About Religion (2)

Love the following paragraph from “an insight of Chung-yung”.

Although the great foundation of the world is inherent in each person, there is no guarantee that one will actualize it in a harmonious state of existence. There is, in a practical sense, a major difference between what one is and what one can become. Since this kind of gap is different from that between God as the Creator and man as a creature in Christian ethics. In the case of Chung-yong, the attempt to bridge the gap takes the form of self-cultivation. The ultimate source of legitimacy as well as the energy necessary for undertaking the task is internally based. There is no need for asceticism and there is no conception of transcendent grace. Yet the burden is heavy and the road long; it requires a total commitment no less intensive, than the bearing of the cross. “To cultivate centrality and harmony with thoroughness” is therefore an unceasing process of learning. Since such a process is intended to realize the centrality of the universe in concrete human affairs so that a state of harmony among the myriad things can be attained, the highest ideal is the synchronicity of heaven and earth and the symbiosis between different modes of existence.

The second part of the first chapter in Chung-yung defined “centrality” and “harmony”:

Before the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy are aroused it is called centrality. When the feelings are aroused and each and all attain due measure and degree, it is called harmony.

It next indicated the relationship between these two:

Centrality is the great foundation of the world, and harmony is its universal path.To cultivate, centrality and harmony with thoroughness is the way to bring heaven and earth to their proper place and all things their proper nourishment.

One of the key issues in Confucian philosophy for centuries is to explore the relationship between centrality and harmony. Though confucian philosophy is far less than perfect, it is worth to learn. I like Taoism more than Confucian.