Think of the past too!

Genius of the Ancient World (BBC Four)
#3. Confucius

What has Confucius, Hegel and ISIS/ISIS/IS have in common? Yes, they all look into the past and try to live the glory days of the past. Thankfully, the similarities end there. Unlike the former two who try to extract the good things of the glorious past, ISIS seems content to reliving the tainted past complete with barbarism, ignorances, ancient thinking and prejudices.

At the time of Kung Fu Tze (Confucius), Chinese society was in tatters after many internal squabbles involving its many states.

Confucius' father was a soldier who married a younger wife after his older wife could not produce him a son to continue his legacy. Confucius was born after a penance at the temples. Unfortunately, his father died when he was three.

Being a good learner, he worked at a grain store when he became an adult. The mundaneness of his job must have turned him to an ethnographer who decided to venture from his home state of Lu westwards to learn other cultures.

He had the good fortune of meeting Tao practitioners and the Tao Master himself, Lao Tze.

The Chinese philosophy of life is that life is a constant struggle between the heavenly forces of the dragon and the worldly powers of the phoenix. Our task is to balance the two forces. The Taos believe the concept of 'The Way', the forces of Nature that we, as humans, have to conform to, not the other way around. Modern living is guilty of tilting this balance, hence the calamities.

Confucius suggested that society should able to restore its past glory by learning from our ancestors. Specifically, he mentioned the rule of Emperor Jo, the leader ruled with fairness. Confucius said, education, through academia, the arts and music were the way to prosper. Performing rituals, not for the sake of doing but to appreciate the noble values of our ancestors, helps to maintain hierarchy in the family.

He was hoping that his hierarchal order would help rulers to administer. Many problems in the country are due to the waywardness of the leaders. He should look at his God-given post as an honour from the Gods and should rule with responsibility. When the ruler fails, the people have the right to mutiny.

Confucius' teachings gained fame in the Han Dynasty and were the core of Chinese education until the 20th century when it was looked upon as a hindrance to unabated progress. Youngsters with the prodding of Mao and the Red Guards viewed them as if his teachings were pulling them backwards from the stream of development. Kung Fu Tze became the enemy of the state.

Confucius and his teachings were given a short in the arm in the 21st century. People re-embraced his teachings. Rituals humble us. It brings the goodness in everyone. Our world which is at the brink of destruction, filled with irrationality and loss of compassion, could benefit from his wisdom.