Old wine, new bottles

agenda

3 March 2009

agenda• Instant background http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=qKmLx2S9Nnc and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHZaNEDQAlk&feature=related

• Looking at poems in A/B• Speaking aphoristically• Some useful weblinks• Contemporary Confucianism and the Tao• Cultural features in a contemporary ritual

Contemporary Confucianismhttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3236/is_1-2_40/ai_n29063148

• “By the beginning of the twentieth century the traditional foundations of Confucianism as an established part of Chinese personal, educational, civil and intellectual life were under sustained attack. By 1905 the imperial examination system based on the mastery of Confucian learning was abolished. By 1912 the Qing dynasty was itself overthrown, and the first Chinese republic was proclaimed. By the 1920s many young Chinese intellectuals considered the threadbare shop of Confucius and Sons to have been relegated to the dustbin of history. Nonetheless, such a great scholar as Liang Qichao (1873-1929), after his disillusioning visit to Europe after World War I, wrote a series of very influential newspaper articles making the point that Europe should no longer be a model for a renewed China.’

Confucius Institute in NC

From NCSU Institute Inauguration

Services the Confucius Institute provides

The Exchange University for NCSU

Presentation by Confucius Institute

Reminder of affiliations

To follow The Way (cf Golden Mean, other ethical pronouncements)

Since Mao, there are changes

(Confucius was already celebrated in Taiwan; comment by BD)

intellectual debate in modern China

The Way (the Tao) (the balance)• The first precept: No Murdering; • The second precept: No Stealing; • The third precept: No Sexual Misconduct; • The fourth precept: No False Speech; • The fifth precept: No Taking of Intoxicants. • the keeper of the Imperial Library, Lao Tzu, was famous

for his wisdom. Perceiving the growing corruption of the government, he left for the countryside. On his way, the guard at the city gates asked Lao Tzu to write out the essence of his understanding to benefit future generations. Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching, left, and vanished

walking the wayIf you stand on tiptoe,

you'll be unsteady.

If you run with long strides you can't keep it up.

If you show off, no one will be impressed.

About the Tao

• People  conform tothe Laws of the Earth.

• The Earth conforms to the Law of Heaven.

• Heaven conforms tothe Way (Tao)

• The Tao conforms toits own nature.

Some useful weblinks• Li Po http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHZaNEDQAlk&feature=related• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW4D41sTjbQ• paintings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imxXfC0Isk0 www.metmuseum

.org/explore/chinese/html_pages/index.htm• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C92bYFQDTzA Chinese garden• www.pem.org/yinyutang/ Chinese home• http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/2326719.html chinese house • http://hubpages.com/hub/ Ahousebytheriver• Beijing opera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYWiQ_RnLWE• hhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHPegoquV5I• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0qEEv43GDc• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKmLx2S9Nnc Confucius

• Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWfMqTcGJ80&NR=1