01:840:211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Filial Piety, Citta, Junzi
17 Apr 2017
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Document Summary
According to ancient chinese ideology, upon birth human beings are comprised of two spirits: Hun ( ), a spirit from heaven associated with yang (light/ masculine complimentary) energies. Po ( ), a spirit from earth associated with yin (dark/ feminine complimentary) energies. Upon death the hun spirit ascends to heaven, whereas the po spirit dissipates into the earth. During traditional confucian ritual sacrifices, the living invoke these spirits of the dead through music (for the hun) and wine (for the po), and then make a sacrificial oblation (e. g. of an ox, pig, and/or goat). The aim of these sacrifices was to show reverence to heaven, earth, or to the dead, whether. The correct performance of sacrifice was also thought to promote the development of virtue. Note that in later neo-confucianism, only the emperor himself could sacrifice directly to. The cult of heaven was officially restricted as a state cult.
