Who is Confucius? He was that peace-maker guy, right? Or wait, was that Ghandi? Or was it both? Ugh, I am confused. Don't worry, we'll sort everything out.
There are documents in history that have set themselves a part as defining the societies which they represent. For us in the United States, those documents are the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Those documents alone have laid the foundation for the morals of our country. Whenever a question comes up, we always revert back to the Constitution about how we should move forward. For the Chinese, The Analects by Confucius have the same luster.
Composed by his disciples in order to preserve his teachings, The Analects preserve the wisdom of one of greatest philosophers in history. Now, you might be thinking that I am off base because these are written knowledge. However, the word "analects" means "sayings" and this compilation of knowledge is a collection of the sayings and ideas of Confucius. The interaction here between two different types of knowledge shows how the preservation of knowledge can be a process involving different forms. (Source)
The Analects were written around 500 B.C. and have long been the standard of ethics and morals for the Chinese society. "For almost two thousand years, the Analects had also been the fundamental course of study for any Chinese scholar, for a man was not considered morally upright or enlightened if he did not study Confucius' works." (Source) Here are some examples of the oral wisdom written down in The Analects:
"What the gentleman demands is something of himself. What the petty man demands is something of others." (Source)
"Anyone learning without thought is lost; anyone thinking but not learning is in peril." (Source)
"With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow, I still have joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honours acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud." (Source)
Trying to relate this to my life, I was trying to think of a text that is central to my ethic and moral beliefs. For many of us, the Book of Mormon fits that bill. Many of the writings in the Book of Mormon were originally communicated orally, such as the sermon of King Benjamin. The teachings found within this book guide our lives and give us a solid base. The Analects do the same for the Chinese civilizations.
"What the gentleman demands is something of himself. What the petty man demands is something of others." (Source)"Anyone learning without thought is lost; anyone thinking but not learning is in peril." (Source)
"With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow, I still have joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honours acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud." (Source)
Trying to relate this to my life, I was trying to think of a text that is central to my ethic and moral beliefs. For many of us, the Book of Mormon fits that bill. Many of the writings in the Book of Mormon were originally communicated orally, such as the sermon of King Benjamin. The teachings found within this book guide our lives and give us a solid base. The Analects do the same for the Chinese civilizations.
I love those quotes, Scott, especially the one about the gentleman and the petty man. It's great that the Chinese were able to preserve their oral knowledge by writing it down! Great connection to the Book of Mormon as well. Then we have general conference as well, which, as we were talking about in class, is somewhat of an oral knowledge just as King Benjamin's speech.
ReplyDeleteIndeed I have realized at the end of this conference how similar it is to the types of oral knowledge that we have studied and posted about this past week. It is interesting that just like the Chinese, we also write down the talks so they can be preserved and translated. Same system of preservation.
ReplyDeleteI like how you can tell what was important to a civilization by what they write down and record more carefully. This isn't so true now, since just about any old thing can get printed or published, but it is very applicable to times when creating any kind of record was much harder to do.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, this reminded me of a creed that I learned and repeated daily in elementary school. It's oral knowledge along the same lines as the pledge of allegiance, but it had a very moral, character-building purpose. The Learner's Creed: I believe in myself and my ability to do my best for this day, for this day will not come anymore. I will think, I will listen, I will read, I will write. I will do all of these things with one purpose in mind: to do my best and not waste this day, for this day will not come anymore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insightful post, Scott. Like Alicia, it made me thing of a creed that I learned, not in school, but outside of it--in the woods and at camp. Every time I went to a Scout meeting or attended a campout I would say the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Similar to the Pledge of Allegiance, it also had a very moral, character-building purpose that helped me strive to earn my Eagle and keep the points of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
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