Similarities Between Zi-Gong And Confucianism

From the text we understand that Zi-gong Confucius disciple is sent to help two people whose friend suddenly died. From this text we can assume that two people (friends) represent Daoism thought and Zi-gong represents Confucius thought. In this particular case we interfere different perceptions or interpretation of death by Confucian and Daoism thought. Zi-gong is very surprised and confused when he finds out that two friends are playing flute in presence of the corpse. This gives us idea that, for Confucianism, burial itself as a ritual is very important as Zi-gong says “They had made none of the usual preparations, and treated the body as a thing foreign to them.” If we analyze this quote in context of Confucianism we can understand why burial …show more content…
Also one of the main goals for Confucianism is to have structured society, this can be the reason why following burial rules are so important. As for Daoist (friends) they laugh at Zi-gong because for them body has no significance at all. This is why they reply to Zi-gong by saying “What does this man know about the idea that underlines (our) rules?” By our rules or idea that underlines they mean Tao itself. Because for them death isn’t something absolute, if body dies without achieving immortality during the life, Tao will continue to exist and manifest itself using other ways. Later in the text Confucius also clarifies this difference of interpretation. “Those men occupy and enjoy themselves in what is outside the (common) ways, while I occupy and enjoy myself in what lies within those ways.” To put this quote in other worlds Confucius says that for Daoism following rituals and rules (ways of the world) aren’t important simply because they enjoy themselves in metaphysical (“formless condition of heaven and earth”) interpretation of the