Translated from Chinese by Sherwin Lu
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a very succinct comparison between Chinese and Western civilizations in their basic features. In Chinese diction, “Heaven” or “Dao” symbolizes the supreme principle commanding all existence. While Western culture is anthropocentric, Chinese thought recognizes that the on-going of human society is only a part of and regulated by the way of Heaven. If man chooses to deviate from it, he is doomed to destruction. Human “salvation”, to use a Western term, lies only in humbly mending his way and following that of Heaven, not in egocentric gratification cloaked in any abstract idea that cannot stand the test of historical reality.
THE TEXT
The basic difference between Chinese and Western civilizations lies in the fact that the former has been following the way of Heaven while the latter the way of man. The difference between the two ways was incisively summarized in Dao De Jing, Chap. 77: “The Way of Heaven is like stretching a bow. The top is pulled down; the bottom is pulled up. Excess string is removed; where more is needed, it is added. It is the Way of Heaven to remove where there is excess and add where there is lack. The way of people is different: They take away where there is need and add where there is surplus. Who can take his surplus and give it to the people? Only one who possesses the Way.” (天之道，其犹张弓与？高者抑之，下者举之，有余者损之，不足者补之。天之道，损有余而补不足。人之道，则不然，损不足以奉有余。孰能有余以奉天下，唯有道者。Eng. Trans. by Charles Muller.) The purpose of “remov[ing] where there is excess and add[ing] where there is lack” is to facilitate a dynamic balance between human society and nature and between the multiple social classes, just as pointed out in The Yellow Emperor's Four Canons • The Tao and the Law (《黄帝四经·道法》): “[The] way to cope with changes is to guide them towards balance”. (应化之道，平衡而止。)
More concretely speaking, ancient Chinese sages held that human beings were born unequal, some having too much while others too little and, so, that it is necessary for the society or the state as a collective community to make adjustments in line with the principles of nature so as to bring about dynamic balances between all classes (between government officials and merchants, and between merchants and other social groups). In contrast, Western political economy takes for granted that all men are born equal, that free voting and a free market can automatically realize the balance between all classes, and, so, that the society or the state should interfere as little as possible.
JI Ran (计然), a well-known scholar in China’s Spring and Autumn period said to be teacher of the exemplary merchant Fan Li (范蠡), pointed out that the key to state management lies in “finding out who among the people have shortages and who excesses” before making political and economic policies “to benefit them”. “The other things like winning allegiance from other peoples, implementing the law, appointing worthy and able officials, awarding meritorious ones, etc. are but a natural continuation of the above process. Only thus could the country become prosperous and powerful, never to fail.” (（《越绝书·越绝计倪内经第五》）
The application of the way of Heaven to economic affairs requires the government to actively guide the market toward a balance. When asked by King Goujian (勾践) of Yue (越) why there were still poor people begging for survival even though that year saw a good harvest, Ji Ran replied that it was because people are born with different endowments, just as sons born of the same mother but different fathers behave differently and, therefore, that it is essential to maintain an overall balance of interests between different classes of people. Then he went on to propose the historically famous idea of balancing grain prices, i.e., to open an official market for grains allowing the prices to fluctuate only within a certain reasonable range so as to balance the interests of the two major social classes – peasants and merchants. (Ibid.)
The application of the way of Heaven to political affairs requires the government to “stick to the rule of law and appoint the worthy and able as officials”, considering people’s different endowments. When Ji Ran was asked by King Goujian how it came about that he (Ji) was so capable of administrative work, so young as he was, he replied: “People are born different. Those born of worthy people tend to be noble-minded while those of unwise ones unruly… Older persons are not necessarily more knowledgeable, nor younger ones necessarily more ignorant. Therefore, a wise king does not weigh candidates for official posts by their ages, but choose the worthy ones and rejects the otherwise. Thus, unwise officials decrease in number whereas worthy ones increase day by day. As the sovereign does not pursue personal interests, people with merits get rewarded.” (Ibid.)
The application of the way of Heaven to people’s way of life lies in subjecting human desires (人欲) to “Heavenly principles” (天理). Classical Chinese thought believed that human beings are born with a serene mind but, when tempted by material things, people tend to be discontented; If they do not restrain their desires, they would deviate from Heavenly principles; Hence the evils of treason, fraud, corruption, bullying, neglect of the weak, the old and the young, etc., and finally social disruption. (《礼记•乐记第十九》)
Nowadays, especially in the West, consumerism is prevailing, that is, humans trying to satisfy their unlimited desires by deliberately inducing even greater greed, encouraging consumption on debts, exploiting natural resources without restraint, and plundering the wealth of other peoples by all means. This widespread materialist-consumerist trend of thought is leading people astray from their intrinsic nature in their pursuit of gratification of ever-expanding desires. It causes loss of moral conscience in many people, widespread confusion of thought about right and wrong, the strong bullying the weak, and the general chaos in world order.
The traditional Chinese way of life was just the opposite. The above-cited Chinese classic advocated a way of life in accord with Heavenly principles. This is the core tenet underlying the Chinese civilization. It is imperative for modern humans to revive their original nature, to repent and be saved. If we descendents of Emperors Yan and Huang should be following mainstream Westerners in their footsteps, as are many of them today, it would be very perilous. We should live our lives as missionaries propagating throughout the world traditional Chinese beliefs in propriety and righteousness (礼义), beliefs shared by Chinese Daoists, Confucianists and Buddhists.
“The Way of Heaven is to win easily without struggle,
To respond well without words,
To naturally come without special invitation,
To plan well without anxiety.
“Heaven's net is vast.
It is loose.
“Yet nothing slips through.”
(天之道，不争而善胜，不应而善应，不召而自来，繟然而善谋。天网恢恢，疏而不失！Laozi, 73, Eng. Trans. by Charles Muller)
The way of Heaven, though impalpable or intangible, defines everything between Heaven and Earth, whether political economy or way of life.
Between the way of Heaven and that of man, we have to choose the former.
Heaven's net is vast and loose, and yet nothing slips through. We humans have no choice! |
