Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 9—551 B.C.E. kuqhubeke—Ukufuna Indlela Elungile Kwabantu BaseMpumalanga

“Indlela yeqiniso injengomgwaqo omkhulu.”—UMeng-tzu, isihlakaniphi esingumShayina sekhulu lesi-4 leminyaka B.C.E.

ZONKE izinkolo zizisholo ukuba yindlela yeqiniso eholela ensindisweni. Ngokwesibonelo, ubuConfucian, ubuTao, nobuBuddha zibizwa ngokuthi “izindlela ezintathu” zaseChina. Izinkolo zabaseJapane naseKorea zisebenzisa igama elifanayo. Uma ukhona umehluko, zehluke kanjani lezindlela’ ezihlukahlukene?

UbuConfucian—Indlela Yomuntu

Nakuba kukuncane okwaziwayo ngokuqinisekile ngoConfucius, umsebenzi wezikhombo ophawulekayo uthi “kumelwe abalwe phakathi kwamadoda ayenethonya kakhulu emlandweni wezwe.” Wayewuthisha, isazi sefilosofi, nesazi semfundiso yezombangazwe, waphila phakathi kuka-551 no-479 B.C.E. Isibongo sakubo kwakunguK’ung, ngakho kamuva wabizwa ngokuthi uK’ungFutzu, okusho ukuthi “INkosi uK’ung.” Ngokwenguqulo yesiLatini ‘uConfucius.’

UConfucius akazange asungule inkolo entsha. IThe Viking Portable Library World Bible ichaza ukuthi wamane “wahlela inkolo eyayibe khona ezweni azalelwa kulo kusukela esikhathini esingenakukhunjulwa, enikeza isimo esihlelekile ezincwadini zayo, ukuhlonipheka ezinkonzweni zayo ezingokwenkolo, nokugcizelela emiyalweni yayo yendlela yokuziphatha.” Ukuziphatha komuntu, hhayi imfundiso yenkolo, kwakuyisithakazelo sakhe esiyinhloko. Imfundiso yakhe ngokuyinhloko kwakuyindinganiso yokuziphatha yezenhlalo. Imizamo yakhe yokufinyelela isikhundla sezombangazwe yayishukunyiswa isifiso esinamandla sokudambisa ukuhlupheka kwabantu bakhe. Khona-ke, ngokufanelekile, ifilosofi yalendoda—isazi sezombangazwe esikhungatheke kakhulu kunokuba umholi wenkolo oshisekayo—iye yabizwa ngokuthi “indlela yomuntu kaConfucius.”

UConfucius akazange acabange kakhulu ngenkolo yosuku lwakhe, ethi okuningi kwayo kwakuyinkoleloze nje kuphela. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi wayekholelwa yini kuNkulunkulu, waphendula: “Ngikhetha ukuthula.” Kodwa izikhombo zakhe eziningi kuTien, okusho “Izulu,” zichazwa abanye njengezisho ukuthi wayekholelwa kokuthile okungaphezulu kwamandla aphakeme ezinto ezithile.

UConfucius wagcizelela izimiso eziwusizo zomkhaya, inhlonipho ngegunya, nokuhlalisana ngokuzwana. Waletha ukunakekela esidingweni semfundo ekwakheni amakhono nasekuqiniseni izimfanelo zomuntu siqu ezidingekile ekukhonzeni abanye. Wagcizelela ijen, igama elisho ukuba nomusa esintwini sisonke, kodwa ikakhulukazi ukulalela abazali nenhlonipho yobuzalwane. Wakhuthaza ukukhulekelwa kwamadlozi.

Lezici zangempela zobuConfucian ziseyizici ezihlukanisayo zabantu baseAsia abakhuliswe ngendlela yobuConfucian. Isazi sezenhlalo uWilliam Liu, waseYunivesithi yaseIllinois eChicago, uthi “indinganiso yokuziphatha yobuConfucian ishukumisela abantu ukuba basebenze, beqise futhi bakhokhe isikweletu abasikweleta abazali babo.” Ngakho, izakhamuzi ezivela emazweni anethonya elinamandla lobuConfucian, eUnited States ziye zaphawulwa ngamamaki aphakeme ngokungavamile emfundo.

Isisekelo somqondo wobuConfucian siyiqoqo elaziwa ngokuthi iWu Ching (“Five Classics”). “Izincwadi Ezine,” noma iSsu shu, zenezelwa ekhulwini le-12 leminyaka, zicatshangelwa njengezibalulekile emqondweni weConfucian. Indlela ezibhalwe ngayo, ephawulwa ukufingwa nokuhlangana kwendaba, yenza kube nzima ukuziqonda.

Ngekhulu lesine leminyaka C.E., imiyalo yobuConfucian yayifundiswa eMbusweni waseKokuryo enyakatho Korea. UbuConfucian basakazekela eJapane mhlawumbe ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesihlanu leminyaka C.E. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, emuva eChina kwakuvela enye “indlela.”

UbuTao—Indlela Yemvelo

ITao, ebusa ukucabanga kwamaChina izinkulungwane zeminyaka, isho “indlela” noma “umgwaqo.” Yakhomba indlela eqondile yokwenza izinto ngokuvumelana nendlela engokwemvelo imbulunga esebenza ngayo. Ukulandisa kuthi umsunguli wayo wayewuntanga kaConfucius owaveza isiqu esithi Lao Tze, okungukuthi kungaba “Umfana Omdala” noma “Isazi Sefilosofi Esidala.” Abanye bathi uLao Tze wabizwa ngalokhu ngoba, ngemva kokukhulelwa okumangalisayo nokwathatha isikhathi eside kwamashumi amaningana eminyaka, unina wamzala ngemva kokuba izinwele zakhe sezimpunga kakade ngenxa yobudala. Abanye bathi wanikwa lesiqu ngenxa yokuhlonipha izimfundiso zakhe ezihlakaniphile.

UbuTao bufundisa ukuthi lapho umntwana ezalwa unikwa isilinganiso esithile ‘sokuphefumula kokuqala’ noma amandla okuphila. Ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene, njengokuzindla, isimiso sokudla, ukulawulwa kokuphefumula nobulili, ukwehla okungadingekile ‘kokuphefumula kokuqala’ kungagwenywa. Ngakho, ukuphila kuyefana nobungcwele.

Umzimba womuntu ubhekwa njengembulunga encane okumelwe igcinwe isekuvumelaneni okufanele nemvelo. Lokhu kuphathelene nalokho amaShayina akubiza ngokuthi iyin neyang, ngokoqobo izinhlangothi zegquma ezinomthunzi nezinelanga. Okuyinhloko kuwo wonke amafilosofi amaShayina, iyin neyang yizici eziphikisayo, nokho eziphelelisanayo, ezinazo zonke izinto ezisemvelweni. lEncyclopedia of Religion iyacacisa: “lyin ibusa phezu kwayo yonke into emnyama, enomthunzi, epholile, emanzi, ebunayo, egobayo, yasemhlabeni, yesifazane, kuyilapho iyang ibusa phezu kwekhanyayo, kweshisayo, kweyomile, kwekhulayo, kwenenkani nakwenochuku, kweyasezulwini, nakweyesilisa.” Ukusetshenziswa kwalesimiso kutholakala kuyifeng-shui, uhlobo lokubhula lwamaShayina olubizwa ngokuthi igeomancy ngesiNgisi. Iklanyelwe ukuthola izindawo ezithandwayo zamadolobha nezindlu, kodwa ikakhulukazi zamathuna. Ukuvumelanisa amandla eyin-yang esiqephu sezwe nalawo ezakhamuzi zaso kuthiwa kuyoqinisekisa inhlalakahle yakamuva. UHelen Hardacre waseYunivesithi yasePrinceton uchaza ukuthi ‘ukuhlanganiswa kahle kwamandla embulunga kukholelwa ukuthi kuzuzisa abafileyo futhi yenze babe nenqubekela phambili kwelinye izwe.’

Nokho, lapho kuzanywa ukuba kugcinwe amandla eyin-yang esesilinganisweni, akukho mzamo okumelwe wenziwe ukuze kuguqulwe isimo sawo esingokwemvelo ngendlov’ yangena. Kucatshangwa ukuthi lokhu kuyoba okungazuzisi, inkolelo ekhuthaza indlela yokuphila yesikhathi esidlule. Ngo-1986 indela eselikhulile layichaza ngalendlela: “Imfundiso yobuTao iwukuba uthule futhi ungenzi lutho. Ukwenza yonke into kuncike ekungenzini lutho.” Ngakho-ke, amandla obuTao aye afaniswa namanzi, okuthi naphezu kokuthamba kwawo azuzise zonke izidalwa.

Esikhathini sangaphambili, kwakuvamile ukwehlukanisa phakathi kwefilosofi kaTao (ikhulu lesi-4 nelesi-3 leminyaka B.C.E.) nenkolo-kaTao (ikhulu lesi-2 nelesi-3 leminyaka C.E.). Lomehluko awusacacile kangako, ngoba kusobala ukuthi inkolo kaTao yavela kumafilosofi kaTao avela kuqala kunayo. UProfesa Wenkolo uHans-Joachim Schoeps uthi ubuTao njengenkolo “buyinqubekela phambili yenkolo yasendulo yabantu baseChina. Emsukeni wayo kukhona uhlobo lokukhulekelwa kwemimoya olungenamcikilisho . . . [nemimoya] ehlala yonke indawo, elimaza ukuphila nempilo yabantu phakade. . . . EChina yanamuhla, ubuTao buye bawohlokela ekubeni uhlobo lwenkoleloze olungokwenkolo lwabaningi.”

UbuShinto—Indlela YeKami

IJapane futhi iphawulwa ngenkolo yabantu yasendulo, ingxubevange ‘yokukhulekela onkulunkulu abaningi namadlozi,’ njengoba omunye umlobi eyichaza. Ekuqaleni lenkolo yesizwe yayingenalo igama. Kodwa phakathi nekhulu lesithupha leminyaka C.E., lapho ubuBuddha bamukelwa eJapane, banikwa elinye igama elithi Butsudō, “indlela yomBuddha.” Ngakho, ukuze kuhlukaniswe phakathi kwalenkolo nenkolo yesizwe, ngokushesha eyamuva yaziwa ngokuthi iShinto, “indlela yekami.”

IKami (onkulunkulu abehlukahlukene) ngempela iwumsuka weShinto. IKami yabhekisela kunoma imaphi amandla angaphezu kwawemvelo noma unkulunkulu, kuhlanganise nonkulunkulu bemvelo, amadoda avelele, amadlozi akhulekelwayo noma ngisho ‘onkulunkulu abanezimfanelo ezithile eziwusizo noma ababonakalisa amandla amakhulu.’ (The Encyclopedia of Religion) Nakuba igama elithi Yaoyorozu-no-kami ngokuqondile lisho onkulunkulu abayizigidi eziyisishiyagalombili, leligama lisetshenziselwa ukubonisa “onkulunkulu abaningi,” njengoba inani lawonkulunkulu enkolweni yobuShinto landa njalo. Abantu, njengabantwana bekami, banesimo sobunkulunkulu esiyinhloko. Ngakho-ke, umbono uwukuthi, phila ngokuvumelana nekami, futhi uyojabulela isivikelo nokuvunyelwa yibo.

IShinto, nakuba ingenamandla emfundisweni noma emfundisweni yenkolo, iye yanikeza amaJapane inqubo yezimiso, yakha ukuziphatha kwawo, futhi yaqondisa indlela yawo yokucabanga. Ibalungiselela amathempeli, lapho bengakhulekela khona ngokuthanda kwabo.

Izinhlobo ezinkulu zeShinto zihlobene. IShinto Yamathempeli (Shrine Shinto) neShinto Yabantu (Folk Shinto) zinomehluko omncane ophawulekayo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iShinto Yamahlelo (Sect Shinto) yakhiwe amahlelo ayi-13 asungulwa ngekhulu le-19 leminyaka, lawo ngokwamazinga ahlukahlukene aqukethe izici ezithile zobuConfucian, ubuBuddha, nobuTao.

Ithonya lobuBuddha kuyiShinto liye laba namandla kakhulu. Lesi isizathu sokuba amaJapane amaningi abe ngamaBuddha futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo abe ngamaShinto. Umuzi womJapane ongokwesiko unamaaltare amabili, ialtare leShinto lokudumisa ikami, nealtare lomBuddha lokudumisa okhokho bakhe. UKeiko, intombazane esencane yomJapane, uyachaza: “Ngikweleta okhokho bami inhlonipho futhi ngiyibonisa ngobuBuddha . . . NgingumJapane, ngakho ngiyenza yonke imikhuba emincane yeShinto.” Khona-ke uyenezela: “Futhi ngangicabanga ukuthi umshado wobuKristu uyoba muhle ngempela. Kuyaphikisana, kodwa yikuphi?”

ICh’ŏndogyo—Inkolo YaseKorea Yendlela Yasezulwini

UbuBuddha, obaqiniswa ubuTao nobuConfucian buphakathi kwezinkolo eziyinhloko zabangemaKristu zaseKorea. Ngemva kokwamukelwa kwazo zivela eChina, zathonywa inkolo yabantu yaseChina, ubushaman, futhi ngokweThe Encyclopedia of Religion ‘zakhethwa, zaguqulwa, futhi zafanelaniswa ngokwamazinga ahlukahlukene nezimo zenhlalo nezokuhlakanipha ezibusayo eNhlonhlweni yaseKorea.’a

Enye inkolo eKorea iCh’ŏndogyo, “Inkolo Yendlela Yasezulwini,” okuyigama layo kusukela ngo-1905. Yasungulwa ngo-1860 uCh’oe Suun (Che-u), ekuqaleni yayibizwa ngokuthi iTonghak, “Ulwazi LwaseMpumalanga,” ngokuphambene neSohak, “Ulwazi LwaseNtshonalanga,” igama lobuKristu, lelo iCh’ŏndogyo, eyenzelwa ukuba iliqede ngokwengxenye. Ngokomlobi ongumJalimane uGerhard Bellinger, iCh’ŏndogyo, izama ukuhlanganisa “izimfanelo eziwusizo zomusa nokulunga zomuntu weConfucian, ukuthula nokungenzi lutho kwamaTao, nozwela lwamaBuddha,” okuyilokho umsunguli wayo ayekuhlosile. ICh’ŏndogyo, iqukethe futhi icizi zobushaman, nobuRoma Katolika. Naphezu kokuzisholo kwayo ukuthi ithuthukisa ubunye obungokwenkolo, ngo-1935 yayiveze okungenani amahlelo ayi-17.

Okuyinhloko ‘kuleNkolo Yendlela Yasezulwini’ inkolelo yokuthi umuntu ngokuyisisekelo uyingxenye engcwele kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke iSain yŏch’ŏn, (“Phatha Umuntu NjengoNkulunkulu”) iyimfundiso yokuziphatha eyinhloko, efuna ukuba abantu baphathwe “ngokukhathalela, ngenhlonipho, ngobuqotho, ngesizotha, ngokulingana nangokulunga okukhulu,” kuchaza uYong-choon Kim waseYunivesithi yaseRhode Island.

Ukuzama ukuguqula ukuhleleka okungokwenhlalo ekuphishekeleni lezimiso eziphakeme kwaletha umsunguli, uSuun, ekungqubuzaneni nohulumeni. Ukuzigaxa kwezombangazwe kwaholela ekubulaweni kwakhe nomlandeli wakhe. Kwasiza futhi ekuphehleni impi yamaShayina namaJapane yango-1894. Eqinisweni, umsebenzi wezombangazwe uyisici esihlukanisayo sezinkolo ezintsha zaseKorea, inhlangano yeTonghak okwakuwukuphela kwayo engeyokuqala. Ngokuvamile ubuzwe buyisihloko esiphambili, iKorea yabelwa indawo yesikhathi esizayo yokuvelela emhlabeni.

Iyiphi “lndlela”Eholela Ekuphileni?

Ngokusobala, abantu baseAsia abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi akubalulekile kakhulu ukuthi iyiphi “indlela” yenkolo umuntu ayilandelayo. Kodwa uJesu Kristu, inkolo yakhe emuva lé ekhulwini lokuqala eyayibizwa futhi ngokuthi “Indlela,” wawenqaba umbono wokuthi zonke “izindlela” ezingokwenkolo zamukelekile kuNkulunkulu. Waxwayisa: “Indlela eholela ekujezisweni kwaphakade ibanzi, inendawo enkulu, . . . kodwa indlela eholela ekuphileni incane futhi iyingcingo, futhi bambalwa abayifumanayo.”—IzEnzo 9:2; 19:9; Mathewu 7:13, 14, The New English Bible, umbhalo waphansi; qhathanisa nezAga 16:25.

Yebo, amaJuda amaningi ekhulu lokuqala awenqaba amazwi akhe. Abacabanganga ukuthi babethole uMesiya wabo weqiniso kuJesu noma “indlela” efanele enkolweni yakhe. Namuhla, emakhulwini ayi-19 eminyaka kamuva, inzalo yawo isalindele uMesiya wayo. Umagazini wethu olandelayo uzochaza ukuthi kungani.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 22]

UJenene Guan Yu, unkulunkulu wempi enkolweni yabantu bamaShayina nomsekeli wezigaba zempi nezohwebo

Kusukela ngakwesobunxele, uHan Xiangzi, uLuDongbin, noLi Tieguai—abathathu Babantu Abangafi bamaTao abayisishiyagalombili—noShouIao, uNkulunkulu Wezinkanyezi Wokuphila Kade

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of the British Museum