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Chinese theology, which comes in different interpretations according to the Chinese classics and Chinese folk religion, and specifically Confucian, Taoist, and other philosophical formulations, [1] is fundamentally monistic, [2] that is to say it sees the world and the gods of its phenomena as an organic whole, or cosmos, which continuously emerges from a simple principle. [3]
He is said to have worked in various government jobs during his early 20s, and as a bookkeeper and a caretaker of sheep and horses, using the proceeds to give his mother a proper burial. [19] [22] When his mother died, Confucius (aged 23) is said to have mourned for three years, as was the tradition. [22]
Confucius is traditionally considered to have been a descendant of the Dukes of Song. His descendants hold the honorary title Duke Yansheng. The title of Duke of Song and "Duke Who Continues and Honours the Yin" (殷紹嘉公) were bestowed upon Kong An by the Eastern Han dynasty because he was part of the Shang dynasty's legacy.
A historical record of the State of Lu, Confucius's native state, 722–481 BC attributed to Confucius. The Classic of Music is sometimes considered the sixth classic but was lost. Up to the Western Han, authors would typically list the Classics in the order Poems-Documents-Rituals-Changes-Spring and Autumn.
On spirituality, Confucius said to Chi Lu, one of his students: "You are not yet able to serve men, how can you serve spirits?" [152] Attributes such as ancestor worship, ritual, and sacrifice were advocated by Confucius as necessary for social harmony; these attributes may be traced to the traditional Chinese folk religion.
The "Disciplines" are the "Yao Dian", "Shun Dian", and "Yi Xun" from the Shangshu. Confucius brought to the people of the Zhou dynasty the knowledge which had been reserved for royal officials. Religious Confucianism is ritualism based on poetry, calligraphy, rituals and music, which was improved by Confucius' interpretation of the Five Classics.
During the Song dynasty, the worship of Zhenwu, the "true warrior," an anthropomorphic version of Xuanwu, became widespread among Taoists and would eventually become their foremost deity. [16] From the Song dynasty to the Yuan dynasty, a local snake deity in Sichuan became the Taoist god of literature and examinations known as Wenchang Wang. [17]
Confucius judged a good ruler by his possession of de ('virtue'): a sort of moral force that allows those in power to rule and gain the loyalty of others without the need for physical coercion (§2.1). Confucius said that one of the most important ways that a ruler cultivates his sense of de is through a devotion to the correct practices of li.