Download Name: Circle Period # 7A / 7B Essay Question: As the ruler of China

Name:
Circle Period # 7A / 7B
Essay Question: As the ruler of China, should you encourage your people to follow
Confucianism or Buddhism?
Document #1: The Life of Confucius
(551-479 BCE) Philosopher.
Confucius was China's most influential philosopher who continues even today to shape Chinese thought.
Confucius was born to a poor family. As an adult he earned his living as a teacher, but he longed to put his
principles into action by advising political leaders. Finally, at around 50, Confucius won a post as minister in his
home state. According to legend, he set such a virtuous example that a purse lying in the middle of the street
would be untouched for days.
After Confucius resigned his post as minister, he returned to teaching. He considered himself a failure because
he had never held high office. Confucius believed that if virtuous men achieved high office, they could make
China a better place. Yet Confucius' ideas, recorded and passed down by his students, have molded Chinese
thought for centuries.
Confucianism is a moral system that teaches people the proper way to behave. It is not a religion, although
Confucius taught his followers that they should be diligent performing ceremonies to honor their ancestors.
Confucius taught that people should obey their superiors, and be kind and generous to those below them. For
example, all Chinese had to obey the emperor, but the emperor also had to take care of all of the people of China.
He believed that if everyone obeyed those above them, and were kind to those below them, this would create a
harmonious society.
Document #2: The Teachings of Confucius
Confucianism is an ethical system. It teaches people how to behave properly. One element of classical Chinese
religion is making sacrifices (for example, preparing a ritual meal) for your ancestors (parents, grandparents,
etc.). Confucius taught his followers that they should continue to follow these practices, but his real concern was
about was with teaching his followers how to behave correctly so that Chinese society would function well.
Religions are usually concerned with life after death (an afterlife, or heaven), while Confucius was concerned
about improving the lives of Chinese people in this world. He believed the perfect society should be organized
around five basic relationships.
1) Ruler to subject
2) Father to son
3) Husband to wife
4) Older brother to younger brother
5) Friend to friend
The first four of these relationships are between a superior and inferior. The superior, according to Confucius,
should protect the person below them. The inferior person in return should always respect and obey the superior.
For example, a father would make sure his son was fed and clothed. The son, in return, was supposed to respect
his father and obey him without question.
Only the last relationship, friend to friend, was between equals. In this relationship, both friends should always
respect each other.
Document #3: Confucius Quotes from The Analects
Confucius Quote A: [1:5
]
The Master [Confucius] said,
“In
ruling a
state
of
a
thousand
chariots,
one is careful in
the
handling
of
affairs
and
shows
himself
to
be
trustworthy.
One
is
economical
in
spending money,
loves
the
people,
and
uses
the chariots only
at
the
proper
time.”
Confucius Quote B: [2:3
]
The
Master
said,
“Lead
the people by
means
of
rules
and
keep
order
among
them
through punishments,
and the people
will
evade
the rules and
will
lack
any
sense
of
shame [i.e. the people will break the rules if they can get away with breaking them and not feel bad about it].
Lead the people through moral
force [i.e. teaching people to want to behave correctly]
and keep
order
among
them
through
teaching them proper behavior
, and
they will
have
a sense
of
shame
and
will
also correct themselves.”
Confucius Quote C: [4:18]
The Master said: “When you serve your mother and father it is okay to try to correct them once in a while. But if
you see that they are not going to listen to you, keep your respect for them and don't distance yourself from
them. Work without complaining.”
Confucius Quote D: [12:11]
Duke Jing of Qi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied: “Let the ruler be a ruler, minister be a
minister, father be a father, son be a son.”
The Duke said, “Excellent! Indeed, if the ruler is not a ruler, the ministers not ministers, fathers not fathers and
sons not sons, even if I have food, how can I eat it?”
Confucius Quote E: [12:19
]
Ji
Kang
Zi
asked
Confucius
about
government, saying, “Would it be a good thing if a ruler killed
those who do not follow the rules of proper behavior in order to benefit those who do behave properly?”
Confucius
replied,
“Sir,
in
conducting
your
government,
why
use
killing?
If
you,
sir,
want goodness,
the
people
will
be
good.
The
virtue
of
the
noble
person
is
like
the
wind,
and
the
virtue
of
small
people
is like
grass.
When
the
wind blows over the
grass,
the
grass must
bend.”
Document #4: The Life of Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)
(About 560-480 BCE) Founder of Buddhism.
The name “Buddha” means “the enlightened one.” Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama, and he was simply
born as a man. He was not a god or the son of God, like Jesus. He was not specially chosen by God, like
Muhammad. Buddhism has no Gods, but it is a religion because Buddhists believe in an afterlife. Buddhists
believe that each person has a spirit that continues on after death to be reborn (reincarnated) in another body of a
person or animal. Eventually, if a person lives correctly in all of their lives, they can reach Nirvana, stop the
cycle of death and rebirth, and become perfectly one with the universe. Gautama was just a man like many
others. He became Buddha and reached Nirvana because he discovered how to live correctly.
Gautama was born the son of a wealthy and powerful ruler of a country in India. His father, the King, wanted to
shield Gautama from the harsh realities of life. The King built Gautama a palace, surrounding his son him with
wealth and luxury, and shielding him from the sight of sickness, poverty, and death. This continued until one day
Gautama wandered outside the palace and saw four sights: an old man, a sick person, a corpse, and a beggar.
Shocked, Gautama left his father's palace, and went out into the world searching for the answer for how to stop
suffering. Six years passed, and Gautama suffered greatly from hunger and cold, until one night he sat under a
tree and the truth came to him. In that moment, Gautama became Buddha, and he had the choice to reach
Nirvana and leave the suffering of the world behind.
Buddha chose to remain on earth, though, so he could teach others the secret to reaching Nirvana. Buddha taught
that life is suffering, and that reaching Nirvana was the only way to end suffering. He also taught that suffering
comes from desire. If people learn not to desire things, their suffering will end and they will reach Nirvana.
Document #5: The Teachings of Buddha
Buddha was the founder of the religion Buddhism. Unlike Confucius, who was concerned with what happened to
people during their lives, Buddha was concerned with the afterlife (what happened to them after their deaths).
Buddha taught his followers the “Four Noble Truths.”
Four Noble Truths
1) Life is suffering (while there are ups and downs in life – life is pain and living means pain)
2) Desire causes suffering (people constantly want things throughout their lives, and there is no way this can be
satisfied, and that causes suffering)
3) The way to end suffering is to stop desiring things – Once an individual does this, they will reach
Nirvana (their body, mind, and soul will cease to be, and they will become part of the universe/part of
everything that exists)
4) Nirvana can be reached by following the Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path
(1) right view, (2) right intention, (3) right speech, (4) right conduct, (5) right livelihood, (6) right effort, (7) right
mindfulness, and (8) right concentration
Buddha's Eightfold Path instructed his followers to live their whole lives, and concentrate all of their efforts
(from their thoughts, to their speech) on learning to live without desiring worldly goods. Worldly goods are
things of this world, such as shoes, clothes, video games, food, cars, houses, and anything else that can be held
and used in this life.
An Example of the Eightfold Path in Action (How does a Buddhist decide what to eat for dinner?)
Everyone needs to eat to survive. Eating also brings people pleasure, especially when the food is tasty. This can
be a problem for Buddhists, because Buddha taught that if people enjoy worldly good too much, they will
become consumed by their desire for more worldly goods. This which cause more suffering (because desire
causes suffering). Buddha never wanted his followers to starve themselves in order to avoid this pleasure,
though.
Someone who is not following Buddha's teachings might spend all day looking forward to a special meal, such
as eating an entire pizza and drinking an entire bottle of soda later that evening. For a Buddhist, it would be
better to just eat a simple bowl of rice and drink a glass of water. An individual on the path to Nirvana would not
care what they eat, because they would have no desires. Since desire causes suffering, according to Buddha, a
Buddhist would be better off in the long run if they do not give into the desire of eating pizza.
Document 6: Quotes from Buddha
Buddha Quote A
“Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant
tree, in the midst of them all.”
Buddha Quote B
“All life is temporary. Why worry about anything that's only temporary?”
Buddha Quote C
“If you're respectful by habit, constantly honoring the worthy, four things increase: long life, beauty, happiness,
strength.”
Buddha Quote D
“Good men and bad men differ radically. Bad men never appreciate kindness shown them, but wise men
appreciate and are grateful. Wise men try to express their appreciation and gratitude by some return of kindness,
not only to their benefactor, but to everyone else.”
Buddha Quote E
“Believe nothing, O monks, just because you have been told it, or it is commonly believed, or because it is
traditional or because you yourselves have imagined it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of
respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be conducive to the
good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings - that doctrine believe and cling to and take as your guide.”