Chinese Philosophy, Religion and Mythology

Confucianism, one-child-policy and primogeniture

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:17:57 +0000

How do Confucians regard one-child-policy? And what about primogeniture?

China has been overpopulated most of history. The actual population numbers were smaller, but agriculture was not so fruitful either. People with not enough good farmland were poor and starved during crop failure at all times of Chinese history.

A peasant had just the family plot. A king or emperor had just one empire. A feudal lord or a small landlord had just his fief or manor estate.

So if a man marries and has several sons who grow up, they will inevitably each have less than their father (unless they somehow manage to earn or rob something in addition to what their father had).

The empire and fiefs were usually not divided equally between all sons. And if a family farm barely capable of supporting parents and unmarried sons were split equally between all sons, no one would have enough to support wife and children, so they would all starve.

Kings, emperors and feudal lords did give out fiefs to their relatives. But they had only so much to give out as fiefs. Is it filial to dispossess your brother or uncle to give his fief to your son?

Buddhist monks were critizised for not marrying. But they also abandon their families and do not support their parents. If a Chinaman who has a married brother with children declines to marry and have children himself and instead supports his old parents as well as his brother, nephews and nieces - on the grounds that one daughter-in-law and one family of grandchildren is all that can be supported from his parent�s property - is his action consistent with filial piety?

Yao giving up the throne to Shun - Just a myth?

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:48:50 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shun_%28Chinese_leader%29

I was particularly interested in this classical Chinese story of how Yao gives up the throne to Shun and later on Shun gives up the throne to Yu. I was sort of convinced when I heard that it had a Confucian tone to it but to my understanding of how Confucian ideals works I became shifted in my position and felt confused as to why it was a tale appreciated by Confucian scholars. To me the situation was that Yao didn't have any filial sons who could come to do work for him and he had to find an alternate and sort of adopt Shun as the son he never had and give the throne to him. The same thing happened with Shun because he gave his throne to Yu. The story seems to be just a myth because while there are no ways of proving these people may have ever existed it is also based on the implausible nature of the story which ought to make one doubt such events actually ever happened. Who in their right mind would pass on their throne to a trusted ally and friend who although trustworthy at the moment may turn once he is rewarded with all the power that was earned by someone else. And while he may be trusted, his relatives certainly don't seem as capable considering the part of the Shun story which told of how his stepmother and stepbrother tried killing him time after time. What about Yao's children? why would they have even tried to remain silent at their father's undoing of his own legacy? What other time and place has a ruler in China or elsewhere ever given up his position while still fit to rule and pass on the keys to the domain to someone that was deeply trusted in? Lastly in the wiki article it says that Han Feizi painted a bad picture of Shun as a usurper of the throne and that Yao was actually left in prison to die. How are we to consider this other than that sacred stories about the Chinese mythical past were not considered genuine enough to be upheld in changeless form and to be prevented from being rewritten in totally different perspectives?

Confucianism view towards homosexuality

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:46:25 +0000

I do know Confucianism placed a lot of emphasis on family values, passing on lineage and moral ethics. It might seem to me that Confucianism opposes homosexuality, simply because homosexuals cannot get married and they seem to bring ''dishonor" to a family.

I'm just wondering if there is any cross references in Confucianism, classical texts indicating about Confucianism's view towards homosexuality.

Does Confucianism oppose or tolerate homosexuality?

Looking for a Legend, source and name

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:16:31 +0000

Hi

For my thesis on Guanyin I'm looking into a book of John Blofield, who was a writer and buddhist of English heritage, so I use him as a source not secondary literature. He is important for his impressions of China before communis set foot on the government.

Now he lists a legends that the thinks is an inspiration for the late Miaoshan story, that has been tracked back bei Glen Dudbridge (1978) to the beginning of the 11th century. Yet Blofeld doesn't say where the legend comes from nor where.

For me, it would be really important to find out what legend this is, where it comes from (so that I might find a chinese retelling) and most important: When.

So if anyone knows the legend I'm citing below, or a variation of it - I'm not picky- I'm very thankful.

cited from Blofeld 1988 (1977) p. 66-69

"Many centuries ago, the governor of a certain province, having no sons, felt a specially deep attachment towards his only daughter. Nevertheless, being a proud and irascible official and a staunch upholder of the Confucian virtues, he kept er under firm restraint, so that she rarely had opportunities to glimpse the great world beyond the walls of the gubernatiorial mansion. Often she would sit beside the peach-shaped window of her chamber gazing at a nearby hill where stood a stately monastery, wondering what sort of rites and austerities were practised by the saintly inmates. There seemed to be some sort of mystery about the place, for no sooner did she mention it than someone would be sure to switch abruptly to another subject, leaving her words hanging in mid-air. Though normally such rudeness to the dauther of a governor would be unthinkable, she had to put up with it tie and time again. Her curiosity mounted until i could be borne no longer. Certain her father should never be persuaded to allow her to visit the monastery, she decided to go there on her own, though the mere thought of the impropriety of her walking unattended beyond the walls of the womens courtyards was enough to make her blush. Though modest to the point of shyness, she possessed much fo her father's determination and strength of will.
Early one morning , when her attendants were breakfasting in an adjoining chamber, she slipped out lightly disguised and left the family compound by a gate rarely watched[description of nature] A stone-flagged path brought her to a tall gatehouse where the gateman, perceiving that a rich young lady had come to offer incense to the gods and might be prevailed upon to offer gold besides, welcomed her courteously and straightwayled her to the great shrine hall. Overwhelmed by the magnificence of the statues of the Three Pure Ones - the central trinity of Taoist deities - and charmed by the sacred sog now flooding the richly appointed hall, she congratlated herself in having come upon a communit of saintly men.
Little did she know that saints in that monastery were few, that the greater part of the recluses were fonder of swordsplay y day and the art of "bedroom warfare by night than of serving the gods they worshipped. In her ignorance she thought it no harm to wander about the public rooms, visiting the many shrines and garden pavillions which were connected one to anothr by narrow corridors of lacquered woodwork wherein daylight filtered dimly throough papered windows. In one such corridor, she had to pass a group of three or four grey-robed recluses who, seeming to make a way, suddenly surrounded her and pushed her roughly into a darkened chamber, her screams being drowned by the clash of ceremonial cymbals coming from a hall nearby.
By this time, the governor, being apprised of his daughter's disappearance, had sent his servants scurrying in all directions; but it was not until shortly before dusk that informationen was received to the ffect that a richly garbed young woman had been seen early in the morning walking up to the hill towards the monastery. The mounted servants whom he now despatches to escort her home presently returned without her, saying that the young lady had certainly been at the monastery earlier in the day but was apparently there no longer. Night fell. By now the governor was in fury. Not shopping to ponder the likelihood of his daughter's being held at the monastery against her will, he had made up his mind that girl so abandoned as to venture unattended into a place which had so long been known for hermits of evil repute was capable of any vileness. No doubt she was at that very moment lying in the arms of some lusty paramour. There could, he thought tempestuously, be only one way of expunging such dire disgrace. Posting a hundred archers round the monastery with orders to slay whatever living creatures ventured forth he sent his soldiers in with ligted torches to burn that den of evil to the ground. Since no one could escape, the guilty child and her paramour must surely suffer the fate they so richly deserved. As the buildings, except for their foundations and tiled roofs, were constructed of lacquered wood, they were an easy prey to the gungry flames. Not a man - or a woman- escaped the fire withing and rain of arrows without.
Hiding the hurt to his pride and whatever regret he felt for the fate of his once beloved daughter, the governor, as was his wont, spet the hour after dawn strolling in his private garden to enjoy the early-morning freshness of the flowers. Suddenly the likeness of the dead child materialised before his eyesand the apparition spoke these words: "Father, though you had no pity on an innocent girl who carely escaped being violated against her will, I cannot help for being sad for you, childless as you must now remains. Therefore I have come to bring you some comfort. Know then that Heaven, which often seems as pitiless as you, was moved bymy undeserved sufferin. As the flames advanced, I was enveloped in a rainbow and wafted above the clouds to the abodes of gods and immortals. There, by way of compensation for my cruel fate, I was promoted to the rank of goddess. it will be my task to comfort the afflicted and rescure those in peril, a task I am peculiarly qualified to perform having so recently plumbed the depths of fear and suffering. Henceforth I shall be known as Kuan Shih Yin, Hearer-of-the-Cries-of-the-World.""

The story is probably of vernacular buddhist heritage (Guanyin, demonized daoists...) but the variant here is probably not that old, even given that Blofeld rewrote it in his purple prose style, details are not that likely to be added in abundance (he is propagating Buddhism so has no reason to lie or fake legends), it reads more like something made in the Ming-Dynasty, latest.
Yet if I knew what tradition it was, I could track the story back and see if its roots do indeed lie before the 11th century.

--
Important is that the story contains filial piety of an unusual daughter to an at first unforgiving father, who suceeds despite her fathers mean attemps. Also as motives a burnt monastery, and ascenscion and the relationship to a Goddess or Guanyin hirself wouldn't hurt. If you know any of these, I'll have open ears

Saciel

Chinese Philosophy (In Depth)

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:26:05 +0000

I do not know if there is anyone here in CHF who researches on Chinese Philosophy, just trying my luck.
Dear pros out there,

How can the interactions between the Five Elements be applied in the real world? I am currently wrecking my brain with the application of Wuxing in music and in human personality...

What does 'overcome' really mean? And what does 'generating' mean? Through the process of 'overcome', what happens to the overcomer? Does its influence diminish as well? Can you give examples?

Thank you.

The Way of Tao

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:16:44 +0000

Say, what is Tao? I know it means "THE Way". But what "Way"?

I'm expecting answers like, "Tao, if articulable, is not the eternal Tao..." or "Tao cannot be explained...", "Tao cannot be this or that or whatever", etc.

Is Tao some sort of rule which mankind must follow in order to be in harmony with nature... ... ... or something???? ... ...

I'm stupefied. Anybody care to show me "The Way"? Cuz I'm kinda lost here...

What compelled Mao Tse Dong to act on his own?

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:29:22 +0000

What I got from Wiki:

Quote

On July 23, 1921, Mao, age 27, attended the first session of the National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai. Two years later, he was elected as one of the five commissars of the Central Committee of the Party during the third Congress session. Later that year, Mao returned to Hunan at the instruction of the CPC Central Committee and the Kuomintang Central Committee to organize the Hunan branch of the Kuomintang.[10] In 1924, he was a delegate to the first National Conference of the Kuomintang, where he was elected an Alternate Executive of the Central Committee. In 1924, he became an Executive of the Shanghai branch of the Kuomintang and Secretary of the Organization Department.

compare it to:

Quote

Throughout the 1920s, Mao led several labour struggles based upon his studies of the propagation and organization of the contemporary labour movements.[12] However, these struggles were successfully subdued by the government, and Mao fled from Changsha, Hunan after he was labeled a radical activist. He pondered these failures and finally realized that industrial workers were unable to lead the revolution because they made up only a small portion of China's population, and unarmed labour struggles could not resolve the problems of imperial and feudal suppression.

Doesn't that sound conflicting and strange that he would be elected as a member of the KMT and the make up a move on his own in Hunan where he was also organizing along the lines of the KMT or was this all a plot by the Communist Party and hired Mao as a spy? How was he able to have both party affiliations? I really wish to understand Mao and the situation of the time period.

Moral Dilemmas in Ancient China

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:36:56 +0000

I'm looking for a Chinese story (the older the better) similar to Abraham sacrifice of his son Isaac in the Bible or to the Greek story of Iphigenia.

In the biblic story, Abraham has a moral dilemma: he has to sacrifice his own son because of God�s will. Of course, God won�t allow it to happen, and the moral dilemma is not real because, if he trusts God, he should know nothing bad could happen.
In the Greek myth, King Agamemnon is told by the oracle that, in order to reach Troy and win, he has to sacrifice his own daughter to Artemis. The sacrifice will finally happen and Iphigenia will be sacrificed (according to Euripides, in the last moment a deer takes her place and she is sent to inhabit with the Gods for her rightneous sacrifice).

I'm looking for a similar story where filial piety conflicts with another moral duty and the father is required to sacrifice his own son (even if he doesn't).

Thx all!

Dafan yinyu wuliang yin

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:38:56 +0000

Quote

There are mantras in Taoism such as the words in Dafan yinyu wuliang yin (大梵隱語無量音) and the Tibetan Buddhism mantra om (唵)

Could anyone elaborate on the bolded part please? And if possible post the text of it as well. Thanks!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantra

Epic of Darkness

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:43:42 +0000

Hi anyone knows about the 黑暗傳? Is that the oldest Mythology from China?

I am writing a fantasy story but I am unable to find any info on this.