2010年研究生入学考试英语作文大预测(二)

　　There are many other traditional Chinese ideas related:

　　1. In regard with the human relationship, "Harmony in diversity" or "harmony with diversity" (和而不同) is typically emphasized in Confucianism. Compared with "Baha'i", a new religious community who takes "Unity with diversity" as the main doctrine, the Confucian spirit of the harmonious co-existence of different cultures might be more relevant for the foundation of human existence and development.

　　2. Confucius believes "honesty-sincerity is the Dao of Heaven" (诚者，天之道也) which is out of the control of human beings, and "to be honest and sincere is the Dao of human beings" which is the only thing we could do (诚之者，人之道也). In this case, a gentleman (君子)should "cultivate himself to be honest and sincere" in accordance with the Dao of Heaven, which is something upper or a more or less religious standard of honesty and sincerity. This might be clearer in the interpretation of Dao. In Chinese, I think either道 (way) or 德 (virtue) means "to walk your talk" originally, because both走 and 彳are symbols of walking carefully with small steps. In this case, "way" is formed in the walking and in virtue of moral practice "virtue" appears. Just as David Tracy noticed, the famous saying of Socrates "The unexamined life is not worth living" is in sharp contrast with a saying in a Buddhist scripture, "The un-lived life is not worth examining."

　　3. So Dao is not only metaphysical but also physical; "honesty-sincerity" is above us and what we could do is nothing but learning to be honest and sincere; Dao could be justified in faith, as well as in behavior. I am not sure if it is "religion", but it is of course something like "Acts of Religion" (in terms of Derrida) or "Acts of Faith" (in terms of Rodney Stark). You may know that the sacred "Word" or "Wisdom" in the Gospel of John and other biblical scriptures is translated into "Dao" in this sense.

　　4. For the same reason, traditional Chinese ethics ask for our "Consideration for others" (恕) and a spirit of tolerance: "great virtues have a huge capacity to contain things" (厚德载物), and "to tolerate is a sign of greatness" (有容乃大).

　　5. And probably related to the consideration for others, traditional Chinese ethics place a great emphasis on family, viewing family as the foundation of society. Among the "five cardinal relationships" (emperor and his officials, fathers and kids, husbands and their wives, brothers and sisters, and friends), three of them are concerned with family relationship. It is even believed that "The relation between the officials and the emperor may find origin or archetype in the relation between husbands and wives, which even extends to the relation of heaven and the earth." (君子之道，造端乎夫妇。及其至也，察乎天地).

　　6. And so, in Chinese traditional philosophy, "humanity is Benevolence" (博爱之谓仁), "filial piety" is the origin of human morality and sentiment (立爱自亲始). And, it is encouraged that "love your family so as to love others and all creatures" (亲亲而仁民，仁民而爱物), "cultivate moral character, and then you could cultivate your family, administrate the country, and bring peace all over the world" (修身、齐家、治国、平天下). When it is promoted to the realm that "honor the aged of other people as we honor our own, take care of the young of other people as we take care of our own" (老吾老以及人之老，幼吾幼以及人之幼), we may naturally relate the traditional Chinese teachings with the famous prayer by St. Francis in the Medieval Europe: to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love; it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.