China’s Sacred LiteratureJoe Carter 2013 12 17

1950 – Establishment of the United Nations

China’s sacred literature is part of its cultural and spiritual resources.

“China, a land which has its own world and civilization, whose people(in 1923) constitute one-fourth of the population of the globe, which ranks foremost among all nations in material, cultural, and spiritual resources and

potentialities, and whose future is assuredly bright.

Letter from Shoghi Effendi to the Baha'is of the East, 23 January 1923.

China Pop: 1.3 billion (2007), World Pop: 6.6 billion (2007), China = 19.7%

Shoghi Effendi

We must know China’s sacred literature.

“China has the most great capability. The Chinese people are most simple-hearted and truth-seeking…Truly, I say, the Chinese are free from any deceit and hypocrisies

and are prompted with ideal motives. China is the country of the future.” We …”must first be imbued with their spirit, know their sacred literature,

study their national customs and speak to them from their own standpoint and their own terminologies.”

Abdu’l-Baha, Reported in "Star of the West", vol. 8, April 28, 1917, No.3, p.37

Abdu’l-Baha

What constitutes China’s “sacred literature”?

I assume there are two important parts:

1.Buddhism, especially Chinese Mahayana Buddhism

2.China’s Philosophical Heritage The Hundred Schools of Thought (Chinese: 諸子百家 ; Pinyin: zhū zǐ bǎi jiā) was an era of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China that lasted from 770 to 222 BCE. Coinciding with the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and also known as the Golden Age of Chinese thought. Many of the great Chinese classic texts that originated during this period have had profound influences on Chinese lifestyle and social consciousness lasting to the present day. (Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Mozi, to name few.

Does the latter count as sacred? Sacred can be defined as:

• Associated with the divine. There are many references in Chinese philosophy to Heaven, the will of Heaven, etc. According to these philosophers, the goal of Chinese civilization is harmony between Heaven and earth.

• Considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspiring awe or reverence among believers in a given set of spiritual ideas. Although none of China’s revered philosophers claimed to be the founder of a religion, their profound thoughts are worthy of spiritual respect and they inspire awe as a set of spiritual ideas.

The Great UnityVision and Goal

The Great LearningMethod of Implementation

Both the Great Unity and the Great Learning are from Confucian thought.

China’s Sacred Literature (as represented by the Hundred Schools of Thought )

Confucius孔子 551 - 479 BC

The Great Unity begins with Social-Spiritual Goals and Principles

“The period of the Great Unity (Da Tong) is characterized by: • Universal openness and fairness; • All the world will be a common possession; • The whole world is bent upon the common good.• Leaders of society will combine talent, virtue, and ability. • The wise and able are elected (selected).• The cultivation of sincerity and harmony; and • Love extends beyond the family to the society at large. • All men will be bound by equal ties of intimacy.”

What is the vision of development?What are the goals of development?

The Great Unity

The passage continues by describing the practical implementation and indicators of the above goals and principles.

• Sufficient provision shall be secured for the aged till their death and competent employment for the able-bodied and

• Adequate means of upbringing for the young.

• Kindness and compassion shall be shown to widows, orphans, childless people, and those who are disabled by disease, so that they will have the wherewithal for support.

• Men will have their proper works and women will have their homes.

• They shall hate to see the wealth of natural resources under-developed, but also dislike to see the hoarding of wealth for their own pleasures.

• They shall regret of not exerting themselves (of their given talents) but also hate to exert themselves only for their own benefit. Thus, the selfish schemes shall be repressed and found no development.

• Robbers, filchers, and the rebellious traitors shall not appear, and hence the outer doors shall be left open.”

The Great Unity

Confucius孔子 551 - 479 BC

同一个世界 同一个梦想

The Great UnityThe idea is still present in Chinese thought today, for example, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Theme: “One World One Dream”

“The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things. Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.” Confucianism, LiJi, DaXue 2:

The Great Learning

The Great Learning

The process in the Great Learning relates the accomplishment of peaceful development with the internal life of the nation,

the well-being of society to the spiritual health of the individual. "From the son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the

cultivation of their person as the root of everything besides."

The investigation of reality by the individual is the fulcrum upon which the inner and outer balance depends.

The Great Learning puts the individual, the family, the state, and the kingdom,

all on the same Path, the establishment of the Great Unity. Individual transformation is achieved through

investigation, learning, and self-cultivation, and by participation in the transformation of society.

“Desiring to maintain one, one sustains others; desiring to develop oneself, one develops others”.

Doctrine of the Mean (Zhong Yong), 22

“The virtuous man wants others to succeed”. The Analects 15:23

There is a reciprocal relationship between

individual transformation and social transformation.

Twofold Purpose: 1. Develop Individual spiritual and intellectual capacity2. Transform Society

The Great Learning

Heaven Authority

The Great Unity is Heaven’s Plan

The Individual, The Family, The Community, RulersThe Great Unity is the protagonist’s goal

“He who obeys the will of Heaven, loving universally and benefiting others, will obtain rewards. He who opposes the will of Heaven, by being partial and unfriendly and harming others, will incur punishment.” Confucianism, Li Ji, Li Yun.

“Therefore when the principle of obeying the will of Heaven is understood and widely practiced in the world, then justice and government will be orderly, the multitudes will be harmonious, the country will be wealthy, the supplies will be plenteous, and the people will be warmly clothed and sufficiently fed, peaceful and without worry”. Mozi

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The protagonists of social development must follow the Will of Heaven to achieve the Great Unity.Material prosperity and security are dependent on understanding

the principle of obeying the will of heaven.

Unity in Diversity“If voices are the same no one will listen; if things are alike none have decoration; If tastes are the same there is no fruit; if things are the same there is nothing to talk about. [1]

Divine Civilization“The Master said, "If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good."[2]

Justice“Behind the red-painted doors wine and meat are stinking.On the wild roads lie corpses of people frozen to death.A hair breadth divides wealth and poverty.This strange contrast fills me with unappeasable anguish.”[3]

[1] Sayings of the States 16, Sayings of Zheng, pp. 515-516,[2] The Analects, Wei Zheng 3.[3] Poem by Du Fu (712-770 AD): 朱门酒肉臭，路有冻死骨。荣枯咫尺异，惆怅难再述。

Other Selections from China’s Hundred Schools of Thought

Reciprocity“The man of virtue attends to his duties, while a man of no virtue attends to his rights.” [2]

“Zi Gong asked, saying, ‘Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?’The Master said, ‘Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.’“

Responsible and Limited Freedom“At fifteen my heart was set on learning; at thirty, I stood firm in the society; at forty I had no more doubts; at fifty, I knew the Mandate of Heaven; at sixty, my ear can tell the good from the bad, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth;at seventy I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing the norm, I could follow the dictates of my own heart for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right.” [1]

[1] Confucius, Analects, Wei Zheng 4, James Legge translation.[2] Reference to Laozi, John C.H. Wu, Chinese Legal and Political Philosophy, The Chinese Mind, Edited by Charles A. Moore, University of Hawaii press, Honolulu, 1968, p. 227.

Other Selections from China’s Hundred Schools of Thought

Obligation to Teach“Heaven’s plan in the production of mankind is this: - That they who are first informed should instruct those who are later in being

informed, and they who first apprehend principles should instruct those who are slower in doing

so. I am one of Heaven’s people who has first apprehended.”[1]

Humans beings are not by nature aggressive“If men do evil that is not the fault of their natural endowment.”[2]

Truth is One“In the world there are many different roads but the destination is the same. There are a hundred deliberations but the result is one.”[3]

The Nature of God“O my Exemplar! Thou who destroyest all things, and dost not account it cruelty; thou who benefittest all time, and does not account it charity; thou who art older than antiquity and dost not account it age; thou who supportest the universe, shaping the many forms therein, and dost not account it skill - this is the happiness of God!” [5]

[1] From The Works of Mencius, II, A, 7.5, p. 804 and 813-14.[2] The Book of Mencius, VIA.2 James Legge translation[3] The Book of Changes, cited in Legge, The Four Books, pt. 2, ch. 5.[4] Analects 15:23 论语 15 ： 23 。[5] Giles, ZhuangZi, p.132

Other Selections from China’s Hundred Schools of Thought

China’s Traditional Development Pattern

We find in China’s sacred literature, not just fragments of wisdom, but a whole vision or pattern of life - tested through millennia of experience - that recognizes:

1.The goal of social evolution is an era of global peace and justice called the Great Unity.

2.The spiritual nature and moral capacity of human beings,

3.The development of spiritual capacity through responsible and thoughtful responses to the will of Heaven. These responses are expressed as initiatives by individuals, families and government, carried out in service to society, and are contributions to social development.

4.The reciprocal relationship between the inner life of the individual and the welfare and prosperity of society.

Thank you!