Prepared by Dr. Chandra Setiawan *)

I. Introduction
It is said in the Book of Lunyu (The Analects) XVI: 8 Kongzi (Confucius) said: "The Superior Person (Junzi)* stands in awe of three things:
(1) He is in awe (respect) of the Decree of Heaven (Tian Ming).
(2) He is in awe (respect) of great men (all sages, all prophets, all Buddhas, all Deities).
(3) He is in awe (respect) of the words of the sages (all Holy books).
The inferior man (xiaoren) does not know the Decree of Heaven (Tian Ming); takes great men lightly and laughs at the words of the sages."

Related to the theme; “The seminar on Multi Faith Education for Harmony and Peace” The question is, how could Harmony and Peace be accomplished? Kongzi dreams was to accomplish the world of Peace and Harmony, Jesus Christ pray so that the Kingdom of God be on earth, Gautama Buddha hope that all sentient being be peaceful and Prophet Mohammad wishes may all being be saved (salaam).

Let us ask again how could we accomplish the dream of the Sages, the Buddhas, and the Prophets? In order to achieve this dream, allow me to introduce what KongFuTze (Khongcu/Kongzi/Confucius) suggested us to practice that is to implement the Three Awe. And to do so, we must start from education. He believes that only through education can we educate the complex human mind.

The education is considered so important in Confucian Religion, a highway open for everybody to the world. “No discrimination in education” (Lunyu, 15:39). Human beings without humanistic education turn to be beasts. Men are born equal, but education makes them different. The purpose of education according to Kongzi is to make human being develop oneself in contrast with others. Kongzi himself expressed his own experience to illustrate that it would be a waste of time to concentrate on thinking and meditation if one failed to study:
“I have spent the whole day without food and the whole night without sleep in order to think. It was useless. It would have been better for me to have spent the time in learning” (Lunyu, 15:31).
Kongzi said again, ”The object of the superior person (Junzi) is to seek and obtain the Truth and not to securing food” (Lunyu, 15:32).

Kongzi’s faith in the perfectibility of human nature through self-effort, as an answer to the dehumanizing tendencies of the historical moment in which he was inalienably circumscribed, directed his energies to the transformation of the world from within. Confucian virtue is not only a quality, but also an ability to transform oneself and a power to transform others. As the wind sways the grass, a person of virtue is believed to be able to lead the masses in the direction of the morally good. To be a person of virtue is thus no longer the privilege of a ruler or a superior minister. It has become a necessary condition for a personal transition from a crude and uncivilized being to a cultivated and civilized person, or from being of sensation to a person of virtue. Self-cultivation is thus understood as the fundamental path to the spiritual transformation of one’s character. By interaction between the macrocosm and the microcosm, the transformation of one’s own character is believed to fulfill the transformation of the cosmos and society.

II. Learning, Thinking, Self-Examination, And Practising
Among the many ways of self-cultivation, learning is considered by Kongzi to be the most important path towards perfection. Kongzi took learning as the first step to gaining moral virtues. That is why he began his lifelong endeavour by setting his mind on learning (Lunyu, 2:4). According to Kongzi, the aim of learning is to improve one’s own character and not for the sake of fame or praise from others. He pointed out, ”Scholars of ancient times learned to improve themselves, today’s scholars learn to impress others” (Lunyu, 14:24), namely the aim of scholars of old time is to improve their own learning and morality, while the aim of contemporary scholars is to show off to others. Thus, taking learning as a process of self-cultivation pursued by oneself for oneself should be the essential attitude of all students. Learning begins with oneself but should not end with one’s own satisfaction. Students are required to extend and apply their knowledge and virtue to others and to the world, and by this extension to help bring about peace and harmony in society.

Zilu (Kongzi’s disciple) asked about the superior person (Junzi). Kongzi said,”Junzi is one who cultivates himself and thereby achieves reverence”. Zilu said, “Is that all?”, Kongzi said,”He cultivates himself and thereby brings peace and security to the common people”. “Zilu said,”Is that all?”, Kongzi said,”He cultivated himself and thereby brings peace and security to all people”. To cultivate oneself so as to give all people security and peace, even Yao and Shun found it difficult to do.” (Lunyu, 14:42)

Thus, according to Khonghucu (Confucian religion), the aim of learning is to gain moral perfection as well as to bring peace and harmony to the world. Self-cultivation is the means by which peace and harmony can be attained in the world.

Kongzi attached great importance to the virtues of humaneness/benevolence (ren), righteousness (yi), wisdom (zhi), propriety (li), and courage (yong), mutual trust (xin), but believed that all these virtues should be firmly based on integrated with learning and study. I would like to quote another chapter from LunYu 17:8 Confucius said:
• To love humanness (ren) without loving learning is liable to foolishness.
• To love intelligence (zhi) without loving learning is liable to deviation from the right path.
• To love faithfulness /sincerity (xin) without loving learning is liable to harmful behavior.
• To love forthrightness/honesty (zhi) without loving learning is liable to intolerance.
• To love courage (yong) without loving learning is liable to insubordination.
• To love unbending strength (gang) without loving learning is liable to lead to indisciplin.

To learn extensively while having a firm and sincere will, and to inquire with earnestness while reflecting what one has learnt, are believed to be essential for a good character. Through learning, humans can develop moral strength and move forwards to moral virtue. There for, in the hands of the Confucian masters, learning becomes a primary tool to facilitate the process of transformation from what is realized to what should be realized, from the animal-like to the fully human, from the uncivilized to the civilized, and from the uncultivated to the cultivated. In this way Confucian religion demonstrates that ‘to learn’ is synonymous with ‘to live’, ‘to improve’ or even ‘to be eternal’.

Kongzi taught his students through six subjects, which are also known as six arts. These were rites, music, archery, charioteering, writing, and mathematics. These subjects are all related to the cultivation of the virtues, such as propriety, wisdom, courage, and so on. Among them, learning rites (li) and music is most relevant to moral cultivation. According to Kongzi that it was not enough only to be wise, courageous, and versatile, but that in order to be a “complete person”, one must be refined by ritual (li) or propriety and music. (Lunyu, 14:12). For example, when asked about how to become a person of virtue, Kongzi answered,” do not look, listen, speak and move unless it is in accordance with the rites” (Lunyu, 12:1).

Kongzi also put an emphasis on the importance of thinking in self-cultivation. He believe that to study and learn is no doubt a prerequisite of self-improvement, but it should be reinforced by careful thinking. He said,” Learning without thinking is labor cost; thinking without learning is perilous.” (Lunyu 2:15). In other words, learning without thinking will make one at a loss as to what to do and thinking without learning will turn into an empty dream.

III. Li (ritual/propriety) and ren (humaneness)
Confucian virtues which have served as the basis of East Asian society for at least 2.000 years, are directed toward the creation of a harmonious society and a virtuous, benevolent state. It believed that these ideals can be achieved through the practice of li (ritual/propriety) and ren (humaneness).

At the heart of Confucian ethics is the li, the guiding principle of all things great and small. (Lunyu, 1:12), which is held to be the behavior of the sages of antiquity as recorded in the classic text. Li has a range of meanings: rituals, propriety, etiquette, and ceremony; it denotes ideal behavior, and moral and righteous action, and is the means by which one works to “cut, carve, file and polish”, in order to become a superior person and cultivate ethical behavior. Kongzi said,”If you do not learn the li, rules propriety, your character cannot be established” (Lunyu, 16:13).

Ren is the central doctrine in Confucian ethics. Ren is defined as goodness, humaneness, love, benevolence, human-heartedness, and humanity. The word is rendered with two component parts that denote “person” and “two”, indicating the relationship between two people.

Other forms of cultivation also contribute to ethical development. Refinement is the arts, or wen, follows the example of the sages who created poetry, music, and ritual. According to Kongzi, those who study literature extensively and who are restrained by the li, are truly superior, and will not violate the “Confucian Way”. Thus, Confucians strive to master the fine arts---such refinement is the mark not only of aesthetic taste, but also of moral training.

The li provides a template for appropriate action which, once internalized, is expressed in human inter-action. The actions of the self-cultivated person are ren, the ethical term referred to most frequently by Kongzi in the Lunyu (the Analects). Together li and ren form the basis of ethical behavior which is balanced between self-cultivation and learning and the effortless extension of learning into human interaction.

Action in accordance with ren is manifest in attitude and external expression in two other virtues---reciprocity (shu) and sincerity (zhong). Reciprocity forms the basis of the Confucian golden rule----“What you do not want done to you, do not do to others” (Lunyu 15:24). Rather than assuming that others will like what one likes, one must consider actions from the other person’s point of view. The ethic of zhong provides a basis for the action of reciprocity---sincerity is a feeling, an internal orientation, that manifest itself in proper action.

An ordered, harmonious society is dependent on self-education and on each person playing his or her part appropriately with good intent. Confucians hold that actions are transformative---to become an ethical person, one must be self-cultivated through study and practice of appropriate behavior.

In Confucian Religion perspective demands that all people be treated with humanity (ren).
All interaction must be based in ren, but specific actions are delineated within a clearly defined hierarchy (hierarchy is considered to be natural and essential to the creation of harmony). Key roles and corresponding virtues are outlined in the “Five Relationships”, namely, those between parent and child, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife, friend and friend, and ruler and subject. Each relationship has its specific roles and responsibilities: a parent owes a child education, care, and moral formation; a child owes a parent obedience, respect, and care in old age and after death. The parent/child relationship establishes the basic pattern for other relationships---thus, the virtue of filiality (xiao) is the basis for social structure. A husband and wife are to care for each other. The elder brother has responsibility for younger siblings who owe him deference (birth order is very clearly delineated in East Asian kinship terms). The relationship between ruler and subject parallels that of parent and child, for the ruler is to provide care and guidance, and the subject is to be obedient as well as loyal. Friends are to be loyal---this is the only relationship that has the potential of being between people of equal rank, but even here, a hierarchy of age is often reflected.

Although obedience and defense are demanded from subordinates within this structure of relationships, a good son, worthy wife, and loyal minister have a duty to remonstrate unethical behavior. All five relationships (as well as others, such as those between teacher and student, and employer and employee) have serious mutual responsibilities, and both familial and non-familial bonds are presumed to last a lifetime.
An ordered, harmonious society is dependent on self-education and on each person playing his or her part appropriately with good intent. Confucians hold that actions are transformative ---to become an ethical person, one must be self-cultivated through study and practice of appropriate behavior. Ethical action includes the “rectification of names,” which means knowing one’s roles in the web of relationships that create community, and behaving accordingly so as to insure social harmony.

IV. Further about the Filial Piety(Xiao) and Ren
One of Kongzi virtue is filial piety (xiao). Children have the filial duty to provide their parents with grandchildren. The true religious motivation is that the long course of parenting is how one learns love in its fullness, and this is what good parents want for their children. The family as the basic unit of society, and emphasize the necessity for tolerance and harmony in a religiously and ethnically diverse society.

Becoming a good person, means learning how to love, which is the way of humanity and the dao of Tian: the paradigmatic curriculum for learning how to love is being a parent. Little children are turned on to love by receiving love and slowly learning those things necessary for adult responsible life. There are many surrogate contexts of long–term caring that express the same learning of love. Parental love is not only a domestic virtue but is at the heart of politics. The greatest power the leader has is his capacity to inspire others to imitate his virtue, and the central virtue in which ren is most conspicuous is parental love, extended to love of one’s family and beyond. Of course, there are many human relations besides that of a parent loving a child, including relations between wife and husband, among siblings, cousins, friends, villagers, officials, distant citizens. These all have complicated proper forms, and the proper way to love your friend is not likely to be the way you properly love your children. Nevertheless, the model of parental love is like a flywheel that keeps all these other relations in balance. You should love your siblings as children beloved of your parents. You should treat your neighbors with the respect that honors their own parents’ love of them. To be fully human is to have realized the fullness of parental love, reciprocating it in filial piety toward your parents, and living out its implications in all your human relationships.

Confucian moral cultivation is a matter of working from one’s inner self and extending to relationships with others. The first item is ‘manifesting the clear character of man’. This clear character of man consists of the original moral qualities derived from Tian. For it is stated in Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean): “Human Nature is what Tian imparts of man”. Later Mengzi (Mencius) specifically asserted that human nature is originally good and every man has the moral potential to become a sage. Human nature is really what Tian gives to man, it goes without saying that this nature must be intrinsically good. After one’s clear character has been successfully manifested it is only natural that he would ‘love the people (or transform the people)’. As love is fully extended, there is the complete fulfillment of morality, which means ‘abiding in the highest good’, the third item. Therefore there is this gradual extension of moral values from the self to others. To morally transform oneself is eventually to transform others.

For Kongzi to practice ren one must, first of all, be honest with one’s inborn moral qualities by developing them as fully as possible. Secondly, one must be able to extend them to others through love and considerateness. Mengzi (Mencius) explained ren: “All men have the mind which cannot bear to see the suffering of others”. This mind is what he called the feeling of compassion. Some people are able to develop and manifest this feeling whereas others are unable to do so. Here lies the difference between a superior person (Junzi) and morally inferior person (xiaoren).

To Mengzi (Mencius), a man without displaying his feeling of compassion is not a man in the true sense of the word, because he fails to develop what is characteristically human. This is the most striking difference between the Confucian view of morality and our modern belief that the formation of moral values results from socialization. A good man is able to find joy in morality.

Kongzi said,”A resolute scholar and a man of humanity will never seek to live at the expense of injuring humanity. He would rather sacrifice his life in order to realize humanity” (Lunyu, 15:9)

To realize humanity (ren) as the ultimate value of human existence eventually became the spiritual self-definition of a Confucian. Even at the time of Kongzi, this was widely accepted among his students. Tseng Tzu, a Confucian disciple who can very well be characterized as the knight of humanity, made the following pronouncement: “A Junzi must be strong and resolute, for his burden is heavy and the road is long. He has taken humanity (ren) to be his own burden—is that not heavy? Only with death does the road come to an end. Is that not long?” (Lunyu 8:7).

The focus on the centrality and the fruitfulness of the idea of humanity (ren) in the Lunyu was an epoch-making event in the symbolic universe of ancient Chinese thought and clearly indicates that the “breakthrough” is “transcendental” in the sense that humanity, for the first time in Chinese history, was seen as an ultimate value going beyond life and death.

V. The Status of Current World
The status of our current world we should all agree is due to human MIND which are full of egoistic view which in it encompass the greed, hatred and ignorant. In the book of Mengzi, it is said that originally our Nature is good in its essence and pure, but due to the influences that come from our surrounding, our education system contaminated the mind and therefore generating so much trouble in this world.

The challenge is how can we make this world to be the world of peaceful and harmony between the sentient beings and the environment? We must start from ourselves, from each and every one of us. We should realize that our mind was contaminated from the wrong perception of knowledge that comes from outward. The same way apply to educate the mind, in this case will be using the principle of religious teaching to influence the way our contaminated mind think!

VI. Method of Multi Faith Education
One method is as what Kongzi taught us; is to respect the decree of Heaven, to respect all the great men (sages, Buddhas, prohets) and to respect their teachings. The word Respect is the key to create the learning experience for the human kind. Without respect how can one value the teaching?

To begin, we must understand that our society can be divided into several levels which are described in the book of LunYu 16:9 Confucius said: "Those who are born knowing (wise) it are the best. Those who study to know it (become wise) are next; those who are limited and yet study are next; those who are limited and do not even study are considered to be the lowest level of people." Let’s us consider that we are in this category ‘study to know’.

Kongzi respected each individual’s personality. Kongzi asked for a personal understanding of the sayings and a personal experience of the wisdom embodied in the texts. When his disciples asked questions, he always gave different answers to each student. Kongzi was who stressed building the individual personality of students.

Mengzi said,” There are five ways in which the superior person (junzi) effects his/her teaching: - 1. There are some on whom his influence descends like seasonable rain.
- 2. There are some whose virtue he perfects, and some of whose talents he
assists the development.
- 3. There are some whose inquires he answers.
- 4. There are some who privately cultivate and correct themselves.
- 5. There five ways are the methods in which the superior person (junzi)
effects his/her teaching. (Mengzi, VII A:41).

The Confucians practiced ritual, played music and read poems not merely for enjoyment but because they found the value and the meaning of life in these pursuits. In other words, Confucians internalized the external learning so that learning itself became a process by which the temporality of the learner could be transformed into a sense of eternity, and their short lifespan could gain lasting meaning. Thus, to learn is to experience and to study is to do.

Principles for Confucian Learning by Zhu Xi, in his ‘Articles of Instruction of Bailu Dong Academy as is quoted by Xinzhong Yao**
1. The Five Teaching: between father and son there should be love; between prince and subject there should be just dealing; between husband and wife there should be distinctions; between the old and young there should be precedence; between friends there should be good faith.
2. The Order of Learning: study extensively; inquire accurately; think carefully; sift clearly; practice earnestly.
3. The Essentials of Self-Cultivation: in speaking be loyal and true; in acting be serious and careful; control anger and check desires; correct errors and move to the good.
4. The Essentials of Managing Affairs; stand square on what is right, do not scheme for what is profitable; clarify the Way, do not calculate the honours.
5. The Essentials of Getting along with Others: Do not do to others what you would not like yourself; if a man pursue a course, and his way is impeded, let him see the remedy in himself.

Zhang Huang (1527- 1608), once the headmaster of the same academy, laid down the following ‘Step in Learning’***:
1. The foundation of learning is an established will.
2. The principle of learning is to promote humaneness (ren) through gathering with friends.
3. The pathway to learning is the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge.
4. The regulator of learning is caution and fear.
5. The true ground of learning is filial piety, respect for elders, earnestness and faithfulness.
6. The certification of learning is the controlling of anger, checking of desires, and moving to the good.
7. The last measure of learning is the complete development of one’s nature until destiny is fulfilled.
8. The proof of good faith in learning is in searching out the ways of old and mining the classics.

These examples show the emphasis that Confucian place upon learning as a method for improving one’s own character and not for the sake of fame or praise from others. Thus we see that learning is a process of transformation pursued by one’s self for one’s self.

I hope we can all aim in the same direction that is to contribute in creating the world of Peace and Harmony and Please! Don’t let the inferior person accomplish their ego intention. Don’t let them use the teaching of religion to bring about their political view. Don’t let them stand in the name of religion to achieve their evil intention.

Many teachers still believe that in moral education they can actually “lead a horse to water and also make him drink”. But in this case the proverb is once more right: “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”. Perhaps educationists nowadays know more about how to make a person intellectual than how to make him moral. After all, we seem to see more intellectual than moral people around. As a matter of fact, most of the parents and even educationists are still groping in the dark as far as moral education is concerned. There is always a temptation for the parent and teacher to moralize, trying to implant moral values directly in children. But there is a limit to the effectiveness of this method. We cannot expect them to learn the moral principles by heart and then follow them enthusiastically. They are far more sophisticated than that. Moralization should be sparingly applied if at all. Any value that deserves to be transmitted must pass the test of open inquiry. The student has the right to ask for rational arguments to justify the value. The teacher cannot just ram it down the student’s throat. In our eagerness to transform the student into a moral being, we must as far as possible guard against any unwitting encouragement of obscurantism.

We must remember that, however important the infusion of moral qualities is, another vital function of modern education is to train students to think critically and independently for themselves. It would be unwise for us to catch one bird while scaring off another. And it is the method of open and rational inquiry that could promote both moral values and critical thinking at the same time, also must encourages students to work in groups and to collaborate (rather than compete) with each other in seeking new information from a variety of sources. Sharing experiences, synthesizing the new information, and seeking more information to arrive at more definitive conclusions and solutions.

The discussion should be open-ended and free from presupposed values, at least during its entire length. It is up to the teacher to use his rational arguments and persuasive power to win over the student to the desirable values. Once the student is convinced of moral values through this method, the effect would last for a much longer period of time. Moreover he would also learn to think critically and independently on his own.

Another point to be borne in mind is that we should not focus upon the ephemeral details of Confucian moral practice like the rules of propriety. Kongzi even himself emphasized the spirit than the form of the rules of propriety. What is to be understood in teaching in the Confucian moral perspective and its intellectual foundation. We should allow this moral theme of ‘the mind that cannot bear to see the suffering of others’ to be developed and enlarged upon in our own ways. The teacher should not be concerned too much about moral items and trivial details. For instance, it is important to show the student that in practising filial piety the spirit than the form should be emphasized.

Every person owing to his particular situation has his own way of practising filial piety. How to fulfill the moral duty properly and effectively is a matter of common sense and intelligence rather than morality. How could we impose detailed ways of practice upon the student? It is always a good pedagogical principle to show certain respect to him and leave something to his imagination and individual decision.

Moral values such as ren are considered as themes to be further elaborated upon or paradigms to be aspired after in various ways rather than rules to be mechanically obeyed in a fixed manner. If moral values are considered flexible enough to be applied differently, they become the standards of moral inspiration for a moral agent without suppressing his individuality and creative thinking.

Great wisdom consists in fully perfecting intelligence, in restoring morale to the people, and in attaining the highest good. To know what is proper in order and natural in sequence is to approach the truth. Those ancients who desired to set an example of good character for everyone first established moral order in their states.
• In order to establish such order in their states, they first guided their families.
• In order to guide their families, they first developed themselves.
• In order to develop themselves, they first had to acquire a right attitude.
• In order to acquire a right attitude, they first tried to become honest with themselves.
• In order to become honest with themselves, they first had to learn as much as possible.
• Learning as much as possible involved gaining insight into the nature of things.
• By gaining insight into the nature of things, they came to know the highest good.
• By apprehending the highest good, they became honest with themselves.
• By becoming honest with themselves, they acquired the right attitude.
• By acquiring the right attitude, they developed themselves.
• By developing themselves, they guided their families.
• By guiding their families, they established moral order in their states.
• By establishing moral order in their states, they brought harmony and peace and prosperity to the whole country.
From the highest official to the ordinary people, all need to recognize that self-development is fundamental. When the fundamentals are neglected, what is developed from them cannot be sound. It is unreasonable to neglect the important and to devote oneself to the trivial. (The Great Learning/Daxue: Prime Ch.:4,5,6,7)

VII. Conclusion
While the students have reported many new insights, none of these successes will work unless the teachers do. Teachers must take the good ideas and simply put them to work. Designing problems and facilitating the material of learning. Teachers (Team teaching) have to learn how to sharpen all the students’ senses of observation, listening, feeling, smelling, tasting and touching. They themselves need to demonstrate wisdom in decision making. Teachers must be role models in inculcating values such as patience, honesty, humility, openness, perseverance, self responsibility, accountability and attentiveness. These values must be accepted as virtues in the principles of life and not weaknesses.

Character is fundamental; wealth is a consequence. When one treats fundamentals as a secondary and consequences as primary, then he incites discord and encourages fraudulence among the people. So by gathering wealth one fails to acquire (the allegiance of) the people; and by failing to gather wealth (first) one acquires (the allegiance of) the people. Therefore, when a ruler speaks improperly, he will be spoken to improperly. And when wealth is gained by unfair means, it will be lost in the same way. “Positions of trust are not eternal”. This means that worthy behavior begets trust and unworthy behavior begets distrust.

Universities need to be aware of teachers who express interest. There is a difference between interest and commitment. Those who are interest in doing something accept no excuses, only results. Universities need to change people who talk about doing things into people who doing things. Workshops to train teachers in the skills are essential.

Finally, I hope through study and especially through this inter faith study we can all be in harmony with nature and be peaceful among man. Allow me to close with a statement from the book of Zhongyong,(Prime Chapter: 4), “When joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure have not yet arisen, it is called ch'ung (equilibrium, centrality, mean). When they arise to their appropriate levels, it is called "harmony." Ch'ung is the great root of all-under-heaven. "Harmony" is the penetration of the Tao through all-under-heaven. When the mean and harmony are actualized, Heaven and Earth are in their proper positions, and the myriad things are nourished.”

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*) This paper is presented at The 1st International Seminar On Multi Faith Education For Harmony and Peace in Jakarta, hosted by the Faculty of Tarbiya and Teachers’, State Islamic University “Syarif Hidayatullah” Jakarta, On February, 1 – 3rd, 2005.

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Rights commission attacks civil registration bill

National News - November 29, 2006
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An alliance of civil groups and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) joined the chorus of criticism here Tuesday against the civil registration bill, which they said could undermine freedom of religion.
They demanded that the House of Representatives drop the bill, due for passage on Dec. 7, or make major changes to it.
They also threatened to take the bill to the Constitutional Court for a review should it not be revised.
The alliance consisted of the Indonesian Conference of Bishops and non-governmental organizations Ahlul Bait Indonesia, the People's Legal Aid Institute, the Coordinating Board of Traditional Beliefs and the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI).
Komnas HAM member Chandra Setiawan said that if passed into law, the bill would mean followers of traditional beliefs would be discriminated against by the state.
"The bill's products will be identity cards and birth certificates which are based on the six official religions. Like before, the government will not list the faiths of traditional believers on their identity cards," he said.
Under the bill, he added, children will be registered but the identity and religion of their parents will not be listed on their birth certificates.
"This is a form of discrimination and will affect minority groups," Chandra said.
Priest Benny Sutrisno, from the Indonesian Conference of Bishops, urged the government to drop the bill because it contained flaws that could cause conflict among religious groups.
"The government is obliged to register all citizens no matter what their religion or belief is. With the bill, the nation has been trapped by the politics of identity and the House lacks wisdom in responding to the people's aspirations," he said, warning that identity politics could create sectarian conflict within society.
Chandra said he and other activists were disappointed with the House's working committee for unilaterally postponing a hearing with them to discuss the bill.
Ahlul Bait Indonesia leader Adi Gunardi said the government and the House needed to accept traditional beliefs as they did the six official religions -- Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.
The rejection of traditional beliefs was a serious violation of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, he said.
"Salvation is found not only in the six religions but also in traditional beliefs. The rejection of registering traditional belief followers is really discrimination and the government should not interfere deeper in religious affairs," Adi said.
He said he had suspicions that Islamic influences were dominant in deliberating the bill.
On Sunday a caucus of pro-human rights legislators put their weight behind the opposition to the bill, which has so far been discussed only in closed-door meetings.
The enforcement of the bill would bring many problems to women, handicapped and poor people, aside from other marginalized groups, the caucus said.
"With the bill, street children, beggars and the homeless will be marginalized and isolated from their environment," said Dedi Ali Achmad of PBHI.

IV. What are the Ends which are also Duties?

They are: A. OUR OWN PERFECTION, B. HAPPINESS OF OTHERS.
We cannot invert these and make on one side our own happiness, and on the other the perfection of others, ends which should be in themselves duties for the same person.
For one's own happiness is, no doubt, an end that all men have (by virtue of the impulse of their nature), but this end cannot without contradiction be regarded as a duty. What a man of himself inevitably wills does not come under the notion of duty, for this is a constraint to an end reluctantly adopted. It is, therefore, a contradiction to say that a man is in duty bound to advance his own happiness with all his power.
It is likewise a contradiction to make the perfection of another my end, and to regard myself as in duty bound to promote it. For it is just in this that the perfection of another man as a person consists, namely, that he is able of himself to set before him his own end according to his own notions of duty; and it is a contradiction to require (to make it a duty for me) that I should do something which no other but himself can do.

The status of our current world we should all agree is due to human MIND which are full of egoistic view which in it encompass the greed, hatred and ignorant. In the book of Mengzi, it is said that originally our Nature is good in its essence and pure, but due to the influences that come from our surrounding, our education system contaminated the mind and therefore generating so much trouble in this world.

The challenge is how can we make this world to be the world of peaceful and harmony between the sentient beings and the environment? We must start from ourselves, from each and every one of us. We should realize that our mind was contaminated from the wrong perception of knowledge that comes from outward. The same way apply to educate the mind, in this case will be using the principle of religious teaching to influence the way our contaminated mind think!

Thus, according to Khonghucu (Confucian religion), the aim of learning is to gain moral perfection as well as to bring peace and harmony to the world. Self-cultivation is the means by which peace and harmony can be attained in the world.

Kongzi attached great importance to the virtues of humaneness/benevolence (ren), righteousness (yi), wisdom (zhi), propriety (li), and courage (yong), mutual trust (xin), but believed that all these virtues should be firmly based on integrated with learning and study. I would like to quote another chapter from LunYu 17:8 Confucius said:
• To love humanness (ren) without loving learning is liable to foolishness.
• To love intelligence (zhi) without loving learning is liable to deviation from the right path.
• To love faithfulness /sincerity (xin) without loving learning is liable to harmful behavior.
• To love forthrightness/honesty (zhi) without loving learning is liable to intolerance.
• To love courage (yong) without loving learning is liable to insubordination.
• To love unbending strength (gang) without loving learning is liable to lead to indiscipline.

Dr. Chandra Setiawan

The Existence of Confucianism in Religious Plurality in Indonesia

1. Foreword

For Confucians it does not matter that the government or other people do not recognize Confucianism as a religion. Because religion is a matter of faith, the believers. The matter is that, in Indonesia, the recognition of existence is essential because of the public intervention towards citizens on religion. In the circular of Home Affair Minister No. 477/74054/BA.01.2/4683/95, dated 18 November 1978, the government did not recognize the existence of Confucianism as an official religion. The letter stated that the government- recognized religions are Islam, Christian, Catholic, Hinduism, and Buddhism and at the time the civil rights of Confucians began shackled. The implication is very wide, i.e., the civil rights of Confucians have been taken away by the government for the last 20 years; for example, taking the Confucianism away from the population statistics in view of religion; Confucianism is not taught in schools, but Gadjah Mada University has been consistent in offering Confucianism as an optional subject since 1967; Confucianism is taken away from religious column in ID card (in practice the Confucian is invisibly forced to include one of the five official religions); most civil registration offices refuse to register the intra-confucian marriage.
Until now, we still undergo the impact of the Home Affair Minister’s circular, which is in fact illegal and now has been revoked by the circular of Home Affair Minister No. 477/805/SJ, dated 31 March 2000. The government apparatus in field do not care if the circular has been revoked, before the implementation guidance is issued they remain not to give spaces to the Confucianism in either ID card or marriage registration at civil registration offices. It is very apprehensive when the government proclaims the enforcement of law supremacy; it is still merely a slogan, anyway. It was a fact that the Supreme Court made decision on public administration jurisdiction case between Budi Wijaya versus Kakan. The civil Registration of the Municipality of Surabaya granted Budi Wijaya’s lawsuit and instructed Kakan. The municipality of Surabaya registered the marriage held on 23 July 1995 in the Confucianism way at ‘Boen Bio’, which meant that it had permanent legal forces, but it was deemed by the civil registration office of Surabaya and other provinces. Although the Supreme Court’s decision is pointed towards them, they keep on refusing to register the marriage of the Confucian couples. Indeed, the laymen can draw conclude with a common sense that the circular is obviously against the Pancasila based state and the 1945 Constitution, Article 29.1 in which the state guarantees the freedom of religion. So, there is no religion which is recognized or not, and so is the official religion. If the existence of religion in Indonesia needs recognition from the government, as its logical consequence in Indonesia there was no religion before 1945, only did ideology exist. Do we like to take this consequence? In addition to Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, article 29.2., there is another lawful product namely Act No.1/PNPS/1965 which is still valid until now. In its explanation of article 1 it is mentioned “The religions adhered by Indonesians are Islam, Christian, Catholic, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. This is proved in the development of religious history in Indonesia”. According to Monk Eka Darmaputera, as quoted by Lasiyo in his dissertation, “the election of the above six religions is based on the definition of religion as proposed by the Minister of Religion at the time. Stated in the definition, there must be four minimum requirements: 1) having a holy scripture, 2) having a prophet, 3) believing in one God, and 4) having a religious ritual for its followers. For the adherent of Confucianism, it is important to restore their civil rights as Indonesian citizens because their duties are unavoidable and equal to other citizens, but why their civil rights are ‘shackled’ merely because of being Confucians?
It is not right on the mark to understand and judge the Confucianism nowadays without understanding past events, because understanding something apart from its background and historical relationship will give us peripheral insights and will not give us the truth either. Trying to catch the historical relationship will get far richer and complete insights in order to get true meaning.
Pre-colonial historical records proved that Chinese ethnic partly the adherent of Confucianism could coexist with the local people, socialize and be untied without differentiating others, live in harmony, without discrimination, without measures to differentiating the indigenes from the non-indigenes.
Say for example, there was a China town in Gunung Jati, Cirebon in 1415. It was described that Admiral Haj Kung Wu Ping, a descendant of Confucianism, built a lighthouse tower on the hill of Gunung Jati. Not far was also built the Hanafi Moslem Chinese Community, namely in Sembung, Sarindil was assigned to provide teaks for ship repairs. Talang Compound was assigned to maintain the port. Sembung was to maintain the lighthouses. Three Hanafi Moslem Chinese compounds all together were also to supply the foodstuffs for the ships of Ming Dynasty.”
At the Dutch Colonialism, Chinese ethnic were restricted through divide et impera policies, like the ordinance of special settlements, permit and examination laws by police and other regulations as well. In Indische Staatsregeling, the Dutch divided Indonesian populations into three groups namely Europe, Indonesia and East Foreigner. According to Article 163 was focused the Dutch’s measures: on the one hand, they strengthened the western solidarity, and on the other hand, they deteriorated Asian and color-skinned solidarity. The purpose of colonial was achieved and the solidarity between the indigenes and Chinese was shattered. The divide et impera policies, then, was continued by the New Order government who tried to put the Chinese culture out in order to inhibit the assimilation. The measures of New Order government, then, had an impact on some parts of Indonesian society, including the press; it thereby appeared the stereotype that most Chinese were traders, mostly unfair, and had bad habits. These needed more attention. Moreover, the mass media reported about the fault of Confucian descendants as the fault of the whole group. When there was a report of a Chinese breaking the laws, for example, smuggling, his Chinese name was written. On the other hand, the achieved Chinese, like a badminton player, was never tinkered his/her Chinese name. This may form the opinion in people that it is common that Chinese is a smuggler.
There is an indication that Chinese people are closely bound to their forefathers, it is, according to the writer’s opinion, the issues which are deliberately blown off, without any concrete evidences about the truth of the above indication. Since RRC and the government of the Republic of Indonesia on 22 April 1955 signed the agreement of two citizenship, it was a historical turning point since which most Indonesians of Chinese ethnic changed their status of ‘Hoa Kiauw’ to Indonesian citizens. Being Indonesians of Chinese ethnic, which was formerly considered overseas Chinese, has now become Indonesians integral and united to the whole Indonesians. With the equal status and rights as Indonesian in thoughts, understanding, and aspiration, everything is actually clear and they understand to whom they have to devote their loyalty and dedication. For Chinese, whatever their religions are, patriotism has long grown. They do something, struggle with all their heart and soul to materialize the prosperous nation. On the contrary, a fair treatment is expected from the government by giving protection as it is to other citizens.

II. CONFUCIANISM AT GLANCE

Confucianism is not only given to the Chinese, let alone when the Prophet of Khongcu was still alive, there was no concept of Chinese at all. There was no Chinese word either Hua Ren or Han Ren found in the Holy Scripture of Confucianism. Khongcu only talked about virtues and encouraged people to understand the civilization.
The prophets who developed the teachings, which is now called Confucianism came from various regions. The original name of Confucianism is Ru Jiao or Ji Kau, which means the religion for the gentle, obedient, and learned. Matteo Ricci, the Society of Jesus missionary, who came to China in the fifteenth century, called the teaching of Khongcu the prophet, the biggest of other figures, Ru Jiao Confucianism.
The Holy Scripture of Confucianism underwent a very long period of development. The oldest scripture originated from the Holy King of Giau (2357 – 2255 BC) and the newest was written by Bingcu (died in 289 BC) and lasted about 2000 years.
Khongco the prophet was born in 551 BC. The story of Khongcu is at glance as follows. The forefather of Khongcu was the Majesty Oey Tee (2698 – 2598 BC). He was crown prince, a civilized leader, a pioneer of human civilization, and a wise-ass that was capable of leading the people to a worldly and spiritually harmonious life. The father of Khongcu was Khong Hut alias Siok Liang who had Tien Cay as his wife of Gan clan.
Khong Siok Liang Hut was an old officer, yet he was always depressed because he had 9 daughters and a disabled son.

2.1. Born as a Prophet

Being apprehensive, Gan Tien Cay often followed her husband to go to the hill of Ni, worshiped and prayed before the Almighty Thian in order to be granted a holy and noble son to generate descendents. Thian, the Lord, accepted the holy prayer of a devout and faithful mother. One night Mother Gan Tien Cay got a vision; came the North Star Angle and said to her, “Accept the gift from the Lord a Holy and Glorious Son, a Prophet. You have to bear him in Khongsong Valley.”
It was true, since then she was pregnant and whenever her pregnancy was getting older, she got another vision: “There came five elder people who called themselves Five Important Stars while leading an animal like a scaly deer, single-horned like a dragon. The animal knees before Mother Gan Tien Cay and from its mouth outpoured a stony scripture of Kumala, which wrote, “The Holy Water Son will replace the Ciu Dynasty and will become the King without Crown”. Mother Gan Tien Cay tied a red rope on the animal horn and the vision disappeared.
When Khong Siok Hut was informed about that, He responded, “It’s Ki Lien,’ who only appeared if the crown prince commanded.
When the time of birth was approaching, Mother Gan asked her husband where the Khong Song was located. In fact, Khong Song was the name of cave in Lam San. She went to the place in accordance with the guidance and she prepared everything to welcome the birth of the baby.
At the night of birth, two dragons went down to watch over on the right and left. The strains of music were heard beautifully from the sky. Two fairies appeared themselves and poured the fragrant smells as if to bathe the mother. When the baby was born, the well of warm water emerged from the floor of Khong Song and dried after the baby was bathed. At the night, the North Pole Star radiated to the surface of the dark earth. The Yellow River, which always churningly flew muddy and yellow water, was indeed remarkable, clear, and calm. From the sky heard the voice, “Thian, the Great Unity God, is pleased to beget a son, the Prophet.” Stars were scattered across the shining sky and peace was on earth. Wind blew breezily bringing coolness and the next morning the sun shone brightly and warmly. On the baby’s body appeared the extraordinary signs, on the chest was written, “The Prophet is sent to help the world sinking and breaking the Holy Way.” There was born a son, the Prophet, who is later in fact the bearer of Lord’s Word to help human beings live on the right way; he is Khongcu, the Lord’s Voice for all of us, who make us live peacefully and orderly in His will from His coming up to returning. Thus, Khongcu the Prophet was born in 551 Before Christ, when calculated backward on October 3 or according to the calendar of Khongcu Lik on 27 month 8. Khongcu’s father died when the Prophet was three years old, and in 525 BC, His mother, Gan Tien Cay died when He was 26 years old.

2.2. The Beginning of Revelation

Khongcu began spreading the revelation he received from the Lord when He was thirty. At the time the Prophet said, “I want to dedicate myself for all, because all human-beings indeed are one family, and Thian, the Great Unity Lord has assigned me to guide him. I am 30 years old, have firm will, and am healthy: I am really aware of what I will do.” Since then He began receiving his disciples and others in 518 before Khongcu the Prophet made a trip to the city of Loo-iep, the capital of East Ciu Dynasty. Khongcu and his disciples went around from a country to another, to Wee, Tien, Chai, Khong, Cho, Siap and even crossed the Yellow River to Cien; they suffered, were in danger, and were often about to be killed. On the trip to Tien and pass Khong, because of misunderstanding, the people thought Khongcu was Yang Ho, a rebel from the state of Lo; Khongcu together with his disciples were besieged and detained. On the frightening situation, the Prophet said and persuaded his disciples, “After King Bun’s death (Prophet King Chiang), isn’t it his teachings/scriptures I inherit? If the Great Unity Lord wishes to destroy the teachings/scriptures, I, who came later, will not get them. If Lord expects the perpetuity of the teachings/scriptures, what the people of Khong will do upon me?” The same happened when they passed the state of Song. A bad, cruel, and corrupt authority named Hwan Twee, who considered the presence of the Prophet dangerous for his position, hampered and blocked the Prophet in preaching God’s Word. They even tried to bring misfortune on the Prophet and his disciples. Facing the dangerous situation, the Prophet affirmed the disciples’ faith and said, “Thian has incited the virtues (Holy Way) in myself, what Hwan Twee can do on me?” The faithful Prophet, on carrying out his holy task, the Great Unity Lord is the firmest protector. The Prophet said, “I do not grumble about the Great Unity Lord, nor blame human-beings. I only learn from this low place and keep on going toward the highest. Thian, the Great Unity Lord, understand myself.”(Holy Word XIV: 35). The above-mentioned examples show the prophecy of Khongcu always fresh in the challenge of spreading the religious teachings.
According to historical records, the disciples of Khongcu were more or less 3,000 persons, and 72 of 3,000 persons were categorized progressive. Until the advanced age, the Prophet continuously worked to carry out his holy duties, in leading his disciples and in completing the compilation of Holy Scriptures as well.

2.3. The End of Revelation

In 481 Before Christ, one day the crown prince of Ai together with his ministers and followers went hunting. In the hunting, a miraculous animal, with a single-horned head, deer-like body, scaly and bluish feather, was killed. Neither the crown prince of Ai nor his disciples knew about the animal. Finally, the crown prince was reminded of Khongcu, a messenger was commanded to pick up Khongcu. On receiving the news, he hurriedly went with the messenger. As soon as he saw the animal, the Prophet of Khongcu shouted out with emotional voice and creeping, “ …… it is Kilien …… why do you show yourself? Why do you make yourself visible? My trip is finished now ……” In one of the scriptures it is written, “After Kilien is killed, Thian has sent the bloody rain down which forms the alphabet outside Lo Twan Gate, sounding, “Immediately create the Holy Laws, the time of Khongcu has come. The Dynasty of Ciu disappears, wiper star will appear, the kingdom of Chien will rise, and chaos will happen. The scriptures will be destroyed, but your word will always be perpetual.” After seeing the case, he made an altar for the ritual ceremony and he put the Holy Scriptures on the praying table. He assembled the disciples and led the prayer, struck the bell in front of the North Star and bent over three times. The prophet, then, held up the pen and dipped it into the red ink to the North Star, and said, “Now it is enough, Khiu (the prophet’s nickname), to implement the Word of Thian for human-beings. Khiu has finished compiling and put the Holy Scriptures into book form. When time has come, Khiu is ready to return to the Great Unity Lord.” After the Prophet finished speaking, the dark cloud came in the north, and later changed into the white fog. After the white fog disappeared, there appeared rainbow with five beautiful colors.
At the end of his life, the Prophet one night dreamt of sitting on a building between two red pillars. The dream convinced the Prophet that he was about to leave this world. The prophet since then did not go out of the house. Seven days later he died and returned to the Great Unity Lord. The tasks as the spiritual voice of the Great Unity Lord had been completed. Through his teachings, the words of Lord were radiated to the human beings at the time and then from time to time gave awareness and guidance to every human being to open their heart, see, hear, and follow him. Prophet Khongcu died at the age of 72, on month 18 two Khongculik (lunar) 479 Before Christ, and was buried modestly in the city of Kiok Hu, near Su Swi River. The disciples who respected and loved him mourned for 3 years and made huts around the grave. Cu Khong continued mourning until six years. The prophet of Khongcu has passed away, but his holy teachings continuously develop through his disciples and believers in various parts of the world until now.

CONFUCIANISM CONTRIBUTIONS TO A GLOBAL ETHICS

 

By Dr. Chandra Setiawan

 

A. INTRODUCTION

     What is Confucianism? Hundreds of hundreds of (Chinese) wise-men have tried to answer to it. All of their answers put together still can not make a complete answer, just like the Indian fable that the six blind-men could not compose an elephant by guessing each own part.       According to Thomas Hosuck Kang, Ph.D (1999) Confucianism is a universal system of human behavior. It includes religion, philosophy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, ethics, science, and all others.       Tu Weiming, himself come down solidly on the side of saying that Confucianism is a religion, or at least has important religious dimension. He emphasizes existential commitment to the way of the sage and understands personal transformation as a kind of immanent transcendence guided by principle (2000:57).       D. Howard Smith (1974:63), explains, “men says, Confucius was a great thinker, politician, educator, outstanding world-famous cultural giant in China, but he wasn’t a teacher or founder of religion. But, it is my conviction that he was a deeply religious man. The assurance that his own “power of virtue” (De) was born of Heaven and that he had a Heaven-Sent task to perform, gave him strength to triumph over his disappointments and face with equanimity both hostility and neglect. One Chinese scholar has suggested that Confucius’s thought begin with human life and reaches up to the Way of Heaven (Tian Dao). I would suggest, rather, that the Way of Heaven is fundamental of Confucius’s ethical thought and the foundation of his ethical system in which he works out the basic principles for his Way of Man (Ren Dao). He (Confucius) always spoke of Tian, with profound reverence. He claimed that he prayed to Tian, enjoyed Tian’s protection, and was himself commissioned to his task by Tian”.        Duncan Greenlees (1949:xii) in the preface of his book, ”The Gospel of China”, wrote: “Men have called it a philosophy, stressed its teacher’s indifference to the personal aspect of Divinity; yet it is now, as it has always been, a religion in the truest and highest sense. It is a way of life, it points to the Straight Path of Goodness, which brings us back to the Divinity where by our very nature belong, it tells us how to live and how to act towards one another. Lastly, it holds out to us the Way of self-perfection, so that may learn how to live in the Eternal, to abide in that undying Poise, which is the final secret that Nature has for us to learn. What more than this can any Religion do for us?”       My position as a Confucian religion follower in Indonesia, Confucians should have faith on the truth bestowed by Tian (God) as shown in the main part of the Zhong Yong (The Doctrine of Mean, Main Chapter:1),”The Decree of Tian (God) is what we call the True Human Nature; To follow our Human Nature is called the Way (Dao). Cultivating the Way (Dao) is called Religion (Jiao) or the Great Teaching. This clarifies that Confucius’ teachings are based on Heaven, or Tian or God.  Than at (Daxue/ The Great Learning, Main Chapter:1),”What the Great Learning (Religion) teaches, is to shine the Illustrious Virtue; to love (ren) the people (of Tian/God); and to attain/ to rest in the highest excellence”. That is why a Confucian eminently accomplished Virtue in his life as the embodiment of his devotion to Tian/God; expressed by the Shu Jing, The Book of Holy Historical Documents. “It is only Virtue which pleases Tian/God” (Shu Jing II.II.III.21); “Let us posses together the One, the Pure Virtue”(Sujing IV.VI.III.3).     So  I believe, the Confucian’s ethics based on faith in Tian/God. Tian (Heaven) as a source for moral creativity, meaning of life, and ultimate self-transformation features prominently… (Tu Weiming, 145) In Indonesia, as Confucians we must have a sincerity of the Eight Principles of Faith:

1. Faithfully believing in One Supreme God/Tian
2. Faithfully upholding Virtue
3. Faithfully establishing the Bright Decree.
4. Faithfully realizing the existence of Spirit and Soul.
5. Faithfully fostering the Ideal of Filial Piety.
6. Faithfully following the Prophet Kongzi (Confucius), the Spiritual Call (Mu’Tu’) of Tian.
7. Faithfully honoring the Holy Four Books (Si Shu) and Five Classics (Wu Jing).
8. Faithfully following the Great Holy Way (DAO)

As a matter of fact, if the ethics is based on without faith in Tian/God and religious services, it’s like a building, though as splendid as it is, it’s like to be built on sand that can suddenly collapses when the storms blow.       Prophet Kongzi (Confucius) said, ”I do not know how a man without faith is to get on. How can a large carriage be made to go without the crossbar for yoking the oxen to, or a small carriage without the arrangement for yoking the horses?” (Lunyu II:22).  B. WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE?       For Prophet Kongzi (Confucius), a single person can not live alone. Men are plural, more than two who are living together. Thus, men are by nature ‘organization men’. Men are among men who live in the web of human relationships, e.g. parents and children, husband and wife, older and younger persons, friend and friend, and ruler and the people. What are the rules which regulate human relationships for harmony and peace to commence a happy life? They are virtues, that is ren (benevolence/humaneness), yi (righteousness), zhi (wisdom), li (propriety), yong (courage) and xin (mutual trust). Among them:  ren, yi, zhi, yong and xin are all invisible; li is the only visible virtue. Another important characteristics of the Confucian virtues is their orientations: inward (ren) to the family, and outward (yi) to the society or nation. It should be understood that according to Confucius these orientations can not be vertical or horizontal, but reciprocal.       In LunYu 17:8 Prophet Kongzi (Confucius) said:·         To love humanness (ren) without loving learning is liable to foolishness.·         To love intelligence (zhi) without loving learning is liable to deviation from the right path.·         To love faithfullness/sincerity (xin) without loving learning is liable to harmful behavior.·         To love forthrightness/honesty (zhi) without loving learning is liable to intolerance.·         To love courage (yong) without loving learning is liable to insubordination.·         To love unbending strength (gang) without loving learning is liable to lead to indisciplin.  At the heart of Confucian ethics is the li, the guiding principle of all things great and small. (Lunyu, 1:12), which is held to be the behavior of the sages of antiquity as recorded in the classic text.  Li has a range of meanings: rituals, propriety, etiquette, and ceremony; it denotes ideal behavior, and moral and righteous action, and is the means by which one works to “cut, carve, file and polish”, in order to become a superior person and cultivate ethical behavior. Kongzi said,”If you do not learn the li, rules propriety, your character cannot be established” (Lunyu, 16:13). Ren is the central doctrine in Confucian ethics. Ren is defined as goodness, humaneness, love, benevolence, human-heartedness, and humanity. The word is rendered with two component parts that denote “person” and  “two”, indicating the relationship between two people. Other forms of cultivation also contribute to ethical development. Refinement is the arts, or wen, follows the example of the sages who created poetry, music, and ritual. According to Kongzi, those who study literature extensively and who are restrained by the li, are truly superior, and will not violate the “Confucian Way”. Thus, Confucians strive to master the fine arts---such refinement is the mark not only of aesthetic taste, but also of moral training.  The li provides a template for appropriate action which, once internalized, is expressed in human inter-action. The actions of the self-cultivated person are ren, the ethical term referred to most frequently by Kongzi in the Lunyu (the Analects). Together li and ren form the basis of ethical behavior which is balanced between self-cultivation and learning and the effortless extension of learning into human interaction. Action in accordance with ren is manifest in attitude and external expression in two other virtues---reciprocity (shu) and sincerity (zhong). Reciprocity forms the basis of the Confucian golden rule----“What you do not want done to you, do not do to others” (Lunyu 15:24).  Rather than assuming that others will like what one likes, one must consider actions from the other person’s point of view. The ethic of zhong provides a basis for the action of reciprocity---sincerity is a feeling, an internal orientation, that manifess itself in proper action.  An ordered, harmonious society is dependent on self-education and on each person playing his or her part appropriately with good intent. Confucians hold that actions are creative transformation---to become an ethical person, one must be self-cultivated through study and practice of appropriate behavior.  In Confucian Religion perspective demands that all people be treated with humanity (ren).  All interaction must be based in ren, but specific actions are delineated within a clearly defined hierarchy (hierarchy is considered to be natural and essential to the creation of harmony). Key roles and corresponding virtues are outlined in the “Five Relationships”, namely, those between parent and child, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife, friend and friend,  and ruler and subject. Each relationship has its specific roles and responsibilities: a parent owes a child education, care, and moral formation; a child owes a parent obedience, respect, and care in old age and after death. The parent/child relationship establishes the basic pattern for other relationships---thus, the virtue of filiality (xiao) is the basis for social structure. A husband and wife are to care for each other. The elder brother has responsibility for younger siblings who owe him deference (birth order is very clearly delineated in East Asian kinship terms). The relationship between ruler and subject parallels that of parent and child, for the ruler is to provide care and guidance, and the subject is to be obedient as well as loyal. Friends are to be loyal---this is the only relationship that has the potential of being between people of equal rank, but even here, a hierarchy of age is often reflected.  Although obedience and defense are demanded from subordinates within this structure of relationships, a good son, worthy wife, and loyal minister have a duty to remonstrate unethical behavior. All five relationships (as well as others, such as those between teacher and student, and employer and employee) have serious mutual responsibilities, and both familial and non-familial bonds are presumed to last a lifetime.  Ethical action includes the “rectification of names,” which means knowing one’s roles in the web of relationships that create community, and behaving accordingly so as to insure social harmony.         Prophet Confucius said, ”Without recognizing the Decree of Tian (God) it is impossible to be a true men (gentlemen). Without knowing the li (the rites/the rules of propriety), it is impossible for the character to be established. Without knowing the meaning of words, it is impossible to know people” (Lunyu XX:3).        Mengzi (Mencius) said, “Love (ren) is man’s mind, and righteousness is man’s path. How lamentable is it to neglect the path and not pursue it, to lose this mind and not know to seek it again!” (Mengzi/Mencius VI A:11) 

C. BASIC FAITH IN CONFUCIANISM

       The Confucians are led to have faith in Tian or Shangti or God and have ceremonies to worship Tian, to uphold His Virtue; to honor our ancestors, and the Prophets and saints; to build temples for worshipping and praying to Tian/God, The Holy Spirit.       Some times people define a religion is based on their own points of view, from their own knowledge discipline, or from their points of view of their believes. So, it’s fair, a Confucian has his own understanding on what is meant by ‘the religion’ he holds, and shall be respected by other people.       For a Confucian, a religion or Jiao is the guidance blessed by Tian/God which is inherited through the Holy Books presented by the Prophets, especially Prophet Kongzi (Confucius). He is a man who lived happily in the Holy Way, i.e. to live according to his True Human Nature, which become the moral ethics as a man. Religion thus enables man to be loyal upholding Tian’s Decree in life. So the Doctrine of the Great Learning of religion makes a man keeps in cultivating himself to always upholding Virtue and receiving happiness in the Holy Way. Tian/ God is impartial—Tian/God protects only the one, the Pure Virtue (Shu Jing IV.VI.III. 3 & 4). In the Pure Virtue, the One only, “Tian/ God is with you, have no doubts in your heart”. (Shi Jing III.I.II.7) 

D. CLOSSING REMARKS

       As a teacher of humanity, Prophet Kongzi/Confucius stated his ambition in terms of human care: “To bring comfort to the old, to have trust in friends, and to cherish the young” (Lun-yu, 5:26).        Tu Weiming (204, 205) believe in the Confucian view, the human condition can be improved and society can be transformed because human nature is forever improvable. If we do not care for our home here, there is no other home to escape to. There is not even an afterlife to anticipate if we fail to live our lives morally, meaningfully, and fully on this earth here and now.  Confucius asks that we take ourselves, and our lives here and now, absolutely seriously. We learn to be human neither to please the world nor to meet the expectations of our parents, but for the sake of ourselves as improvable human beings. In Confucianism, the self is always understood as the center of relationships. A person’s growth and development should never be viewed as a lonely struggle, for it involves participation in a large context of human-relatedness. Moreover, this process of learning to be human is not simply the development of the self in relation to one’s family, neighborhood, community, or state; it is also a deepening process of self-knowledge and self-understanding.          To conclude the contribution of Confucianism to a Global Ethics, Tu Weiming remind us to accept that the globe is the center of our universe and the only home for us and that we are the guardians of the good earth, the trustees of the Mandate of Heaven (Tian) that enjoins us to make our bodies healthy, our hearths sensitive, our minds alert, our souls refined, and our spirits brilliant. We are here because embedded in our human nature is the secret code of Heaven’s (Tian’s) self-realization. Heaven is certainly omnipotent, may even be omniscient, but is most likely not omnipotent. It needs our active participation to realize its own truth. We are Heaven’s (Tian’s) partners, indeed co-creators. We serve Heaven (Tian) with common sense, the lack of which nowadays has brought us to the brink of self-destruction. Since we help Heaven (Tian) to realize itself through our self-discovery and self-understanding in day-to-day living, the ultimate meaning of life is found in our ordinary, human existence.      Confucian Religion as others, is a guidance for men to live well, successfully and happily in the Holy Way. Prophet Kongzi (Confucius) said, ”If a man in the morning hear the Holy Way, he may die in the evening without regret” (Lun-yu IV:8).       Great wisdom consists in fully perfecting intelligence, in restoring morale to the people, and in attaining the highest good. To know what is proper in order and natural in sequence is to approach the truth. Those ancients who desired to set an example of good character for everyone first established moral order in their states. ·         In order to establish such order in their states, they first guided their families.·         In order to guide their families, they first developed themselves.·         In order to develop themselves, they first had to acquire a right attitude.·         In order to acquire a right attitude, they first tried to become honest with themselves.·         In order to become honest with themselves, they first had to learn as much as possible.·         Learning as much as possible involved gaining insight into the nature of things.·         By gaining insight into the nature of things, they came to know the highest good.·         By apprehending the highest good, they became honest with themselves.·         By becoming honest with themselves, they acquired the right attitude.·         By acquiring the right attitude, they developed themselves.·         By developing themselves, they guided their families.·         By guiding their families, they established moral order in their states.·         By establishing moral order in their states, they brought harmony and peace and prosperity to the whole country. From the highest official to the ordinary people, all need to recognize that self-development is fundamental. When the fundamentals are neglected, what is developed from them cannot be sound. It is unreasonable to neglect the important and to devote oneself to the trivial. (The Great Learning/Da-xue: Main Ch.:4,5,6,7)  --------//----------  *) This paper is presented at The 2^nd International Conference on Confucian Studies held by The Confucian Academy Hong Kong, 21-25 September,  2005.  

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