A simple way to appreciate Confucian thought is to consider it as being based on varying levels of honesty. In practice, the elements of Confucianism accumulated over time and matured into the following forms: Confucianism - Ritual. Ritual (lǐ, 禮) originally signified "to sacrifice" in a religious ceremony. In Confucianism the term was soon extended to include secular ceremonial behaviour before being used to refer to the propriety or politeness which colours everyday life. Rituals were codified ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism

"Lead the people with administrative injunctions and put them in their place with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and put them in their place through roles and ritual practices, and in addition to developing a sense of shame, they will order themselves harmoniously." (Analects II, 3) The above explains an essential difference between legalism and ritualism and points to a key difference between Western and Eastern societies. Confucius argues that under l ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Rites

Debated during the Warring States Period and forbidden during the short-lived Qin Dynasty, Confucianism was chosen by Han Wudi for use as a political system to govern the Chinese state. Despite its loss of influence during the Tang Dynasty, Confucianist doctrine remained a mainstream Chinese orthodoxy for two millennia until the 20th century, when it was attacked by radical Chinese thinkers as a vanguard of a feudal system and an obstacle to China's modernization, eventually culminating in its repression and vilification during the Cultural ...

Including:

• Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism
• Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism
• Confucianism - Rites
• Confucianism - Governing
• Confucianism - Meritocracy
• Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought
• Confucianism - Ritual
• Confucianism - Relationships
• Confucianism - Humaneness
• Confucianism - The perfect gentleman
• Confucianism - Debates
• Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?
• Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?
• Confucianism - The Script controversy
• Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?
• Confucianism - Names for Confucianism
• Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought
• Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism
• Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia - Confucianism

This article is in need of attention. You can help Wikipedia by editing it into a better article. Please also consider changing this notice to be more specific. Please remove this notice after the article has been expanded. Details are on this talk page or at Wikipedia:Requests for expansion. Traditionally marriage in ethnic Chinese societies (婚姻, pinyin: hūn yīn) has been an arrangement between families. Originally Chinese culture allowed for romantic ...

Including:

• Chinese marriage - Introduction
• Chinese marriage - Marriage in a Confucian Context
• Chinese marriage - Prehistoric Chinese marriages
• Chinese marriage - Marriages in Early Societies
• Chinese marriage - Sibling marriages
• Chinese marriage - Inter-clan marriage and antithetic marriage
• Chinese marriage - Maternal marriage and Monogamy
• Chinese marriage - Traditional Marriage Rituals
• Chinese marriage - Reference

Read more here: » Chinese marriage: Encyclopedia - Chinese marriage

A rite is an established, ceremonious, usually religious act. Rites fall into three major categories: rites of passage, generally changing an individual's social status, such as marriage, Christian baptism, or graduation. rites of worship, where a community comes together to worship, such as Jewish synagogue or Christian Mass rites of personal devotion, where an individual worships, including prayer and ...

Read more here: » Rite: Encyclopedia - Rite

Chinese marriage - Marriages in Early Societies. In traditional Chinese thinking people in "primitive" societies did not marry, but had sexual relationships with one and other indiscriminately. Such people were thought to live like other animals, and they did not have the precise concept of motherhood, fatherhood, sibling, husband and wife, and gender, not to mention match-making and marriage ceremony. Part of the Confucian "civilizing mission" was to define what it meant to be a Father or a Husband, and to teach people to respect the proper ...

See also:

Chinese marriage, Chinese marriage - Introduction, Chinese marriage - Marriage in a Confucian Context, Chinese marriage - Prehistoric Chinese marriages, Chinese marriage - Marriages in Early Societies, Chinese marriage - Sibling marriages, Chinese marriage - Inter-clan marriage and antithetic marriage, Chinese marriage - Maternal marriage and Monogamy, Chinese marriage - Traditional Marriage Rituals, Chinese marriage - Reference

Read more here: » Chinese marriage: Encyclopedia II - Chinese marriage - Prehistoric Chinese marriages

Confucianism - Rites. "Lead the people with administrative injunctions and put them in their place with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and put them in their place through roles and ritual practices, and in addition to developing a sense of shame, they will order themselves harmoniously." (Analects II, 3) The above explains an essential difference between legalism and ritualism and points to a key difference between Western a ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Core Confucian texts, Confucianism - The Four Books, Confucianism - The Five Classics, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - Development by Confucius, Confucianism - Development after Confucius, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Core Concepts, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Core Concepts

Social Custom (li): Central Confucian concept advocating effortless adherence to social norms and performance of social rituals.

 (See also: Social Custom, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Although in later European commentary on China it has continued to be claimed that Confucianism is a "philosophy" and not a "religion" - because it does not conform to the model of western religions, the pope was probably correct in his assessment that the Confucian rituals were indeed in conflict with Christian teaching. As a result, he gave up a very good opportunity to convert a significant part of the Chinese elite to Catholicism. From Decree (papal bull) of Pope Clement XI (1715): The Jesuits claim Chinese terms coul ...

See also:

Chinese Rites controversy, Chinese Rites controversy - Entry into China, Chinese Rites controversy - The problem, Chinese Rites controversy - Pope Clement XI's decree, Chinese Rites controversy - Kangxi's ban

Read more here: » Chinese Rites controversy: Encyclopedia II - Chinese Rites controversy - Pope Clement XI's decree

Buddhist monks incorporated tea ceremonies into votive offerings. However the Goryeo nobility and later the Confucian yangban scholars formalized the rituals into things of beauty. There are at least 15 major tea ceremonies that are performed, and they include, they are listed according to age and fame: Day Tea Rite - Joseon dynasty daily palace tea ceremony Special Tea Rite - Joseon dynasty ceremony welcoming visiting foreigners, trade and tribute missions, and at royal weddings Queen Tea Ceremony - a s ...

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Korean tea ceremony, Korean tea ceremony - History, Korean tea ceremony - Equipment, Korean tea ceremony - A natural approach to tea, Korean tea ceremony - Kinds of tea, Korean tea ceremony - Kinds of Tea Ceremonies, Korean tea ceremony - Contemporary revival of Tea Ceremonies at Panyaro Institute

Read more here: » Korean tea ceremony: Encyclopedia II - Korean tea ceremony - Kinds of Tea Ceremonies

The Buddhist establishment at the end of the Goryeo period had become ridden with excesses. There were too many monks and nuns, a large percentage of whom were only in the sangha as a means of escaping taxation and/or government service. There were also far too many temples being supported, and too many elaborate rituals being carried out.The support of Buddhism had become a serious drain on the national economy. The government itself was suffering from rampant corruption, while also struggling with wars on its northern and eastern borders. Moreover, a new and rapidly growing Neo-Confucian id ...

See also:

Korean Buddhism, Korean Buddhism - Historical overview of the development of Korean Buddhism, Korean Buddhism - Buddhism in the Three Kingdoms, Korean Buddhism - Goguryeo, Korean Buddhism - Baekje, Korean Buddhism - Kaya, Korean Buddhism - Silla, Korean Buddhism - Buddhism in the Unified Silla period 668-918, Korean Buddhism - Buddhism as state religion in the Goryeo period 918-1392, Korean Buddhism - Suppression under the Joseon dynasty 1392-1910, Korean Buddhism - Buddhism during the Japanese occupation 1910-1945, Korean Buddhism - Buddhism and Westernization 1945-present, Korean Buddhism - Looking Ahead

Read more here: » Korean Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Korean Buddhism - Suppression under the Joseon dynasty 1392-1910

Khazars - Turkic shamanism. Originally, the Khazars practiced traditional Turkic shamanism, focused on the sky god Tengri, but were heavily influenced by Confucian ideas imported from China, notably that of the Mandate of Heaven. The Ashina clan were considered to be the chosen of Tengri and the kaghan was the incarnation of the favor the sky-god bestowed on the Turks. A kaghan who failed had clearly lost the god's favor and was typically ritually executed. Historians have sometimes wondered, only half in jest, if the Khazar tendency to occasionally execute their rulers on religious grounds le ...

See also:

Khazars, Khazars - Origins and prehistory, Khazars - Tribes, Khazars - Rise, Khazars - Formation of the Khazar state, Khazars - Khazars and Byzantium, Khazars - Second Khazar-Arab war, Khazars - Khazar religion, Khazars - Turkic shamanism, Khazars - Conversion to Judaism and relations with world Jewry, Khazars - Other religions, Khazars - Government, Khazars - Khazar Kingship, Khazars - Army, Khazars - Other officials, Khazars - Judiciary, Khazars - Economic position, Khazars - Trade, Khazars - Khazar coinage, Khazars - Extent of influence, Khazars - Khazar towns, Khazars - Tributary and subject nations, Khazars - Decline and fall, Khazars - Rise of Rus, Khazars - Kabar rebellion and the departure of the Magyars, Khazars - Rus and Byzantine hostility, Khazars - Khazars outside of Khazaria, Khazars - Late references to the Khazars, Khazars - Jewish sources, Khazars - Muslim sources, Khazars - Kievan Rus sources, Khazars - Byzantine Georgian and Armenian sources, Khazars - Western sources, Khazars - Debate, Khazars - Date and extent of the conversion, Khazars - Khazar ancestry of Ashkenazim, Khazars - In Fiction, Khazars - Resources, Khazars - Books written before 1915

Read more here: » Khazars: Encyclopedia II - Khazars - Khazar religion

Ullambana (Sanskrit). The festival of "all souls", the prototype of All Souls’ Day in Christian lands.

It is held in China on the seventh moon annually, when both " Buddhist and Tauist priests read masses, to release the souls of those who died on land or sea from purgatory, scatter rice to feed Pretas [ classes of demons ever hungry and thirsty] , consecrate domestic ancestral shrines, . . . . recite Tantras . . . accompanied by magic finger-play (mudra) to comfort the ancestral spirits of seven generations in Naraka" (a kind of purgatory or Kama Loka) The author of the Sanskrit-Chinese Dictionary thinks that this is the old Tibetan (Bhon) " Gtorma ritual engrafted upon Confucian ancestral worship," owing to Dhamaraksha translating the Ullambana Sutra and introducing it into China.

The said Sutra is certainly a forgery, as it gives these rites on the authority of Sakyamuni Buddha, and " supports it by the alleged experiences of his principal disciples, Ananda being said to have appeased Pretas by food offerings ". But as correctly stated by Mr. Eitel, "the whole theory, with the ideas of intercessory prayers, priestly litanies and requiems, and ancestral worship, is entirely foreign to ancient and Southern Buddhism ".

And to the Northern too, if we except the sects of Bhootan and Sikkim, of the Bhon or Dugpa persuasion - the red caps, in short. As the ceremonies of All Saints’ Day, or days, are known to have been introduced into China in the third century (265-292), and as the same Roman Catholic ceremonial and ritual for the dead, held on November 2nd, did not exist in those early days of Christianity, it cannot be the Chinese who borrowed this religious custom from the Latins, but rather the latter who imitated the Mongolians and Chinese.

(See also: Ullambana, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Inter-religious or inter-philosophical dialogue has occurred in the modern period between scholars of Confucianism and scholars of several religions, including Islam and Christianity. Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism. Representing a relatively traditionalist-humanist viewpoint of Catholic thought, the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia declares: "In Confucianism there is much to admire." The Encyclopedia praises its "noble conception of the supreme Heaven-god" as well as the high standard ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought

Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?. Different from many other political philosophies, Confucianism is reluctant to employ laws. In a society where relationships are considered more important than the laws themselves, if no other power forces government officers to take the common interest into consideration, corruption and nepotism will arise. As government officers' salary was often far lower than the minimum required to raise a family, Chinese society has frequently been affected by those prob ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Debates

Confucius (551–479 BCE) was a famous sage and social philosopher of China whose teachings deeply influenced East Asia for twenty centuries. The relationship between Confucianism and Confucius himself, however, is tenuous. Confucius' ideas were not accepted during his lifetime and he frequently bemoaned the fact that he remained unemployed by any of the feudal lords. As with many other prominent figures such as Siddhartha Gautama, Jesus, or Socrates, humanity does not have direct access to Confucius' ideas. Instead, humans have recol ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism

"To govern by virtue, let us compare it to the North Star: it stays in its place, while the myriad stars wait upon it." (Analects II, 1) Another key Confucian concept is that in order to govern others one must first govern oneself. When developed sufficiently, the king's personal virtue spreads beneficent influence throughout the kingdom. This idea is developed further in the Great Learning and is tightly linked with the Taoist concept of wu wei: the less the king does, the more that is done. By being the "calm centre" around which the kingdom turns, the king allows everything to function smoothly and avoids having to tamp ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Governing

"In teaching, there should be no distinction of classes." (Analects XV, 39) Although Confucius claimed that he never invented anything but was only transmitting ancient knowledge (see Analects VII, 1), he did produce a number of new ideas. Many western admirers such as Voltaire and H.G. Creel point to the (then) revolutionary idea of replacing the nobility of blood with one of virtue. Jūnzǐ (君子), which had meant "noble man" before Confucius' work, slowly assumed a new connotation in the course of his writings ...

See also:

Confucianism, Confucianism - Development of early Confucianism, Confucianism - The spread of Confucianism, Confucianism - Rites, Confucianism - Governing, Confucianism - Meritocracy, Confucianism - Themes in Confucian thought, Confucianism - Ritual, Confucianism - Relationships, Confucianism - Humaneness, Confucianism - The perfect gentleman, Confucianism - Debates, Confucianism - Does Confucianism promote corruption?, Confucianism - Was there a Confucianism?, Confucianism - The Script controversy, Confucianism - Is Confucianism a religion?, Confucianism - Names for Confucianism, Confucianism - Confucianism and other schools of thought, Confucianism - Confucianism and Catholicism, Confucianism - Quotations

Read more here: » Confucianism: Encyclopedia II - Confucianism - Meritocracy

Several names for Confucianism exist in Chinese. "School of the Scholars" (pinyin Rújiā) 儒家 (Traditional and Simplified Chinese) "Teaching of the Scholars" (pinyin: Rujiao) 儒教 (Traditional and Simplified) "Scholarly study" or "Scholar studies" (pinyin: Ruxue) 儒學 (Traditional) 儒学 (Simplified) "Teaching of Confucius" or "Religion of Confucius" (pinyin: Kongjiao)