| Contrary to conventional understanding that Confucianism is a humanism bereft of religious sentiments, it is our view that the Confucian project of being human necessarily involves a sense of the religious. However, it is one that is not informed by theistic beliefs but ritual values. By centering themselves on the ordinary and everyday as well as their primary relationships, noble persons seek to achieve the great self through the spirit of ritual performance that emphasizes heartfelt engagement. The achieving of which is characterized by the cardinal qualities of ren (being consummately human), yi (appropriate conduct), li (ritual propriety), and zhi (wisdom). Hence, as spirituality, the religious is experienced in terms of a firm commitment to the ordinary and everyday and a deep appreciation that they form the root of sublime conduct.; In terms of ritual practice, the Confucian emphasis on ancestor rites does not entail a belief in the supernatural existence of the ancestors. Instead, they are given a functional interpretation. Thus, terms such as " gui" and "shen"---rendered conventionally as ghosts and spirits---are appropriated by the Confucians to serve as evocative imageries of performative excellence; as such, the terms are better understood as the vitality and power of the greats. While such imageries and their associated qualities are not theistic in connotation, they are nevertheless deserving of reverence. Moreover, the ancestor rites, together with filial conduct, are ultimately expressive of a profound gratitude for life. Accompanying such an achievement of gratitude is also the possibility of enjoyment ( le) that is non-manipulative and fully satisfying.; Apart from the foregoing characterization of Confucian spirituality, noble persons are also engaged in the work of establishing ritual order. As the mission of noble persons, the work is inextricably bound with the achievement of the great self. It creates for noble persons as well as their fellow men and women the condition by which their lives as human beings are made possible. At the same time, the task of establishing ritual order distinguishes humans from the natural world and is in fact the very making of their destiny, a destiny that eventually allows the humans to form a triad with tian and the earth. |
