忠經 Zhong Jing #7
政理章 Politics Rational Chapter
(PD) Mt Seoraksan Republic of Korea
Skies, earth, footprint...
(Photo clarity, angle, and wording by Larry Neal Gowdy)
Copyright ©2019 October 28, 2019
The seventh chapter of 忠經 (Zhong Jing) is titled 政理章, which is loosely interpreted to be Politics Rational Chapter.
The general theme of chapter #7 most focuses on the idea that nations' laws ought to focus topmost on virtue, have a middle focus on politics, and have a lower focus upon laws of punishment. The following quotes are draft translations of portions of sentences within 忠經 Zhong Jing chapter 7 政理章.
Man change-transform, him use virtue
Rational-logic it upper-topmost {also}
Then people daily change
Good and not know
Virtue change-transform concealed use
Use heart then not know place reason-cause
And citizens follow good {also}
The core topics of 道德經 Dao De Jing revolved around virtue, and yet many people want to believe that they are able to obtain a tao 'enlightenment' while purposefully possessing no virtue. It is very good to see Zhong Jing emphasize virtue as being topmost of importance.
Some people believe that they are able to attain an 'instant enlightenment' that is full, complete, and has nothing greater. However, within Nature, creativity has no boundaries, one's own inner qualities of virtue have no boundaries... there is no such thing as an identical emotion, nor such a thing as an identical virtue. Virtue is seeded, nurtured, and cultivated as it grows... how well virtue is seeded, nurtured, and cultivated, so will be the tone. 道德經 Dao De Jing spoke of similar.
Apply it use politics
Rational-logic it middle {also}
Follow people not obtain
Not be good
Politics apply have skill
Clear-obvious opinion-see regard people
People make-effort and behavior
Desire finish not able-to
Punish-discipline it use law-punish-harm
Rational-logic it lower {also}
Then people fear-worry and not dare-bold be {also}
Punish-laws approach use powerful
Know fear not-have criminal
And so goes the common politics of nations'... many laws for skills and punishments, but no virtuous laws. Within the sentences' ideas, virtue is weighed to be topmost of value, politics is as the middle of value, and punishment-discipline laws are as the lower of value. Within today's politics, perhaps the scale might could be most easily weighed upon Nature's laws being topmost, while everything else is the lower... unfortunately, all known modern laws are of the lower.
To many of us, it does seem peculiar that so many modern laws not only ignore Nature, but also claim to supersede the laws of Nature. Supernatural?
'Both bad-inferior regard-to politics
Full-complete regard-to virtue
Punish then involved-in examine-oneself and middle
(Emperor) Shun spread four ferocious-ominous
Walk clear-distinct numerous nation
Politics then involved-in simple and capable
Simple then easy follow-accompany
Capable then people submit'
A simple law... 'No stealing'. All healthy people can understand the simple law, and the simple law would apply for everyone and for every occasion. There would be no gray areas of it being illegal to steal a tomato while not being illegal for Internet companies to steal intellectual properties, copyrighted materials, and private data. Since the laws do not respect fairness, then citizens have no respect for the laws.
A related quote from Li Ren #11: 'Zi say: Junzi bosom virtue, tiny people bosom earthen-products. Junzi bosom fairness, tiny people bosom favor.' Is not the quote a very close summary of modern cultures? Modern laws focus on materialism and favoritism, while purposefully omitting virtue, fairness, and coherence of simplicity. Politics is as a double-four letter word... and no one is immune to the destructive nature of politics.
'Virtue then involved-in extensive and long-time
Not extensive then have not attain
Not long-time then people heart repeat-compound
Virtue person-ist rational-logic it root {also}
Trust-rely-on politics wrong virtue
Then weak-poor
Trust-rely-on punish wrong virtue
Then destroy-injure-ruin
Double virtue then substantial-thick-deep
Increase-add-to virtue then broad-vast
Therefore noble it do-one's-utmost regard-to virtue
Cultivate regard-to politics
Prudent-cautious regard-to punish-law
Punish-law not prudent-cautious regard-to know
Politics not cultivate raise-life-up
Virtue not do-one's-utmost and people not bosom
Solidify its devotion use
Bright-understanding its trust
Behavior it bandit lax-negligent
Ask, not rational-logic it {is-as}?
Devotion trust therefore oneself
Respectful diligent cultivate official
Official cultivate politics bright-understanding
And people oneself rational-logic
Therefore nothing not capable rational-logic it official
Nothing not able-to rational-logic it people
Poem say:
Spread politics excellent excellent
One-hundred happiness-prosperity correct strong-end
Politics its people rational-logic
Blessings-happiness they fitting {start-!-?}'
Zhong Jing's ideals about politics might indeed be reasonable, but, of course, surely would not be possible within today's cultures, and, apparently, did not exist within the author's era either.
Nevertheless, the author wrote a sentence that is very much worthy of further comment... 'Cultivate regard-to politics'. If, someday, people were to begin to give notice of Nature, and to give notice to the many cycles of human development that are dictated by Nature's laws, then perhaps the people might then begin to write their laws and customs to be within harmony with Nature's laws. The people's politics would then be cultivated relative to what is real within Nature, and not be cultivated relative to what is imagined within selfish favoritism.
Nature's harmony, virtue, is indeed the topmost rational logic.