Confucianism

Confucian figures should take part in creating peaceful election: VP

February 12, 2024

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President (VP) Ma'ruf Amin appealed to Confucian figures to play a role in creating peaceful election when delivering an online speech at the 2575 Kongzili Chinese New Year National Celebration at Balai Samudera here on Monday.

"I invite all parties to participate in making this important national agenda a success. Confucian religious figures should play a bigger role in supporting calm and peaceful elections," Amin remarked.

Source: https://en.antaranews.com/news/305679/confucian-figures-should-take-part-in-creating-peaceful-election-vp

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WOMEN OF THE RED DRAGON: CHINESE MYTHOLOGY AS A CATALYST FOR FEMINISM

February 9, 2024

 The male gaze defines Chinese women as adorable and docile lotus blossoms–that is, subservient and shy women created for the pleasure of men. Make no mistake, though: There are many powerhouse feminists in Chinese mythology who have reiterated for centuries that Asian women are not play-things. Mythological women such as Bai Mudan and Chinese goddesses Nuwa and Mazu combat objectification and redefine age-old narratives...

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Game changer: How mahjong helped Jewish and Asian Americans overcome racism

July 13, 2021

(RNS) — A century ago, marginalized Americans seeking to be assimilated into the country’s “melting pot” gravitated to an Asian game of chance that one Chinese critic considered to be as morally dangerous as footbinding and opium.

Today, a new book on mahjong and its cultural journey in the U.S. suggests that there is much to learn from the game’s history, particularly how to put the rising anti-Asian and anti-Jewish hatred of our time in context. 

Mahjong was born in mid- to late-19th-century Chinese gambling houses, where men clacked its game tiles, bearing...

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Aging for Amateurs: More about masks and Confucius on noble behavior

June 21, 2021

A letter to the editor of this newspaper two weeks ago described mask-wearing in fully vaccinated folks as protecting the mask-wearers from unvaccinated people. That’s true, but it also protects the unvaccinated from the rare but possible spread of COVID-19 from fully vaccinated individuals (who might or might not have symptoms).

The letter writer also talked about wearing a mask since the beginning of the pandemic to keep from spreading COVID-19 in the event that she was an asymptomatic carrier, before vaccines were available. The letter writer’s behavior brought to mind what...

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Colorado State University to close its Confucius Institute on June 30

June 18, 2021

Colorado State University’s Confucius Institute will close its doors for good on June 30. 

The Institute has been operating since 2012 and was “a leading provider of Mandarin language and cultural programming in Northern Colorado,” according to CSU.

CSU said its decision to close the Institute followed the passing of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which prevents the Department of Defense from giving funds to “an institution of higher education that hosts a Confucius Institute” unless the funds are provided directly to students as assistance....

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Confucianism in Boston

Though there are significant Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean immigrant communities in Greater Boston, East Asian traditions such as Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintō are difficult to survey as there are very few religious centers. These traditions are deeply imbedded in the unique history, geography, and culture of their native countries and are often practiced in forms that are not limited to institutional or communal settings.

Confucianism
What Westerners label “Confucianism” is known by Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese followers as the...

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Mencius

Mencius (371-289 BCE) is often considered as one of the wisest Confucians, second only to Confucius himself. His conversations with disciples and rulers are collected in the second of the Four Books; his observations include that each person is linked in an intricate network of parents, siblings, spouse, friends, and socio-political leaders. This network reaches back in time as well, encompassing all one’s ancestors and the cultural heroes who have made civilized life possible.

Zhu Xi

(also: Chu Hsi) The Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi (1130-1200) is best known for having grouped together the Analects, Book of Mencius, Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean as the Four Books. For the next six centuries, Zhu Xi’s interpretations of these texts would play a leading role in shaping the religious, philosophical, and political discourse of East Asia.

Confucius Institute

In a reversal from the rhetoric used throughout most of the 20th century, the Chinese government is now actively promoting Confucianism as a cultural treasure, a means to better society and maintain social harmony. One result of this new political endorsement has been the creation of the Confucius Institute in 2004. Headquartered in Beijing, the organization’s goal is to setup partnering Confucius Institutes throughout the world to promote and teach Chinese language and culture. In just seven years, 256 Confucius Institutes have been established worldwide, 60 within the United States. Whereas... Read more about Confucius Institute

Five Classics

The Five Classics of the Confucian tradition include the Book of History (Shujing), Book of Poetry (Shijing), Book of Rites (Lijing), Book of Changes (Yijing), and Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu). In 136 BCE Emperor Han, under the direction of the Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu (179-104 BCE), grouped them together to form the earliest canon of the Confucian tradition.

Boston Confucianism

Starting in the late 20th century, America has seen the rise of its own indigenous form of Confucianism known as Boston Confucianism. “Boston Confucians” was a term that began to be used jokingly in the late 1980s at conferences of Confucian-Christian dialogue to refer to the representatives from the Boston area. However, the initial joking nature has come to define an intellectual movement. This small but growing group of intellectuals seeks both to promote Confucianism by showing what it can offer the world, and to argue that Confucianism can stand alone outside of its East Asian roots. For... Read more about Boston Confucianism

Confucius

Confucius (551-479 BCE) is the most famous philosopher of ancient China. The most reliable source regarding his life is the Analects (Lunyu), which includes sayings and anecdotes by Confucius and his disciples. Although he remained modest about his achievements in self-cultivation, later Confucians regarded him as the last and greatest of all sages.

Dao

The term dao (or tao) literally the “path,” or “way,” has been employed in Chinese religious and philosophical traditions, including Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. In general usage, the Tao refers to the proper way to act so as to fulfill one’s true role in the world. In Daoism, dao points to the ineffable creative process which gives birth to heaven, earth, and the myriad creatures. The Dao is invisible, inaudible, and subtle, though it is not separate from the sights, sounds and objects of this world. It is that which leads from... Read more about Dao

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