Virtue And Fate In Morality Books Of Late Ming

The morality books in late Ming China threw out a hint regarding morality is animportant force embracing human life and fate. The theory of retribution laid thefoundation stone of morality books. What can easily be seen in those books are all kindsof styles and extensive themes, mingling with the factor of celestial beings, the Buddha,the spirit and the deity. However, the main purpose of morality books was fresh andbright: to punish evil and reward good. Further, morality books were the bearer ofChinese folk moral, thus explore the thought of morality books is the key point tounderstand Chinese traditional morality.Above all, if we considered its historical significance and its practical effect, wecan reach some views as follows. Firstly, the late Ming China is a crucial period in thehistory of morality books. The creation and the spread of morality books was aprominent cultural phenomenon in late Ming China. Consequently, late Ming dynasty isan ideal scale of time that can be studied. Secondly, the morality books in late Mingdynasty has substantial content and distinct characteristics, they can be expatiated uponfrom Yuan Huang, Yan Maoyou’s works.What’s more, the relationship between morality and fate was highlighted though aholistic comprehension of morality books in late Ming China. Besides, there weredeeply historical origins between morality and fate in the ancient Chinese ethics theory,and the function of morality in our life was the main concern.In other words, themorality-fate issue is more than a ethic problem, it’s concern with the relationshipbetween moral conduct and the purpose of life, and the work of Yuan Huang and YanMaoyou needs to be set in this context.From the specific point of view, before the late Ming Dynasty, morality bookswere tending to preach the "goodness" or "rightness". In the name of the gods, thefurther retribution of evil did was leaved to the Power that claims it. However, YuanHuang changed the narrative perspective of morality books, he attempt to construct thedoctrine of “settle destiny” by his life experience. In his age, numerology wasexceedingly attractive to all social strata. Generally speaking, the ethical significance ofnumerology was to stop inordinate ambitions and make us peaceful, but Yuan Huangattempts to put forward a theory which was more positive than numerology. YuanHuang concerned about how moral conduct can change human destiny. In fact, Yuan was a Confucian scholars as well as a Buddhist. Based on the concept of Karma, whichliterally means “action” or “doing”, Yuan combined Confucian ethics theory withreligious ethics. Meanwhile, what he said met with fierce opposition from LiuZongzhou, who was also a big Confusion scholar.The successor of Yuan Huang was Yan Maoyou.Just like Yuan Huang, the theory ofkarmic action and result (karmaphala) is one of the foundational concepts of Records ofPursuing Geely, and fatal variables constitute the main features of his writing. It wasclear that one commandment hang all the law and the prophets of Records of PursuingGeely: For the people, for the world peace. Yan tried to responding to the queries aboutthe theory of karmic in the chapter of “Qibian”、“Sanpo”and“liuzhu”, and irrefutablyproof the existence of Karma. In the narrative of Yan Maoyou’s Records of PursuingGeely, the desire of the historical narrative becomes focus, and forms a unique practiceway. He narrated the events of tropic fates, and the history evens moralized in hisversion of account. On the one hand, wholesome actions create wholesome karma,while unwholesome actions create unwholesome karma, but on the other hand,it’s hardfor an average man to change his fate. Records of Pursuing Geely was penetrated withuniversal salvation and universal confession feelings. The pursuit of publicrighteousness in Yan’s book shown the morality books influenced the thought of charityin late Ming China.In conclusion, based on the research above, we arrive at the following reviews:Firstly, the relationship between moral conduct and human fate was the main concern ofMorality books in late Ming China. However, the special concern of human destiny wasa remarkable feature of morality books in this period. It was also one of the reasons whythey have significant effect on the society. Secondly, the ideologies of the Confucianculture in pursue of the ideal personality and contributing a well-run country wasmerged into the religious moral traditions and ideologies. Thirdly, morality books in lateMing attached importance to the public welfare, thus the strong desire to change one’sown destiny eventually propel the civil charity forward.Finally, the study focused on the issue of environment and ethics. Firstly, ordinarypeople were fallible, and they were greatly affected by moral environment. Their actionsmay contradict their declared moral principles. But after leaving immoral environment,not all of them would overwhelmed by feelings of guilt or terribly ashamed of what theydid. The moral education has been an ancient and practical subject, and moralinstruction often defeats its own purpose. Essentially, successful moral education should make people keep the importance of moral absolutes and moral certainty to themselves.What’s more, the power of faith is quiet, and faith could help people make moraldecisions under pressure and interest clashes. In morality books of late Ming China,morality choices inextricably linked with our destiny. Therefore, every moral intentions,decisions, and actions have highly significant impact. Meanwhile, the power of faith inMorality books confirmed people’s resolution. The moral persuasion in morality booksin late Ming could penetrate deeply into the hearts of the people are partly due to thosereasons above.