Abstract
All of us must personally face and experience death and loss. Death and loss are sad events in our lives. But people living in different cultures and religions all have their own methods of coping. Chinese Confucianism has its own system and has evolved a set of mourning and burial ceremonies which have common characteristics. These mourning and burial ceremonies emphasize filial piety and the use of rituals as effective methods of coping with death. These beliefs and practices have deep meaning for the psychology of religion. They provide comfort and stimulate people to reflect on and promote spirituality. Through these interactions between relatives and ritualized behavior, Chinese find effective methods of coping with death and loss in culture. The mourning and burial ceremonies of Confucianism give the participants a comprehensive religious experience and personality integration so that their spirituality can be cultivated.
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Notes
The dates of his birth and death are not clear. During the years of 1102 and 1110, a minister tried to give him an official position. He refused.
Saiweng lost his horse: Near the frontier fortress there lived a person who was good at predicting good or ill luck and knew astrology. His horse fled to the northern barbarian tribes for no reason. Therefore people came to comfort him. Instead, the old man said: “How do you know that will not be a blessing?” After a few months, the horse returned home with good horses from the northern barbarian tribes. People came to congratulate him. The old man said again: “How do you know that will not be a problem?” There are a lot of good horses at the old man’s home. His son loved to ride horses. As a result, he fell of a horse and broke his leg. People came to express sympathy. The old man said: “How do you know that it will not become a good thing?” After a year, the northern barbarian tribes invaded the frontier fortress. Robust men had to take weapons to fight. Nine out of ten people near the frontier fortress died. The old man’s son didn’t join the army because he had a limp. The father and the son could live.
The prime minister in Chu kingdom killed the snake: Sun Shuao, the prime minister in Chu kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period met a snake with two heads when he was a child. He was afraid that others would see it. So he buried it. But he felt frightened and told his mother, “I have always heard if someone sees a snake with two heads, he will die.” His mother said, “Don’t be afraid. You will not die. I have heard if someone does a good deed to the doer’s credit in the next world, God will bless him.” This story means that if you do something good, you will get a reward.
When people die, their families and relatives must wear white clothes. The house in which the coffin is put should be decorated with white cloth. People are forbidden to wear red clothes and red shoes. White means sadness while red means happiness in Chinese culture.
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Chen, B. Coping With Death and Loss: Confucian Perspectives and the Use of Rituals. Pastoral Psychol 61, 1037–1049 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-012-0476-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-012-0476-6