Chapter 7 Section 7: The Burden of the Mystery

In fact, the reason why Chinese people have no sense of religious need is that they have a philosophy and moral system in Confucianism, a synthesis of human society and civilization that can replace religion.People say that Confucianism is not a religion.Indeed, Confucianism is certainly not a religion in the usual European sense of the word.But I would say that the greatness of Confucianism is that it is not a religion.In fact, although it is not a religion, it can replace religion; it can make people do not need religion, and this is the greatness of Confucianism. (s-2) Now, in order to understand how Confucianism can replace religion, we have to try to find why human beings, why people have a sense of religious need.It seems to me that man needs a sense of religion as much as he needs a sense of science, art, and philosophy.The reason is that humans are beings with souls.Now let's take science as an example, I mean natural science.What makes people do science?A lot of people now think people do it because they want railroads and airplanes.But what motivates true scientific men to do science is not because they want railroads and airplanes.That class of current progressive Chinese who do science because they want railroads and airplanes will never get science.The real scientific men of Europe in the past, who worked for the advancement of science and made possible the possibility of building railroads and airplanes, did not think about railroads and airplanes at all.What drove the true scientific men of Europe to succeed in their work for the advancement of science was a soulful need to understand the infinite mysteries of this wonderful universe in which we live.I therefore say that man has the same sense of religious need as he has of science, art, and philosophy; and this reason is that man is a souled being, and because he has a soul he explores not only the present but the past. , the future -- not just living in the present like animals do -- have a sense of the need to understand the mysteries of the universe in which they live.Unless human beings understand certain laws of nature, the intent and purpose of things they see from the universe, they are like children in a dark room, feeling only that everything is dangerous, unsafe, and uncertain.In fact, as an English poet said, the mysterious universe is a burden on people.Humans therefore need science, art, and philosophy, and for the same reason religion, to lighten their "burden of mystery, the heavy, vexing burden of the whole incomprehensible world."

Art and poetry lighten the burden of this mystery by allowing the artist and poet to see the beauty and order of the universe.Therefore, poets, such as Goethe said: "Whoever has art, he has religion", there is no need for religion.Philosophy also allows philosophers to see order and order in the universe, and so likewise relieves them of the burden of mystery.So philosophers, like Spinoza, who said, "For them the consummation of the intellectual life is liberation, and for the saint the consummation of the religious life is liberation," and thus have no sense of religious need.Finally, science also allows scientific people to see the law and order of the universe, thus relieving them of the burden of mystery.Consequently, scientific men like Professors Darwin and Haeckel(24) have no sense of religious need.

But for the mass of mankind, who are not poets, artists, philosophers, or men of science; What is "the mysterious burden imposed by the whole incomprehensible world"?is religion.But how does faith lighten the burden of this mystery on the mass of humanity?I would say that faith lightens this burden by giving the mass of humanity a sense of security and eternity.Faced with the threatening forces of nature and the relentless fanaticism of its kind, with the mysteries and horrors that arose from them, religion gave the mass of mankind a refuge—a refuge in which they could find a sense of security; The belief that some supernatural existence exists, or that there is absolute power and the ability to control the existence of forces that threaten human beings.Moreover, religions offer a refuge to the mass of mankind in the face of the constant change, rise and fall, and vicissitudes of the things in which they themselves live--birth, childhood, adolescence, old age, and death, and the resulting mystery and uncertainty-- Under its shelter they can find a sense of eternity; this shelter is faith in a future life.So I would say that faith relieves the whole incomprehensible world of the human masses who are not poets, artists, philosophers or scientific men in such a way by giving them a sense of security and a sense of permanence in their lives. The mysterious burden of giving.Christ the Savior said: "I give you peace, which the world cannot give and cannot take away." This is what I mean by faith giving the human masses a sense of security and eternity.So unless you find something that can give humans a sense of peace, a sense of peace that a religion can give them, then humans will always have a need for religion.

But I want to talk about Confucianism, although it is not belief, it can replace belief.So there must be something in Confucianism that can give the mass of mankind the same sense of security and permanence that a religion can give.Now let's find out what in Confucianism can give the same sense of security and permanence that religion can. I am often asked what Confucius did for the Chinese nation.Now I can tell you that I think Confucius did a lot for the Chinese.But I don’t have time today. I’m just going to tell you about a major and very important thing Confucius did for the Chinese nation—the only thing he did during his lifetime. Confucius himself said that people in later generations can understand him and understand The things he does for them.When I explain this main thing to you, you will understand that there is something in Confucianism that gives human beings the same sense of security and eternity that mass religions can give.In order to explain this, I ask you to let me describe Confucius in a little detail. (z-1)