| Summary: | 碩士 === 華梵大學 === 哲學系碩士班 === 100 === Men are forever contemplating and exploring questions of life and death, and some even go on to search for answers throughout their entire life; as Tolstoy once said, “living is the same as dying, to live well is to die well. Therefore, in order to die peacefully, one must live strively for fulfillment.” Xunzi was also greatly concerned with questions of “life and death,” in his “ Discourse on Ritual Principles” he wrote, “Death is to life, as dying is to living, they are the one and the same,” and “To be consistent from birth to death, that is the principle of life.” According to these writings, Xunzi meant to instill in people his belief that death should be as deserving of respect as life, that life and death should be one and same will no superiority of one over the other, that is the principle of life, and the highest attainments of life being a good life and a fulfilling death.
Therefore, this paper attempts to discuss Xunzi’s wisdom of life and death according to the four following themes: (1) the wisdom of facing life and death; (2) the highest realm of attainment that exceeds the boundaries of life and death; (3) to be in awe to gods and spirits; (4) The so-called rite is required careful handling of the life and death issues. The four abovementioned themes are furthermore supplemented with extracts from Xunzi’s writings and the scholars´ interpretations.
Second, this paper probes into four issues within life and death education through the perspective of Xunzi’s wisdom of life and death: (1) what Xunzi’s “wisdom of life and death” means for life and death education; (2) what Xunzi’s “morality cultivation” means for disappointment and grief counseling; (3) what Xunzi’s “The so-called rite is required careful handling of the life and death issues” means for hospice care; (4) what lessons Xunzi’s “burial concepts” can bring for modern funeral service education.
In conclusion, the central concept of this study is to suggest that Xunzi’s teachings of life and death helps us to reconsider the meaning of life, and not only the life of one’s own. The meaning of death is that it is not only an end to life, but the beginning of life thereafter. Above all else, living life to its fullest would contribute to self-affirmation, love of life, and cherishment of life.
Keywords: Xunzi, wisdom of life and death, chieh-pi-hsin, ritual , morality cultivation , hospice care , life and death education
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