CHAPTER VIII.

.THE RELIGIONS OF CHINA.

THREE SYSTEMS OF RELIGION-CONFUCIUS-HIS LIFE-MORAL AND POLITICAL OPINIONS-NOTIONS ABOUT HEAVEN—AND THE SUPREME— HIS THEORY OF THE UNIVERSE-THE TWO POWERS OF NATURE-THE DIAGRAMS-SCHEME OF METAPHYSICS-MATERIAL TRINITY-IDEAS OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS - OF THE FUTURE WORLD-AND OF HUMAN NATURE-THE RELIGION OF TAOU - ETERNAL REASON INCARNATIONS OF IT-PHILOSOPHER'S STONE-GHOSTS AND CHARMS -TREADING ON FIRE-DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS-MAGIC ARTS-RELIGION OF BUDDHA-HISTORY OF ITS FOUNDER-ENTRANCE INTO CHINABUDDHIST TEMPLES-MEDITATION ON BUDDHA-REPETITION OF HIS NAME-ABSORPTION OF A BLACKSMITH - FORM OF PRAYER-COMPASSION TO ANIMALS-FEEDING HUNGRY GHOSTS-PAPER MONEYAND HOUSES-SCRAMBLING FOR HOLY FOOD- - DOCTRINE OF ANNIHILATION DESPISED BY THE CONFUCIANS RESEMBLANCE TO THE CATHOLICS-REVIEW OF THE THREE SYSTEMS.

THE religions of China are three; viz. the systems of Confucius, Laou-tsze, and Buddha. Of these, the first is the most honoured, both by the government, and the learned the works of Confucius constitute the class books of the schools, and the ground work of the public examinations; hence all who make any pretensions to literature, pride themselves in being considered the followers of that philosopher. The religion of Laou-tsze, is equally ancient with the favoured sect, and has a great hold upon the minds of the people. It has now and then been honoured with imperial patronage; and during those golden opportunities has exerted a wider

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influence over the population; but during the present dynasty, it has been left mainly to its own resources. The religion of Buddha was introduced from India into China, about the beginning of the Christian era: its priests and its temples are now spread over the whole land; and the majority of the common people are decidedly in favour of this latter system. But, as both the Taouists and Buddhists consent to accord the precedence to Confucius, and aim to combine the moral code of that philosopher with their own superstitious dogmas, they are commonly tolerated by the ruling sect.

Now and then, the Confucians exclaim against the celibacy of the Buddhist priests, and indulge themselves in a few jeering observations on the demonolatry of Taou; but, generally speaking, the sceptics do not trouble themselves about the superstitious; and systems directly opposed, being both in the extreme of error, consent to let each other pretty much alone.

Some idea of the different religions may be afforded, by a slight sketch of their respective founders, and of the doctrines promulgated by them. To begin with Confucius; he was born, as has been before observed, in the twenty-first year of Chow Ling-wang, B. C. 549, in the state of Loo, now the province of Shantung. His mother had prayed to the hill Ne for a son, and on bringing forth the sage, called his name Chung-ne. Fable says, that on this occasion, two dragons encircled the house, while sweet music was heard. in the air. Confucius was left an orphan at an early age; and during his youth amused himself with marshalling the sacrificial vessels, as opposing armies, or as princes and ministers. As he As he grew up, he studied the art of ruling; and at the age of fifty was employed

HIS ADVENTURES.

183

by the sovereign of his native state, as magistrate of a small district. Here he instructed the people to nourish their parents while living, and to inter them suitably when dead; he directed the elder and younger to eat separately, and men and women to take different sides of the road; no one picked up what was dropped in the street, and all needless ornament was abolished, Three or four years afterwards Confucius was raised to the rank of prime minister of Loo. Some improvements took place under his rule; when the prince of a neighbouring state, fearing lest Confucius should acquire too great an influence, sent a band of female musicians to the Loo country, on the acceptance of which by his sovereign, the sage resigned, and left his native province. From this period he wandered from one petty kingdom to another, frequently exposed to the secret machinations and open attacks of foes. During these peregrinations, he taught his disciples under the shade of some tree; and, hurrying about from place to place, was sometimes deprived of the necessaries of life. At length the prince of Tsoo, a southern state, hearing that Confucius was in the neighbourhood, wished to engage him; but one of his own officers remonstrated, saying, that Confucius would never sanction their ambitious views; and that, therefore, it was not for the interests of Tsoo, that he should be retained. The prince listened to him, and declined the services of the sage. From thence Confucius retired to his native state, where he did not again solicit office, but employed himself in discoursing on ceremonies, correcting the odes, and adjusting music. He finally turned his attention to the diagrams, and read the book of changes so frequently, that he thrice renewed the leathern thong with

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which the tablets or leaves were strung together. His disciples amounted to three thousand, amongst whom seventy-two were most distinguished. His last work was, the history of his own times, wherein he gave his opinion so decidedly on the conduct of different rulers, that he made sycophants and tyrants tremble. About this time his countrymen discovered an unicorn in the woods, which Confucius considered as indicative of his speedy removal; and wiping away the tears, he exclaimed, "my teaching is at an end!" In the fortyfirst year of King-wang, B. C. 477, Confucius died; when the prince of Loo composed an elegy on his memory, praising his genius, and lamenting his end. His disciples said, "whilst he was alive you did not employ him, and now that he is dead you lament him; how inconsistent!"

Thus it appears, that Confucius, during the greatest part of his life, was engaged in political affairs; and, only in his declining years, devoted himself to the establishment of a school of philosophy; his system will therefore be more likely to refer to politics than religion, and the pursuit of temporal, rather than eternal good. In fact, it is a misnomer to call his system a religion, as it has little or nothing to do with theology, and is merely a scheme of ethics and politics, from which things spiritual and divine are uniformly excluded. In treating of the government of a country, Confucius compares it to the management of a family, and grounds the whole on the due control of one's self, and the right management of the heart. He expressly lays down the golden rule, of doing to others as we would they should do unto us; and lays the foundation of moral conduct in the principle of excusing and feel

HIS SYSTEM OF MORALS.

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ing for others, as we would for ourselves. The five cardinal virtues, according to his school, are benevolence, righteousness, politeness, wisdom, and truth; and the duties of the human relations, those which should subsist between parents and children, elder and younger brethren, princes and ministers, husbands and wives, friends and companions. Of all these, filial piety stands first and foremost; reverence to parents is required, not only in youth, when children are dependent on, and necessarily subject to, their natural protectors; but even to the latest period, parents are to be treated with honour, and after death to be raised to the rank of gods. Without filial piety, they say, it is useless to expect fidelity to one's prince, affection to one's brethren, kindness to one's domestics, or sincerity among friends. Filial piety is the foundation of benevolence, rectitude, propriety, wisdom, and truth. This feeling, if conceived in the heart, and embodied in the life, will lead to the performance of every duty, the subjugation of every passion, and the entire renovation of the whole man. It is not to be confined to time and place, but is to be maintained, whether the objects of our respect be present or absent, alive or dead; and thousands of years after their departure, ancestors are still to be exalted in the liveliest apprehensions, and undiminished affections of their descendants.

It is strange, however, that while Confucius recommends such an excessive veneration for parents, he should have overlooked the reverence due to the Father of our spirits; and while he traced up the series from parents to ancestors, requiring the highest degree of honour to be paid to our first progenitors, that he should not have considered Him from whom all beings