Confucianism as a religion arose more than two and a half thousand years ago. At the very beginning of its development, it was just an ethical and political teaching, which only after the death of Confucius turned into a real religion, which, despite the technical and ethical revolution, is still the basis of the Chinese and Japanese lifestyles.
Confucianism: General Description
In fact, when creating his own rules and writing his works, Confucius did not come up with anything new. He just remembered the ancient traditions and gave them a whole new breath and meaning.
Ancient Chinese philosophers praised the beauty and harmony of nature. They believed that nature and the entire surrounding world were created perfect. And it was from nature that man had to learn the rules of behavior. It was believed that only having achieved harmony with the environment, having fully felt its power, can a person achieve peace with himself.
Confucius never rejected this idea. But he considered important the life of a man among other people, their interaction and joint survival. It was he who considered society the most important link, since having learned to live in society, a person could sow the seeds of good in the world. That is why this famous scientist believed that people need rules that would solve the problems of communication. A person had to get used to these rules so much that they became part of himself. It was then that he could turn into an ideal creature.
Confucianism: Key Ideas
Confucianism as a religion has some basic principles. For example, this teaching examines the so-called ideal man. It is to this state that every inhabitant of the planet should strive.
The ideal person was to have the Five Basic Virtues, which were to become for people as natural as breathing. The first virtue was that a person should always be in harmony with other people. It was believed that good lies in every newborn person, so you just need to develop it. Simply put, here the main focus was on self-control, the absence of any negative emotions in relation to other people.
The second rule related to etiquette. The ideal person must necessarily know all the rituals, the rules of good form and not refuse them. Interestingly, the doctrine did not impose on people the forcible observance of these rules. Man had to understand their importance and meaning.
The third rule states that a person must be educated. That is why philosophy, history, civil law, literature and art - this is what the ideal person should freely possess. Only educated people are able to comprehend the truth, as knowledge trains the mind, expands its boundaries.
The Fourth Virtue related to the state of the human spirit. Confucianism as a religion implied that every human being had to develop a state within himself in which it could be in harmony with itself and surrounding people.
Upon reaching the previous four rules, people could move on to the acquisition of the Fifth Basic Virtue. This meant that all the rules should become so familiar that a person no longer forces himself to follow the rules - they are in his blood, and his behavior is embedded in the subconscious. Having reached such a state, a person could finally do and sow good.
It is also worth noting the great respect of the Chinese people to their ancestors and parents. Confucianism as a religion required blind love, respect and submission to parents, even after their death. That is why children were brought up quite harshly and there was no question of any disobedience to their father or mother. It was believed that parents and ancestors are a source of wisdom and they know much better what is good for their child.
Confucianism was not recognized as a universal teaching neither during the life of Confucius nor after his death. And only many years later, the rules described in the works of this scientist acquired great importance, not only for China, but also for Japan.