The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the authoritative views of the Baha'i Faith.
The exact details of the lives, teachings and histories of two of the great philosophers of the East – Confucius and Laozi – have been lost in the intervening millennia, but both of these influential figures are revered in China even today. Scholars of comparative religion have long struggled with a central question concerning both men – were they philosophers or prophets?
As far as we know, Confucius and Laozi both lived approximately five hundred years before the advent of Christ. The philosophy of Confucius centered around the ideas of justice, morality and sincerity, and emphasized the correctness of social relationships among people, which included ancestor worship and respect for elders. Confucius became known as a great moral reformer, and his teachings helped to build Chinese civilization and social order. But he made no claim to divine knowledge, and his learning, while vast, was acquired.
Confucius reportedly wrote a large number of the classic Chinese texts, including all of the Five Classics, but his most popular and well-known book is still The Analects, a compilation of his sayings and aphorisms assembled long after his death. When you hear the phrase “Confucius says” followed by an aphorism, it probably comes from the Analects.
Laozi (also known as Lao-tzu or Lao-tse) lived at about the same time as Confucius, and his philosophy, expressed in the Tao Te Ching, founded Taoism and found its way into many traditional Chinese religions, as well. Although some ancient Chinese belief systems like Taoism venerate Laozi as a deity, most scholars and religious historians consider him a prominent philosopher who had a great influence on ancient Chinese thought.
RELATED: How Yin and Yang Can Apply to Gender Equality
Laozi’s chief concern involved describing a way (Tao) of life that could be true to the natural order of God’s laws. A tremendous inspirational force, Laozi’s philosophical brilliance made him one amongst many of the great Chinese poet/philosophers who helped guide the Middle Kingdom along the ancient Middle Way.
Determining whether these two great leaders of thought were prophets or philosophers doesn’t promote or demote them, according to the Baha’i teachings. Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, has praised the work of the great philosophers of the past: Empedocles, Pythagoras, Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Pliny. He even calls Plato, the “divine Plato”, but does not consider him a Manifestation of God.
In a similar way, Abdu’l-Baha cites the name of Confucius as a great leader and teacher:
Confucius became the cause of civilization, advancement and prosperity for the people of China.
He also wrote:
Blessed souls — whether Moses, Jesus, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius or Muhammad — were the cause of the illumination of the world of humanity. How can we deny such irrefutable proof? How can we be blind to such light?
Through the efforts of great thinkers and philosophers like Confucius and Laozi, millions of people have come to know of the one truth that envelops all. When religions decline or deteriorate, it falls to philosophers and poets to discern the one reality that animates all and to sing its melody.
RELATED: Aristotle’s Golden Mean and the Role of Moderation
For Baha’is, truth is truth and light is light wherever it appears. The light of a philosopher, if it is true, does not conflict with that of a Prophet of God it validates and augments it. The lasting works of Confucius and Laozi and other great philosophers reflect divinity, even though they may not fit into the category of a founder of a great world Faith. This is not a condemnation of the philosopher – instead, it is a testimony to the loftiness of their efforts and the greatness of their achievements.
Originally published Feb 12, 2014
Tom Tai-Seale is an associate professor of public health at Texas A&M University and a lifelong student of religion. He is the author of numerous public health articles and texts and also a Biblical introduction to the Bahai Faith: Thy Kingdom Come, from Kalimat Press
READ MOREYou May Also Like
Comments
I have really enjoyed this series, and learned a lot. Living in China
as we do, plus travelling in ...Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, has us
learning and thinking more about Buddhism, particularly. My wife and I
have both done the ten-day Vipassana meditation retreat, which was an
intense and intensely interesting way to dwell on the teachings and
gifts of the Buddha. I have also done some really useful and
thought-provoking reading of the words and life of Confucius (Kongzi),
and also the Dao De Qing (pinyin spelling of the Tao Te Ching) of Laozi.
I'm deeply impressed. It seems clear from Kongzi's own words that he
regarded himself as a scholar, as one dedicated to renewing in China the
great and ancient teachings of earlier Prophet/kings. The little I know
of Emperors Shun and Yao (especially, I think, the latter) make me
entertain the (possibly vain/useless) speculation that they were the
Manifestations that founded the great early developments of Chinese
civilization; they would have been at least 1500 years before Kongzi, I
think. There's a story of Yao that sounds very Christ-like/Buddha-esque
in its compassion, unrelenting forgiveness and love. Yet it is
interesting to find Confucius mentioned in the quotes above, though
other citations seem to place him more in the category where he seems to
have placed himself: great reformer, philosopher, guide and mentor, and
his effect on Chinese culture was profound. (Much later, of course, he
becomes criticized, especially under Communism -- though his reputation
is being restored in today's China, as witness the Confucius Institutes
that are being established as beacons of Chinese culture around the
world -- for being a supporter of patriarchal and elitist structures.)
When
it comes to Laozi, though, I wonder. There is a story of Kongzi going
to meet him just before the Daoist master's death, which strikes me as
the visit of a great, capacious mind to the Source of mindfulness, a
pilgrimage. I've read two translations of the Dao De Qing, and find it
wonderful, mysterious, marvellous. It comes with a voice of authority
that reminds me of the mystical writings of Baha'u'llah (Hidden Words),
or the sayings of Christ. He's less known than Kongzi, and who knows
why. I have a Chinese Baha'i friend who had respected the Dao before
learning of the Baha'i Teachings, and who is now studying and trying to
memorize it. The teachings of the Faith have really illumined her
understanding of the ancient text, she feels, and she also has good
enough English that she enjoyed reading and critiquing Laozi in
translation. So: was Laozi a Manifestation of God? My study and my heart
suggest that he very well might've been, though there's no way to
confirm this. It is useful, though, as an example of the Baha'i (and
Muslim, and Buddhist, and...) belief that there have been many
Enlightened Ones, beyond counting and history, and for non-authoritative
ME, Christ's "by their fruits ye shall know them" put Master Lao high
on my list of speculative honour.
Thanks, Mr. Tai-Seale, for this thoughtful work of yours.
All the best
-TTS