The question of transcendence in Chinese civilization has long been intensely debated.Applying the standards of Western transcendent religions to measure Chinese civilization is deeply problematic.The shamanistic hist...The question of transcendence in Chinese civilization has long been intensely debated.Applying the standards of Western transcendent religions to measure Chinese civilization is deeply problematic.The shamanistic historical tradition(wu shichuantong巫史传统)is the mainstream of ancient Chinese religion,through which transcendence can be properly understood.Both the Xunzi and the Book of Rites contain extensive discussions on the theory of sacrificial rites.A fundamental principle therein is that the higher the rank of the sacrifice,the more it values substance,because spiritual beings cannot be understood in a human way.At the same time,the ritual concept of"to treat as divine"is also used to explain the spirit vessels used in funeral rites,showing that funeral and sacrificial rites are linked through the same principle of valuing substance.The defining feature of the shamanistic historical tradition lies in its reverence for nature.The spiritual beings within this tradition represent the mysterious forces of nature rather than supernatural forces beyond nature.Offering the plainest and most natural items to these spirits does express a form of transcendent sentiment,yet it is not the transcendence of a creator God over nature;rather,it is the transcendence of nature itself over the realm of human daily life.This form of transcendence differs profoundly from that of the Western religious tradition.展开更多
文摘The question of transcendence in Chinese civilization has long been intensely debated.Applying the standards of Western transcendent religions to measure Chinese civilization is deeply problematic.The shamanistic historical tradition(wu shichuantong巫史传统)is the mainstream of ancient Chinese religion,through which transcendence can be properly understood.Both the Xunzi and the Book of Rites contain extensive discussions on the theory of sacrificial rites.A fundamental principle therein is that the higher the rank of the sacrifice,the more it values substance,because spiritual beings cannot be understood in a human way.At the same time,the ritual concept of"to treat as divine"is also used to explain the spirit vessels used in funeral rites,showing that funeral and sacrificial rites are linked through the same principle of valuing substance.The defining feature of the shamanistic historical tradition lies in its reverence for nature.The spiritual beings within this tradition represent the mysterious forces of nature rather than supernatural forces beyond nature.Offering the plainest and most natural items to these spirits does express a form of transcendent sentiment,yet it is not the transcendence of a creator God over nature;rather,it is the transcendence of nature itself over the realm of human daily life.This form of transcendence differs profoundly from that of the Western religious tradition.
