Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/748

 CHINA

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CHINA

include: (1) The "Y-king" (Book of Changes) with 24,107 characters; (2) the "Shu-king" (Book of His- tory) in fifty-eight chapters with 25,700 characters, extends from Emperors Yao and Shun to Ping Wang of the Chou dynasty (720 B. c.) ; (3) the " Sin- king" (Book of Odes) with 39,234 characters, a col- lection of popular poetry in use in the petty states of China, collected and arranged by Confucius; (4) the " Li-ki" (Book of Rites) in forty-nine chapters (includ- ing the "Ta-hio" and the Chung-yung", 99,010 characters); (5) the "Ch'un-ts'ew" (Spring and Au- tumn), or the annals of Lu, the native State of Con- fucius, from 722 to 484 B. c. The " Yo-king" (Book of Music) was lost. Next came the lesser ''King": '1) the "Sze-shu" (Four Books), "Ta-hio" (Great Study), "Chung-yung" (Invariable Medium), " Lun- yu" I miscellaneous conversations between Confu- cius and his disciples), and " Meng-tze", the conversa- tions of the sage Mencius (34,685 characters; with the commentary 209,749); (2) the two rituals, "I-li" and "Chou-li" (45,806 characters); (3) the "Iliao-king" (Book of Filial Piety with 1903 char- acters); ( I) the three ancient commentators of the "Ch'un-ts'ew": "Tso-shi", " Kung-yang", and "Ku-liang"; (5) the "Eul-ya" (Literary Exposi- tion), a dictionary of terms used in the classical writings of the same period. It must be borne in mind that Confucius was an administrator, a states- man, in a word, a practical man, as well as a moralist, but entirely devoid of originality.

The most distinguished followers of Confucius (b. 551; d. 479 B. c.) were Tsang-shen (506 b. c), and Meng-tze (Mencius, 372-289 b. a). The rival of Confucius was Lao-tze or Lao-kiun, a far deeper philosopher, author of the "Tao-teh-king" and of the " Kan-ving-pien", with his disciples, Kang-sang-tze (570-43 b. a), Li-tze (500 b. a), and Wen-tze (500 b. a). The heterodox philosophers were Meh-ti (450 mil Yang-chu (450 B. c); the Taoists, Chwang- tze (330 b. c.) and Hwai-nan-tze (second century b. a). Mention should also be made of Wang- ch'ung, author of the" Lun-heng" (first century a. d.), Han-yu or Han Wen-Kung (a. d. 708-824), and finally, under the Sung, the reformer Wang Ngan-shi (1021-86) and the illustrious Chu-hi (a. d. 1130-1200).

State Religions. — The three state religions of China (San-kiao or three doctrines) are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. — Confucianism or Ju-kiao (a name adopted by the disciples of Chu-hi in a. d. 1150) is the religion of the literati: from the moral principles taken from the books arranged by Con- fucius a state religion has been created; the trinity {San-ts'av), Heaven, Earth, and Man, is represented by the emperor, T'ien-tze, Son of Heaven, the high- priest of the cult, who pays his homage to heaven at the winter solstice at midnight and to earth at the summer solstice. The state worship includes three grades of sacrifices, the victims being things, though persons are not excluded: (1) the great sacrifices offered only to T'ien (Heaven), 77, (Earth), Tai Mini) (great temple of ancestors) and Shieh-tsi (gods of the land and grain); (2) the medium sacrifices, an homage to the sun, the moon, the names of the emperors and kings of foreign dynasties, Confucius, I lie ancient patrons of agriculture and silk, the gods of heaven, earth, and the cyclic year; (3) the inferior . crowd of sacrifices), offered to the patron of medicine, the spirits of celebrated men, '"inls, rain, wind, and thunder, the five cele- lirate.l mountains, the four seas, four rivers, etc. The supreme ruler of heaven is Shang-ti. There is

th I in Confucianism.

I '■mi in or Too kiao was invented by the disciples

oi Lao-tze, bu1 the lofty theories of this philosopher have degenerated into the grossest superstitions,

and the worship of a 1'antheon of idols, the highest of which is Yu-hwang Shang-ti;

the chief of the Taoists resides at Lung-hu-shan (Kiang-si); most of the hierarchy are extremely ignorant.

Buddhism or Fo-kiao, the religion of Fo (Buddha) comes from India; it is said to'have reached China in 221 or 219 B. C, but this is hardly probable. The first certain fact regarding Chinese 'Buddhism is thai; it was orally taught in the year 2 b. c. to an am- bassador of the Emperor Xgai by the Ta Yue-chi or [ndo-Scythians; it was officially recognized by the Emperor Ming-ti (\. n. 01). The search for manu- scripts in India 1 id pilgrims like Fa-hian and Sung- yun (Fo-kwo-ki), Hwei-shih, the celebrated Hiuan-tsang (seventh century), I-tsing, Wang Hiuan-ts'e, Wu- k'ung, and others to undertake long voyages which have thrown gnat light on the geography'of Northern India and Central Asia. In spite of their exertions and of the numerous manuscripts they brought home,

The Pi-Yung-Kung or Hall of Classics, Pbkin

it was not until 1410 that the Chinese procured a complete copy of the Buddhist canon; some of the Buddhist sanctuaries are famous places of pilgrimage: the island of P'u-tu (Chu-san), tin- Wu T'ai-shan (Shan-si); the Omei-shan (Sze-chw'an), the Dokerla (Vun-nan). The Buddhist priests gather in monas- teries; the superiors of a district or prefecture are called Seng-lu-sze; they are selected from the leading abbots (fang-chang) ; besides the superiors (Seng- kang, Seng-cheng, Seng-kwei), there are preceptors, preachers, expositors, and clerks. Buddhism, with its numerous monks, is the most popular religion of China, though a member of one sect very often bor- rows practices from the other cults and. if an official, will invariably perform the ceremonies of Confucian- ism. Whatever be the importance of these three religions, they are insignificant as compared with the real, national religion of all the Chinese — am worship.

Ancestor-worship originated in filial piety which, being of paramount importance in the eyes of the Chinese, is the object of a special book, the 'Iliao- king''. Filial piety, however, is not a natural spon- taneous feeling, but a well-defined duty, embracing

the obligations towards the emperor, princes, officials, parents, and these vary according to the classes and

I he people. Ill every house there i< a tablet, if not a

room; a rich family has a separate building; tins is the hall of ancestors; the tablets are called p'ai wei and the temples tze-t'ang. During the period called tximj- miiuj, in the first part of April, a general worship ol