中国文化资料Unit1WisdomandBeliefs.docx

中国文化资料Unit1WisdomandBeliefs.docx

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中国文化资料Unit1WisdomandBeliefs

中国文化资料Unit1WisdomandBeliefs

Unit1WisdomandBeliefs

Humanbeingshaveonlyonehomeundertheheavens.HowwearrangeourdomesticlivesandhowwelivetogetherinharmonyistheessenceoftraditionalChinesethinking.Firstandforemost,Chinesecultureregardshumanlifeaspartofnatureand,assuch,theonlywayforustosurviveistoliveinharmonywithnature.Thefundamentalsignificanceofcivilizationliesinthecreationofapeacefulworld,whichalsorequiresavoidingconflictbetweenhumansandnature.Insteadofdictatingtonature,peopleshouldholdnatureinaweandgratitude.AsecondcharacteristicofChinesecultureisitsemphasisonharmonioushumanrelationships.Anindividualcannotlivewithoutcommunityandsociety.ThusChineseculturestrivestobuildaworldofharmonybasedonfriendshipbetweenindividuals,mutualassistancebetweenfamilies,andrespectbetweennations.Thirdly,Chinesethinkingstressesself-reflection.Peopleshouldnotonlyunderstandtheexternalworld,butalsoandmoreimportantly,improvetheirinternalstateofmind.Onlyafterhumanshaveclearedawayanyintentionsofcombatingnature,areweabletoliveuptothephilosophyoflivinginharmonywithnature.

Passage1ConfucianThoughtonHeavenandHumanity

1

Confuciusl（551-479BC）,knowninChinaasKongzi,givennameQiuandaliasZhongni,wasanativeofZouyi（present-dayQufuinShandongProvince）oftheStateofLuduringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod2（770-476BC）.Agreatthinker,educatorandfounderofConfucianism,Confuciusisanancientsage（圣人）totheChinesepeople.Hiswordsandlifestorywererecordedbyhisdisciples（弟子）andtheirstudentsinTheAnalects3（Lunyu）.2

AnenduringclassicofChineseculture,TheAnalectshasinfluencedallthinkers,writersandpoliticiansintheover-2,000-year-longhistoryofChinaafterConfucius.Noscholarcouldtrulyunderstandthislong-standingcultureortheinnerworldoftheancientChinesewithoutthisbook.3

MuchofConfucianthoughtonHeavenandpeoplerepresentsuniversalhumanvalues.ThisisperhapswhyConfucianthoughtinthe21stcenturystillretainstheinterestofnotonlytheChinesebutalsopeopleinotherpartsoftheworld.

ConfuciusonHeaven:

theSourceofEverything4

IntheShang（1600-1046BC）andZhou4（1046-256BC）dynasties,theprevalentconceptof“Heaven”wasthatofapersonifiedgod,whichinfluencedConfucius.Generally,however,Confuciusregarded“Heaven”asnature.Hesaid,“Heavendoesnotspeakinwords.Itspeaksthroughtherotationofthefourseasonsandthegrowthofalllivingthings.”Obviously,Heavenequalednature,intheeyesofConfucius.Moreover,naturewasnotalifelessmechanismseparatefromhumans;instead,itwastheg,greatworldoflifeandtheprocessofcreationoflife.Humanlifewaspartandpartparcelofnatureasawhole.

5Confucius?

equationofHeavenwiththecreationoflifewasaninnovative（革新的）ideainhistime.Thenaturalprocessoflifecreationwasthe“wayofHeaven”.ThisideawaslaterdevelopedinTheBookofChanges5（Yijing）,asitstated“Continuouscreationoflifeischange.”

6Asthenaturalprocessofcreationoflife,Heavenwasthesourceofalllivingthingsandthesourceofallvalues.Thiswasthe“virtueofHeaven”.Thus,TheBookofChangesaid,“ThegreatvirtueofHeavenandEarthiscreatinglife.”

7Inthenaturalprocessofcreationoflife,Heavenhaditsinnerpurposeincreatingallthingsaswellasprotectingandimprovinglife.Heavenhadoriginatedhumanity,andhumanswereobligedtoaccomplishthispurpose.Inotherwords,humansarebornwithasenseof“heavenlymission”,andthisisthemeaningofhumanlife.

8Confucian“Heaven”alsohadacertainsacredelement,whichwasrelatedtoitsbeingthesourceoflife.ThusConfuciusrequiredpeopletoholdHeaveninawe.Hesaidthatapersonofvirtuemust“respecthisheavenlymission”,listentoandliveoutthepurposeofHeavenbycaringforandimprovinglife.

9UndertheinfluenceofConfucius,theancientChinesedevelopedasenseofaweandbeliefinHeaven.Tothem,Heavenwasthehighestsacredbeing;withitsprofoundmysteryevertobefullyunderstoodbymortals.Itwasnotasupernatural,personifieddeity（神）butwastheworldofever-generatinglife.Asthemostintelligentofallbeings,humanshouldtaketoheartthepurposeofHeavenbycherishinglife.Ifoneremained“ignorantanddisrespectfulofone?

sheavenlymission”bykillingormaiming（残害）life,onewouldbepunishedbyHeaven.Confuciussaid,“HewhooffendsagainstHeavenhasnonetowhomhecanpray.”TheConfucianrespectforandbeliefinHeavenrepresentedaformofreligiousspiritualismoftheancientChinese.

10Inthe21stcentury,theConfuciancaveat（告诫）of“standinginaweoftheordinancesof

Heaven”stillholdstrue,ashumansocietybeginstopaygreaterattentiontoecologicalcivilization.Humansshouldindeedlistentothevoiceofnature,respectingandlovingitastheworldoflife.Thisisoursacredmissionandgivesvaluetoallhumanlife.

ConfuciusonPeople:

ren（仁）andli（礼）

11RenandliarethetwocoreconceptsofConfucius?

doctrineaboutpeople.

12WhenhisstudentFanChiaskedhimaboutren,Confuciusreplied,“Lovepeople.”Thisis

Confucius?

mostimportantinterpretationofren.Loveforthepeopleisuniversallove.Confuciusfurtheremphasizedthatthiskindofloveshould“beginwiththeloveforone?

sparents”.Hebelievednoonecouldlovepeopleingeneraliftheydidnotevenlovetheirownparents.Confuciusregarded“filial（子女的）pietyandfraternal（兄弟的）duty”astheessenceofren.TheDoctrineoftheMean6（Zhongyong）quotesConfuciusassaying,“Thegreatestloveforpeopleistheloveforone?

sparents.”Healsosaid,“Childrenshou7dnottravelfar

whiletheirparentsarealive.Iftheyhavenochoicebuttodoso,theymustretainsomerestraint.”Hedidnotmeanthatchildrenshouldnotleavetheirparentsatall.Whathemeantwasthatchildrenshouldnotmaketheirparentsanxiousaboutthemwhileawayfromhome.Confuciussaidagain,“Childrenshouldthinkoftenoftheageoftheirparents.Theyshouldfeelhappyforthehealthandlongevityoftheirparents.Theyshouldalsofeelconcernfortheagingoftheirparents.”

13Byren,Confuciusmeantuniversallovebasedonloveforone?

sparents.Howshouldpeople

loveoneanotherthen?

Confuciussaid,“Oneshouldbeawarethatotherpeoplemayhavesimilardesiresasoneself.Whilefulfillingone?

sdesires,allowotherstofulfilltheirdesiresaswell.”Hefurthersaid,“Donotdotowardothersanythingyouwouldnotwanttobedonetoyou.”Thusfromoneselftoone?

sfamily,fromfamilytosociety,oneshouldextendlovetoallpeople.Mencius7（c.372-289BC）,agreatConfucianscholar,bestsummarizedrenas,“10vingone?

sparents,lovingthepeople,lovingeverythingintheworld.”

14Today,theConfuciandoctrineof“Donotdotowardothersanythingyouwouldnotwantto

bedonetoyou”stillholdstrueforhumankind.

15Lireferstorituals,traditionsandnormsinsociallife.Ofthese,Confuciusregardedburial

ritualsandancestralworshipritualsasthemostimportant,becausetheyarosefromhumanfeelings.Hesaid,“Achildshouldnotleavehisparents?

bosom（胸；怀）untilheisthreeyearsold.”Henaturallylovedhisparents.Theritualofwearingmourningforadeceased（已死的）parentforthreeyearswasanexpressionofthechild?

sloveandremembrance.16Confuciusplacedemphasisonliwiththeaimofpreservingsocialorder,stabilityand

harmony.TheAnalectssays,“Theroleofliistomaintainharmonyamongpeople.”17Lialsohasphilosophicalimplications.Whileindividualshavealimitedlifespan,lifein

natureiseverlasting.Lifeisgivenbyone?

sparentsandextendedthroughone?

schildren.Inthisway,alimited,individuallifebecomesmergedwiththelimitlesslifeofnature;theindividualdreamofeternallifecanthuscometrue.Throughburialritualsandancestralworshiprituals,peopleareabletoexperiencetheeverlastingcontinuityoflife,appreciatingthevalueandmeaningoflife.Thisgivespeoplemetaphoricalsolace（安慰）.

ConfuciusontheStateofLife

18BeforeConfucius,onlythenobilityhadtherighttoeducation.Hewasthefirstfigurein

Chinesehistorytoinitiateprivateeducation.Accordingtohistoricalrecords,Confuciustaughtformanyyearsandtrained3,000disciples.Atotalof720fthemexcelledinthe“sixarts”,i.e.,ritual,music,archery（箭术）,（carriage）driving,calligraphy（书法），andmathematics.Agreateducator,Confuciushasbeenadmiredbylatergenerationsasthe“sageofsages”.

19Confuciusbelievedthebasicgoalofeducationwastocultivate“personsofvirtue”,

whoshouldhavesoundcharacterandupliftedminds.Suchpersonsshouldbeableto

shoulderimportantsocialresponsibilitiesandtomakecontributionstosociety.Confuciusregardedloftyideals,greatvirtue,loveofpeople,andthe“sixarts”asthegeneralprinciplesofeducation.Ofthese,virtuewasthemostimportant.Hisstudentswereinvolvedinavarietyofprofessions,includingpolitics,trade,education,diplomacy,ritualceremony,andclassifyingancientbooks.Whatevertheydid,theyallwantedtoimprovetheirlearningofthehumanitiesandtoenhancetheirvirtue.

20Confuciusemphasizedaestheticeducation.Hesaid,“StudyingTheBookofSongs8（Shijing）

inspiresthespiritandhelpsoneappreciatebeauty.StudyingTheBookofRites9（Zhouli）enablesonetobehaveproperlyasapersonofenlightenment.Studyingmusicliftsthespiritandhelpsonetoenjoylife.”Healsosaid,“Simplyknowingthehigheststandardofvirtue（i.e.,loveforpeople）isnota