| Depending on the person or religious scholar, | | | | China hoping he could find another government who |
| Confucianism is referred to as a philosophy and by | | | | would accept his vision of politics mixed with |
| others a religion. Most comprehend it as a form of | | | | education. He couldn't but even through years of |
| humanism that is all-encompassing that neither denies | | | | frustration of over a decade, he managed to |
| nor tries to prove there is (or is not) a heaven. | | | | become a teacher-in-exile and developed an amazing |
| In any case it has had an influence on the political and | | | | reputation of a man of unique vision and his |
| spiritual arena of China and has also spread to | | | | reputation spread throughout the world. |
| countries such as Japan, Vietnam, and Korea. The | | | | Twelve years later he returned to China to teach |
| percentage of East Asians who identify themselves | | | | and try to make public his evolved yet classical |
| as Taoists, Buddhists, Muslim, Christian, or Shintoists, | | | | traditions by writing. He lived another eight years and |
| never leave their Confucian roots, and consider | | | | died at age seventy three in 479 BC. |
| themselves to be of both faiths. | | | | In the Analects (2:4) he summarizes his life in just a |
| The religion was founded sometime between the | | | | few sentences: At 15 I set my heart on learning; at |
| fifth to sixth century BC in China. Confucius lived | | | | 30 I firmly took my stand; at 40 I had no delusions; |
| from 551 to 479 BC. About 5.5 million people practice | | | | at 50 I knew the Mandate of Heaven; at 60 my ear |
| this religion (or philosophy) whichever one wishes to | | | | was attuned; at 70 I followed my heart's desire |
| translate it to be. | | | | without overstepping the boundaries of right. Also in |
| Confucianism is not an Asian word. It actually | | | | the Analects, Confucius assists a student who was |
| originated in the 1700's and is Latin. | | | | having difficulty describing him: Why did you not |
| Confucius was born into a poor home whose family | | | | simply say something to this effect: he is the sort of |
| were part of the aristocracy of the feudal state of | | | | man who forgets to eat when he engages himself in |
| Lu in what is now the Shantung Province of China. He | | | | vigorous pursuit of learning, who is so full of joy that |
| became a dedicated learner in his teens with the | | | | he forgets his worries, and who does not notice that |
| support of his mother so that he could become a | | | | old age is coming on? (7:18) Confucianism actually did |
| scholar in his later years. His father died before he | | | | not begin with Confucius. Confucius was not even |
| turned four years old. | | | | the founder of the religion; just as Jesus dis not |
| Though it is not known where or how Confucius | | | | found Christianity, nor did many other religious leaders |
| became educated, history has shown us that he | | | | found religions founded later in their honor, but |
| mastered six arts; math, charioteering, calligraphy, | | | | Buddha did create Buddhism. |
| archery, music, and ritual in his twenties. He began a | | | | "A transmitter to consciously tried to retrieve the |
| peerless teaching career in his early thirties. By that | | | | meaning of the past by breathing vitality into |
| time though he had not mastered, he became very | | | | seemingly outmoded rituals", was how Confucius |
| familiar with poetry and history; well enough to teach | | | | considered himself. Confucius' love of antiquity was |
| both as well. | | | | motivated by his strong desire to understand why |
| Over the years of his teachings he had a goal of | | | | certain rituals, such as the ancestral cult, reverence |
| putting into practice his learnings and transfer them | | | | for Heaven, and mourning ceremonies, had survived |
| into politics. This became a problem due to his loyalty | | | | for centuries. He had faith in the cumulative power of |
| to the king, which isolated him from the | | | | culture. Confucius' sense of history was so strong |
| power-holders during his adulthood, the well-known | | | | that he saw himself as a conservationist responsible |
| Chi families. His moral rectitude was not settling to | | | | for the continuity of the cultural values and the social |
| the king's inner circle. | | | | norms that had worked so well for the civilization of |
| In his mid-50's, he realized these dynamics and left | | | | the Chou dynasty. |