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Gradually through the years, the self-knowledge and life-knowledge that had been the goals of Taoism got left behind. Newer Taoists sprang up, whose major concerns lay in the banishing of cares and sorrows. True, the earlier Taoists had wanted this, too, but as a by-product of harmony with the nature of things. Now the Taoists wished to make happiness an easier thing. And they began to offer pills and potions and magical rituals to help in achieving it.

Taoism became a search for the magical elixir, a cure for all ills, and a prolonged of carefree life. The early Taoists had at first retreated from the artificial and unnatural in order to know reality. They were followed, centuries later, by Taoists who retreated from reality in order to follow superstitious customs they hoped would bring escape from unhappiness. The earlier Taoists had prize the knowledge and understanding of the Tao, seeking to fit in with the nature of things. The later Taoists tried to interfere with natural processes, in order to gain immortality and freedom from care.

Other Taoists, despairing of this life, have become hermits and live merely for death, following what they believe to be the correct interpretation of Lao-tse’s teaching to "do nothing." They are few in number, for the masses of the people cling to the more popular expression of Taoism -- the superstitious and magical. The Taoists accept their religion for the comfort they receive now and for the hope it gives them for their future after death.

Lao-tse taught that men should neither worry about nor serve the spirits, which many thought to be all about them. Instead, they should study to learn the ways of the world. Nothing could come from their ignorant and fearful worship of such spirits. The man of Tao was not troubled by spirits, either good or bad. Those who worked magic tried to force nature to do their wills. And force was never successful. Nature could teach them this.

Lao-tse, looking on the present scene, would doubtless be distressed that this had come to pass from what he had taught. He would be filled with the sense of futility that would come to any prophet who could look upon what had developed out of his labors. The religion, which to Lao-tse as founder, is full of all the things he considered least worthwhile.

This new Taoism could not survive as an effective religion, even as the old Taoism had not lasted. Gradually, the people who had been attracted to the thoughtfulness of Taoism became discouraged. The people who had sought the betterment of human society turned to Confucianism, which offered more direct and practical help in that problem. Those who had liked the meditative aspects of Taoism began to investigate Buddhism. And classical Taoism, as Lao-tse taught it, practically ceased to exist.

The religion of the average Chinese person today is a blend of different religious traditions. Taoism’s role in that blend has been a light-hearted and playful facet in the national life. Most of the religious holidays, with their gay ceremonies, had their origin in the past of Taoism. These include ceremonies for certain significant birthdays -- especially those of boys -- ceremonies for marriage, for the birth of children, and for sonic seasons of the year. There is now a group of trained priests who minister to those who call themselves Taoists.

Lao-tse’s and Chuang-tse’s Taoism lives on mostly in the things it offered to other stronger and longer-lived religions. Confucianism added the Taoist belief in the basic goodness of people. Buddhism in China, with its already strong emphasis on the importance of knowing the inner self, was strengthened and changed somewhat by this native religion. As a religious philosophy, Taoism faded, but it did send many away with the understanding that the inner life of the self was the life that was important.

11. CONFUCIANISM: THE WAY OF HARMONY AND PROPRIETY

Legends say that when Lao-tse was very old he was visited by a scholarly young man from a nearby province. The young man, who spent most of his days in study, had come to ask some questions. Like Lao-tse, he was concerned with the quality of life in China. He, too, believed that back in the ‘good old days" of the Golden Age people had lived better lives and the country as a whole was more prosperous.

This young man was Confucius, and he had arrived at those beliefs via the route of much study and research into the ancient literature of China. As he collected and translated the literary Classics, he found what he considered to be clues to the happier life of the earlier days. For a real understanding of Confucian philosophy, we still turn to his comments upon those Classics. The Analects, stories about Confucius and his comments upon life situations, also tell of his proposals for the good of his countrymen.

Both Lao-tse and Confucius were concerned with the social and moral weaknesses of their generation. Lao-tse met the challenge of life with the radical view that the institutions and customs of his day were unnatural and thus to be avoided. Confucius, a true conservative, taught that the best from the past should be kept and properly improved. In the past lay the key to the present and the future. He did not seek to start either a new religion or a new system of ethics.

Confucius was facing the same basic questions that concerned Lao-tse. "What is life all about? How can I get along best in the world? How can I live a happy life? What am I?" For part of the answer, Confucius turned to nature and the Tao, as Lao-tse had done. All parts of nature, he observed, operate in harmony with one another. He decided that men might learn from nature. By following the way of nature and harmony, men would do the best thing they could in the world.

Harmony, then, was Confucius’ ideal, just as it was Lao-tse’s. Wherein lay the difference between the two men? For one thing, their personalities were very different. In all the problems they faced, the dissimilarity of their outlooks determined the differences in the solutions they gave. While Lao-tse tended to be an "individualist," Confucius believed that man’s entire responsibility was social. Man was not man apart from his fellows. Harmony for man, therefore, meant harmony with other men. Lao-tse believed that man’s responsibility was to understand himself and to get himself directly in harmony with the Tao. But Confucius believed that man’s responsibility was to cooperate with others and to perform the duties society expected of him. Such co-operation was rooted, of course, in the Tao, but the human level of experience was the medium through which human beings expressed their belonging to the universe. When a person developed his capacity for harmony with his fellow human beings, then he could understand universal harmony.

THE NEED FOR RULES FOR LIVING

Confucius saw that not all men were conducting themselves in such co-operative, mutually helpful ways. This, to Confucius’ practical mind, meant simply that they needed some definite standards. In his writings, Confucius emphasized such standards, repeating and interpreting the ancient, traditional rules of Chinese society. He saw no need to add new rules. His duty as he saw it was to compile and transmit to posterity the literature describing the old customs and manners of Chinese society. He wrote no new things, for he believed and loved the ancients.

Why was it that rules were needed? All the rules arose originally out of human needs. This is the way all good laws come about. There are problems in living together, and rules are designed to solve the problems. Wherever there are many people living together, there are more problems than where there are few. The government of a large city is much more complex than the government of a tiny village. China already had many people. And thanks mainly to Confucius, she has accumulated many rules. All these rules are attempts to make life go more smoothly. They are not to be enforced like traffic regulations. They are more like rules of etiquette.

Rules have more meaning when they are specific. People who like to live in an ordered society feel more comfortable when the rules for society are available in definite order and when they designate times and places. So it was that, through the years, Confucianists placed great value on numerous lists of specific rules covering everything from passing the time of day with a friend to worshiping the ancestors. Dress and conversation were prescribed. Even posture and steps were listed, so that no one who was sincere in his efforts could fail to do the right thing. Following the rules showed a person’s real desire to cooperate with his fellow men.

HOW TO GET ALONG WITH OTHER PEOPLE: THE SUPERIOR MAN

In order that people might know how they. ought to live, Confucius describe a "Superior Man," or a noble or princely man. Confucius called him a "princely" or superior man because of his belief that the rulers were teachers. However, anyone at any time can live as a Superior Man.

The Superior Man has developed within his personality Five Constant Virtues, which he has practiced until they are as natural as breathing. Doing the right thing is an inseparable part of him. When Confucius said of himself that not until he was seventy years of age could he follow the promptings of his heart without overstepping the boundaries of right, perhaps he was being overly modest or very humble. Nevertheless, a good Confucianist spends as long as it takes to make the right way of living so habitual that he will not have to stop to think about doing the right thing.

(1) Right Attitude. The first of the Five Constant Virtues concerns attitude. The Superior Man desires to be in harmony with other men. He knows that he cannot fulfill his role in life unless he is co-operative and accommodating. The right attitude is revealed through conduct. People have the seed of such an attitude within them, but it must be helped to develop. This virtuous attitude is sometimes thought of as an inner law of self-control.

(2) Right Procedure. The second Constant Virtue is proper procedure. The man of noble mind has made a study of the rules of conduct. He has learned how to apply them to every incident he faces. He knows all the rules for etiquette, which set forth what each social situation requires of the completely humanized person. He knows all the ceremonies and rituals centering around ancestor reverence. He knows how to sit, how to stand, bow to converse, how to walk, and how to control his facial expressions on all occasions. Yet all these rituals and procedures are without value if a man does not have the proper attitude. "A man without charity in his heart, what has he to do with ceremonies?"

(3) Right Knowledge. The third Constant Virtue is knowledge. The Superior Man is a knowing man, for a person must be educated in order to respond in the exact way. The Confucianists’ goal is to grow gradually from memorized rules to habits. The subjects that teach a person correct moral habits are the history, literature, and civics that make up the Chinese Classics. The Superior Man plans his education to include all such essentials. For centuries, the Classics were the bases of education in China. Modern times have substituted other subjects, but the Confucianist still holds the Classics in respect.

When Confucius stressed the importance of education, he was not suggesting a new idea. He was repeating and emphasizing what the ancients had said. The social order depends upon fundamental morality -- the morality of proper words and actions. Also like the ancients, Confucius believed that morality was to be applied in all levels of life, but in a very significant way to the ruling level. For the rulers were the teachers of all. They taught the needed morality most effectively when they set a good moral example and when they governed kindly. Only through such a process would the new Golden Age finally arrive, when all men would deal with each other in kindness and consideration.

(4) Right Moral Courage. According to the fourth Constant Virtue, the Superior Man should develop the moral courage necessary to remain loyal to himself and charitable toward his neighbors. His character is such that everything he does makes a worthwhile contribution to society. Through his every deed, human relationships are improved.

(5) Right Persistence. The last of the Five Constant Virtues was an emphasis of their title -- constancy. The Superior Man has achieved the other four virtues, and he persists in his achievement. He is unfailingly kind and helpful. He knows what his duty is on each occasion, and he always knows how to do that duty. Because he has developed the seeds of virtue within his nature, he is in harmony with everything in the universe. Because he has harmony within himself, he is part of cosmic harmony. That is why he is able to do the right thing at the right time always.

PERFECT HUMANITY

Confucianists often speak of "perfect humanity." It can be achieved by a person because of something the Confucianists believe to be present within each person, even at birth. This is a native goodness or kindly love that can be developed through feelings of helpfulness toward others. It was Mencius, the best-known Confucianist of a later period, who emphasized the native goodness of men. When he and Confucius spoke of man s goodness, they meant that he was fit to live with other people -- in the long run. There was quite a course of preparation first, as we have seen. Behavior, habits, thought patterns, and judgments had to be improved.

When a man has educated himself to be a Superior Man, he can be kind, helpful, and good. The "seed" of goodness within him makes these qualities possible. So many good acts are possible that the Chinese despaired of ever listing them all one by one. Their "Golden Rule" is stated in negative terms. Nevertheless, it is full of concern for others. "Do not unto others what you would not they should do unto you."

RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS

As part of their effort to make right living easy for everyone, Confucianists have stressed five important personal relationships that require kindness and tact. These were once taught to every schoolboy. but that system of education was discontinued early in this century. Still, many Confucianists think that if everyone used the Five Constant Virtues in these five relationships, a true golden age would begin. If happiness or harmony is to exist, the ten people involved in these contacts must use virtuous attitudes and conduct toward each other:

(a) Husband and wife

(b) Father and son

(c) Elder brother and younger brother

(d) Ruler and subject

(e) Friend and friend

Notice that something is expected of both parties to the relationship. Each is responsible for acting and speaking and thinking in kind and helpful ways.

Some may say that this does not go far enough. What about other people of their own and other lands? Confucianists do hold to the ideal of charity and kindness to all one’s neighbors and to all other persons on earth. But one individual does not come in contact with all other persons. His circle of acquaintances is limited. It is for this reason that the five personal relationships are listed. It is much better for a person to act with kindness and regard for the few persons he contacts frequently than to mouth words about "loving" all men.

He will never know all men. A good life consists of acting properly toward the persons one meets daily in everyday experiences.

FAMILY LOVE AND DEVOTION

Long before the point where history books begin, the Chinese believed that one of the first duties a person has is to his parents. In the large families of the Chinese custom, parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are looked upon as very wise, much beloved, and greatly revered. Their deaths do not lessen the respect that is paid to them. Reverence for ancestors is a way of extending the "family feeling" beyond death. Confucius and Confucianists have played a major part in keeping loyal devotion to parents uppermost in the ideals of China.

Children in China have never been allowed the freedom of choice and behavior that we know in the West. They are disciplined kindly but firmly from the start, in order that their attitudes and behavior may be proper. Disobedience has been very rare, and disrespect even rarer. Children carry their devotion to parents to the point of accepting parents’ decisions for them, including the choice of a husband or a wife. The Chinese believe that in such matters the parents are far wiser than their children.

Naturally, family loyalty has changed rapidly with the other changes of the twentieth century. New political developments have already caused some breakdowns of the old family traditions and may cause greater changes yet. However, filial piety has been a part of Chinese life for so long a time that it is still an influence in China.

Confucius encouraged ancestor reverence or worship because he believed that it helped a person to develop proper attitudes and conduct. When a person offers gifts before a plaque in memory of a departed ancestor, he remembers his origin and his love. This experience draws from him feelings of respect and loyalty. For a person to carry filial piety beyond death shows an even greater degree of devotion than simply to honor living parents.

Many Confucianists offered gifts and sacrifices in honor of the dead without ever believing that the spirits of the dead were present. Confucianists found it worthwhile because it helped them to build good habits of respect for others. At the same time, this adds strength to society. For these two reasons, Confucianism includes ancestor reverence among the important aspects of human behavior.

WAYS OF WORSHIP

Confucius did not seek to change or even to say much about the religious beliefs and practices of his day. He simply accepted them as they were -- in so far as they served society. He was not in the least interested in popular religious ideas or customs that ignored common experiences and knowledge. He did not like to speak of the spirits that so many people worshiped out of superstition and fear. Once Confucius said to a student who asked about spirits, while you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?" To him, it was a waste of time to concern yourself with anything you could not definitely know. Life after death was another example. "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?" One had no time for things he could not know, since knowing even his neighbors required a lifetime.

Confucius was not concerned with ideas about God and other problems in theology. But he had a real devotion to the ancient religious ceremonies, because he believed that they helped to build the habits and attitudes necessary to proper conduct. His personal religion was limited to reverence of ancestors, the moral life of the Five Constant Virtues, and recognition and reverence of a just Heaven above. For the most part, Confucius passed on the ancient Chinese religion, which was a blend of reverence for nature gods and ancestors.

Large numbers of the Chinese people worship Heaven as a supreme god or as one of many gods, with interpretations as varied as those given to any other god. The worship of the Heaven-god has been an imperial worship, administered throughout Chinese history by the Emperor with seasonal ceremonies. Very few Confucianists, along with other educated Chinese, actively joined in worshiping Heaven. However, they tended to support the imperial ceremonies as being worthwhile because they might help people to remember their origin.

Many people have asked: Is Confucianism a religion? Confucius himself did not claim that what he was teaching was religion. He did not expect a revelation from Heaven as authority for what he taught. He told his followers that it was good to be in awe of Heaven because it was an intelligent, creating force that moved in a perfectly natural way, through the Tao. Heaven was impartial and just. Later Confucianists added the belief that Heaven was a personal god, but one who exerted no influence on men or on the world he created. Still the major focus of Confucianism has always been on humanity. Mencius described the will of Heaven in terms of what it means to men by saying that being true to its nature is Heaven’s way. Trying to be true to his nature should also be the way of men.

Confucius considered himself to be a social reformer, rather than a religious leader. He dreamed of and worked for a society in which men would live in perfect harmony. If what he taught was not religion, it was at least religious. Confucius taught his beliefs because he believed they were backed by the nature of things. His teaching was an attempt to get man in line with reality.

THE PLACE OF CONFUCIUS IN CHINESE HISTORY

In his lifetime, Confucius was a respected teacher, but he was one teacher among many. While he lived, his fame and popularity were never sufficient to result in the adoption of his teachings in government. On the contrary, he spent long years in trying to persuade one ruler after another to adopt his ideas, all in vain. He had some loyal students who were convinced of the superiority of his ideas, but other people did not wholly agree in this opinion. It was not until several hundred years after his death that Confucius’ teachings on morality began to gain an important place in the life of the Chinese.

The Chinese Classics, in which he had invested so much time and thought, were made the basis of civil-service examinations for governmental positions. This marked the time when the whole pattern of Chinese life began to be Confucian. For over two thousand years, Confucian thought dominated education, government, and culture. This officially was brought to an end shortly after the beginning of this century, but people move more slowly than institutions. All the people have not abruptly forgotten the old traditions.

Confucius’ personal ideals never reached fullest flowering, even though they helped to shape the course of Chinese civilization. Sometimes rulers and politicians seemed to be more sincere than they actually were in following his teachings of morality, hoping that their apparent loyalty to Confucius would gain favor from the people. Sometimes they heaped titles and honors upon him posthumously or upon his descendants.

Immediately following his death, Confucius was worshiped as an ancestor by members of his family. Others joined in the reverence, because in China a great teacher is given the same respect as a parent. It was always his teachings that interested his admirers, never any magical deeds or superhuman qualities. Confucius has been worshiped as a god, but this was the worship of the unschooled people, who believe that the important thing is to worship plentifully, not thoughtfully. Perhaps this kind of worship could be described as a special hero worship. In general, Confucius has been to China -- and to a lesser extent to Japan -- the great teacher. He has been honored far above any other man in the whole of his country’s history.

CONFUCIANISM AS A RELIGIOUS CULT

At times strong attempts have been made to establish Confucianism as a state religion, with Confucius as a sort of savior. These efforts have failed for several reasons. First of all, the Chinese have always been accustomed to religious freedom, and the idea of a single state religion offended them. Secondly, they seemed unwilling to turn Confucianism into a religion like Taoism and Buddhism. Perhaps it had been with them too long as the broad base of their lives for them to limit it to an organized religion.

New political movements in China have sometimes blamed Confucianism and Confucius for many of the ills of Chinese society. This is partly due to their attempt to discredit old traditions and beliefs, in order to bring in new ideas of government and education. Today, Confucius does not hold the same respected place in the memories and the history of his people.

WHAT DOES LIFE REQUIRE OF MEN?

Though his teachings were never to achieve the success Confucius wished for them, some of his important ideas survived his death and the intervening centuries. These ideas have made a distinctive contribution to China and to its neighbor nation, Japan, which has so often found China’s thoughts and art worth borrowing. In fact, the life and thought of the kindly philosopher have contributed to the knowledge of the whole world.

Above all, Confucianism calls for an intense concern for humanity. Confucianists’ main argument with both Buddhists and Taoists has been that they turned their backs on their fellow men to go seeking after what was best for them personally. Never, never, should self come before society. A person finds his fulfillment in the very act of helping and knowing others.

Confucianism demands of rulers and leaders a special accounting to the people they rule. The only reason rulers exist is to help people to be better. If this idea could ever be accepted seriously by the leaders of nations, statesmanship would attain new heights, and life for all would be improved. Finally, say Confucianists, even world peace would he achieved.

Who can say all the good that might result if families would accept the charge Confucius gave them? Confucianism places before the family the importance of the family’s job in moral education. It points out how natural and cheerful the moral approach to life is.

"What does life ask of mc?" China has traditionally said: "It asks kind attitudes and conduct. It asks that you live with the interests of your fellow men uppermost in your concerns. In so living with others, you will gain the greatest good -- you will find your place in the world. You will find yourself."

Top of page | Contents | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05a | 05b | 05c | 06 | Vietnamese version

Sincere thanks to Venerable Thich Tam Quang for making this digital version available.

(Bình Anson, 05-2004)

The Great Religions By Which Men Live

Floyd H. Ross and Tynette Hills

SECTION FOUR

THE RELIGION OF JAPAN

12. SHINTO: THE WAYS OF THE GODS

There are many people who think that Shinto, the native religion of the Japanese, no longer exists, or that it is rapidly dying. They think it began to decline with Japan’s surrender at the end of the Second World \Var. But traditional beliefs and customs have a way of living on. It is never possible to decree or legislate faith out of existence. Japan’s defeat in World War II and the American occupation for some years following have undoubtedly changed some religious ceremonies and practices. Still there is something that cannot be changed. It is the underlying religious spirit of the Japanese. They call it Shinto, the "way of the gods."

The Japanese share the Oriental respect for their cultural inheritance. In the last hundred years, this reverence for the past has been put to the strongest test one could imagine. Japan has survived what amounted to a revolution -- the onslaught of Western industrialization and ideas, and two world wars, one of which led to crushing defeat. No other country has had to move so rapidly from feudalism into industrialism. Yet her people still meet each day with an appreciation of its beauty, a strong respect for each other, and a deep devotion to their country.

It is true that Japanese ideas are changing. But since Japan’s history has shown more flux during the past eighty years than in the previous thousand, it is difficult to chart the changes. We must remember that the future comes from the present, as the present was derived from the past. Therefore, it is safe to assume that the values dearest to the Japanese will go with them into the future.

KINSHIP WITH NATURE

A Japanese would probably ask, "What is life?" The question "What is my life?" would not occur to him. He sees himself as only part of the living, inspiring wonder of everything that exists. He has a feeling of nearness to nature that the average European or American does not have. The Japanese have always felt the lure of the outdoor spaces -- the sand, the wind, the stars, the waves, the hum of the insects, and the music of a waterfall.

The Japanese believe that the same wonderful forces that move in nature move in themselves. There is no difference. There is no dividing line between divine and human. For this reason, a person’s religion and his life have entered into each other so that it is almost impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends. Those who claim that Shinto is not a religion are probably confused by this tendency. To the thoughtful Japanese, this is as it should be. Why should religion be something "added onto" a person’s life?

The Japanese find comfort and inspiration in the beauties of their surroundings. They have built their shrines in spots of breath-taking beauty. They try to keep themselves constantly attuned to the loveliness all about them:

Even in a single leaf of a tree

Or a tender blade of grass,

The awe-inspiring Deity

Manifests Itself.

The practice of beauty leads the Japanese to participate in ceremonies and festivals that may seem strange to us. The Insect-Hearing Festival is an example of this. On a quiet evening in the early weeks of autumn, the emperor and thousands of his subjects sit quietly and listen to the noises of various insects. Just as typical is the story of the Zen Buddhist teacher who stepped before his class one day to give a lecture. He paused to listen to the song of a bird outside the window, and then he dismissed the class. There are sermons in nature -- and the Japanese hear them freely.

At the time of the blossoming of the cherry trees, the Japanese often close their shops and go to the parks and to the country, to enjoy the beauty of the blossoms before they fall. Sometimes they spend evenings gazing at the moon. Or they will sit for hours, contemplating the beauty of a garden, or a flower arrangement, or even a single twig or leaf.

Admiring the beauty about them has led them to cultivate beauty in their own homes and yards and in all their arts and crafts. Painstakingly they have sought to capture the inspiration that life and nature offer them. Sometimes they use poems to express their feeling of kinship with nature.

Usually, the Japanese write poetry that is quite short, with just enough description to convey their feelings. Often, of course, their poetry does not impart the same feelings to someone else, particularly a reader from another country. But one interprets for himself. Who is to say what a poem ought to mean?

Here are several examples of Japanese nature poetry, which may mean as much or as little as the reader can find in them:

On the plum blossoms

Thick fell the snow;

I wished to gather some

To show to thee,

But it melted in my hands.

Among the hills

‘The snow still lies -- But the willows

Where the torrents rush together Are in full bud.

To what shall I compare

This life of ours?

It is like a boat

Which at daybreak rows away

And leaves no trace behind it.

The sky is a sea

Where the cloud-billows rise;

And the moon is a bark;

To the groves of the stars

It is oaring its way.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PURITY

The sky, the flowers, the trees, and the beautiful land speak to the Japanese of beauty and purity. For centuries, the Japanese have looked upon such sights with reverence. They have felt awe in the presence of the pure loveliness of which they are so deeply aware. They have wished to be worthy of it. This has prompted them to strive for inner and outer purity.

A Japanese does not approach a shrine, whether in his own home or in a public place, without first going through a ceremony of cleansing. There are special water troughs near the public shrines, from which a worshiper may dip the water for washing his hands and rinsing his mouth. Only after he has purified himself in this way does he think himself worthy to worship at the shrine. Thoughtful Japanese realize that this is a symbol of inner purity, which does not really depend on outward cleansing.

Japanese homes are models of cleanliness and order. The god shelf -- center of Shinto worship in the home -- is kept spotless. The shelters of the shrines are rebuilt frequently so that no decay will mar the place of beauty.

In old Japan, there was a semi-annual observance called the Great Purification. All the people took part in the ceremony by rubbing slips of paper over their bodies and then burning them or throwing them into a river, lake, or ocean. Then the emperor, speaking for the Sun Goddess, would pronounce all the people to be pure again. Long, long ago, the ancient Japanese had probably believed that cleanliness of body was important to the gods. Later Japanese came to think that the gods desired moral purity as well. The Great Purification ceremonies are a symbol of both.

Such ceremonies serve to make people feel right again with themselves and with the world. Shintoists have considered it to be very important to hold the ceremonies regularly, so that all may feel free of impurity. They do not worry about personal sins or errors. They are so interested in all their people that they feel a shared guilt for everyone’s accumulated shortcomings and impurities. This group guilt makes them seek purification for the whole society of Japanese.

DEVOTION TO JAPAN

The Japanese read the classical myths of the beginnings of their land in the old "Chronicles of Japan," the Nihojigi, and "The Records of Ancient Matters,’ the Kojiki. They read of how the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, sent her grandson to he the first ruler of the islands. This is what she told him: "I think that this land will undoubtedly be suitable for the extension of the heavenly task, so that its glory should fill the universe. It is, doubtless, the center of the world."

This same high estimate of their country has been a first consideration of the Japanese people. They are passionately devoted to their beautiful islands. They work the soil with unlimited patience. They tend their gardens and parks and farms with loving skill.

Other peoples have long since become acquainted with the intense loyalty the Japanese have for their country, their countrymen, and their emperor. It stems from their feeling that they are the descendants of the gods, that their country is the land chosen by the gods, and that their emperor is the direct descendant of Amaterasu. This tradition, in addition to the fact that for centuries the Japanese lived almost isolated on their islands, has been largely responsible for the "spirit of Japan."

Each Japanese is interested in all Japanese. What is good for the whole of Japan is what each Japanese wishes for himself. The total welfare of the nation is involved. Their emperor reminds them of their divine descent and their responsibility to their nation. It is because of this that the Japanese were so devoted to the royal household, prior to the end of World War II.

To the Japanese loyalty is such a virtue that their soldiers have often sacrificed their lives without the slightest hesitation. In fact, they have sometimes been eager to do so, believing that their spirits would then help to protect their country. Partly, the emphasis upon courage and loyalty stems from the very recent feudal past of Japan, when knights were taught to be steadfast soldiers. Although feudalism has been replaced, this much has carried over into the present. Loyalty and honor still suggest divine attitudes to the Japanese.

WILLINGNESS TO LEARN

Their fervent interest in their own culture has not kept the Japanese from learning from other people. They have borrowed philosophy and ethics from Confucianists, religion and art from Buddhists, and industrial techniques from Westerners. But when trade in goods and ideas did come, Japan received them in her own way. On Japanese soil, these became Japanese.

In religion, the Japanese have learned much from what the Chinese Confucianists and Buddhists could teach them. But Shinto remains the religious-patriotic personality of the Japanese people. For a time, State Shinto -- or Shrine Shinto -- was taught in the schools in the form of certain ceremonials, and was administered by a special branch of the government. Recently this has been changed, and some of the seasonal festivals are no longer widely observed. Today, when a Japanese calls himself Shintoist, he may mean that he is a member of one of a number of Shinto sects. Or he may mean that he respects and reveres the traditions of the past as the "way of the gods" underlying even Buddhism or other religions.

THE GOODNESS OF MEN

The Japanese find life very good, and they are glad to accept it as it is. They are not inclined to question it. They take life in a more joyous way than the followers of some religions. Even Buddhists in Japan do not dwell at much length on life’s sorrow. Shintoists feel "at home" in the world. They believe that the gods desire their happiness and well being. Life is good, and men are good. How could it be otherwise, when the gods have created them.?

The Shinto religion has no list of commandments, no set of moral rules to be followed. More than 150 years ago, one Japanese scholar wrote: "It is because the Japanese were truly moral in their practice that they required no theory of morals, and the fuss made by the Chinese about theoretical morals is owing to their laxity in practice."

Another Japanese of the same period pointed out that human beings have been produced "by the spirit of the two Creative Deities" (Izanagi and Izanami). Therefore, they are naturally endowed with the knowledge of what they ought to do and what they ought to refrain from. "It is unnecessary for them to trouble their heads with systems of morality," he added.

Since the Japanese feel that human beings are really good, they have never worried about being sinful. Men may make mistakes, which might be called "sins," but they are not full of sin. A Japanese worships more through giving thanks than through reciting his shortcomings and seeking forgiveness for them. No Shintoist is taught to think of himself as "a worm in the dust."

Shintoists have never been concerned with an idea of an afterlife. There are no teachings about a life beyond the grave, and Shintoists do not pray for a future bliss. They pray for much more specific things such as food, happiness, the welfare of the nation, and to express thanks. Whatever Shinto lacks in not emphasizing a life beyond death, Buddhism has supplied to the Japanese people. The people in Japan, like the people in China, are inclined to combine teachings from various religions.

THE GODS

Most Shintoists speak of "the gods." For the majority of Shintoists, there are many gods and goddesses, who present all human interests and all phases of nature. Thoughtful Shintoists may speak of ‘the divine." To them, there is a divinity in all-natural things -- for there is nothing supernatural. This quality of the divine is in man as well, although he does not understand how it can be so. The reverence paid to many gods and to the spirits of heroes and famous men is simply recognition of the divinity that is present in all life.

The more thoughtful persons in modern Japan have come to believe in one God. Or, they might explain it as a belief in one source for the divine quality of all life.

But Shinto has largely thrived on the belief in many gods. Records from 901 A.D. tell of three thousand shrines in Japan, where over three thousand deities were worshiped. By 1914, there were over 190,000 shrines in Japan. Some of these were major shrines, visited by hundreds of thousands of people during a year. Others were simple wayside shrines in the outlying districts.

The Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, is the center of Shinto worship. Her brother, the Storm God, is widely honored, and so is the Food Goddess. All the gods are descendants of the original divine pair. who gave birth to the islands of Japan, as well as to the hosts of other deities. They are called Izanagi, the Sky Father, and Izanami, the Earth Mother. Japanese mythology fills in the details of the story of creation, including the account of how Izanagi ordered Amaterasu to rule over the Plain of High heaven. For many years, Amaterasu has been the symbol of everything most precious in the development of the Japanese people.

At the time when Amaterasu dispatched her grandson to rule over Japan, she gave him the three most sacred objects in the Shinto religion. The imperial jewels, which are kept in the Tokyo palace, are symbols of obedience and gentleness. The sword, kept in the shrine at Owari, represents wisdom and justice. And the mirror, housed in the Ise shrine, symbolizes righteousness and purity. Shintoists have believed that the myths and objects serve to remind them of the divine mandate by which their emperors rule.

SHINTO WORSHIP

Since the recent war there have been dramatic changes in Japanese life and manners. It is impossible to predict how the ancient ceremonies of Shinto will be continued in the years ahead. The peace treaty signed between Japan and the United States and the withdrawal of occupation forces may lead to a re-emphasis on native Japanese culture. Or it may not. The emperor, by his own decree, has stated that he is no longer to be regarded as divinely descended from the Sun Goddess. Yet the habits and feelings of loyal Japanese subjects may have been barely affected by his statement.

The Japanese continue to go to the shrines of their different gods and goddesses, to pray for good crops or food or national prosperity. They cleanse themselves in the customary way and clap their hands to show respect, as Oriental people often do. Then they give an offering of money or rice, take off their shoes, and enter the prayer hall.

Shintoists use, not images of their gods, but symbols of them. On their god shelves are tablets or slips of paper on which are written the names of the gods they wish to honor. A light burns there, and the family places flowers and a bit of wine or rice cake there daily, if possible. Loyal Shintoists try to hold brief prayer ceremonies before the god shelf each day.

Shinto priests, who may live just as other men do, lead official services on important religious days. They do not preach at regular services each week. They are responsible for protecting the sacred objects in the shrines. Frequently they have another occupation besides the priesthood.

Shinto shrines have a special gateway, called a torri. No one knows exactly how this attractive structure came to be a part of the shrines; its real origin is lost in antiquity. Probably it was used years ago for hanging the birds that were offered as a sacrifice to the Sun Goddess. Although it no longer serves that purpose, yet a torri stands at the entrance to every Shinto shrine. Sometimes there is a row of them. The torri is a distinctive symbol of the Shinto religion.

SHINTO SECTS

The Shinto shrines or "churches" found in other countries are not part of State Shinto but sectarian forms of Shinto. We might call them denominations. They are not state-supported and do not depend upon the favor of the Japanese emperor. American-Japanese followers usually prefer not to refer to these movements by the name Shinto.

Most of the sects, however, incorporate into their teachings and rites many elements of State Shinto and of Buddhism as well. In Japan, thirteen such sects are officially recognized; but there are many others not officially listed. Many of them have adopted the educational and missionary methods of Christian denominations. Some of them center about the worship of an all-powerful, universal God. Some stress faith healing.

The religious answers of the old "spirit of Japan" remain a force to consider in the religious life of the world today. The Japanese have found deep satisfaction for themselves. They have suggested that others might find similar satisfaction through simply accepting life as it is and appreciating it for the beauties and wonders it offers the person who takes time to see and hear.

Top of page | Contents | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05a | 05b | 05c | 06 | Vietnamese version

Sincere thanks to Venerable Thich Tam Quang for making this digital version available.

(Bình Anson, 05-2004)

The Great Religions By Which Men Live

Floyd H. Ross and Tynette Hills

SECTION FIVE

THE SEMITIC RELIGIONS

JUDAISM

13. THE LORD IS ONE

The whole world knows the Jews. Their wanderings have carried them over the earth. With them they have taken their religion, to which most of them have remained intensely loyal. When the sun sets at the beginning of the Sabbath, many millions of Jews start their day of rest and worship. Their numbers are not large in comparison with the world’s total population. But the mark that the Jews have made in the world is large and significant indeed.

Judaism is the "mother religion" of both Christianity and Islam. These three have been the major religions of the Western parts of the world. From Judaism, Christianity and Islam "inherited" many religious ideas, morals, and practices. If a historian ignored the contribution of the Jews to the development of Western civilization, he could not write its past or understand its present.

Jews do not belong to one race of people. Their wanderings over the earth have made this impossible. Thousands of years ago, they were a group of tribes, then called the Hebrews. Now the term ‘Jew’ applies correctly to anyone who is a member of the Jewish faith. Nationally speaking, Jews are Germans, Arabian, American, and almost everything else.

Despite their widespread national homes, the Jews have retained throughout the ages a sense of closeness to one another. They have done this by following carefully their religious practices and laws. They have done it through a single-minded insistence on the truth of what they call the Shema: "Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." This is the heart of every Jewish religious service. More than this, it is the heart of Judaism.

THE ONE GOD

The Hebrews of ancient times sought to understand the meaning and purpose of life, just as did the ancient wise men of India and China. Out of that wondering, some Hebrew of long ago came to feel a special relationship to the heart of the universe. Jewish traditions say that this man was Abraham. Abraham believed in a personal god who took a special interest in his destiny and dreams. Jews still honor this legendary man as the father of their people. Others took up his beliefs and found in them answers to their own questions about the world.

Eventually there appeared another great personality, Moses. He sharpened and clarified the idea of a personal god. He believed that the god had made a special agreement with Abraham and with all his descendants. They had promised their loyalty and devotion. In turn, the god would make them a mighty nation.

Traditional Jews still believe that God revealed the laws of life to Moses on Mount Sinai. They call Moses the founder of their religion. To him they give the credit for their important collection of laws on religious practice, behavior, and diet. He was the leader chosen by God to deliver the Hebrews from slavery in a strange country into a land of their own.

Such beliefs are based on the old, old tales found in the books of Genesis and Exodus. As many Jewish scholars have always been ready to point out, they cannot be taken as literal history. They are legends that were finally put into writing after centuries of existence in the memories of the Hebrew people, who had told them aloud generation after generation. The legends show that the god was at first a tribal god, a protector and benefactor of the Hebrews, the descendants of Abraham. He was known and worshiped by Abraham, his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob, who was later called Israel.

Gradually, the Hebrew-Jewish people became convinced that this tribal god was actually the one and only God of all creation. Of course, this process took time. It took century after century, through the periods of the great Hebrew leaders -- the tribal fathers, Moses, David and the other kings, Isaiah and the rest of the prophets. Slowly the people were gaining a worldview that could not have been theirs at their beginning as wandering nomad tribes.

But now, for 2500 years, the great affirmation of Judaism has been: "... the Lord our God, the Lord is One." The development of the Jewish worship of one God reflects the experiences and temperament unique to the Jews. In their own way, they early arrived at a conclusion shared by all major living religions today: underlying the endless variety we see in life is a single purpose, a single reality.

For a long time, Jews did not find it important to discuss the nature of God. God exists, he is one, and he is reality. Even today, there is not a creed describing the characteristics of God. The Shema is sufficient.

However, some rabbis and philosophers did become interested in describing God’s qualities, though no Jew is ever required to affirm the ideas. God is righteous. He is the Creator. He is Spirit. God is a sympathetic helper to man, providing the means whereby man may save himself from the limitations of ignorance and sinfulness. God has made men as his children; thus, they reflect his nature.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

No Jew can be said to love God, unless he is also in loving relationship with his neighbor. ills neighbor includes the alien and stranger in his land, whom he is asked to treat as he treats his own people. Even more than this is a Jew asked to do: "... thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself."

Long after this was written, someone offered a challenge to the famous Rabbi Hillel, who lived and taught at about the same time as Jesus. The challenger asked the rabbi to tell everything important about Judaism in the space of time in which a man could stand on one foot. Rabbi Hillel declared: "That which is hurtful to thee do not to thy neighbor. This is the whole doctrine. The rest is commentary. Now go forth and learn."

Righteousness is so important to Jews that one might say there are twin Jewish concerns -- the oneness of God and the righteousness of man. It is not hard for men to follow the laws and will of God. Being made in God’s image, we have a natural capacity for goodness. Failure to do the right, say Jews, is a denial of our own nature.

THE LAW

Often Jews have known God as the Lawgiver for their people. The Law he gave is called the Torah, which means "Teaching." The Torah consists of five books, sometimes called the Pentateuch. The books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. All Jews are encouraged to study them. The complete Torah is regularly read each year in the synagogues, a portion on each Sabbath.

The Torah contains the legends of its own origin. According to these legends, God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, while the Hebrews were camping in the wilderness after escaping from Egypt. There the Hebrews renewed their agreement with God, promising to abide by his laws. Traditions further tell that their God spoke the Ten Commandments, which are found in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. There were more commandments than these, to be sure -- over six hundred in all. The commandments deal with a wealth of subjects: diet, crime and punishment, religious practices, holy days, and human relationships. Many Jews are among the first to insist that all these laws could not have been made in one time and one place. They are actually a collection of laws that the Hebrew-Jewish people formulated over a period of years of living together.

In the Jewish Bible, there is a second section known as "The Prophets." Many people believe that the height of Jewish thought and understanding was reached in the teachings of the prophets. The prophets did not foretell the future; they did "tell for" God. They were, first and foremost, spokesmen for God, who warned of dire consequences if God’s will were not followed.

It was the prophets who tried to show the people that devotion to God did not lie solely in following each law in smallest detail. Why should a man concern himself with the detailed observance of over six hundred laws? Devotion lay in keeping the spirit of the Law.

According to Isaiah, these are attributes of the man who has pondered the spirit of the law:

He who walks uprightly, and speaks sincerely,

Who scorns the gain that is won by oppression,

Who keeps his hand free from the touch of a bribe,

Who stops his cars against hearing of bloodshed,

And closes his eyes against looking on evil.

The prophet Micah reduced the important rules to only three, in his famous declaration of a man’s spiritual duty:

You have been told, O man, what is good,

And what the Lord requires of you:

Only to do justice, and to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God.

For Amos, this was the spirit of the Law: "Seek the Lord, that you may live."

Still a third section of the Jewish Bible is known as "The Writings." It includes books of history recounting the adventures of the Hebrew-Jewish people and their growing understanding of their world. It includes the Psalms and the other books of poetry. While these are not considered to be the basic Law, as the first five books are, they are still in the spirit of the Law.

Modern Jews do not rely only on these three sections of their sacred writing. There is another group of writings, not a part of their Bible, but revered just second to it. This is the Talmud. The Talmud is, in effect, an extension of the Torah down into the centuries, which followed the completion of the other writings. The Talmud arose to meet conditions that the Jews faced in later times. As their homes and surroundings changed, their religious and cultural needs changed. Additional laws grew out of the newer needs. These were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. From time to time, learned rabbis commented on these oral laws and on the earlier, written ones, seeking to reinterpret them for the changing times.

Through such continued commentary on past traditions and laws in the light of newer situations, the Law of Judaism has remained alive. Modern Jews are able to adjust themselves creatively to demands never dreamed of by Moses or other great teachers of long ago.

THE JEWISH TASK

The old tradition of the special agreement between God and the Hebrews convinced many Jews that God had chosen them as his favorites above all people on the earth. They felt that they were privileged, and some of them looked upon other peoples as inferior. However, later teachers interpreted the idea of "chosenness" in a different way. They said that the Jews had been chosen to serve the Lord, teaching others about the one God of all the world.

Still some Jews persisted in thinking in terms of exclusiveness. This caused the prophets much concern. Listen to an early prophet as he tries to correct their mistaken ideas:

"Are you not like the Ethiopians in my sight,

0 Israelites"; is an oracle of the Lord.

"Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,

Also the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?"

An anonymous prophet shows that their God is the God of all people. He quotes God as saying: "Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my heritage." The whole book of Jonah is directed against narrow nationalism and the "chosen people" idea held by many Jews of that time.

There have always been many Jews who followed the emphasis of the prophets. These Jews have never believed themselves to be divinely chosen above all other peoples. Jews traditionally have been tolerant of believers in other faiths. Their patience and forbearance in matters of religion are close to the attitudes of sincere Hindus and Buddhists.

In their ideas of God and in their Law, the Jews find their dearest values. For these, they feel richly blessed. But most of them do not believe that the blessing is available only to them. Other people find values in their own ideas, too, and Jews accept such differences as enriching. For their part, Jews do not wish to persuade others to their religion. It is not a way of salvation. It is a way of life. And though there are numbers of converts to Judaism, Jews never work actively for the conversion of others.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Jews are always concerned about righteousness. They have never felt that governments or societies, as people have known them, are as good as they could be. So the Jews look for a future time when all men will be righteous and when their families and societies will reflect that righteousness. Traditionally the Jews have called this future time the "Kingdom of God." It would be a time when God’s righteous rule would extend over the whole earth.

Traditional and modem Jews disagree about how it will come and what it will be. Traditional Jews still refer to a Messiah, a person selected by God to bring in the Kingdom, since men have thus far been unable to do it alone. Liberal Jews prefer to think of every man as a messiah, who does whatever he can to advance the cause of righteousness. Gradually, then, the Kingdom will arrive.

The Jewish hope and the Christian hope for a righteous world order are very similar -- even though they have been expressed in differing terms. And Jews declare that it is to be universal, for they believe that the righteous of all nations will have a share in the world to come.

The Jews’ great interest in living rightly now and in improving the world has lessened their concern about life beyond the grave. Jews do not agree among themselves on this subject. Some traditional Jews have faith in a life beyond the grave that includes punishment and reward, a bodily resurrection, and eternity in Heaven or Hell. More liberal Jews consider none of these beliefs important. Though they believe that the quality of personality (or the soul) cannot die, they do not care to make theories about it. This life, for them, is the life that is important. Doing the right thing now is of more value than believing something. Many Jews feel that repentance and good deeds for one hour in this world are better than the whole life of the world to come.

THE PROMISED LAND

The Jews have been the world’s best-known displaced persons. More than two thousand years ago, world events left them without a permanent home and sent them forth to roam the earth. Wherever they settled, they kept alive their traditions and their worship of God. Often they stayed together in their own communities, in order that they might better keep their holy days and their dietary laws.

Other people found the Jewish ways different and sometimes difficult to understand. The differences caused some people to complain, and even to persecute the Jews. The Jews have suffered more severe treatment from their neighbors than any other single religious group. Christians particularly -- accusing the Jews of having killed Jesus -- have been guilty of such persecution. Even today, unscrupulous leaders can find a scapegoat in the Jews, inciting hatred against them, Why the Jews have been so treated is a serious problem that still concerns students of history, sociology, anthropology, and religion.

The isolation forced upon them and the persecution by many neighbors through many years made the Jews more dependent upon one another and upon their traditions than they might otherwise have been. For over two thousand years, they have recalled the ancient promise of God about a land that would be theirs. This was the legendary promised land sought by the Hebrews who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses. This land they had for a time, but they were conquered by one nation after another, only to be driven out in the end.

Many Jews have kept alive the hope that once again the land of Palestine would be theirs. To help bring peace to a laud troubled by outbreaks of violence between the most ardent Jewish nationalists, called Zionists, and their ancient enemies, the Arabs, the United Nations in 1948 agreed to a partition of Palestine -- Israel for the Jews and Jordan for the Arabs. The arbitrary boundaries could not, of course, completely resolve the age-old hostilities, which were complicated by the fact that both states laid claim to Jerusalem, a city sacred to Islam as well is to Judaism and Christianity. The United Nations adopted a resolution to internationalize the city but could get support neither from Israel nor from Jordan. The city, then, like the land, remains divided. A further cause for bitterness is that many Jews had to leave their homes on the Jordan side of the border, just as many Arabs had to move from the Israel side when the country was partitioned. There is now between the states a kind of hostile peace; but the tensions go very deep.

Israel has opened its gates to Jews from all over the world. It is yet too early to see what effect this will have on the religion of Judaism, which for long centuries was without a country of its own. Many Jews do not consider the new nation really important to their religion, for they believe that their religious lives can be lived out wherever they now find themselves. Jewish worship does not depend on a national home.

THE CONGRAGATIONS OF JUDAISM

There is no central religious leader in Judaism. Each congregation governs itself. Rabbis are laymen -- not priests. They teach the people and try to clarify the Law. They do not speak to God for the people. The people are their own priests; they worship God for themselves.

For a long time, all Jews were "orthodox" -- that is, they all followed the laws as listed in their sacred books, to the best of their understanding and ability. But the pressures and changes of modern life made this increasingly difficult. Some came to believe that a modern worldview required changes in their personal expression of religious practices. So, in relatively modern times, many Jews have moved away from a strict interpretation of the faith, morality, and practices of their fathers.

Orthodox Judaism. Those who still try to be faithful to the ancient traditions interpreted very strictly are known as "Orthodox" Jews. They consider the whole Torah to have been divinely inspired and revealed by God to Moses. They keep all the Mosaic laws, including the dietary restrictions and the strict Sabbath limitations. They use Hebrew in all their synagogue services. Special schools, which they support, teach their children Jewish history and the beginnings of the Hebrew language. Many Orthodox Jews still look for the coming of the personal Messiah.

Conservative Judaism. "Conservative’ Jews are those who honor and respect the Torah, but who believe in interpreting it through modern Biblical scholarship in order to understand it better. They believe it is important to continue in the traditional forms of worship, with Hebrew used in their services. On the Sabbath they do only necessary work, and they try to make it a day of prayer.

Reform Judaism. A modern American movement has attracted many Jews in this country. It is Reform Judaism and it is a result of an effort to adapt Judaism to twentieth-century Western life. Reform Jews read the Torah with an eye to its truth as determined by its agreement with reason and experience. The whole tradition of their people is something they regard with respect. The worship is somewhat similar to that of Protestant Christian churches. Families sit together for services that include organ music and choirs, with the liturgy in Hebrew, but the sermon in English. Both boys and girls are confirmed.

LESSONS OF JUDAISM

The great teachers of Judaism have made a tremendous contribution to the religious thought of all men. They taught that love of God and have one s fellow man go hand in hand. Life is one, just as God is one. The freedom, dignity, and responsibility of every human being are rooted in the very nature of the universe. Thus it is inevitable, if my own life is to be fulfilled, that I love my neighbor as myself. This follows from loving God "with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Jews agree that we cannot know the final answers to the mysteries of life and God. But Jews declare that in the goodness of lives lived righteously, the goodness of God is known:

- 0 Lord, how can we know Thee? Where can we find Thee? Thou art as close to us as breathing and yet art farther than the farthermost star. Thou art as mysterious as the vast solitudes of the night and yet art as familiar to us as the light of the sun. To the seer of old Thou didst say: Thou canst not see my face, but I will make all my goodness pass before thee. Even so does Thy goodness pass before us in the realm of nature and in the varied experiences of our lives. When justice burns like a flaming fire within us, when love evokes willing sacrifice from us, when, to the last full measure of selfless devotion, we proclaim our belief in the ultimate triumph of truth and righteousness, do we not bow before the vision of Thy goodness? Thou livest within our hearts, as Thou dost pervade the world, and we through righteousness behold Thy presence.

14. FESTIVALS AND HOLY DAYS

The Jews have always treasured their traditions. Many of their most meaningful religious and family customs center about their festivals and holy days.

THE SABBATH - At sunset on Friday evening, candles are lighted in millions of Jewish homes all over the world. This is a sign to the assembled family that the Sabbath has begun, bringing twenty-four hours of worship and rest. When the fathers and older sons return from the service at the synagogue, there are special family rites of blessing and prayer. Then all sit down to the best and happiest meal of the week, frequently sharing it with sonic visitor invited home after the synagogue service.

The next morning the whole family attends a worship service in the synagogue, the men and boys sitting in the assembly hail, and the women and girls going to the women’s gallery. The service itself varies with the congregation. Usually it includes the chanting of portions of the Torah and the Psalms led by the cantor, a Jewish layman who is skilled at this work. There are times for many prayers and readings from the Torah. There may also be a sermon given by the rabbi.

Upon returning home, Jews rest in the manner, which pleases each, although Orthodox Jews have many restrictions upon work, play, and travel. In the afternoon, some men and boys return to the synagogue for a period of reading and discussion. Orthodox Jews have planned for the day so carefully that the cooking and cleaning have been accomplished before the Sabbath. Conservative Jews do only necessary work, and Reform Jews observe the day as one of rest and worship, with no particular limitations on their activities. At nightfall, the family gathers again to note the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of a new week.

For countless years, the Sabbath has been the distinctive center of Jewish home lire. This age-old custom or observing one day out of seven for rest and formal worship was a great contribution that the Jews made to the world. It has for long been shared by Christians and Moslems -- though different days have been chosen for the purpose.

In the beginning, the Jewish Sabbath was a new ideal to masses of people who toiled long hour’s day after day, with no weekends or vacations. Jews are asked to "observe the Sabbath and keep it holy," for everyone needs such rest and change. It is probable that this regular weekly plan of alternation between rest and activity, between work and worship, contributed greatly to the success of Jews in many fields.

In the Ten Commandments, Jews are reminded of God’s example: "... in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, and the sea, together with all that is in them, but rested on the seventh day: that is how the Lord came to bless the seventh day and to hallow it." This adds the emphasis of religion to the need for rest. Wise rabbis have taught that the Sabbath must minister to man’s need as well as to God. For the Jews, human life has always been of greater concern than an abstract rule.

ROSH HASHONAH: THE NEW YEAR - In the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, Jews are called to a long period of thought and penitence. The beginning of the New Year is observed solemnly in the synagogues with the blowing of a ram’s horn, called the Shofar. This sound opens a ten-day season for Jews to take stock of their lives and seek forgiveness for their shortcomings.

Since the Jewish calendar is based on the cycle of the moon rather than the sun, the exact date varies from year to year. Rosh Hashonah may come early in September or early in October.

To most Jews, the ten-day period is a time of judgment. An ancient tradition states that during this period God determines who shall live and who shall die; who shall be at rest and who shall wander; who shall be tranquil and who shall be harassed; who shall become poor and who shall wax rich; who shall be brought low and who shall be exalted. The old traditions further say that Rosh Hashonab is the day on which God writes in the great Book of Judgment the record of everyone’s life.

The ten days that follow allow time for a person to think through his life and what he can do about it. They allow him time and opportunity to see his mistakes and try to correct them. They are solemn, holy days. Traditional Jews believe that a person may even have his record in the Book of Judgment changed, if he is sincere, kind, and penitent enough. They believe that the Book of Judgment is closed again at the end of the ten days.

The climax of the new year observance is Yoni Kippur, the tenth day of the new year. It begins at sundown (as do all Jewish holy days) and continues for twenty-four hours. Traditionally, adult Jews neither eat nor drink during this day. They spend their time in thought and prayer. There is a solemn service in the synagogue, which every Jew tries to attend. It opens with a haunting melody, the Kol Nidre chant. This is a plea for release from religious vows that could not be kept -- a reference to the persecutions, which Jews have suffered again and again at the hands of non-Jews. The close of the Yom Kippur service is again the sound of the ram’s horn. It signifies the closing of the Book of Judgment until the following year.

The ideas of the Book of Judgment and God as the Great Judge are found in other religions too. And Jews, like others, may interpret the traditions literally. Or they may interpret them in a profoundly personal and spiritual sense. These "Days of Awe," as they are sometimes called, are days for a Jew to ask important questions about life and to continue his spiritual growth. Judaism does not offer believers easy answers to their religious questions. Instead, it encourages them to search their hearts and lives for better ways of living.

Jews are not taught that mankind is basically sinful or that normal needs and interests are wrong. There are no monks or nuns in Judaism. Instead, Jews emphasize the great beauty of family life. During the new year observance, Jews are encouraged to think about their relationships with other people. Have they acted with true love and justice? Have they been humble, remembering their limitations? Are they in need of forgiveness for sins committed against their fellow men?

Acts of loving-kindness are the best means of making amends. As the rabbis have said: "Whoever has a sin to confess and is ashamed to do so, let him go and do a good deed and he will find forgiveness."

During the Yom Kippur service, some verses are read from the book of Isaiah. They point out to the worshiping Jew that the heart of religion is loving concern for others:

Is not this the fast that I have chosen?

To loose the bands of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens,

And to let the oppressed go free ...

Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry,

And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house?

When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him;

And that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Then shall thy light break forth as the morning

And thy righteousness shall go before thee.

SUCCOS: THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES - One of the most joyful Jewish holy days is the celebration of Succos, which comes at the time of harvest, when the vines are heavy with grapes and the grain stands ripe in the fields. It is a festival of thanksgiving, lasting for nine days. It reminds Jews of the time of the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt, when they were forced to live in small shelters (called succos) along the way. Jews often make replicas of these shelters, which are also called tabernacles. They decorate them with flowers, fruits and branches as reminders of the generosity of God.

Modern Jews think of the often-sorrowful history of their fellow believers, as well as about other people. 0n the Sabbath during Succos, this prayer is recited:

We recall today with grateful hearts Thy loving providence, which guided our fathers in their wanderings through the barren desert and the trackless wilderness.

We thank Thee that the same unfailing mercies have guided and sheltered us, their children, in all the years of our pilgrimage... We pray Thee that the enjoyment of Thy blessings may awaken within us a spirit of contentment and fortitude that we may neither grow proud through success nor become embittered by failure.

May we sympathize with those whose hopes have been disappointed and whose labors have been unfruitful. May our hands be outstretched to those who suffer, and our hearts be open to those who are in need. Praised be Thou, 0 Lord, Giver of all good. Amen.

On the ninth day of the Succos celebration, there is a joyful ceremony in the synagogue, when the scrolls of the Torah are carried about in a gay procession. Sometimes there are dances and songs in which all join. This is one more way in which Jews show their love for the Torah. On this day, the last verses of the Torah (Deuteronomy 34) are read. Then the rabbi turns back to the first verse of Genesis: "In the beginning, God ..."This begins the annual reading of the whole Torah in each synagogue.

HANUKKAH: FEAST OF DEDICATION - The celebration of Hanukkah is a feast of dedication that usually comes in December. Jews observe it for eight days, during which there are special services in the synagogues, special holiday foods, and gifts. Hanukkah recalls to modern Jews a significant event in the past, when their ancestors fought for religious freedom.

In the second century B.C., the Syrians had gained control of Palestine, and they were trying to force the Jews to discontinue their religion. Some of the Jews did as they were commanded. Others refused, despite Syrian reprisals. An elderly priest, Mattathias, began a revolt. Later his son, Judah Maccabee, carried the revolt much farther and won final victory over the Syrian army. In celebration of their regained freedom, the Jews went to Jerusalem to cleanse the temple and renew Jewish worship there. They found a single unopened container of the oil used in their services. According to tradition it burned before the altar for eight days.

Now Jews burn eight candles during Hanukkah, often lighting one the first evening, two the second, and so on. They often call Hanukkah the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is a time of great rejoicing and a time of solemn reminder of how precious liberty is. Jews especially are thankful at this time for the freedom to worship according to their own consciences. The struggle for freedom of thought and worship is never finished completely. It is an ongoing task. Jews recognize this as they pray a special Sabbath prayer during Hanukkah:

Bless, O God, the Chanukah (Hanukkah) lights, that they may shed their radiance into our homes and our lives. May they kindle within us the flame of faith and zeal that, like the Maccabecs of old, we battle bravely for Thy cause. Make us ever worthy of Thy love and Thy blessing, our Shield and Protector. Amen.

PURISM - In the early spring -- usually in March -- Jews celebrate a particularly joyful holy day. In the synagogues, the people assemble to hear the reading of the Megillah, the Book of Esther. In contrast to their usually serious attention in services, the Jews on this day distribute noisemakers among the children, for use at certain places in the reading. Later the children may dramatize the ancient story. Friends and relatives often exchange gifts, and many Jews enjoy a special cookie, called a Haman tart.

The story that they hear in the synagogue concerns a beautiful Jewish woman of long ago, Esther. the wife of the king of Persia. Esther’s uncle, Mordecai happened to arouse the hatred of a high court official named Haman. For revenge, Haman began a plan to exterminate all the Jews, accusing them unjustly of disloyalty to the king. When Esther learned of the plan, she risked death to expose Haman’s schemes, revealing her own Jewish ness to the king. As a result, the king honored Mordecai -- and Haman died on the gallows that he himself had prepared for Mordecai.

Jews enjoy hearing the annual reading of the story. They enjoy the carnival atmosphere that pervades the synagogue on this night, with the children vigorously using the noisemakers whenever Haman’s name is mentioned. They do not concern themselves very much with whether or not the story is true as it is read. Many Jewish scholars claim that it is simply an historical novel.

However, the meaning of the story is real and true. It is a tale of hatred directed at Jews simply because of their Jewishness. Haman’s chief charge against the Jews was that their ways were "different.’ This charge and others like it have been hurled against the Jews countless times in the past. It is no wonder that they have made an annual celebration of this story of the downfall of one anti-Jewish oppressor.

Jews celebrate Purim not only for this reason, but also in recognition of common brotherhood. Many rabbis say that the basic idea to this day is that differences among men do not need to cause dissension. Deeper than all differences is our humanity. In the story, the king’s acceptance of the people whose ways were different shows that he saw the shared humanity under the outward diversity.

THE PASSOVER - The Jews, like all people, have a celebration in the springtime. Long ago, people celebrated the renewed fertility of the earth, the newborn animals among their flocks, and the new growth of plant life. For many hundreds of years, Jews have held a spring festival to commemorate the legendary events described in the first chapters of the book of Exodus.

For many years the Jews had been held in what amounted to slavery in Egypt. Moses became their spokesman, and he sought their release from the Egyptian Pharaoh. But this ruler became quite stubborn, according to the legends, despite the several plagues that God had sent against the Egyptians. So God sent an angel of death to kill all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both of men and flocks. The Israelites, however, were spared. They had marked their houses with the blood of a lamb. So the angel of death "passed over" them. The Pharaoh relented, and the Israelites left in great haste. They did not even have time to leaven their bread. It had to be baked unleavened.

During the celebration of the Passover, all leaven is removed from the traditional Jewish home for eight days. The Jews eat matzos, an unleavened bread, to remind them of the sufferings of their ancestors. Sometimes they call the Passover the "Feast of Unleavened Bread." The special bread, certain bitter herbs, and other symbolic foods help them to celebrate the delivery of the Jewish people from bondage.

Many Jews have never taken the story of the plagues and miracles in the book of Exodus as being literally and historically true. This is a matter for personal or critical interpretation of the texts of their scriptures. Some of the rabbis have taught that the "plague of darkness," for example, was simply another name for superstition and spiritual blindness. Therefore, some Jews celebrate the Passover not only as freedom from an oppressive tyrant but also as freedom from bondage to evil habits or intentions.

Jewish holidays do not celebrate simply and solely things that are supposed to have happened in the past. The holidays always have a significant meaning for the present. This is because Jewish customs are inwardly experienced by Jews -- not garments put on for occasions. Just so, on the Passover, while Jews think about the bondage of long ago, they also pray for enslaved people of today:

God of freedom, Thy children still groan under the burden of cruel taskmasters. Slavery debases their bodies and minds, and robs them of the enjoyment of Thy bounties. The fear of cruelty and the peril of death blight the souls of men. O break Thou the irons that bind them. Teach men to understand that by forging chains for others they forge chains for themselves, that as long as some are in fetters no one is truly free. Help them to see that liberty is the very breath of life and that only in the atmosphere of freedom can truth, prosperity and peace flourish.

SHAVUOS - Ancient Jews celebrated this festival at the time of the barley harvest in Palestine. Later, Jews held the festival of Shavuos to commemorate God’s giving the Torah to Moses. Their keeping of this festival stresses their underlying religious faith that the universe has law, order, and purpose.

In synagogue services, the Book of Ruth is read to the congregation. In Reform and Conservative synagogues, this occasion includes the confirmation of children. Children who have completed a course of study under the rabbi’s instruction declare before the congregation their loyalty to God and their intention of living by his laws.

In these ways the Jews face life’s demands and mysteries, firm in their belief in God and proud of their traditions. For thousands of years, no matter what they have faced, Jews have gained assurance from the Law of the Lord. They have gained strength from their simple declaration: