I. Introduction
Buddha and Confucius both are great educators. The founder of Buddhism is Buddha and the founder of Confucianism is Confucius. Both devoted their life of teaching to cultivate myriad human beings. Myriad beings acquired the teachings of benefit and applied the methods on their life. Not only do they apply the teaching, but they also practice it in their daily life. Although the teachings have been preached for thousands of years, they still continue to spread. Both teachings are like a wheel into beings’ mind. At moments, beings are full of purification in their mind.
For this report, the paper will compare the teachings of the Middle Way of Buddha and the Chung Yung of Confucius. It will investigate both schools specifics.
II. The Chung-Yung
The Chung-Yung is literally the Doctrine of the Mean. “The Chung-Yung (literally, “central” and universal” or “common”) presents the strongest tendency toward metaphysical and religious speculation of the ancient Confucian classics”. This doctrine was taught by Confucius and later on collected the teaching by his disciples namely Shih-Shu (Four Books). The Chung-Yung is one of the collections. The Way of Heaven, which the Chung-Yung describes as transcending space, time, substance, and motion. It is one of the main central doctrine but at that same time it is manifested and evidenced. In this text, we learn that “human nature is determined by, and is in harmony with, heaven, and that spiritual beings are unfathomable but always subtly present during religious sacrifices.” The Chung-Yung implies not only moderation, but it also is the harmony of the universe as well as that of human nature and human feeling. The Chung-Yung of teaching influences and applies myriad beings. It is a main doctrine taught in Chinese society.
The most important key of the theory of Chung-Yung is ‘Ch’eng’. Ch’eng means sincerity, reality, truth, or authenticity. For instance, as the chapter twenty, section eighteen of Chung-Yung, ways: “ Sincerity is the Way of Heaven. The attainment of sincerity is the way of men.” It means that if one is completely sincere, one can exist under heaven.
The main teaching is focusing on human beings and cultivating equilibrium and harmonious life. The doctrine says:
“While there are no stirrings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, or joy, the mind may be said to be the state of Equilibrium. When those feeling have been stirred, and they act in their due degree, there ensure what may be called the state of harmony. This equilibrium is the great root from which grow all the human acting’s in the world, and this harmony is the universal path which they all should pursue.”
It means that emphasizes in the spirit of human beings, and expounds the emotions of beings of the universal path to become equilibrium and harmony mind. It not only emphasizes oneself, but also encourages family, rulers, and all human beings to practice the teaching. In addition, in chapter two, section one and two, it says:
“The superior man embodies the course of the Mean; the mean man acts contrary to the course of the course of the Mean. The superior man’s embodying the course of the Mean is because he is superior man, and so always maintain the Mean. The mean man’s acting contrary to the course of the Mean is because he is a mean man, and has no caution.”
This doctrine explains that the means (Chung) and normality (Yung) is not merely to pursue a middle course,. It means to be in harmony with the universe. As Chai says:
“The way of the Chung-Yung involves a sense of justice and fairness, a spirit of tolerance, a state of harmony, and a doctrine of equality. It is a way of action which avoids going to extremes; or a state of mind in which human reasoning and feeling reach a perfect harmony. In other works, the doctrine of the mean serves as a guide for human emotions and actions.”
It states that beings know how to be just and fair, to control one’s emotions, and the mind always stays in harmony and equilibrium stage.
“The Chung-Yung, or the Doctrine of the Mean, is grounded in that deeply religious concept ‘The Way of Heaven’, a Way which transcends time, space, substance and motion, and is at the same time unceasing and eternal. The harmony which characterizes the Way of Heaven and which prevails throughout the universe is the same which underlies the moral nature of man. In fact, man and nature form a unity.”
The display of power of spiritual beings is abundant. The teaching is like the spread of overflowing water they seem to be above and to be on the left and right. The doctrine of the unity of men with heaven and earth has always greatly impressed the Chinese.
III. Middle Way
The Middle Way is teaching by the Buddha while the Buddha attained enlightenment. The First Sermon of the Buddha was “arising from conditional causation or dependent origination” (Sanskrit : pratiyasumtpada) and the middle path (Sanskrit: madhyama-pratipad ) with five disciples in Deer Park. The middle way is between discomfort (as asceticism) and indulgence. It is practiced by all Buddhists and is the path in which all conduct and right view s are suitable and appropriate. The Middle Way means one practice Buddha-Dharma, neither the one side or the other. As an example, a musician chord the chords in properly. The musician makes the chords neither too tied not too loose. The very pleasant song is played harmoniously. The same as, “the habitual practice on the one hand of those things whose attraction depends upon the passions and sense, an unworthy and unprofitable way…and the practice on the other hand of self-mortification, which is painful and equally unworthy and unprofitable.” It addresses the practicing of the effort of the Buddha’s teaching. Holding this in the mind, one neither practices too quickly in which one is unsettled nor too slow in which one is indolent. Therefore, one should distinguish the moment and the phenomenon which is the proper median ideal for performing. As a Buddhist, one should keep this idea in mind in order to contemplate a right position.
The Buddha-dharma does not emphasize believing, or others’ power, or mystical, or neither learned. It is engaging in the right path from which obtains the reality of life. It is developing from the right path of practice among which acquires liberation. Thus, the First Sermon of the Buddha preaches the “Middle Path.” He says:
“These two (dead) ends, monks, should not be followed by one who has gone forth. With two? That which is among sense-pleasures, addiction to attractive sense-pleasures, low, of the villager, of the average man, unariyan, not connected with the goal; and that which is addiction to self-torment, ill, unariyan, not connected with the goal. Monks, without adopting either of these two (dead) ends, there is a middle course, fully awakened to by the Truth finder, making for vision, making for knowledge, which conduces to calming, to super-knowledge, to awakening, to nirvana.”
This emphasizes the Middle Way is the perfect way for practicing and applying. If one applies it, one would fully awaken. Then Buddha taught his disciples again and said:
“And what is this middle course fully awakened to by the Truthfinder, making for vision, making for knowledge, which conduces to calming, to super-knowledge, to awakening, to nirvana? It is this ariyan Eightfold Way itself, that is: Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right mode of living, right endeavor, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the Middle course, fully awakened to by the Truthfinder, making for vision, making for knowledge, which conduces to calming to supper-knowledge, to awakening, to nirvana.”
It stresses the middle way is eightfold path, or an ancient path. It means when one practice, one should be appropriate and should contemplate body and mind. Furthermore, if one applies this eightfold path, one would fully awaken and enlighten.
The Buddha-dharma is not illustrating the world. It is manifesting for liberation itself and purifying the world. The Buddha-Dharma is engaging in life experience among which comes reality. It is the highest philosophy in which morality is deeply perfected. Buddha taught the causation and Noble Path which lead beings toward a right path through the right bridge which is called “Middle Way,” or “Right Path”, or “Noble Path.” It is one of the teachings the Buddha emphasized; the life of right enlightenment.
The middle path of Buddha-dharma is teaching beings to arouse an unawakened life to an enlightenment life, to arouse the suffering life to an emancipated life. Thus, the Buddha says: “It is through not understanding, through not penetrating the Four Noble Truths, O disciples, that we have wandered round this long, long, journey (of-re-birth), both you and I”.
Thus, if one practice the Noble Path-the Eightfold Path of the basic teaching of Buddha, one is on the right path. The purpose of practicing this path is to get rid of suffering and practice in a proper way. Applying this path is to awaken to life, to live the life of right enlightenment and liberation. If one realizes this path, one will enlighten this Dharma immediately an will be full of the dharma-happiness in his or her daily life.
IV. Conclusion
The Doctrine of Mean (Chung-Yung) of the teaching of Confucius is different than the teaching of the Middle Way of Buddha. The Middle Way is a means to enlightenment and the expression of that enlightenment in daily life. However, the Chung-Yung of Confucius focuses on the harmony of the universe and the Way of Heaven. One is like teaching as a whole, the other is like teaching as an individual. One emphasizes a superior man, and the other emphasizes a Noble Path. One addresses Ch’eng (sincerity), the other addresses the practical path to supreme enlightenment. One stresses the Way of Heaven, the other stresses the Eightfold Path. The doctrines are different and their goals are also different. One is staying in a harmony and equilibrium; the other is transcending the suffering life and becoming an emancipated person.
- Encyclopedia, History of Asian: Chinese Religion: Religious and Philosophical Texts. Vol. 3.
Four Books. The Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 1.
Ch’u Chai and Winbery Chai. The Scred Books of Confucius. (Published by University Books New Hyde Park, N. Y., 1965).
Smith, D. Howard. Chinese Religions. (Published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1968).
Humphreys, Christitmas. Studies in the Middle Way: Being Thoughts on Buddhism Applied. Fourth Edition. (Published by Curzon Press, London, 1978).
Horner, I. B. The Book of the Discipline: Vinaya-Pitaka-Mahavagga. (Published by the Pali Text Society, London, 1982).
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