Objectives:
1. Determine the Nature of philosophy and knowledge/Chinese influence on Japan and its limits
2. Identify examples of syncretism in East Asia

· The development and spread of Neo-Confucianism in the Sinic World
· Review Confucianism as a system of thought:  Mandate of Heaven, Five Relationships (hierarchy, obedience, self-sacrifice), patriarchy
· Summary of early adaptation of Confucianism in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam before the Song dynasty (e.g., use of Chinese written language, architecture of capital cities, rituals for rulers, and/or some use of Chinese government bureaucratic organization.)
· Political explanation for appeal of Neo-Confucianism developing in early Song Dynasty as a syncretism of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism because of some scholar-official backlash against Buddhism (e.g. dislike for Empress Wu and her female relatives’ power; unease over growing power of Buddhist monasteries in land, and Buddhist opposition to Confucian ancestor worship and thus undermined Confucian need for male heirs).
· Neo-Confucianism synthesized early Sung interest in Chan Buddhism (Zen Buddhism in Japan) with simplified but stricter Confucianism.
· Review interest in Buddhism based on lack of explanation for evil and death in Confucianism; Confucius said:  "I don’t know anything about what happens after death, but I can uncover how to live as a superior (civilized) man.  Superior men can be made through education based on the idea that human nature is good but needs to be cultivated.  Man can be made perfect and can raise himself up above his humble beginnings."
· Buddhism translated to Chinese world through Daoist vocabulary, e.g. Eight-Fold Path = the way, dao
· Definition of Neo-Confucianism as developed by Chu Xi (1130 – 1200)
· In response to Buddhism’s appeal, Chu Xi in the late Tang period and other Neo-Confucianists in the Song period used Confucian texts to explain evil as a result of a natural inequity.
· Nature is neutral.
· The physical form of humans comes from the combination of Matter with Spiritual Force (qi)
· Some individuals lack balance of qi (Daoists developed tai qi to balance qi) so evil/disharmony shows in their behavior.
· Men can transform physical form and recover harmony through ren (love, benevolence) which comes from Nature
· ren can be channelled through  li (system of rules of behavior)
· Chu Xi simplified li for less educated gentry and those in ranks below; Koreans, Japanese, and Vietnamese could understand the simplified li better for their rituals
· Chu Xi synthesized the previous Confucian writings.
· Chu Xi determined that there should be Four Classics (Analects, Book of Mencius, Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean – the latter two come from the Book of Rites)  (previously there had been Five Classics: Book of History, Book of Rites, Book of Songs, Spring & Autumn Annals, Book of Changes)
· Chu Xi re-emphasized the standards of proper behavior for all people in society based on Confucian hierarchies (in order:  officials, peasants, craftspeople, merchants)
· Effects of Neo-Confucianism on Women:  Strengthened Patriarchies
· Song  dynasty – development of footbinding of women
· Women’s participation and perpetuation of footbinding Restriction of elite daughters from being "too literate"; courtesans participated in the poetry writing contests.
· Elite women are given "inside" power within the generational hierarchy in families
· Elements of the Chinese Model Based on Neo-Confucianism (persists today)
· simplified li (rituals and behaviors listed for each segment of society)
· patriarchy reinforced
· spiritual needs acknowledged
· hierarchies reinforced
· education emphasized

 Extent and Limits of Neo-Confucianism in East Asia
· Appeal of and resistance to Neo-Confucianism by official elites
· Adoption of revised civil service examination
· Official encouragement of schools, book publishing, and libraries
· Emphasis on the necessity of the Confucian hierarchy for social order [Confucian symbolic power of officials/rulers’ portraits and imperial calligraphy on Confucian themes – examples in packet].
· Persistence of military rule by daimyo

Examples of syncretism: Women
· Kamakura to Meiji period  – elite women are secluded, but literate
· Yi dynasty -- women continue to inherit from their fathers’ estates and have their children mentioned in geneologies.  Women also essential to shaman tradition.
· Viet and Tran dynasties – women continue to have property rights (Bulliet textbook). Story of Trung sisters from 8th c. (date?) Most famous Vietnamese novel, Tale of Kieu, written in 19th century concerns a heroine, which is compared to the Tale of Genji from Lady Murasaki.

 Vocabulary for Chinese Model for East Asia

Neo-Confucianism
 

Patriarchy
 

Bureaucracy/Scholar-Officials
 

Monasteries
 
 

Confucian Ancestor Worship
 
 

Chan Buddhism -- sudden enlightenment
 

Qi

Ren

Li

Four Classics/Five Classics

Footbinding

Courtesans
 

Hierarchy

Shamanism

coup
 Anonymous Painter.  "One of the Eminent Men of Zhejiang Province."  Late Ming period (17th c.).  Nanjing Museum collection.  in Sullivan, Michael.  The Arts of China. 4th ed.  Berkeley:  University of California Press, 1999, p. 232.  [Probably a sketch from life for an official portrait.  Album leaf.  Ink and color on paper. Ht. 40.3 cm.]
 
 

"Portrait of Minamoto Yoritomo,"  attributed to Fujiwara Takanobu.  Late twelfth to early thirteenth century.  in Swann, Peter. Art of China, Korea, and Japan.  New York:  Praeger Press, 1963, p. 158. [Zen Buddhist style painting with its simplicity and rejection of the intellect, appealed to the samurai.]
 
 

Anonymous Painter, "Nguyen Trai, advisor during Dai Viet, 1428 - 1433."  <http://www.vietouch.com> accessed July 19, 2000.
 
 
 

Anonymous Painter, "Portrait of Chief Minister Mun Suk-kong (born 1703), Yi Dynasty (1392 - 1910), Nineteenth century."  in Modes, Robert J.  Korean Art, From the Brooklyn Museum Collection.  New York:  Universe Books, 1987. [Examination system for government positions limited to yangban (aristocratic class) and they were given the best jobs at the highest level partially because they had training in Chinese, a foreign language.   Lower-level posts were given to richer local commoners, but they had to send their sons to the capital as hostages as a method of keeping corruption down.]

 1.  Read the following short selection from the Sanuki no Suke Nikki by Lady Sanuki.  She never married, which was not unusual for a Heian aristocratic woman who had served an emperor as an Assistant Attendant in the Palace Attendants’ Office.

pp. 84 - 85 "Why, of all the ladies-in-waiting at court, should it fall to my lot to act out the unwelcome role of attendant to two generations of Emperors.  I reflected ruefully that this situation must be the result of my karma from a previous existence.  Accordingly, since there is no escaping one’s destiny. I resigned myself to my fate, and purified myself with water scooped from the river.  I felt refreshed in body and spirit. (97)  I tried to console myself with the thought that this extraordinary karma of mine must be responsible for my coming to serve the new Emperor intimately as my lord and master."

"(97) This passage contains an interesting blend of Buddhist and Shinto belief and practice.  The belief that all events in this life are rigidly predetermined by behavior in previous existences is contained in the Buddhist term karma.  The authoress does not actually employ this term, but she does refer to the equivalent ‘bond from a previous existence’ (saki no yo no chigiri).  Then, according to Shinto ritual it was customary, at the end of the period of mourning, to purify oneself with water from the river."

Source:  Sanuki no Suke Nikki,  A translation of The Emperor Horikawa Diary by Jennifer Brewster.  Canberra:  Australian National University Press, 1977.  The Sanuki no Suke Nikki is a journal in two books, written by Fujiwara no Nagako (Lady Sanuki), an Assistant Attendant in the Palace Attendants’ Office during the reigns of Emperor Horikawa (r. 1086 - 1107) and of his son, Emperor Toba (r. 1107 - 1123) in the Heian period (794 - 1185 C.E.).  A nikki was a popular diary form in which Heian women combined poetry and prose to share with their friends at court.  Lady Sanuki reveals a strong attachment to Emperor Horikawa in her diary.  She served him for eight years.  They were the same age.  He died of a prolonged illness at the age of 29 while she was trying to nurse him back to health.  His young son (five years old) then was installed as emperor of the Heian court.

 2.  Perform a SOAPS analysis of the selection (not the whole diary).

Subject:
 

Occasion:
 

Audience:
 

Purpose:
 

Speaker:

3.  Write two questions you would ask Lady Sanuki.  One question might be about some of the vocabulary in the selection.  Be prepared to share these questions with the class.
 

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