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The Quest of Every Heart

Worldviews Contrasted

Seven Pillars of Wisdom
World Religions & Teachers
Celebrating Commonalities
Acknowledging Contradictions

Identifying the True Light

My Spiritual Journey
Other Personal Stories
Various Articles and FAQ

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Mike Shreve was a teacher of yoga at four universities. (The portrait above was drawn by one of his students in 1970.) Then a spiritual rebirth brought him into a real relationship with God and drastically changed his heart, his life and his belief system. Read his story here.

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Site Completed–10/15/01
Major Revision—5/28/03
Last Updated–03/19/09

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THE WATER SYMBOL - Though this worldview is recognized as one of the eleven main living religions, it has no standard symbol or icon representing its belief system. Quite often, though, this Chinese ideogram for water is utilized. It represents the 'source of life' in Chinese philosophy.

Confucianism

This worldview originated with the respected Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC) and was further devel-oped by some of his followers, such as Mencius (372-289 BC) and Zhu Xi (1130-1200 AD). His philosophy dealt more with ethics than religion. Confucius lived in a time when moral standards were lacking. He advocated a return to the ancient Chinese ideal of ethical living. He taught that rulers could be great only if they themselves lead exemplary lives. Effective leaders must be willing to be guided by moral principles. If they do so, their states will inevitably become prosperous and happy.

Confucius put his theories into practice when he became the magistrate of Zhongdu and the minister of crime for the state of Lu. His reforms were very successful causing the prosperity of Lu to grow and greatly reducing crime. He was dismissed, however, due to the influence of leaders in another Chinese state who felt threatened by the increased prosperity of Lu. Confucius then devoted himself to traveling and teaching. During his last years, he spent most of his time writing commentaries on ancient Chinese literature.

The principles of Confucianism have been preserved in nine ancient Chinese writings, authored by either Confucius or one of his followers: the Five Classics and the Four Books. The Four Books (Shih Shu) impart many of the philosophic sayings of Confucianism. They are: Analects, The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean and The Book of Mencius (one of Confucius' most revered followers).

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