|
K'ung
Fu Tzu (commonly pronounced Confucius in English) was born
in 551 BCE in the state of Lu (modern day Shantung Province).
He lived during the Chou dynasty, and era known for its
moral laxity. Later in life, he wandered through many states
of China, giving advice to their rulers. He accumulated
a small band of students during this time. The last years
of his life were spent back in Lu, where he devoted himself
to teaching.
His
writings deal primarily with individual morality and ethics,
and the proper exercise of political power by the rulers.
In
China, and some other areas in Asia, the social ethics
and moral teachings of Confucius are blended with the Taoist
communion with nature and Buddhist concepts of the afterlife,
to form a set of complementary, peacefully co-existent
and ecumenical religions.
There
are approximately 6 million Confucians in the world. About
26,000 live in North America; almost all of the remainder
are found throughout China and the rest of Asia.
Click HERE for
more details on Confucianism
|
