Thursday, June 30, 2016

All Embracing Love of the Mohists

In a bulletin for priests the writer introduces us to Mo Tzu a Chinese Philosopher who followed Confucius and was in opposition to his ideas. At the time he was as influential as Confucius but not as successful in winning people's hearts. Mohism has almost disappeared.

He uses the book written by a professor who writes about the all embracing love without discrimination, in Mo Tzu's teaching. According to Mo Tzu  that are three things that bring disorder to our society: the hungry have nothing to eat,  those who are cold have no clothes, and those that work can't rest.

When we don't have universal love the  strong will oppress the weak, the majority will bully the minority,  the rich will despise the poor, the aristocracy will  lord it over the lowly, the smart will deceive the foolish, and we have chaos. 

Mo Tzu lived  around the 390 BC and his times are not much different from our own times. We have not been able to heal the wounds of war and have not become any more mature in our love for others. Altruism instead of  growing appears to have decreased. All our attention is on money. We seem to agree that to live better we need to amass more money. Not only true with the wealthy but with those who sorrow with little, but agree that money will solve all problems.

The rich want more and are absorbed in its acquisition while those who sorrow without it want to join the club and are oblivious of those who are left behind. This is the kind of society that we are in and the future doesn't look bright.

With the eyes of faith we see this search for idols as unhealthy, and the teaching of universal love that the Mohist school professed as the solution. Apparently the demise of this philosophy was its impracticality, and unrealistic demands.  In many ways his way of love is very similar to Jesus' way and for many also seen as impractical.

The caption  for the article is Mo Tzu's expression of his all inclusive love. IF UNDER THE HEAVENS WE HAD LOVE FOR EACH OTHER, A LOVE THAT I HAVE FOR MYSELF,  WOULD WE HAVE ANY IMPIETY? Can we imagine what Asia would be today if instead of Confucianism we had Mohism as the mainspring of Asian Culture?