Tao of Heaven Liberalism Discussion Series
Heaven Tea Talk Sixty-Three: Repay Wrongs with Virtue. Why Isn’t It Advisable to Harbor Grudges?
Liu Jun Ning
Translated By: Selene Cong
Confucius: Although I have listened to you speak about the benefits of ruling by wu-wei, I still feel that such a political philosophy is exceedingly passive. Your reasoning is correct but I just cannot convince myself.
Lao Tzu: Whether this type of political philosophy is adopted is not a problem of logic; it is a problem of belief. Everyone is aware of the danger of smoking but a great number of people still smoke. The most committed smoker may be the most knowledgeable person of the dangers of smoking. You can see how weak the power of reason is. Whether one understands a philosophy system is not the key to whether that system is adopted. The key lies in believing in it. You believe that the government should be active and involved while I believe that the government should be passive and non-involved. I understand your reasoning and you mine. Nevertheless, ultimately you will still believe in yours and I mine. You think that an active political view is better and I believe that a passive one is better. It’s not important what reason we use the convince the other because faith lies above reason. Faith comes from reason but it is not dependent on reason. When reason becomes faith, any opposing reason will cease to have its effect. Those who believe in Marxism-Leninism are shut off from the reason of the liberalists and vice versa.
Confucius: In your opinion, the divergence between our philosophies lies in the level of belief instead of logic. However, I still would like to hear your reasoning. Your explanations are always simple but profound, containing truths that are often concealed from us commoners.
Lao Tzu: The truth about the difference between reason and belief is more complicated than what I have said. There is a kind of people, who have unwavering faith and are deaf to any reasoning that raises questions about their beliefs. The souls of these people are sealed and unable to enter into dialogues with others; they carry on conversations with themselves. There is another group of people, who have unwavering faith while are willing to hear different theories. The souls of these people are open and able to enter into dialogues.
Confucius: I think we belong to the second group. Although our beliefs are different, we are still able to converse. Furthermore, I take pleasure in speaking with you. Regardless of my beliefs, my soul is open and I am always eager to learn from others. You know about my theory of “when three men travel, one is bound to be my teacher.”
Lao Tzu: Yes, I admire your ethic of “constantly examine oneself and never be ashamed to ask questions.” Nevertheless, regardless of the divergence between our political philosophies, we are both seekers of the Tao. Seekers of the Tao should of course converse often to further our understanding of the Tao of Heaven.
Confucius: Let us focus on the main subject. Much of what you say seems to be contradictory on the surface. However, I believe you are not one of those who err easily. You must have your own reasons. For example, you said, “do by wu-wei, and work wu-shi(non-work).”
Lao Tzu: If I had written in the common speak of today, it would not have been so difficult to understand. I would write, “if one is to act then one must act in a way that does not deviate from the Tao of Heaven; if one is to work, one should not do those things that deviate from the Tao of Heaven.” Wu-wei and wu-shi do not imply not doing anything but not doing those things are opposite of the Tao of Heaven.
Confucius: This is a good rule to live by but it is still difficult to practice it in everyday life. It requires wisdom that comes from experience.
Lao Tzu: Understanding and realizing the Tao of Heaven requires a process. Once human beings realize the Tao of Heaven after great suffering, they should cling to it firmly. Post-war Germany adopted a set of rules in their constitution (basic rights of the citizens, separation of power, and federalism, etc) that cannot be changed by any power. Stripping the people of their freedom and rights, and centralizing power are acts against the Tao of Heaven, and the people will suffer as a result. Governments should abstain from being active in these matters.
Confucius: That is right. If you may permit me to change the subject. You believe in repaying wrongs with virtue. A student of mine asked me about this subject. (See Analects--Questions) I thought it was improper. I believe in repaying wrongs with justice. I believe that if we were to repay a wrong with virtue, what should we repay virtue with? I believe in voicing one’s complaints in the open and face the problem with a just and honest attitude.
Lao Tzu: What you are saying is correct. However, we are talking of two different things. You are speaking about the private matters between two individuals. In conducting private affairs, whether the wrong is repaid with justice or virtue or if virtue is repaid with virtue, it is a matter of individual decision. There is no absolute wrong or right. I am not speaking about the private relationship between individuals but the public relationship between the state and the people. The government, state, and those who control power, should receive the complaints of the people, whether they are large or small, many or few, reasonable or not, with an attitude of tolerance. Then, the grudges would be resolved instead of exploding after accumulation. Furthermore, the people often have good reasons for complaining. Besides, the people stand above the government. The duty of the government is to hear the complaints of the people with an understanding ear. If the government is supposed to work for the people, the people will of course complain to the government when they are wronged.
Lao Tzu: This is a timely reminder. I often neglect the boundary between personal philosophy and public philosophy. This seems to be a common problem for the Confucians. Nevertheless, neither of us believes in returning a wrong with a wrong.
Lao Tzu: It is good that you are aware of this problem. The ideas of the family and the nation being one, and that there is no distinction between the public and the private have burrowed themselves in the consciousness of the people. It is wrong to repay a wrong with another. Furthermore, I believe that the government should not draw such clear distinctions between love and hatred. If the people are unhappy with the government or a few governors, and the latter takes revenge. A wrong is returned with another; a tooth for a tooth; where is the end of all this?
Confucius: Do rulers really repay a wrong with another with the people?
Lao Tzu: There are too many instances of such practices in history. The people are unhappy with the government and complain about it; the government cannot do anything in the moment, so it waits until it has a chance to tabulate all the offenses later and take revenge. “Tabulating the tab after the Fall” is perhaps an unique idiom in the Chinese vocabulary. The people have complaints but fear revenge. After a while, the relationship between the rulers and the people will be like that between water and fire, neither tolerating the other. Only if the government returns wrongs with virtue can the grudges be resolved. Therefore, the terms of office of the government and rulers must be limited and lifetime offices should be eliminated lest grudges become too deep and the cycle of revenge perpetuates itself.
Confucius: Should the government be like the Christ? If someone slaps you on the left cheek, you should deliver your right cheek? What dignity would remain for the government?
Lao Tzu: Indeed, this is what they should do. The government must achieve not returning violence with violence or curses with curses. Many civilized countries require their public affairs officers to comply with these rules. The Tao of Heaven is tolerant and the government should be, too. The government should be like the Tao of Heaven, tolerating opposing views, resolving grudges, and eliminating conflicts.
Confucius: But, if the government cannot draw a clear distinction between what it loves and hates, the government may become confused in its principles.
Lao Tzu: This concern is only plausible on paper. Individuals can be clear about what they like or dislike. If you dislike someone, you could choose to not socialize with that person or help him. However, the government cannot act the same way. All the countrymen are citizens of the state. Whether the government or the rulers like them, they are still citizens and the government must serve them. If the government maintains its attitude of like and dislike when it serves the people, it will be terrible. All those who enjoy the favors of the governors will receive service, while those whom the governors dislike will receive none. This is a government for the few instead of all. How could the equality of the Tao of Heaven manifest in this system?
Confucius: Hmm, that’s reasonable! Allow me to ponder further when I return home. Although we are both seekers of the Tao, we disagree on many subjects. You like water while I like mountains; you like small affairs, while I like great affairs. If there is anything we might agree, it would perhaps be your idea of reducing great affairs into small ones. It is great if the great affairs can be reduced but I am worried about whether they may still be considered great affairs after they have been reduced.
Lao Tzu: You are in love with those great affairs! “The destruction and flourishing of countries, the discontinuation and the promotion of civilization, and the mobilization and the rest of the people” are examples of these great and difficult affairs! Who doesn’t wish to accomplish great tasks? I even dream about them. The difference between us is not whether these great tasks should be carried out, but how they may be carried out. You Confucians believe that doing great thing is doing the greatest and the most difficult thing. In popular saying, it is to find the central conflict and its main characteristic. I believe in the opposite. To succeed in great tasks, one must begin with the petty tasks. The highly difficult tasks must be dissected into easy and small tasks. When every single small task is accomplished, the great task will be, too. You Confucians believe in focusing on the great and overlooking the small, while I believe in focusing on the small.
Confucius: This sounds too profound.
Lao Tzu: Profound? There are two substantial reasons for my preferring small to big: one is that the human understanding is flawed; what is obvious, superficial, and heavy may not always be the most important. The greatest portion of the iceberg is underwater. Those elements of greater size are less likely to be neglected while the smaller ones are more likely to be neglected, e.g., the black holes and white dwarfs in the universe cannot compare to the sun in their appearances. Two is spreading out the risks. Those who drive know that when they are in a situation facing multiple threats, the driver often deals with each of them separately and the threats will be eliminated. The greater the danger is, the more it must be reduced to smaller ones. You could also ask the investors. However, once the politicians become obsessed with great tasks, they tend to become arrogant and eventually deviate from the Tao of Heaven.
Confucius: But a great task is a great task. How could it be reduced?
Lao Tzu: It is quite simple. I’ll give you an example. The logic of our countrymen when it comes to controlling crime is to combat it with severe punishment. The focus of the fight is on serious crimes, catching the big offenders and release the small ones. The result is that this war is carried out periodically and the crime rate climbs steadily with each battle. New York City was once known as the crime capital of the world. Beginning in the 90’s, the method of promoting public safety no longer focused on combating serious crimes, instead it began with dealing with graffiti in subways. When the breeding ground is eliminated, the crime rate will be reduced and public safety will improve. When the small matters are neglected and the great ones are the center of attention, the result may often be the opposite. The government should not do the great affairs and the rulers should not be obsessed with accomplishing great tasks. The key is to reduce the great tasks into easily manageable small tasks, and to discover the smaller tasks in the greater ones. I say that the great tasks lie within the small ones just like the Westerners say that the devil lies in details.
Tao of Heaven Chapter Sixty-Three:
(It is the way of the Tao) to act without (thinking of) acting;
to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of them; to taste
without discerning any flavour; to consider what is small as great,
and a few as many; and to recompense injury with kindness.
(The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while they
are easy, and does things that would become great while they are
small. All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a
previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one
in which they were small. Therefore the sage, while he never does
what is great, is able on that account to accomplish the greatest
things.
He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith; he who is
continually thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult.
Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and so
never has any difficulties. (J. Legge Translation)
The ideal governments should not desire to oppose the Tao of Heaven and not use any principles that oppose the Tao of Heaven as their guide. They should be frugal in conducting business. They should treat the small affairs as if they were the most important ones and treat the minority as if they were the majority. They should have the virtue to tolerate all complaints, regardless of their importance, from the people.
All the difficult affairs in the world should be solved through their easiest parts. The greatest affairs in the world should be conducted through accomplishing the smaller ones. The ideal governments never desire glory. Not pursuing great success will lead to great success. If the government promises easily, it will be less likely to deliver the promises. Oversimplifying the affairs will encounter more troubles. If the government always treats affairs as if they were more difficult as they are, then there won’t be any problem the government cannot solve. When all the small tasks are accomplished, the great ones will naturally be done, too.
