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Introduction
Confucianism is the religion or the practical ethic based on the teachings of Confucius, often called K’ung Fu Tze, who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.
Although there is some disagreement about some of the facts about his life, it is thought that Confucius was from a family of the Royal State of Song. However, when conflict arose, his family moved near the modern town of Qufu, where the family lived in poverty.
Some sources reveal that Confucius had a very difficult youth, due to his family’s poverty, and often had no choice, other than to take menial and humiliating jobs.
Sima Qian, a court historian of the Han dynasty, revealed that Confucius’ birth was an answer to prayer. There is no record as to how Confucius was educated, but some believe he studied Taoism, music and learned to play the lute.
Whether myth or fact, it is thought that Confucius, as an adult, selected a group of followers, who were taught by Confucius. Some say he had as many as 3,000 followers. Sima Qian, the historian, believed there to be about 72.
After his death, at age 72, Confucius was remembered as a thinker, political figure, educator, and example. The Analects, thought to contain many of the Confucian treatises, form the model for what, in Chinese thinking, would be the ideal man and how this individual should live and relate to others. One of the great authorities on Chinese thought, Fung Yu-lan, believed Confucius should be compared – in his scope of influence in Chinese history -- with Socrates and his influence on the Western world.
It was believed that Confucius brought a fresh moral aspect to the typical Chinese outlook on life, although he never presented himself as a moral reformer. More accurately, Confucius was a conservative thinker who preferred simplicity to complexity and who saw novelty as an impiety.
The book, “The Analects,” which is a collection of his sayings and teachings, is believed to be the most authentic and most reliable account of the Confucian thought. He obviously saw religion as a necessary feature of the good life and thought all good individuals would respect their ancestors, be obedient to their parents and would work for justice for all, especially those who were socially – and financially – inferior. He taught right mindedness, sincerity and to have a good faith.
As an agnostic, Confucius focused on living a pure life on earth rather than preparing, spiritually, for the future. Because he accepted Taoism, he worshipped his ancestors, fasted and lived his life in harmony with nature and with Heaven.
At the heart of the Confucian philosophy is the ideal gentleman, an individual who has five important qualities called the Five Virtues: benevolence, wisdom, courage, reliability in word, and reverence, although benevolence is the priority. Described by Confucius, benevolence is the observance of ceremonial rites and the ability to overcome self-centeredness. Those who are true Confucianists believe power is only used for the sake of all society and never to benefit one’s self.
It is believed there are approximately 350 million Confucianists around the world, mainly in China, Japan, Burma and Thailand, but there is also a growing number in North America.
What Confucianists Believe About Death
According to their philosophy, the Confucians take a serious posture regarding the subject of death and believe it is important to spend time reminiscing over the departed, which indicates an ongoing remembrance of their elders, even after death. Because of their commonly held beliefs about life on earth and man’s stewardship toward society, Confucian rituals include symbolic religious ceremonies that are practiced among commoners and upper-class society, alike.
Confucians do not believe in a life after death. To them, the most important mission in life is to practice the Five Virtues taught by Confucius, which include benevolence, wisdom, courage, truth and reverence. By practicing these virtues, Confucianists strive to live the best life possible on earth. In doing so, they do not focus on the afterlife or what happens to the human spirit, once it leaves the physical body.
According to legend, when a disciple asked Confucius about death, he answered, saying, “We haven’t yet finished studying life to delve into the question of death.”
Confucian Funeral Customs
Because there is a long-standing tradition for funeral services – particularly in the Chinese society – it is extremely important that every detail be included and every funeral be properly conducted. Failure to make proper arrangements is believed to cause misfortune to come to the family of the decedent.
The most important factors in planning a funeral arrangement are the age of the decedent, his or her marital status, the cause of death and social status. Why?
Age -- because it is against custom for older people to show respect for a younger person. If the deceased is a young man or woman, their parents cannot offer funeral prayers. In these cases, the body is left at the funeral home rather than taken to the family home.
Marital status – if the decedent is unmarried, there are no children to carry out the funeral ritual and, once again, the body remains at the funeral home.
The death of a child – because it is against custom for a child to be shown respect by elders, no prayers can be offered and, many times, the child’s funeral is held in silence.
If an older person dies, the funeral service must reflect his or her status in the community, and this belief sometimes causes the family of the deceased to go into debt in order to arrange a funeral that is appropriate for the decedent’s standing in society.
Traditionally, in a Chinese family, arrangements are made to procure a casket, often before the person dies.
Once death occurs, mirrors in the home are removed and any religious statues are covered with red paper. This practice is used so the deities will not be exposed to a dead body or a casket. It is also believed that anyone who sees a reflection of a casket in a mirror will be the next to die.
Many families hang a white cloth over the doorway when a death occurs.
After appropriate cleansing, the decedent must be dressed in his or her most beautiful garments – this includes shoes – and female decedents must be fully made up with cosmetics. Clothing is usually white, blue, black or brown. Some families will ask, once the body has been placed in a casket, that a blue cloth be used to cover the body and a yellow cloth to cover the face.
Once the body has been prepared and placed in a casket, the family may ask to be allowed to conduct a wake. During this time, the casket is open and gifts to the decedent may be brought and food provided for the decedent – usually placed at the head of the casket. Some families will bring the decedent’s comb and break it, placing one half in the casket and keeping the other.
Customarily, during the wake, daughters-in-law and blood relatives will wail – and this wailing can be particularly loud if the decedent has left his or her family a sizable estate.
No one wears red at any time during the wake or the funeral, as red is thought to be the color of happiness. In highly traditional families, sons-in-law will wear white, signifying their initial origin outside the family.
During the wake, incense may be burned and a white candle may be lit and placed at the foot of the casket. Many believe guests should offer incense as a show of respect for the decedent, and paper money (called joss and prayer money) may be burned during the wake because many believe this will provide the decedent with the means to be comfortable, wherever their journey takes them.
A monk may be present to chant during the evening of the wake, as this is believed to smooth the soul’s transition into the next life.
The Funeral Service
Immediately before the funeral service, the casket is closed. This is a symbolic gesture, marking the decedent’s final separation from the living. If the casket is to be moved, the head should always be carried with the head facing forward. During this time, the family may choose to attach white or yellow holy papers to the casket. This is believed to ward off evil spirits.
It is permissible for a brief, service of prayers to be held before the decedent is taken to the cemetery. Some families believe being asked to serve as a pallbearer is a blessing from the decedent.
As the casket is taken from the funeral home to the cemetery, mourners may choose to scatter papers with many cutouts, as it is believed the evil spirits must move through every cut-out of every paper before they can follow the decedent.
The Burial
Brief prayers may be offered prior to the interment. It is often customary for all mourners, except the pallbearers, to turn away from the casket, any time it is moved and also when it is being lowered into the grave. Often, the oldest son of the decedent will take a handful of earth from the grave and place it in an incense container. Then, using this and an ancestral tablet, the decedent will be worshipped as other ancestors are worshipped.
At the interment service, the family may elect to place fresh flowers atop the urn or casket bearing the remains of their loved one.
After the funeral, the family continues a 100-day mourning period. No mourning period is observed after the death of a child.
A red plaque is placed on the outside of the decedent’s home, because seven days after the death, the soul of the decedent is said to return home and the plaque assures the soul will have no trouble finding its way. At this time, some families may choose to sprinkle powder or flour at the entrance of the home so they can detect the return of the decedent’s soul.
Although ground burial is the accepted practice for Confucians, cremation is sometimes used. Confucians generally prefer that the casket not be lowered into the grave until the family has left the grave site.
If cremation is selected as the method of disposition, cremated remains are often placed in cremorial units or columbaria. However, some families prefer to keep the cremated remains of their elders and family members in their homes or to place them in monasteries. Others may elect to have the cremated remains scattered in a Garden of Remembrance or elsewhere.
SOURCES:
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy -- http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/
Confucianism -- http://www.islamweb.net
Chinese Funeral Customs -- http://chineseculture.about.com/cs/funeral/