Create your own holy book myholybook beliefs the holy book project my holy book religion create a holy book atheism. The book of odes is comprised of 305 poems dealing with a range of issues, including love and marriage, agricultural concerns, daily lives, and war. The analects, the great learning, the doctrine of the mean, and mencius. Confucian books are boring if youre interested in holy stories, spiritual miracles, and afterlife thrills. I regard monotheism as the greatest disaster ever to befall the human race. Sometimes viewed as a philosophy and sometimes as a religion, confucianism may be understood as an allencompassing way of thinking and living that entails ancestor reverence and a profound humancentred religiousness. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. Sometimes viewed as a philosophy, sometimes as a religion, confucianism is perhaps best understood as an allencompassing humanism that is compatible with other forms of religion. Confucianism, also known as ruism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient china.
The wujing did not attain their final form until confucianism was adopted as the han dynastys official ideology and its most cherished texts became the basis of the civil service examination. The four books are considered the original teaching of confucious. If one book must be the holy book of confucianism it would be analects of confucius. Spring and autumn annals a historical record of the state of lu, confuciuss native state, 722481 bc. Legalism is a political philosophy that does not address higher questions pertaining to the nature and purpose of existence. Traditionally considered to have been compiled by confucius, but probably older, this collection of 305 songs is today valued for its glimpses into ordinary life of the midzhou period, so that they would have been old by confucius time. The key book of taoism was compiled around the 3rd century bce. This involved a program embracing moral, political, and religious components. Actually, the tao te ching is completely unlike the holy books you have studied. Sishu wujing are the authoritative books of confucianism in china written before 300 bc.
The confucian canon consists of 5 classics and 4 books. With that said, there is no one holy book of confucianism. The four books is a collection of confucian root texts. Its importance is illustrated by zeng zis foreward that this is the gateway of learning. Jainism is an eastern religion with origins in the indus river valley dating back to 3000 b.
The four books and five classics are the authoritative books of confucianism in china written. Jehovahs witness judaism kabbalah mormonism raelianism satanism scientology. Get an answer to your question what is the holy book of confucianism. This text describes chinese religious practice from the eighth to the fifth century b. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Asked in christianity what is the holy book called for chrisianity.
Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or simply a way of life, confucianism developed from what was later called the hundred schools of thought from the teachings of the chinese philosopher confucius 551479 bce. Its possible to view confucianism as a religion or a philosophy. The main book of doctrine from taoism is the tao te ching, written by author lao tzu. Dec 9, 20 there is no one holy book of confucianism. Confucianism does not have any one specific holy place outside the human experience on earth, and in many ways all space is sacred to confucianists, however, some places may be considered more divine than others. Shi jing the book of odes, the book of songs poetry, folklore. There are several holy books in confucianism however lun yu analects is the most revered. The lunyu analects are the most revered sacred scripture in the confucian tradition. A collection of handselected books on confucianism, chosen on the basis of apparent usefulness and quality. The confucian classics 5 books and the four books 4 books. Aug 07, 2017 japanese religious life had received considerable input from buddhism and 23 jul 2015 the holy books of confucianism are called five classics. There are four classical books titled in chinese sishu which are considered as the confucianism holy book.
It consists of the five classics and the four books. The book consists of a short main text, attributed to confucius and nine commentaries chapters by zeng zi, one of confucius disciples. It is nothing more than a collection, filled with nuggets of wisdom that the ancient chinese felt were very effective when applied to life. I see no good in judaism, christianity, or islam good people, yes, but any religion based on a single, well, frenzied and virulent god, is not as useful to the human race as, say, confucianism, which is not a religion but an ethical and educational system. Book of odes the book of odes is also translated as the book of songs or book of poetry. According to yale university, the sacred texts of confucianism are five books that legend states confucius wrote. Part i the shu king, the religious portions of the shih king, the hsiao king. This sacred text is divided into two main sections, the old testament and the new testament which are then further divided into various books. Mencius also spelled mengzi or mengtzu, a book of his conversations with kings of the time, is one of the four books which form the core of orthodox confucian thinking. One of the most important days in the confucianism religion, happens 106 days after the winter solstice. There are thousands of classic textbooks of confucianism, none of them being holy. Mencius interpretation of confucianism has generally been considered the orthodox version by subsequent chinese philosophers, especially the neoconfucians of the song dynasty. Jains see these texts, which are the transcriptions of lord mahavirs sermons, as sacred documents.
However, the four books, are considered the closest we come to the original teaching of confucious. These books are the book of history, the book of poetry, the book of changes, the book of rites, and the spring and autumn annals. The legalist tradition derives from the principle that the best way to control human behaviour is through written law rather than through ritual, custom or. Confucianism rujiao is a way of life taught by confucius kong fuzi in china in the 6th5th century bce and the rituals and traditions associated with him.
The book is based on his sayings and captures what confucianism is supposed to be about. It wasnt actually written by confucius, but instead the second generation of his students. Origins, beliefs, practices, holy texts, sacred places jennifer oldstonemoore on. Because heaven has laid down what is the way to perfect virtue, it is not that difficult to follow the steps of the holy rulers of old if one only knows. Their holy book is called the analects they study this book and tells them what happened in the past. Your next book is the yueji or records of music, part of the record of rites, various texts that were put together at the time confucianism became the official state ideology during the han dynasty. And the five classics includes the book of poetry also known as the book of songs, the book of odes, the book of history, the book of rites, the book of changes, and the spring and autumn annals, the five classics got its name during the reign of emperor wudi of the han dynasty, and there emerged a group of scholars responsible for the. Confucianism is depending on ones perspective either a religion, philosophical movement, cultural way of life, or governmental system. The five classics consists of the book of odes, book of documents, book of changes, book of rites, and the spring and autumn annals. The principal teachings of confucius, as contained in the analects, emphasize. Confucius founded confucianism around 6th century b. The system in this book is very comparable to divination rituals practiced in the west african and modern east asia places of the world.
A person does all actions for the sake of yi because they are the right thing to do i. It was probably compiled by the second generation of confucius disciples. In western cultures and modern east asia, it is still widely used for this purpose. The best books on confucius five books expert recommendations. The four books are analects, great learning, the doctrine of the mean, mencius. This collection of sayings and lessons records conversations confucius had.
The analects of confucius, or analects, is a collection of the speeches of confucius and discussions with his disciples. Catholicism christianity confucianism hare krishna hinduism islam jainism jediism. In dong dynasty, confucianism evolves into neoconfucianism. Zhu listed the great learning first among the four books not because it is. On this day people go to the graves of their ancestors with offerings such as paper clothing and paper money. The book of documents is often considered the first narrative history of ancient china. I ching book of changes the book contains a divination system comparable to western geomancy or the west african ifa system.
The four books confucian root texts free pdf holy books. Chu hsi 11200, a major neoconfucian thinker, designated four texts as. This book contains a divination system that is widely practiced my confucianism followers. It was originally one chapter in li ji the classic of rites. It is concerned with the most effective way of governing society. These are some of the few chinese texts which survived a disasterous book burning in 2 b. It is a compilation of 4 books that serve as the philosophy of confucianism. What is the holy book of confucianism in the 12th century, zhu xi codified the sacred texts of confucianism, calling them simply the four books. The chinese classics these are key texts of confucianism, the traditional state religion of feudal china.
It has been established that none of them has been written by confucious kungtzu, 551479 b. To live ones life as the best person one can be, to constantly strive to cultivate ones character, and to act according to ones proper role within the human communitythese are the daily. The four books and five classics were the authoritative books of confucianism in china, written before 300. The holy book of jainism is a collection of texts known as agam literature or the agam sutras.
However, taoists do not actually consider it a holy. All are available for purchase on click book images for details. Confucian analects, the great learning, the doctrine of the mean, the. Zhu xi codified the sacred texts of confucianism, calling them simply the four books. Holy books of great religions list world and beliefs.
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