A practical commitment to daily life explains Chinese utilitarian approach to religion

An old man sits in front of his family's ancestor hall in Pujiang County in East China's Zhejiang Province. The ancestor hall plays a prominent role in traditional Chinese spiritual life.

A SHORT piece of news in about 300 words published in the local Xinmin Evening News on Chinese New Year's day in 1990 caused a public sensation.

Reporter Sun Hongkang observed that more and more people drove to the Jade Buddha Temple on the New Year's eve to burn early joss sticks before the Buddha.

What shocked Sun was he found nearly half of the cars were public ones. Obviously, some government officials were abusing their power for personal gain. So, Sun recorded a series of licence plate numbers in the report, which immediately caught the attention of then-Shanghai Mayor Zhu Rongji, who demanded a thorough investigation.

Burning early joss sticks to show piety towards gods and spirits in Buddhist temples or Taoist shrines on major religious or public festivals is popular among Chinese people regardless of their belief.

On Chinese New Year's eve, local religious sacred buildings including Jing'an, Longhua, Jade Buddha and City God's temples charge 80 to 500 yuan (US$9.6 to US$60) for admission from 11:00pm to 2:00am, a period for early joss stick burning. Normally, people line up for hours outside the temples.

The occasional religious enthusiasm exhibited in practises like burning early joss sticks by large numbers of non-believers best illustrates the nation's utilitarian approach to religion.

"The atheistic feature of traditional philosophies have profound influence upon Chinese who are generally dispassionate about religion. They care more about daily life and practical matters than abstract spiritual entities. And most Chinese only turn to religion to seek help in combating disease, gaining wealth, acquiring fertility and dispelling misfortune," said professor Ma Zhong in his book Chinese Philosophers' General Thoughtway. "The Hans, China's main nationality are typically atheistic people. They are able to believe in any gods or spirits if advantages or self-interests are involved."

Respected atheist

Renowned scholar Hu Shih (1891-1962) once recalled how he reacted to a Western missionary's proselytism.

The missionary first raised one hand and said it stood for the human world, which is full of crime and evil, then he raised another hand and explained it stood for the God which symbolizes truth, kindness and beauty. Hu was then asked to choose one hand.

Hu replied with the same gesture and asked the missionary to choose. But this time, one hand represented US$1, and the other a counterfeit cheque for US$1 million.

Throughout his life, Hu has doubted many creeds and always warned people not to allow themselves to be passively guided by so-called spiritual experts, but he has never doubted atheism. His belief in atheism was gained through traditional Chinese culture like many other Chinese intellectuals whose academic beliefs may be distinctively diversified.

Although mainly a philosophy, Confucianism, the dominant ideology in feudal China, played practically a religious role in Chinese people's life. And the development of people's religious mentality is deeply impacted by Confucianism.

To conquer human fear of death, afterlife expectations and promises are indispensable for major religions. But Confucianism tries to avoid fruitless controversy on the mystery of death.

According to the Confucian classic the Analects, Confucius was once asked by his student Ji Lu about serving the spirits of the dead.

The Master said: "While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?" Ji Lu added: "I venture to ask about death?" The Master answered: "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?"

The Analects states: The subjects on which the Master did not take were - extraordinary things, feats of strength, disorder, and spiritual beings.

On another occasion when explaining wisdom, the flexible attitude towards gods and spirits was expressed by Confucius.

The Master said: "To give oneself earnestly to the duties of men, and, while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them, may be called wisdom."

This graceful flexibility endows Chinese with admirable tolerance and appreciation towards diversified religious beliefs, which also leads to people's utilitarian mentality upon religion and helps explain why no devastating religious war ever happened in the nation's long history.

None of the world's three major religions including Buddhism, Islam and Christianity originates in China, and Taoism the only "home-grown" Chinese religion has been inextricably entwined with ancient animist beliefs.

Ancestor worship

Ancient Chinese believed human beings became spirits after death, instead of going to God, human spirits go back to meet their ancestors.

With a strict patriarchal clan system, advocating obedience at its core, Confucianism reinforced the practice of ancestor worship.

To bring honour to one's ancestors through doing good deeds or achieving remarkable feats is highly admired by Chinese, and to let down ancestors is a great shame.

Therefore, an ancestral hall or temple play a prominent role in traditional Chinese spiritual life.

Further more, memorial temples are built for those who profoundly influenced other people or made brilliant contributions to the nation in their mortal lives.

God Guan Temple found throughout the nation and overseas Chinese communities is a typical memorial temple. Enshrining and worshiping Guan Yu, an eminent general known for acting in good faith who lived in the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280), God Guan Temple always attracts a large number of pilgrims, among whom, many are business people who seek good faith to flourish their trade.

This is similar to Confucius as temples and shrines are built in memory of Confucius and his famous disciples.