Free Two Topic You May Choose Essay Sample

Most are scared and crying. His favorite servant boy, Qi Sigong breaks away from the burial slaves and attempts running away soldiers in hot pursuit. Qi Sigong runs down the street before a poisoned arrow hits him on his left upper arm. He lunges himself to a man begging him to save him and the man complies by stopping the soldiers from taking the boy. Unbeknown to all, the man happens to be Zilu, a disciple of Confucius. Zilu takes him to Confucius, who despite warning agrees to take him in. A search party led by Gen. Gongshan Niu comes to the house to take back the Qi Sigong. After a tense moment between Confucius and the General, the search party takes leave without Qi. At the assembly, it is debated as to whether escaped slaves should be killed or granted clemency during the winter ceremony. Shu Sunwu, minister in the Court of Lu decides to spare their lives. It is decided to release them to the mountains. Confucius however wants the outdated ritual to end. He presents Qi, who is bandaged from the arrow wound, and asks his life be spared. "Ritual murder is still murder." He declares. (Confucius and Watson) Gen. Gongshan Niu, still smarting from their earlier exchange refuses this. Lord Ji Yiru Pingzi’s final wishes were to be buried with Qi, who he was especially fond of. Confucius shows cunningly as he braced for such a showdown with the General. He counters back by quoting Lord Ji Yiru Pingzi, who had severally said he had no life without Gen. Gongshan Niu. In line with that, the General should be ritualistically killed too as Lord Ji Yiru Pingzi still needs him in the afterlife. The assembly unanimously agrees to spare Qi’s life and revise the tradition. It is greeted with great joy all over the streets. Confucius and his disciples take time to celebrate. This, however comes at a cost to Confucius, who is now seen as a political threat by factions loyal to The Dukedom of Qi. This later influences him to leave Lu alongside his disciples becoming wanderers. (Confucius and Watson) (Roberts) During the 6th Century, Japan while still a budding nation enacted a 17 article constitution. This enacted Confucius ideals as the nation’s blueprint and moral foundation. It also became the basis of decorum and court etiquette. However, the supremacy of Buddhism as a religion brought great strain. In the Japanese Edo period (1600-1868), a more modern approach towards Confucianism was revived by the elite. It removed power from the Buddhism supremacy. This was by bringing the man and the society in general towards social responsibility and care for fellow man and community as opposed to submission to Buddha.
Work CitedRoberts, Holly Harlayne. The Analects of Confucius: Discourse and Dialogues of Kung Fu-tsze Compiled by His Disciples. Anjeli Press,Incorporated, 2007.