Who is Confucius? The teachings, politics and philosophy.

Confucius was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher who continues to have a profound effect on politics and philosophy thousands of years after his death. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Confucius sought to build a great, harmonious and humanistic society. Confucius's works are studied by scholars in China and many other Asian countries such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Also, on this day many of these countries hold a traditional ceremony for his birthday.

The tradition that bears his name – “Confucianism” (Chinese: Rujia) – ultimately traces itself to the sayings and biographical fragments recorded in the text known as the Analects (Chinese: Lunyu).

Confucius represented his teachings as lessons transmitted from antiquity. He claimed that he was “a transmitter and not a maker” and that all he did reflected his “reliance on and love for the ancients.” Rather than trying to build a systematic ideology or establish rules for society, Confucius wanted his disciples to think for themselves and study the outside world. He disparages those who have faith in natural understanding or intuition and argues that the only real understanding of a subject comes from long and careful study. Study, for Confucius, means finding a good teacher and imitating his words and deeds. He taught through personal exemplification rather than explicit rules of behaviour. His moral teachings emphasized self-cultivation, emulation of moral exemplars, and the attainment of skilled judgment rather than knowledge of rules. His ethical ideals and methods are conveyed indirectly, for example:

When the stables were burnt down, on returning from court, Confucius said, 'Was anyone hurt?' He did not ask about the horses.

Analects X.11, tr. Arthur Waley

Which teaches that you should value human beings over property and it leads readers to reflect on what their response would have been: would they have asked about the horses or the humans?

In times of division, chaos and endless wars, Confucius wanted to unify the world and bestow peace and prosperity on the people. He proposes a new political agenda: a revival of a unified royal state, whose rulers would succeed to power on the basis of their moral merits instead of lineage; these would be rulers devoted to their people, striving for personal and social perfection. Such a ruler would spread his own virtues to the people instead of imposing proper behavior with laws and rules. Confucius thought that a ruler who had to resort to force had already failed as a ruler:

"Your job is to govern, not to kill"

Confucius' political thought is based upon his ethical thought. He argues that the best government is one that rules through "rites" and people's natural morality, rather than by using bribery and coercion. While he supported the idea of government by an all-powerful and wise leader, his ideas contained a number of elements to limit the power of rulers. He argued for according language with truth and placed great importance on honesty.

Confucius' social philosophy focused on the concept of ren, “compassion” or “loving others.” Cultivating or practising compassion for others meant deprecating yourself which meant avoiding deceitful or manipulative behaviour, or being false and giving people the idea that you are wonderful, thus self-aggrandizing yourself. For Confucius, such concern for others is demonstrated through the practice of forms of the Golden Rule:

“What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others;”

“Since you yourself desire standing then help others achieve it, since you yourself desire success then help others attain it.”

(Lunyu 12.2, 6.30).

He saw devotion to parents and older siblings as the most basic form of putting the interests of others before your own and teaches that this practise of unselfish concern for others can be accomplished only by those who have learned self-discipline.

Confucius' goal wass to create gentlemen who carried themselves with grace, spoke correctly and demonstrated great integrity. His strong dislike of the selfish “petty men,” whose clever talk and pretentious manner win them an audience, is reflected passages of his teachings.

While many people may think of Indian or Chinese philosophy as intuitionistic or mystical Confucianism has been said to be a hundred times more rationalistic than Western philosophy. It is thought that Confucianism had considerable importance on European thinkers of the period, particularly among the Deists and other philosophical groups of the Enlightenment who were interested by the integration of the system of morality of Confucius into Western civilization.

While Confucius idea's of paternalism seem to embody conservatism, his ideas of rulers for the people remind me greatly of the early liberal enlightment thinkers giving him an almost middle ground political philosophy. Unfortunately, morals have not played a very important part in politics for a very, very long time and many of the thoughts in Confucianism could never work in today's society. Nevertheless Confucianism provides such a faith in human nature and strong virtues to strive towards, it is no wonder that Confucianism is now one of the religions of China.

Information from:

http://www.friesian.com/confuci.htm

http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/#ConSoc

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Confucius/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius#Influence_in_Asia_and_Europe

Thought Black People Had It Tough? Try Being Untouchable.

Living in the West, when I hear about discrimination I think of gender, race, religion and even age. One word that doesn't come to mind is caste but for an estimated 250 million people worldwide, caste discrimination is a serious problem. A caste is a combined social system of occupation, endogamy (marriage within a specific ethnic group), culture, social class, and political power. According to UNICEF, discrimination based on caste is prevalent mainly in parts of Asia and Africa.

The Indian caste system is comprised of four different castes, and outcasted social groups. Caste barriers have mostly broken down in large cities, though they persist in rural areas of the country, where 72% of India's population resides. In some rural areas and small towns, the caste system is still very rigid. The Government of India has officially documented castes and sub-castes, primarily to determine those deserving reservation (positive discrimination in education and jobs) through the census. The Indian reservation system, though limited in scope, relies entirely on quotas. The Government lists consist of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.The caste-based reservations in India have led to widespread protests, such as the 2006 Indian anti-reservation protests, with many complaining of reverse discrimination against the forward castes (the castes that do not qualify for the reservation). Many view negative treatment of forward castes as socially divisive and equally wrong.

Independent India has witnessed a considerable amount of violence and hate crimes motivated by caste. Various incidents of violence against Dalits have been reported from many parts of India. Dalit is a self-designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as of lower class and unsuitable for making personal relationships. Dalits are a mixed population of numerous caste groups all over South Asia, and speak various languages.According to a report by Human Rights Watch, "Dalits and indigenous peoples (known as Scheduled Tribes or adivasis) continue to face discrimination, exclusion, and acts of communal violence. Laws and policies adopted by the Indian government provide a strong basis for protection, but are not being faithfully implemented by local authorities."

What disturbed me most when I was researching the violence against Dalits in India was the number of massacres, the latest one being the Kherlanji massacre in 2006. On September 29, 2006, four members of the Bhotmange family belonging to the Dalit underclass were slaughtered in Kherlanji, a small village in Bhandara district of Maharashtra. The women of the family, Surekha and Priyanka, were paraded naked in public then allegedly gang-raped before being murdered. Although initially ascribed by the media and by the Human Rights Watch to upper castes, the criminal act was actually carried out by Kunbi caste (classified as Other Backward Classes by Government of India) farmers for having opposed the requisition of the Dalit land to have a road built over it.

The Nepalese caste system, like the Indian caste system, is highly complex and continues the traditional system of social stratification of Nepal. The castes of Nepal have been placed into 5 hierarchies with the following order of precedence:

• Thagadhari, (Wearer of holy cord)
• Matwali
• Namasyane Matwali (Non-enslavable alcohol-drinkers)
• Masyane Matwali (Enslavable alcohol drinkers)
• Pani nachalne choichoto halnu naparne, (Impure but touchable castes)
• Pani nachalne chiochoti halnu parne, (Impure and Untouchable castes)

The supreme caste communities make ornaments, weapons pottery and others. The castes have different names: Kamis (Iron-smiths), Sunars (Gold-smiths), Lohars (Iron smiths), Vishwakarmas (V.K.), Sobh, Snehi Nepali, etc. They have been named after the professions they are found to be engaged in. For instance, one who is engaged in works related to gold is a Sonar; one who constructs a house or makes pots is an Od; the person who makes things out of copper is a Tamta.

However, Nepalese society is clearly split into touchables and untouchables as touchables have no marital relation with them, and do not allow them to enter their houses. The situation of caste-based untouchability existing in the country depends heavily on what region of the country you are in. Untouchability exists in its extreme form especially in the hills and mountains of the remote western region. Untouchable castes have been prohibited from their entrance into temples and other public places. For instance, the untouchables are not allowed to enter the fair held annually at Dehimandau in Baitadi district and open stalls. They have to sit outside restaurants and wash eating utensils. At many places there also exists the practice of sprinkling water for purification. Milk and milk products are not given to the untouchables to drink and eat.Untouchable boys and girls are discriminated even at public schools. They have to use separate pots for drinking water. They have also to sit separately in the class as ink is defiled with their touch.

With the advent of democracy in 1950, social discriminations started breaking down not because of any legal provisions but because of the high caste people's own initiatives. However, even this change could not abolish untouchability. Though public places were opened to low caste people in some places, the situation remained unchanged to a large extent. There has been made a legal sanction in the civil code against untouchability; however, it has turned out to be meaningless since its violation is not liable to any specific penalty.

In West Africa, the Osu caste system in Nigeria and southern Cameroon, can be traced back to an indigenous religious belief system, practiced within the Igbo nation. It is the belief of many Igbo traditionalists that the Osus are people historically owned by deities, and are therefore considered to be a 'living sacrifice', an outcaste, untouchable and sub-human. People regarded as modern-day Osu in Igboland are descendants of individuals who volunteered and were sacrificed to the various gods. These fore-fathers pledged themselves and their descendants to these gods. They enjoyed protection and privileges but were segregated from ordinary people. Osu people married, fraternized and socialized among themselves. This practice continues to this day. An ordinary Igbo person would not marry or permit any of his relations to marry an Osu person. In the few instances where this has happened, the non-Osu who married the Osu became infested and was from then on regarded as Osu.

The East African caste system in Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Congo it is known as ubuhake. The Tutsi, who comprise about 15% of the population of these areas were the ruling, Cattle-owning caste. Below them were the Hutu, the farmers who made up about 80% of the population. Fewer than 3% of the population are Twa or Pygmies. During the German authorative control over Rwanda and Burundi, the authorities reinforced the system by employing Tutsis in hegemonic (dominating, leaders) roles. The Belgian colonialists who succeeded them after World War I continued this policy, instituting 'ethnic' identity cards. After independence, tensions intensified. In 1972, Tutsis were responsible for a wholesale massacre of Hutus. In the 1990s, Hutus responded with counter-massacres. See our posts on the Rwandan Genocide to find out more (in the posts for Rwanda under 'around the world...').

While many of the discrimination towards 'untouchables' and other 'low' castes is similar to the discrimination of ethnic minorities under white people in the west, the disturbing difference is that the discrimination against so-called 'untouchables' IS STILL HAPPENING. Imagine it. Martin Luther King's dream never happened. Equality never happened. There are still signs outside shops saying "No Dogs, No Negroes". For that to still exist in the 21st century would be unacceptable and unthinkable so why is it any different for castes? I personally think a lot of it is ignorance. We simply don't know what's going on. Even I am guilty. I had heard the term 'untouchable' many times but, never knowing what it was, assumed it was an insulting name for people with leprosy or something like that. I knew a lot about the Rwandan genocide but never realised that it wasn't just a one-off situation. This post only contains a raindrop of the ocean of countries across the globe with castes and caste systems.

It can be easy to shrug and say 'what can we do?' but something CAN be done. There have been many countries like Korea, Hawai, Japan, Spanish America and England that used to have castes systems and don't any longer. There are also countries like Bali that have castes systems but there are no 'untouchables' and there is mobility within the castes so one family can contain many castes and they can marry one another. This discrimination is wrong and the first step to beating it is telling everyone its out there, its wrong and we aren't going to accept it. Tell some friends, work with the charities and touch an untouchable.

Information from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_in_India#Modern_status_of_the_caste_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste-related_violence_in_India

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalese_caste_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_in_Africa

Buddha's Birthday

Buddha's Birthday, the birthday of the Prince Siddhartha Gautama is a holiday traditionally celebrated in Mahayana Buddhism.In all east Asian countries except Japan it is held on the 8th day of the 4th month in the Chinese lunar calendar, and the day is an official holiday in Hong Kong, Macau, and South Korea.

Japan

As same as other traditional holidays like New year, Japanese culture "translates" every traditional festival's date into Gregorian calendar's one. The 4th month in Chinese Lunar Calendar is translated into April or May. Therefore Buddha's Birthday is celebrated on April 8 or May 8 in many Japanese temples.In Japan, Buddha's Birthday is also celebrated according to the Buddhist calendar but is not a national holiday. On this day, all temples do celebratory events/festivals called Kanbutsu-e, meaning 'Flower Festival'. The first event was held at Asuka-dera in 606. Japanese people pour ama-cha (a beverage prepared from a variety of hydrangea) on small Buddha statues decorated with flowers, as if bathing a newborn baby.

India

Birth of Buddha or Tathagata is celebrated in India, especially in Sikkim, Ladakh , Arunachal Pradesh, Bodh Gaya and Maharashtra (where 6% of total population are Buddhists) and other parts of India as per Indian calendar. Buddhist People go to common Viharas to observe a rather longer-than-usual, full-length Buddhist sutra, as something like a service. The usual dress is pure white. Non-vegetarian food is normally avoided. Kheer, a sweet rice porridge is commonly served to recall the story of Sujata, a maiden who, in Gautama Buddha's life, offered the Buddha a bowl of milk porridge.

Nepal

The birth of the Buddha is often celebrated by Buddhists in Nepal for an entire month in the Buddhist calendar. The actual day is called Buddha Poornima (or Buddha Purnima), also traditionally known as Vaishakh Poornima. Although the day marks not just the birth of Shakyamuni Gautam Buddha, but also the day of Enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana. But as a gentle effect of West, the event of Birth is given paramount importance. The event is celebrated by gentle and serene fervour, keeping in mind the very nature of Buddhism. People, especially women, go to common Viharas to observe a rather longer-than-usual, full-length Buddhist sutra, as something like a service. The usual dress is pure white. Non-vegetarian food is normally avoided. Kheer, a sweet rice porridge is commonly served to recall the story of Sujata, a maiden who, in Gautama Buddha's life, offered the Buddha a bowl of milk porridge after he had given up the path of asceticism following six years of extreme austerity. This event was one major link in his enlightenment.It is said that the Buddha originally followed the way of asceticism to attain enlightenment sooner, as was thought by many at that time. He sat for a prolonged time with inadequate food and water, which caused his body to shrivel so as to be indistinguishable from the bark of the tree that he was sitting under. Seeing the weak Siddhartha Gautama, a girl named Sujata placed a bowl of milk in front of him as an offering. Realizing that without food one can do nothing, the Buddha refrained from harming his own body.

Korea

In Korea the birthday of Buddha is celebrated according to the Lunisolar calendar. This day is called Seokga tansinil, meaning "the day of Buddha's birthday" or Bucheonim osin nal meaning "the day when Buddha arrived". Lotus lanterns cover the entire temple throughout the month which are often flooded down the street. On the day of Buddha's birth, many temples provide free meals and tea to all visitors. The breakfast and lunch provided are often sanchae bibimbap.

Sri Lanka

This is one of the major festivals in Sri Lanka. It is celebrated on the first full moon day of the month of May. People engage in religious observances and decorate houses and streets with candles and specially made lanterns.

Other countries

Some places have a public holiday one week later, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, to coincide with the full moon. For instance, Visakha Puja in Thailand or Lễ Phật đản in Vietnam was such a holiday on May 12 in 2006. Other countries including Singapore and Malaysia also celebrate Vesak Day on the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, a public holiday in these two countries.

Information taken from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha's_Birthday

The Russians Are Coming

This channel 4 documentary follows Russian international property broker Dina Karpova, who is capitalising on Russia's love for all things English. Dina is an agent to the super-rich in Russia, who want their children to attend the top British schools and so high-tracking them into British high society. Dina says “our clients do want to go to top schools, they do want their kids to be with best British families and be friends with them. There is not one company in Russia that works with top schools or prepares children to go to top schools. The only choice is me.” There are, however, school agents in the Middle East and Asia doing all they can to get their students into schools in the UK. “Competition is fierce, there is no question about it. Now a lot of british schools cap the number of foreign students. You compete with a lot of asian kids who are breeded like racehorses to get into the system".

Dina found this niche in the market when her own son, Ivan, began boarding at Westminster, one of the best public schools in England. Ivan, who speaks with a British accent, boards at Westminster while Dina lives in Moscow. Ivan had a very cosmopolitan upbringing. She wanted to expose him to a lot of culture so he lived in Russia in his early years, then the US and now Britain.

Dina on the other hand had a very different upbringing to Ivan. She wasn’t allowed to speak to foreigners. Her parents were physicists working on top secret nuclear weapons for the government. She had a serious lack of freedom but had a high standard of living. She graduated as an aerospace engineer but the breakdown on communism in the 1990s brought down her privileged life as they were owed a years worth of salary by the government, they had sold everything and had no money. She moved to new York and became a successful businesswoman.

According to Dina “it is quite a trend now in Russia to send your children to England” and “our clients want to match the culture, they don’t want to be seen as Russians”. Charles, an educational consultant that works with Dina, said “traditionally a lot of the great schools have educated a lot of the ruling families so that culture is there and the new Russians are doing their very best to replicate the lifestyles of the tsarists elite and part of that is being educated in the west”. Dina's client in the documentary wants his 11 year old son and stepson to go to a British public school. Dina sends her clients children on a residential course that would introduce them to the English aristocracy and teach them how to blend in. First they learn how to play polo. Dina tells them that if they play polo they will become part of high society. Then they learn how to shoot and one of the teachers messed up the boys room and then instructed them how to clean it and keep it when they are staying at a persons house, like showing them how their bed should be made and what to do after having a bath. They also had intensive academic training to help with the entry exams for the schools. They are also taken with their parents to visit Stowe, one of the top public boarding schools. They are shown around the school by a student who also moved from Russia and soon fall in love with it. The boys and their parents then go on to visit many other schools. The boys receive a conditional offer from one of the public schools and so if they achieve the needed results in January, they will move from Russia to England to attend the school. Charles says “it never ceases to amaze me how brave they are, coming to a new country often speaking only a few words of the language and having to adapt”.

Looking into the future, Dina predicts “that Britain is going to play a huge part in Russian future and I think that is a fantastic thing because these kids will merge the cultures, they’re not going to fight”. Charles adds that “Britain is an extraordinary country in the way that we can integrate so many different people from ethnic backgrounds”.

Image is of Stowe School in Buckinghamshire.

If you live in the UK, you can watch this documentary here