XAL, 11th grader
For
the last few months, I have really enjoyed studying Confucian philosophy in《弟子规》. I think that studying these
philosophies provides us, as students of Chinese, with a really valuable window
into understanding Chinese culture and its history. Confucian principles are
the root of many modern Chinese practices, and are largely reflected in Chinese
culture (for example, they are reflected in the Chinese emphasis on elders and
ancestors). Studying 《弟子规》also allows us
to see how Chinese kids are raised, and thus gives us the opportunity to
compare this upbringing to our own upbringing as American children. Comparing
the two cultures in this way, while enlightening, allows for the possibility of
further highlighting their differences. While I think the vast majority of
Confucian teachings in 《弟子规》were, in one
way or another, reflected in my American upbringing, there are certainly a few
points of contention that I find interesting and worth highlighting:
“居有常 业无变”
Confucius instructs us to maintain a stable,
consistent home and career. My issue with this instruction is that I don’t
believe stable and consistent are synonymous. I believe one can (and should)
experiment with various careers throughout a lifetime, and try to fulfill
multiple passions and aspirations rather than limit yourself to just one. This
belief actually played a major role in my upbringing through my mother, who is
currently on to her second career and hoping to soon begin a third. My mother
has demonstrated the ability to realize many dreams while maintaining
stability, and although this may ‘defy’ Confucian teaching, I believe this
ability makes her all the more praiseworthy.
“财物轻 怨何生”
Here, Confucius poses a rhetorical question: if you
don’t view things superficially and purely for their monetary value, how can
grudges be born? Confucius suggests that grudges are primarily centered around
objects and money, and can be avoided by maintaining less superficial values. I
disagree with this assessment of grudges; although money definitely can cause a
lot of problems, many issues between peers run much deeper than a small
conflict over an object, and cannot be easily eliminated. I also think
Confucius downplays the difficulty of abandoning superficiality: in such a
commercial world, it’s nearly impossible for us to not be at least a little
money-oriented. I think the message behind this instruction is a nice and
reasonable message, although it is not necessarily accurate and in practice is
not always realistic.
These are just two examples of slight deviations
from my own upbringing. Though I do find these points of contention very
interesting, I find it even more remarkable that the majority of Confucian
teachings actually do mirror my culture. Though there are differences (that
vary in significance), our cultures are more similar than I ever realized,
especially in the way we are taught to respect our parents, our peers, and
ourselves. I am proud to be learning Confucian teachings because I believe I am
developing a more comprehensive view of not only Chinese culture, but the link
between Chinese culture and my own.
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