Confucian Views of the Afterlife
Confucius discouraged his students from worrying about the afterlife. Instead, he encouraged them to live in harmony and to help other people through government service, teaching, or just being a good family member. Confucius thought that there was great joy to be found in everyday family life, participating in communal activities, enjoying music, and spending time with one’s friends. Confucianism's focus is primarily on secular ethics and morality. As such, it is tied up with moral, social, political, philosophical, and religious thought.
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In terms of transcendence, Confucianism is not about a belief in life after death (although for many Confucians, such an existence is held to be true). Transcendence is linked to the relationship between Man, Tian, and Nature. This three-fold relationship is integral to Confucian transcendence. In order for human beings to become truly one with the cosmos and 'ren', virtues must be self-cultivated and extended to others. We should become teachers of others, not in terms of learning and factual information, but in terms of a moral education. The power of 'ren' is the power to change human beings from their secondary capability to do bad, and to bring them up to their primary accomplishment--the power to do good and the power of human love. To be transcendent is to become part of the greater unity with Tian, Nature and Mankind--it is a "this-wordly transcendence" as some scholars have posited. Life after death is very much a secondary consideration, but there is a common consensus that human spirits do go onto exist after death itself. However, Confucius taught us to not place any great emphasis on this--he said that our lives and our purpose should be aimed at becoming 'sages' and to share in 'ren'.
World-Class Religions and their views:
- Atheism
- Christian
- Catholic
- Judaism
- Islam
- Buddhist
- Zoroastrianism
- Hinduism
- Shinto
- Confucianism
- Jainism
- Taoism
- Sikhism
- Bahá'í
