Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth — Page 158
CONFUCIANISM. God. Heaven may be seen to symbolize the active and conscious creative principles of God. Thus he says: 'This is illustrated by what is said in the 'Book of. Poetry,'― "Be always studious to be in harmony with the ordinances of God,. So you will certainly get for yourself much happiness;" " 5. Classical Confucianism, undoubtedly, presents man as a creation of God rather than just a product of unconscious nature. For Confucius, the ultimate goal in attaining knowledge of one's own nature is to attain harmony with. God, and this is the ultimate of man's vision of heaven. . This belief is quite similar to the Quranic teaching in presenting man as having been created according to God's attributes. فِطْرَتَ اللهُ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا 30:31 . . . and follow the nature (attributes) of Allah after which He fashioned all mankind. . . 6. Confucius further propounded that man has to make a conscious effort to first gain knowledge of this image of. God, latent within his nature, and then to develop within himself attributes that accord with this image. If he does not make this conscious effort, then there is no guarantee that man's moral development will, as a matter of course, be in the image of God. . According to Confucian understanding, knowledge as an entity does not exist in isolation from man's actions and character (his virtue, dignity and propriety). The two are deeply linked, as the following reference reveals: 158 'The Master (Confucius) said, !