Once again, I find myself back in the realm of dealing with benevolence. It was suggested in my class today that wanting to become benevolent is selfish because of a supposed reward that was received at the end of this journey. I agree that wanting to become benevolent for a reward is selfish. I do, however, think that doing so would equate to not being benevolent and thereby not actually receiving the reward. A person would have to genuinely want to be benevolent for the sake of being benevolent. If a person wanted to be benevolent for a reward, the heavens would not reward them, until they decided that the reward wasn't important. It seemed to me, like the effort to be benevolent would have to be genuine, where the reward is simply an accident consequence. Perhaps more simply put - I do not think that a benevolent person would have any desire or need for a reward. Being benevolent and selfless is already the best reward.
*These may or may not be the views/thoughts of Confucius. I am offering my own modern interpretation of Confucianism which may or may not happen to coincide with Confucius' thoughts (I do not know).
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