said to have built a
shrine to commemorate his great worth, at which sacrifices were offered
at the four seasons. By the time however that the Chou dynasty was
drawing to its close (third century B.C.), it would be safe to say
that, owing to civil war and the great political upheaval generally, the
worship of Confucius was altogether discontinued. It certainly did not
flourish under the "First Emperor" (see _post_), and was only revived in
B.C. 195 by the first Emperor of the Han dynasty, who visited the grave
of Confucius in Shantung and sacrificed to his spirit a pig, a sheep,
and an ox. Fifty years later a temple was built to Confucius at his
native place; and in A.D. 72 his seventy-two disciples were admitted
to share in the worship, music being shortly afterwards added to the
ceremonial. Gradually, the people came to look upon Confucius as a
god, and women used to pray to him for children, until the practice was
stopped by Edict in A.D. 472. In 505, which some consider to be the date
of the first genuine Confucian Temple, wooden images of the Sage were
introduced; in 1530 these were abolished, and inscribed tablets of wood,
in use at the present day, were substituted. In 555 temples were placed
in all prefectural cities; and later on, in all the important cities
and towns of the empire. In the second and eighth months of each
year, before dawn, sacrifices to Confucius are still celebrated with
considerable solemnity and pomp, including music and dances by bands of
either thirty-six or sixty-four performers.

Mencius and Confucianism.--Mencius, who lived B.C. 372-289, and devoted
himself to the task of spreading and consolidating the Confucian
teachings, made no attempt to lead back the Chinese people towards their
early beliefs in a personal God and in a spiritual world beyond the ken
of mortals. He observes in a general way that "those who obey God are
saved, while those who rebel against Him perish," but his reference is
to this life, and not to a future one. He also says that those whom God
destines for some great part, He first chastens by suffering and
toil. But perhaps his most original contribution will be found in the
following paragraph:--

"By exerting his mental powers to the full, man comes to understand his
own nature. When he understands his own nature, he understands God."

In all the above instances the term used for God is _T'ien_. Only in one
single passage does Mencius use _Shang Ti_:--"Though