WHAT THE CHINESE BELIEVE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3383, 18 July 1927, Page 2

WHAT THE CHINESE BELIEVE.

CONFUCIANISM, THE MOST HUMAN OF RELIGIONS,

(By Dr Lionel Giles, Deputy Keeper in charge of Chinese Books in the British Museum; Secretary of the China Society, London.') “MAX IS BORN GOOD.” This is Lite mainspring of the Coufucian faith, says Dr Lionel Giles, in his intensely interesting article, the first of the new Daily Express sent*.? on the great religions of the East. Some ikSO,t)OO,()UU people embrace Cotifusianisin; what it means to these millions is here outlined in language that all can understand. Confucianism is the most human of religions - if, indeed, it can be called a, religion. Seeing that the snpeinatnrat element is almost entirely lacking, it may more properly be described as a. lofty moral code, containing precepts, such as the Golden Rule, which might come straight from the Gospels. _ Confucius was born about out) 8.L., in the middle of a feudal age, which was already out of joint. The rulers of the States, large and small, into which China was divided, paid only nominal allegiance 10 the King, and were- mostly occupied in waging perpetual warfare among themselves. Things had not always been so; there were traditions of a Golden Age under some of the early emperors which it was Confucius’ constant endeavor to revive; an age in which each feudal prince should render homage to his Sovereign, while treating his own subjects with justice and humanity. The iamily was regarded by' him as the pattern on which the empire .was moulded, the head being responsible for the well-being of all its members, and iureturn receiving from them unstinted loyalty and obedience. The prominence of filial piety in the Confucian code was largely due to this patriarchal conception of society; and it should be noted that the Chinese word we translate “filial piety ’ has sometimes a wider significance, being used for the respectful devotion shown to all one s superiors. , . 'The mainspring ot Confucian ethics is the conviction that man is born good. This dictum need not he pressed too closely; it means little inoic than that every normal man possesses some capacity for goodness, and a morai sense whiclLenabies inm to know good from evil. Two main elements aie distinguished in this fund of natural goodness : (1-) Charity of heart, resulting in an outflow ol Jove towards our fellow men, and (2) The principle oi righteousness, or conscience, which should serve to regulate our conduct. Education, in the eyes of Confucius, meant the assiduous cultivation of these two natural instincts. Another term, whicn figures largely in his sayings, is rather more difficult to define. It has usually been translated “propriety” or “the rules of propriety. which would he well enough in certain contexts if we could only dissociate the word from prunes and prisms. Originally applied to religious rites, it afterwards stood for ceremonies ol every kind, including the ordinary rules of politeness and etiquette. But Confucius often seems :o mean hv it an inner principle of harmony and self-control which prevents one from going to excess in any direction. This idea of Keeping within due measure permeates the whole oi his teaching. A word here is necessary to correct the popular notion of Confucius as a rigid formalist and stickler for ceremonial. There is no doubt that, as a lover of antiquity, he tried to preserve, if only as a civilising factor, as much of the old ceremonial as possible. But to represent him as a pedant and precisian, wedded to ceremonies for their own sake, is a grotesque perversion ot the truth. No one knew better Hhan Confucius that the whole value of a ceremony is determined by the state of mind of the person who performs it. “Ceremonies, forsooth!” he exclaimed once; “can ceremonies be reduced to a mere matter of silken robes and jade ornaments? Music, forsooth! can music be reduced to mere matter of hells and drums?” This is as much as to say that a magnificent array of vestments and chalices will no more constitute a true ceremony than a number of musical instruments alone, without the brain of a composer, can produce music No one who carefully' reads the sayings of Confucius can fail to note the stress which ho lays on the internal as opposed to tiie externa,!, on the feeling in flic heart as opposed to words and outward appearances. In government, the example set by those in authority counts for much; .1 the ruler, he declares, is personally upright, lii.s subjects will do their duty unhidden; if he.is not upright, they will not obey, whatever liis bidding, in the multiplication of laws and restrictions. Confucius placed little faith; here ,'s a saying of his which may not commend itself to Signor Mussolini, hut neverthe- I less contains much wisdom : “Perhap-d-espnf ieally governed and kept in order by punishments they may avoid' infraction of the law. hut they will lose their moral sense. People virtuously governed and kept in order by the inne law of self-control will retain their innra.l sense, and, moreover, become good.” Confucianism can hardly he catle-i (lie religion of China, except, in so far a-s it admits the practice of ancestorworship, which springs fiom the most deeply rooted of all Chinese beliefs. Its very simplicity, not to say austerity, is ill-adapted to catch the-popular mi agination, as the debased forms of Buddhism and Taoism, with their endless superstitions anti magical charms and methods of propitiating spirits have been able to do. On the othei band, it Inis never !0.-,i its hold on the educated classes, flic following sayings show t-lic contrast which Confucius wafond of drawing between the higher ami the lower type of man : “The nobler sort of man is calm and .serene; the interim man is constantly agitated and worried.” “The nobler sori of man is proficient in the knowledge of Id, duty: the inferior man is proficient only in money-making.” “The nobler sort of mah is accommodating hut not obsequi ons : the inferior man is obsequious hut not accommodating.” “The nobler sort of man is dignified but not proud: tin inferior man is proud but not dignified.” Confucius inherited the national belief in a. single supreme Cod, but he never tried, to define the nature of this deity; so likewise, he accepted the traditional belief in the spirits of the dead, but never professed to know anything about a future life, with reward's and punishments. AVliat is the future that awaits Confacianism ? Is it destined to decay, as most religions have decayed, with the advance of modern knowledge and civilisation? Or is it sufficient to meet the spiritual needs of coining general ioiis for an indefinite period? Here are nm or two considerations who li may be!--ns to give some answer to this question. It is, indisputably, the supernatural and miraculous side of religion tint is most liable to sillier from the progress of science. Biblical Christianity. for instance. has been steadiK whittled down since the time of Darwin. until very little seems fo remain. No such fate, at any rate, is likely to overtake Confucianism, for the simple reason that if Inis no similar cargo of embarrassing dogma to throw over-

board. The essence of its reaching springs from the eternal principles of human nature. Filial piety, conscientiousness, and charity, forbearance towards others, and a saving sense of moderation in all things—these are virtues which, so far as one can judge, nil! always be essential to the happiness of the human race.