Religious Theme: Ultimate Reality
With the study of religion, when comparing them to one another, we often find common themes. In defining religion one might say that they often have a unique perception of ultimate reality. Ultimate reality is a religious theme that is sometimes similar amongst eastern religions but can also differ in many ways. How can we define ultimate reality? It is impossible to absolutely define as beliefs vary widely by religion and by person. “It is said that ultimate reality is the absolute nature of all things. Some people define ultimate reality as a personal being (personal and loving God), an impersonal being (as origin and target of all personal beings), or an eternal truth or principal that governs the universe. …show more content…
Confucius had disciples or students that he taught his philosophical ideals to. He educated his wisdom to these disciples in the form of dialogues, which were eventually written and called Analects. The Analects of Confucius are a set of twenty books broken down into chapters and then broken down into quotes directly from Confucius dialogues. Confucian philosophy is based on the idea that “man should lead an upright life, educate himself, and contribute to the betterment of society. The superior man, he says, respects elders, cultivates the friendship of good people, presides over his subordinates with a fair and even hand, continually educates himself, overflows with love for fellow human beings, and in general sets a good example for others to follow” (Cummings). The superior man, or Junzi, is a person that is self-cultivated by practicing the five virtues. The five virtues of Confucius are Ren. Ren is the idea of politeness, kindness, empathy and benevolence. Benevolence is the first and most important virtue among the Five Constant Virtues. It manifests itself in the inner mind in love and compassion for people and in avoiding harm or envy toward anyone. It is the choice to be a good
With the study of religion, when comparing them to one another, we often find common themes. In defining religion one might say that they often have a unique perception of ultimate reality. Ultimate reality is a religious theme that is sometimes similar amongst eastern religions but can also differ in many ways. How can we define ultimate reality? It is impossible to absolutely define as beliefs vary widely by religion and by person. “It is said that ultimate reality is the absolute nature of all things. Some people define ultimate reality as a personal being (personal and loving God), an impersonal being (as origin and target of all personal beings), or an eternal truth or principal that governs the universe. …show more content…
Confucius had disciples or students that he taught his philosophical ideals to. He educated his wisdom to these disciples in the form of dialogues, which were eventually written and called Analects. The Analects of Confucius are a set of twenty books broken down into chapters and then broken down into quotes directly from Confucius dialogues. Confucian philosophy is based on the idea that “man should lead an upright life, educate himself, and contribute to the betterment of society. The superior man, he says, respects elders, cultivates the friendship of good people, presides over his subordinates with a fair and even hand, continually educates himself, overflows with love for fellow human beings, and in general sets a good example for others to follow” (Cummings). The superior man, or Junzi, is a person that is self-cultivated by practicing the five virtues. The five virtues of Confucius are Ren. Ren is the idea of politeness, kindness, empathy and benevolence. Benevolence is the first and most important virtue among the Five Constant Virtues. It manifests itself in the inner mind in love and compassion for people and in avoiding harm or envy toward anyone. It is the choice to be a good