This was one of the many photographs that I uploaded in my earlier posting, "Old House, Old Tales @ Lorong Tai Seng".
I am doing a separate posting for Confucius here as it will be his birthday on Friday, 26 September 2008 (ie 27th day of the 8th lunar month).
Many students and parents have flocked to temples over the last weekend to make offerings to the Chinese thinker-philosopher.
It was done not so much for paying respect to the 'deity', but rather more for want of scoring good grades in the current examination period in schools.
He is believed to be the more relevant 'deity' for bestowing mental acuity on those who prayed to him for blessings. Luck in examination performance ? I am not sure ! If it makes you feel GOOD psychologically............ Why Not ? After all, having the right frame of mind is already half the battle won in scoring well in any test of strength(s).
Confucius, born more than 25 centuries ago in China, is credited with promoting values such as respect for elders and reciprocity.
Some temples have his statue placed among the pantheon of deities, but Confucianism is more often thought of as a way of life than as a religion.
Taoists respect Confucius as a great sage and a contemporary of the Taoist guru, Lao Zi. His teachings have since been studied worldwide and translated into many languages.
I wonder how many parents prayed to him for guidance and blessings for their children to be imbued with the desired values and ethic !
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