Can China Say Ho?

Hold the Tinsel: Confucius Isn't Mr. Christmas (Yet)!

此圣非彼圣—孔夫子不是圣诞老人

For four centuries, Western powers imposed Christianity on China, erasing the rich concept of “shengren” from its cultural history—a practice we must now resist.

Confucius, known by various names like King Kung or Master Kong, is not a Christian saint like Saint Nicholas. Instead, he is a Chinese sage, specifically: a shengren in Confucianism, as unique as the buddhas in Buddhism.

The Chinese shengren, embodying ideal personalities, hold the highest positions in China's family-based value system.

Regrettably, the term shengren has been meticulously expunged from historical discourse, even within China. In the 17th century, Western missionaries falsely believed Confucius revered the Christian God. Consequently, they insisted on Christianizing China, asserting that the Chinese, from their origins after the Flood, possessed true knowledge of God.

This misinterpretation initiated China's apparent Christianization, with Beijing now celebrating Christmas in the year 2023 of our Lord, Jesus Christ. However, few in Europe are aware that this year also marks the 2,574th anniversary of Confucius's birth.

The loss of shengren to Western cultural imperialism is perplexing, considering its frequent occurrence in Chinese texts. Western scholars, however, seem to have deliberately ignored or misinterpreted these texts, perpetuating a distorted image of China. As American historian Howard Zinn observed, if something is omitted from history, we don’t even know it was omitted.

Efforts to distort China's originality through Greek or Latin translation were unrestrained. K'ung Fu-tzu was labeled “a philosopher,” “a saint,” “a magus,” “a teacher,” or “an appointee,” based on Western theorists' whims.

Although not illegal, these cultural distortions soon became a language crusade that excluded tens of thousands of original Chinese concepts from world history, portraying China as literally “lacking in originality.”

Engaging in dialogue with the West is essential, but only if China introduces her own terms. Otherwise, humanity becomes a Western monologue. Identifying untranslatable terms and promoting them is crucial to rectify inadequate descriptions of China by European "China experts."

Santa Christmas Kong?

Historically, European thinkers translated China based on their cultural biases. They wanted to keep their own languages racial and pure, and thus shunned Chinese words, especially in the political and cultural realm. The Chinese themselves call their nation “Zhongguo,” a name that must not be uttered in London or Brussels.

The term "sage" became the preferred translation of shengren in Britain and France, while Germany favored "Heilige" (saint). The German language, deeply rooted in the Evangelical Bible, is ill-suited to translate the non-Christian Chinese tradition.

Cultural exchange should be mutually respectful and, hopefully, beneficial. When the Western missionaries first came to China, they had the Bible and China had the leading civilization. Four hundred years later, China had the Bible and the West had the leading civilization. This raises questions about the respect and benefits in this exchange.

To validate this perspective, one need only consult educated Western persons in China, America, or Europe. They will unequivocally confirm that Confucianism was a "Religion" (copyright to the Jesuits) but can’t for the life of Jesus provide its Chinese name. The Chinese name is “Ruxue.”

Know Your Dao!

Chinese names and concepts are still a taboo in Western capitals, many of whom lately banned China’s Confucius Institutes for fear of Confucian influence. The fact that China produces all the tinsel and plastic Christmas trees for Jesus Europe is apparently not a problem.

To truly learn from Asia, Western China scholarship must abandon misleading European terminologies. The damage done—deliberate or not—is immeasurable to the point where European "Sinology," the academic discipline established by the Society of Jesus, should be relegated to the realm of psychiatry.

Adopting Chinese terminologies is the key, allowing the East to contribute authentically to global understanding, free from Western linguistic constraints. Only then can we genuinely celebrate being or knowing Chinese.

End.