Confucianism

Overview

Confucianism (儒家) is one of the supreme Three Teachings (三教) of the universe and the absolute ruling doctrine of the Haoran Heaven. Guided by the Most Holy Teacher (至圣先师), the Ritual Sage (礼圣), and a pantheon of sages, Confucianism provides the moral, philosophical, and structural foundation for both the secular mortal dynasties and the mountain cultivation sects across its nine continents.

Unlike Daoism, which pursues absolute purity and detachment, or Buddhism, which seeks to ferry all beings from the sea of suffering, Confucianism is deeply rooted in the mortal realm. Its core ambition is to use scholarly knowledge to rectify human hearts and employ the Dao to stitch together the heavens and the earth (以学问扶正人心，以道法缝补天地). Through thousands of years of continuous education using sage texts, Confucianism has instilled a deep sense of reverence across the world, maintaining order without solely relying on martial force.

Core Philosophy

Human Effort and the Mortal Realm

Confucianism focuses on the human world, strictly prioritizing human affairs over the matters of ghosts and spirits (尽人道而非鬼事). The doctrine asserts that the determination of order or chaos, fortune or misfortune, ultimately lies in human hands rather than heaven's will, championing the belief that "human effort overcomes heaven" (人定胜天). Cultivation within Confucianism is often defined as expanding one's innate moral beginnings (扩充四端) and rectifying human nature (修正人性) to achieve a complete Dao and perfect virtue.

Interwoven and Conflicting Principles

Among the Three Teachings, Confucianism is widely considered the most difficult to fully grasp. As observed by cultivators like Liu Jinglong, while Confucianism acts as the cooling shade of a massive tree sheltering humanity, its internal principles are immensely complex and often appear to fight each other (书上道理交错).

This internal friction is most evident in the profound ideological disputes between its major branches, such as the historical debate over whether human nature is inherently good (Sub-Sage Lineage) or inherently evil (Wen Sheng Lineage). However, despite these fierce academic clashes, the ultimate goal of Confucianism remains consistent: unlike Legalism, which pushes people away through rigid punishment, Confucianism seeks to bring people closer together through benevolence, propriety, and education (儒家使人相亲，法家使人去远).

Orthodoxy and Lineages

The vast doctrine of Confucianism is organizationally upheld by the Confucian Temple (文庙) and is generally divided into six main literary lineages (六条主要文脉).

In the past, the doctrine's numerous branches were scattered and slightly disorganized. It was the great Confucian Temple leader Dong Lao Fuzi (董老夫子) who integrated these complex literary veins. He proposed the profound theory of "Heaven-Human Induction" (天人感应), established the strict structural framework of the Three Great Academies (三大学宫) and Seventy-Two Academies (七十二书院), and promoted official schooling across dynasties. He also formalized a pure cultivation method specifically for Confucian scholars, cementing the doctrine's systematic rule over the Haoran Heaven.

Influence on Governance

Confucianism fundamentally blurs the line between secular administration and spiritual cultivation. It mandates that rulers and high officials issue "Edicts of Self-Reproach" (罪己诏) upon encountering natural disasters or acknowledging governance errors, with the original drafts of these edicts collected by academy scholars and housed within the central Confucian Temple. Through its extensive network of academies, the doctrine ensures that secular monarchs, court officials, and even mountain deities adhere to its moral framework, effectively making Confucianism the undisputed master of the Haoran Heaven.

References

• 剑来9：乱起太平山, 第二章 — 谨遵法旨: Supports the fact that Confucian academies use sage texts for thousands of years of teaching to establish order and command reverence across the world.
• 剑来11：君从故乡来, 第六章 — 来者不善: Supports the fundamental comparison that Confucianism brings people close together, whereas Legalism pushes them away.
• 剑来17：一洲皆剑气, 第一章 — 遇陆地蛟龙: Supports Liu Jinglong's perspective that Confucianism is the most difficult of the Three Teachings because its principles interweave and often seem to conflict with one another.
• 剑来25：天地皆同力, 第三章 — 朱颜敛藏: Supports the detail that the Confucian orthodoxy is generally divided into six main literary lineages.
• 剑来27：风雪夜归人, 第三章 — 春风得意: Supports Dong Lao Fuzi's monumental contributions to the doctrine, including proposing "Heaven-Human Induction" and structuring the Three Academies and 72 Academies.
• 剑来32：登高拓虚中, 第四章 — 文圣请你落座: Supports the fundamental definition of a Confucian sage: using knowledge to correct human hearts and the Dao to stitch heaven and earth.
• 剑来46：人间半部书, 第六章 — 早知会被仙字误: Supports the core tenets of expanding the four beginnings, rectifying human nature, focusing on human affairs over ghost affairs, and the ultimate belief that human effort overcomes heaven.