Buddhism and Confucianism are two of the most important schools of Chinese philosophical thought. The basic tenets of both religions deal with the well-being of the soul but they differ from each other in certain aspects. The topic of happiness is a major point of difference between the teachings of Lord Buddha and Confucius. Happiness in both philosophies is a spiritual state and not the result of material pursuits. However, while Buddhism seeks to attain happiness by forsaking all worldly desires, Confucianism provides an easier to follow path to spiritual happiness.
Gautama Buddha achieved “nirvana”, enlightenment. The process freed him from the constraints of the mortal world and he recounted 84,000 diverse methods to secure happiness. His teachings were later compiled into a total of hundred and eight volumes which gives people in recent times, plenty of options to choose from to gain happiness. The main essence of the philosophy of Buddha described how the inner and the outer world remain interconnected. The external environment is composed of five different elements which are associated with the human consciousness. Thus, religious traditions have greater impact if they are practiced alongside the teachings.
The philosophy of Confucius, on the other hand, had had a tremendous impact on the thinking and lifestyle of people in Eastern Asia for the previous two centuries. Confucius focused on education, government and virtue. Not much is known about his opinions on happiness outside or inside of China. An analysis of Confucian philosophy is likely to facilitate our understanding of happiness. Happiness, in terms of the philosophy of Confucius, is derived from four different sources – sharing and friendship, learning and knowledge, practice of the arts as well as extravagant moments. The initial three factors garnered great praise from Confucius. It was considered harmful to indulge in extravagant enjoyments .
According to Buddhist perspective, material items are not the only source of happiness. Human relationships play a major role in determining the happiness of a person. Spiritual practice is required for permanent happiness. By virtue of spiritual practice, it is possible for people with tremendous responsibility to acquire true happiness. The Vajrayana Buddhism tradition states that the ultimate destination happens to be Detong Zhungiuk which is the combination of wisdom and bliss. Bliss means the undiluted essence of the mind. When the essence of humans is completely void of emotions, defilements, the natural state of humans is pure happiness.
Confucius’ philosophy revolved around “Jen”, meaning goodness, humanity or virtue. It was possible to experience happiness via friendship, learning and the arts which facilitated the attainment of humanity. Confucius honoured the ancient predecessors and eagerly pursued knowledge. Confucius told his disciples that pleasure could be attained from learning, understanding the truth and becoming a wise person. He believed that it was necessary to learn and apply knowledge in daily life. Learning resulted in a joy that was energetic and passionate from the inside, driving the person towards self-improvement and discoveries. This sort of joy was more absolute instead of conditional or temporary .
The understanding of happiness can differ from normal meanings. In Buddhism, happiness is much more stable and very intense. Happiness in Buddhism possesses different levels and stages. Humans feel want and they need to fulfill that want – this allows them to remain happy for a certain period of time. It produces a feeling of satisfaction that can be termed happiness. Happiness is the result of some emotion or thought which has been fulfilled at a particular time. Buddhism states that emotion or thought is similar to attachment and unlimited. Thus, human want is unlimited and leads to unending happiness.
Happiness can be experienced through realization. When humans realize the limitlessness of their wants, they require more since they understand that craving happiness cannot be satiated . The Vajrayana approach in Buddhism mentions the potential of every sentient being to turn into Buddhas. Every individual has a pure essence and nature. Therefore, we have no option but to nurture this particular realization or merely produce awareness which can be achieved via normal meditation or just by raising the sub-conscious level to consciousness and the superior consciousness to become the supreme consciousness. The wisdom that is derived from awareness can dispel negative emotions and thoughts like limitless ego and wants.
Confucius was the pioneer of Chinese philosophy which followed a material system of thought. But the word “fu” implying happiness finds no mention in his teachings or in the conversations with his disciples. Confucius believed ritual or “li” to be the most vital concept in the system and the followers of Confucius considered ritual to be more valued than ordinary happiness.
Confucius was a traveler and preacher, specializing in Chinese humanism. He believed that a good ruler must rule with the help of “virtue” and make equal all people via ritualistic practices. Ritual and virtue have the power to make people conform to changes in society for reasons of personal concern. Thus, the Chinese elite had a unique sense of equality and humanity. They thought these ideals were able to bring stability to the current social order. Even the Chinese elite through self-cultivation, wise ruling, harmonious family relationships and maintaining peace throughout the world were able to attain a higher degree of happiness.
The philosophy of happiness as per the teachings of Confucius presupposes that every person’s life contains a link to the family lineage of the person and an individual is just a continuation of his ancestors. This line of thought emphasizes the importance of family in everyday life. Confucius thought that happiness does not contain a group of living conditions in terms of the psychological state or the spiritual world of a living person. Happiness cannot be termed transient; it is not a shallow pleasure that appeals to the senses. On the contrary, happiness as per the philosophy of Confucius happens to be a deeply meaningful area of reason. The followers of Confucius consider happiness to be spiritual instead of material, moral compared to circumstantial and self-identified apart from other-judged. Happiness in China originally included physical health, material abundance, peaceful and virtuous life and freedom from death.
While happiness in both Confucianism and Buddhism takes a more spiritual than material form, the Confucian philosophy appears to be much more practicable by people who do have attachment to ‘worldly’ pleasures. Adopting the Buddhist way of life to attain happiness may be too difficult for most people to pursue.
Works Cited
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Dan, Yu. Confucius From The Heart: Ancient Wisdom for Today's World. Pan Macmillan, 2010.
Dorji, Lam Goembo. "A Buddhist Perspective on Happiness: The inner path to GNH." Bhutan Conference on Gross National Happiness - Conference on Happiness and Economic Development, 10-12 August 2011. Thimpu, Bhutan: The Earth Institute - Columbia University, 2011.
Lu, Luo. "Understanding happiness: A look into the Chinese folk psychology." Journal of Happiness Studies (2001): 407-432.
Philip Wang, Yulan Yuan, Wayne Munson. CONFUCIUS’ PLEASURES: DIMENSIONS OF HAPPINESS AND LEISURE IN. 2005. 8 June 2013 <http://lin.ca/Uploads/cclr11/CCLR11-158.pdf>.
Wang, Phillip, Yulan Yuan and Wayne Munson. "CONFUCIUS’ PLEASURES: DIMENSIONS OF HAPPINESS AND LEISURE IN THE ANALECTS." 20 May 2005. Leisure Information Network. 8 June 2013 <http://lin.ca/Uploads/cclr11/CCLR11-158.pdf>.
