Student A: People believe in something because they want lasting happiness: eternal life in heaven or some kind of afterlife. Did Confucius speak about afterlife? Is it enough to merely live a proper life on earth disregarding what's going to happen after death?
Teacher: What's your idea of afterlife? Do you think afterlife is just another life or the final destination where you either go to heaven or hell and live there forever?
Student A: I don't know.
Teacher: Assuming afterlife is a final destination, if you're able live your life properly and be loyal and true to your god then surely you'll go to heaven. Assuming afterlife is just another new existence then learning how to live a proper life here will ensure that you'll be able to the same in your next life.
Student B: The Taoist classics like to make fun of Confucius, why?
Teacher: Maybe to mock the Confucianists for their blind adherence to ritual and not understanding the true essentials. The same can be said of Taoists, if they try to behave in an eccentric manner or affecting a carefree behavior, then they're not being true. Just like the dogmatic Confucianists they're putting on a show.
Student B: If Taoism and Confucianism are compatible, why didn't Confucius behave more like a Taoist?
Teacher: Sages and saints acted in ways most proper to the situation. When things are chaotic they try to bring order, when thing become orthodox and ritualistic they try to infuse some spontaneity and creativity.
Student D: Did Confucius prohibit the practice of meditation?
Teacher: No.
Student D: Is meditation practiced in Confucianism.
Teacher: Confucius didn't specifically teach any meditation technique but he did describe the mental states on should attain to in one of the classics - Daxue. The idea is to be in the meditative state of mind all the time even while attending to our worldly concerns.
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