Confucianism, however, surpasses all in its intimations of the personality of the Supreme Being.  Although it never formulated this doctrine in a single term, nor definitely stated it as a tenet of religion, yet the entire ethical and religious thinking of the classically educated Japanese is shot through with the idea.  Consider the Chinese expression “Jo-Tei,” which the Christians of Japan freely use for God; it means literally “Supreme Emperor,” and refers to the supreme ruler of the universe; he is here conceived in the form of a human ruler having of course human, that is to say, personal, attributes.  A phrase often heard on the lips of the Japanese is: 

“Aoide Ten ni hajizu; fushite Chi ni hajizu.”

“Without self-reproach, whether looking up to Heaven, or down to Earth.”

This phrase has reference to the consciousness of one’s life and conduct, such that he is neither ashamed to look up in the face of Heaven nor to look about him in the presence of man.  Paul expressed this same idea when he wrote “having a conscience void of offense to God and to man.”  Or take another phrase: 

“Ten-mo kwaikwai so ni shite morasazu.”

“Heaven’s net is broad as earth; and though its meshes are large, none can escape it.”  This is constantly used to illustrate the certainty that Heaven punishes the wicked.

“Ten ni kuchi ari; kabe ni mimi ari.”

“Heaven has a mouth and even the wall has ears,” signifies that all one does is known to the ruler of heaven and earth.  Another still more striking saying ascribing knowledge to Heaven is the “Yoshin no Shichi,” “the four knowings of Yoshin.”  This sage was a Chinaman of the second century A.D.  Approached with a large bribe and urged to accept it with the assurance that no one would know it, he replied, “Heaven knows it; Earth knows it; you know it; and I know it.  How say you that none will know it?” This famous saying condemning bribery is well known in Japan.  The references to “Heaven” as knowing, seeing, doing, sympathizing, willing, and always identifying the activity of “Heaven” with the noblest and loftiest ideals of man, are frequent in Chinese and Japanese literature.  The personality of God is thus a doctrine clearly foreshadowed in the Orient.  It is one of those great truths of religion which the Orient has already received, but which in a large measure lies dormant because of its incomplete expression.  The advent of the fully expressed teaching of this truth, freed from all vagueness and ambiguity, is a capital illustration of the way in which Christianity comes to Japan to fulfill rather than to destroy; it brings that fructifying element that stirs the older and more or less imperfectly expressed truths into new life, and gives them adequate modes of expression.  But the point to which I am here calling attention is the fact that the idea of the personality of the Supreme Being is not so utterly alien to Oriental thought as some would have us think.  Even though there is no single word with which conveniently to translate the term, the idea is perfectly distinct to any Japanese to whom its meaning is explained.