mandate of Heaven. Though the emperor’s power was absolute, he was to rule by moral example and not by force. A ruler who failed to live up to the Mandate of Heaven because of personal amorality and corruption should abdicate in favour of a virtuous man; if necessary he should be overthrown by revolution.

      Confucius listed five cardinal relationships in society: between ruler and minister; father and son; husband and wife; older brother and younger brother; friend and friend. Of these, only the relationship between friends is equal.

      As a corollary of the five cardinal human relationships, he expounded the doctrine of social status, giving every person his ‘proper place’ in society. The term li

      In the 1940s, during my early childhood, Tianjin was ruled by the Japanese and the French. Although my grandfather loathed these foreigners, he was always respectful and law-abiding towards them. Once he prevented a youthful employee from sticking nails into the tyre of a Japanese army officer’s car. ‘It is Heaven’s will that we are governed by these loathsome creatures,’ he said. ‘We must accept our fate and adapt. When the right time comes, a new ruler will arrive.’ This type of Confucian logic probably explains why an enormous country like China could be dominated by handfuls of westerners for over 100 years. When Japan lost the Second World War, my grandfather treated officials from Chiang Kai-shek’s government with the same obedience. Later on, in Hong Kong, he was equally СКАЧАТЬ