Tao of Heaven Liberalism Discussion Series
Heaven Tea Talk Eight: The Tao (Way) of Politics is Like the Water. Why Should the People Be on Top?
Liu Jun Ning
Translated By: Selene Cong
Confucius: In nature, people find water to be the most fascinating. Unlike other phenomena, not only is water necessary for life, it also is the tool through which we may understand nature, society, and the Tao of Heaven. Years ago, I gazed at the water from the Great Dam of the Yellow River, and was amazed by its resemblance to the vivaciousness of the human life. You even think of water as the embodiment of the Tao of Heaven, and the supreme good. Your idea has won the support of many. Many people have chosen “Ruo Shui” (like water) for names, liking its representation of the supreme good. I agree with you and I would like to know how you discovered water to be the closest thing to the Tao of Heaven.
Lao Tzu: Among all things that can be seen, water fascinates me the most and its nature is my favorite. We are all mortals, so no one can explain the nature of the Tao of Heaven clearly. Nevertheless, I believe the characteristics of water are the closest to the Tao of Heaven. If anyone wishes to master the Tao of Heaven, he should begin by observing water. I strongly suggest seeing water as the tool to understanding the Tao of Heaven.
Confucius: I understand that water is usually very still and advantageous to the growth of all things. But the reason for water being the like the Tao of Heaven is that it flows to low places, where people do not wish to go. In my opinion, climbing upward is good; men should climb upward just as water flows downward. I claim that men should continuously strive upward instead of downward like water. According to your logic, if a person wishes to seek the good, he should go down instead of up. Should we teach our students to “study well and strive downward?”
Lao Tzu: You are great at summing up our differences. You like high mountains while I like low waters. Of course, the preference for mountain or water is a matte of our individual choice; neither is better than the other. We are both correct. However, your striving upward and my striving downward are not dealing with the same thing. You are talking about the philosophy of life while I am talking about political philosophy. Your target audience is the common people while mine is the government, the men in power, and anyone who is interested in politics. Although people frequently use my Tao Te Ching to explain business, management, war, and even marriage, I still maintain that my booklet focuses on politics and is only fit for explaining public affairs. Whether it is useful in private affairs, I cannot say; some parts might be applicable while others might not be. Those who use my philosophies outside the realm of public affairs should take extra caution lest they make erroneous judgment by misunderstanding the situation.
Confucius: I do not understand. Shouldn’t the government strive upward? Shouldn’t the great leaders be admired, venerated, or loved?
Lao Tzu: No! No! Absolutely no. The nature of the government determines why the ideal government should be like the water and the Tao of Heaven, and go where the people despise. People establish a government not because they have nothing better to do, or that they wish to have a flock of bureaucrats hovering over their shoulders. People do not need such a government. Governments have only two responsibilities, to do the good things that the people are incapable of, such as diplomacy, defense, and maintaining order, and to do the difficult things that the people are unwilling to do. All other matters that the people are willing to do and are able to do better, whether they are profitable business activities, or charitable activities, should be left to the people. As long as the activities are harmless to the livelihood of the people, the more profitable they are, the more the government should permit the people to engage in such activities themselves. The government should never interfere with these affairs, let alone monopolizing these highly profitable transactions for the bureaucrats and their children in the name of the good of the nation, and leaving crumbs for the people to fight over. If the government competes with the people for benefits, it is violating the Tao of Heaven. The government should be like water, keeping itself in low and dangerous places so that the people may be in high and safe places. If the positions of the government and the people were reversed, the people would be living in danger.
Confucius: But what gives you the reason to believe that the people instead of the government should have the higher position?
Lao Tzu: That’s easy. Water flows to lower places because its origin is above. Everyone knows that water flows to lower places while neglecting the fact that the origin of water is somewhere much higher; perhaps it is because the course of the flow is too lengthy. If the government were water, its origin of its power would not be hereditary honor system or force, but the bestowment of the people. The citizens are the holders of the greatest power. The purpose of the government is to serve the people. Only those who hold the power are in high places. The servants should remain in low positions. This cannot be reversed. Is there a better explanation? If the government and the people were to fight for high positions, then it is certain that those with power and money would climb higher, with the most powerful person at the highest position. The people could only be trampled by those men of power.
I am emphasizing again that my water philosophy is not an advice for the common people, but for the state, the political power, and the rulers. Any just political system should be established based on the political philosophy of the Tao of Heaven being like the water. Individual citizens may choose freely their way of life and the philosophies associated with it, but the government has no choice; it must remain in a low place like the water lest life becomes afflicted.
Confucius: Your explanation has helped me understand this situation. I also abhor those governments that fight their people for benefits. Only I did not think of the relationship between that phenomenon and the position of the government. The nature of water indeed is the closest thing to the Tao of Heaven. The characteristics of water are therefore the characteristics of an ideal political body. I would like to inquire further, since you said that the government should stay in positions of lowliness and danger, how could you stress that the government should be in a position of goodness as well? Shouldn’t the positions of goodness be left to the people?
Lao Tzu: This is going to be a bit lengthy to explain. This position of goodness is applicable to governments that are water-like. The government should not compete with the people for good locations. It should avoid any locations of good Feng Shui, or financial transactions. If we were to look at the examples of where the national capitals are chosen, I favor the choices of nations such as the U.S. and Canada who have a federal system of government. The capital of the United States was deliberately chosen at a nameless little place equidistant from New York and Philadelphia, instead of in either of the metropolises. Even after two hundred years, Washington D.C. still lags behind in the top ten cities of the U.S.. The capital of Australia is the same. It was not set in Sydney or Melbourne, but another unknown little place. These two capital cities are not even on the list of great international metropolises. Only in those countries where the power is centralized are the capitals located in the most prosperous locations. What would happen if the United States put the White House on Wall Street? It would be a joke! I loathe it when countries decide to hoard all good things in the their capitals. The more things that are gathered in the capital, the more the political power interferes with the social life. This is a very bad news for the people.
Confucius: Then what is the meaning of “a kind heart is the abyss?”
Lao Tzu: That refers to the proper attitude of the government toward the people. The government should assume a low position before the people instead or coercing the people. It should have the greatest retaining power like the water, and be as natural, deeply still and tolerant, retaining without flaunting; it should not gloat but to serve the people in the same manner as water, treating all things equal. The government and its bureaucrats have nothing to be proud of before the people for they are only servants.
Confucius: I can understand the general meaning of your “being kind and benevolent” and “speaking kindly and sincerity.” I have also emphasized that the government should be benevolent and faithful toward the people.
Lao Tzu: By Ren, I am not only speaking about benevolence, but especially the avoidance of the use of force or might; the government should gently preserve the people like the water. Your concern with “men cannot stand without credibility” is a matter of private virtue. I am more concerned with “government cannot stand without credibility,” a matter of public virtue. Once the government betrays the trust of the people and is insincere, it becomes fundamentally impossible for the people to continue to be trustworthy in their private affairs. Whether the people are faithful to each other is their own business; besides, there are laws to enforce contracts. However, it is much more serious when the government becomes untrustworthy. Therefore, the state, government, leaders, and bureaucrats must be the first ones to be trustworthy. In your words, if they “speak with sincerity and carry out their promises,” they should not tattle or retract their statements. Of course, faith mostly applies to religion. As far as religion is concerned, we shall find another opportunity to discuss it extensively.
Confucius: That is wonderful. I think I understand the meaning of “govern benevolently and succeed through benevolence,” so I won’t ask you more about it. I suddenly thought of something right now. It’s popular for people to want to become Public Affairs Officers. Is this striving upward or downward?
Lao Tzu: You have asked well. In the popular opinions of the Chinese, the government is high above them. If the people participate in the Public Affairs officer’s Exam, or pursue governmental positions because they wish to strive to be in high places, then the government has betrayed the virtue of the water and has deviated form the Tao of Heaven. The government should not compete for high positions with others. Nevertheless, when many people enter the government, they find themselves in high positions; they see their lives as on track and begin their gradual ascent. The more people participate in the Public Affairs Officer’s Exam, and the higher they acknowledge the position of the government, the more severe the problem of the misplacement of the position of the government. I would like to speak further about the political philosophy of water. The ideal government is the water-like Tao of Heaven, it cannot replace all things and flourish in their places, but it creates the living environment for all things without complaints; it cannot distribute happiness amongst the people, but it creates the opportunities for happiness for the people. In your words, “one cannot blame Heaven or other people.” It does not flow for the benefit of itself, nor artificially create and agitate conflicts to oppose the Tao of Heaven or humanity.
Confucius: “Not blaming Heaven or others” is my motto.
Lao Tzu: I also like this phrase. All governments that respect the Tao of Heaven should use it as their motto.
Tao of Heaven Chapter Eight
The highest excellence is like (that of) water. The excellence
of water appears in its benefiting all things, and in its occupying,
without striving (to the contrary), the low place which all men
dislike. Hence (its way) is near to (that of) the Tao.
The excellence of a residence is in (the suitability of) the place;
that of the mind is in abysmal stillness; that of associations is in
their being with the virtuous; that of government is in its securing
good order; that of (the conduct of) affairs is in its ability; and
that of (the initiation of) any movement is in its timeliness.
And when (one with the highest excellence) does not wrangle (about
his low position), no one finds fault with him. (J. Legge Translation)
Water is like the supreme good (summum bonum). It nourishes the lives of all things without competing with them. It remains in the lowly places where all people dislike. Therefore, it is very close to the Tao of Heaven. The ideal government should be like the water, willing remain in low places and never occupy the high ones; it should follow nature like the abyss, keeping still while preserving all, never use force or might against the people, be faithful to the people, and serve the people without complaints. The government should remain small and its affairs simple. Because the government is humble about the affairs of benefits and other goods, and it does not compete with the people, it will not attract hatred from the people and it will have no worry!
