52 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I42 



When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them. (Ibid., p. 119.) 



Now the man of distinction is solid and straightforward, and loves righteous- 

 ness. (Ibid., p. 169.) 



The Master said, "The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not 

 seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice 

 their lives to preserve their virtue complete." (Ibid., p. 223.) 



What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. (Ibid., p. 229.) 



The Master said, "To have faults and not to reform them— this, indeed, 

 should be pronounced having faults." (Ibid., p. 231.) 



The Master said, "The superior man holds righteousness to be of highest 

 importance." (Ibid., p. 271.) 



From the beginning of the Han period (206 B. C.-A. D. 221), 

 many emperors have at least outwardly honored Confucius and have 

 used and patronized the Confucian scholars. For many centuries 

 the high government offices were filled by an open competitive civil 

 service examination system in which the main qualification for at- 

 taining office was a knowledge of the Confucian Classics. Every 

 county seat had at least one Confucian temple in which there were 

 tablets to Confucius and his main disciples, and where twice a year 

 ceremonies were held to honor Confucius and his disciples. Twice a 

 year Confucius has been respectfully commemorated in the Chinese 

 schools. 



Confucianism has had much influence on the common people and 

 on the popular religion of China, and consequently nearly all the di- 

 vinities in the Chinese temples, unlike those of Greece and Rome, are 

 believed to be morally good and to require good conduct on the part 

 of the people. While in many Tibetan temples there are copulating 

 gods,^ and in both Tibet and India are gods and goddesses who ap- 

 parently glory in killing and in cutting off heads, no such gods are 

 found in the temples of China. Owing not a little to the influence of 

 Confucius and Confucianism, the moral tone of the popular religion 

 of China is comparatively good. 



TAOISM 



According to the traditional interpretation, the founder of Taoism 

 was Lao Tzu or Li Lao Chiin, who was born in 604 B. C. and was a 



6 It is said that among some philosophic Buddhists in Tibet this sexual act 

 symbolizes the union of subject and object, of man and God. However, all the 

 Tibetans and others with whom I talked in eastern Tibet explained that copu- 

 lating put the god in a good humor so that he would be more likely to grant 

 the petitions of the worshipers. 



