Chapter 18 Verse 18: Love for Parents

But you will remember that I told you that the real works of literary greats, such as Homer, cannot be communicated to the masses, because the literary greats use the language of educated men, which cannot be understood by the mass of mankind.If this is the case, then how does the system taught by Confucius, Confucianism, and the national beliefs of China, awaken and lighten the inspiration or living emotion of the masses of mankind, the ordinary people of China, so that they abide by the code of moral behavior?Well, I have told you that the churches in China correspond to the churches in other countries and organize schools.But that's not quite true.In the national belief of Confucius in China, the real organization that really corresponds to the church in other countries' church religions is the family.The real church - the school is just an appendage of it - the real church of the Confucian national belief in China is a family with ancestor tablets and ancestor worship halls in every house, and ancestor temples in every village and town.I have told you that the source of revelation, and the true motive force of all the great religions of the world to make man, and the masses of mankind, to obey the code of moral conduct, is that the Church inspires and awakens in them infinite admiration, love and Wild emotion.Then, in China's national beliefs, the source of enlightenment that makes people and ordinary people in China abide by the code of moral conduct is the real driving force is "love for parents".The Church of the Protestant Church religion, says: "Love Christ." The Church of the National Faith of China's Confucius -- the ancestral rank of each family -- says "Love your parents."St. Paul said: "Let everyone call the name of Christ and be free from injustice." And the author of "The Book of Filial Piety", which was written in the Han Dynasty and was similar to Christ's Chinese, said: "Let those who love their parents Stay away from injustice.” In short, just as the essence, motivation, and true source of revelation of the Christian church’s religion is love for Christ, national faith, the essence, motivation, and true source of inspiration of Confucianism in China is “to parents love"--filial piety, and rituals of ancestor worship. (z-72)

Confucius said: "Gather where the fathers gather; hold the ceremonies they performed; play the music they played; respect what they respect; love what they love; in fact, treat dead ancestors as if they were still alive, though They have left, but they still seem to be with us. This is the highest state of filial piety." Confucius also said: "Respect the dead, miss the past, and people's virtues will increase." (Cogitavidiesantiques, etannoseternosinmentihabui) This is the national belief of China, Confucianism, how to awaken and lighten people's inspiration or living emotion, so that they obey the moral code of conduct, the highest and most important of all these laws is the absolute duty of loyalty to the emperor, just like in all the great religions of the world The highest and most important moral code of conduct is the fear of God.In other words, the Christian church religion says: "Fear God and obey him".Confucianism, the national belief of Confucius, said: "Respect the emperor and be loyal to him".The Christian church religion says: "If you fear God and obey him, love Christ first." The state belief of Confucius, or Confucianism says: "If you want to honor the emperor and serve him, love your parents first."

Now, I have revealed to you the reason why Chinese civilization has not had a conflict of heart and head in the 2500 years since the time of Confucius.The reason why there is no such conflict is that the Chinese, and even the general public in China, have no sense of religious need—I mean religion in the European sense of the term; There is something that can replace religion.This kind of thing, I have already explained to you, is the principle of the absolute responsibility of loyalty to the emperor taught by Confucius in the national belief of the Chinese nation, called the code of honor of fame and righteousness.The greatest thing Confucius did for the Chinese people, I said, was to give them the national faith, to teach them the absolute duty of allegiance to the emperor.

Therefore, I think it is necessary to discuss Confucius and what he has done for the Chinese nation, because it is very relevant to what we are discussing now-the spirit of the Chinese people.Because I want to tell you, and you will also understand from what I have said, that the Chinese, especially the educated Chinese, have deliberately forgotten and abandoned the code of honor to which he once served, the title of national belief of Confucius in China Great justice, the absolute sacred duty of loyalty to the emperor or the head of state, such a Chinese has lost the spirit of the Chinese, the spirit of his nation and race: he is no longer a real Chinese.

Finally, let me briefly summarize what I want to say about the subject of our discussion - the spirit of the Chinese or the real Chinese.A real Chinese, as I have explained to you, is a person who lives a life with the intellect of an adult and the pure heart of a child. The spirit of a Chinese is a proper combination of soul and reason.Now, if you examine the products of the Chinese mind in the first-rate works of art and literature, you will find that it is just the right combination of soul and reason--making these works pleasing to the eye.Matthew Arnold's comment on Homer's poetry is equally applicable to all first-rate literature in China, "not only has the power to deeply touch the heart of human nature, which is a weakness that Voltaire cannot match, but also has Voltaire's amazing simplicity and rationality."