OF MINDS & MEN (VIII-XIII) ON UNIVERSAL HISTORY & THE CREATION OF ARISTOCRATIC MEN

By Dr. Quan Le

[This is part of an ongoing series on the historic efforts in the east and western cultural matrices to create an educational system that can produce true philosopher kings with a focus on the traditions and efforts of Plato and his spiritual brother Confucius. To access part I-II click here, and parts III-VII click here.]

The first the three types of Mind discussed by Plato within his Republic (and contained within the lower Confucian trigram) are limited to Time, hence the word ‘compulsive’ in bold letters.

It is Time without Timelessness; Becoming without Being; thinking without meta-representation; mentation without The IMMARCESCIBLE Presence of Awareness.

1 ••• THE DEMOCRATIC MIND (and the corresponding City) is centered on the COMPULSIVE seeking for the pleasures of the senses and their inevitable counterparts, pains. Also tribal affinities and lex talionis.

2 ••• THE PLUTOCRATIC MIND (and the corresponding City) is centered on the COMPULSIVE seeking for profits, wealth and power for their own sake and not as the mere tools of power for higher purposes.

3 ••• THE FAKE TIMOCRATIC MIND (the Sophist, the Magician and their City) is centered on the COMPULSIVE making of a fake Justice through social consensus; an apparent Justice and its elaborate justifications, a very fragile edifice to say the least.

                                  *** QUANTUM LEAP TO TIMELESSNESS ***

Now the 3 types of Mind endowed with The IMMARCESCIBLE Presence of Awareness.
Hence ‘consciously’ in bold letters. In Plato’s dialogue called Phaedo, Socrates kindly told everyone that something remains unwaveringly present in all the bodily, the conceptual and the emotional experiences we went through in life. That something is The IMMARCESCIBLE Presence of Awareness, always present, shining, unwavering, eternal, a guiding light never extinguished. When that Presence is at the center of one’s mental life and never lost in all circumstances, one is uplifted to the Timeless Reality while living in Time, and that is the only Eternity granted to a Mortal Man. There is a Greek word for that transition if you prefer not to use ‘Quantum Leap’. That Greek word is ‘METANOIA’ : conversion.

True conversion is not conversion to Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Jainism,  Confucianism, Christianity or whatsoever religion or doctrine. True conversion is when the inner gaze is SPONTANEOUSLY & NATURALLY centered unwaveringly on the living IMMARCESCIBLE Presence of Awareness in our daily life aka R.I.G.P.A. : R.eal I.nner G.rounded unwavering P.ure A.wareness.

4 ••• THE TIMOCRATIC MIND (and the corresponding City) is CONSCIOUSLY centered on The Idea, The Timeless Form of BEAUTY, incarnated as being motivated by true Justice, honor, glory.

5 ••• THE ARISTOCRATIC MIND (and the corresponding City) is CONSCIOUSLY centered on The Idea, The Timeless Form of GOODNESS, embodied as being driven by Valor and Humanity and motivated by discovery, inventivity, creativity, playful exploration.

6 ••• THE PHILOSOPHICAL MIND (and the corresponding City) is CONSCIOUSLY centered on The Idea, The Timeless Form of TRUTH, with an existence lived as uplifted by Wisdom and motivated by the creation of timocratic men & aristocratic men.

Before going to the series of axio-apistemo-political Principles as expounded in the Analects, I want to offer some ideas coming from another Chinese thinker, Professor Qin Hui 秦 晖 (Qin2 Hui1).

Those ideas will be A DEFINITELY HEALTHY ADVERSARIAL PERSPECTIVE for my piece in which the Confucian Ideal and the Platonic Ideas are pervasive. I will, after presenting Professor Qin Hui’s concepts, explain why the nobler Weltanschauung is still the preferable one, especially when teaching children because according to my understanding, if certain lofty ideas are not offered during very early childhood, notwithstanding not impossible to absorb & to digest them later in life, but not as easily and spontaneously as during the first years of life and they will thus always be present in the deepest layers of one’s Mind.

Professor Qin Hui’s axial idea is thus expressed  : 连 续 的 历 史, 循 环 的 怪 圈
(Lian2 Xu4 De Li4 Shi3, Xun2 Huan2 De Guai4 Quan1) meaning ‘Recurring History, Cyclical Loop’. It’s undoubtedly a realistic & practical disquisition on the systematic imperially appointed bureaucratic supervision promoted throughout Chinese History and it stems from the Legalist Worldview, 法 家 (Fa3 Jia1). I suggest my own personal translation for 法 家 : the acronym PPSA for ‘Principles & Practices of Statecraft and Administration; the shorter version would be Statecraft & Administration. ‘The Art of the Ruler’ is an interesting alternative for translating 法 家 (Fa3 Jia1).

Here is the long quotation coming from Professor Qin Hui (How China takes to perfection the art of checks and balances : Qin Hui on the cyclicality of Chinese History) , shortly presented by Jia Yuxuan. The short introduction is not quoted here, I go directly to Professor Qin Hui’s ideas :

“After the collapse of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), some intellectuals of the time, deeply affected by the circumstances, critiqued Legalist bureaucracy from a Confucian standpoint. In addition to quoting the grand Confucian principle of 天 下 为 公 (Tian1 Xia4 Wei4 Gong1 meaning ‘All under Heaven belongs to the collectivity’), the critics also delved into governance methods.

HUANG ZONGXI’s (1610-1695, Chinese naturalist, political theorist, philosopher and soldier) insights were particularly noteworthy in this context :

“The laws of later generations (as opposed to legendary times of wise and virtuous kings) deems the entire realm as within the pocket of the sovereign. No benefits are to be shared with the common people; all fortunes are amassed for the rulers alone. The appointment of one official is met with suspicion, leading to the appointment of another to oversee them. The implementation of one policy raises doubts about potential deception, necessitating the introduction of another policy as a safeguard. Throughout the land, it is widely understood that the world’s bounty is concealed within the sovereign’s grasp, and that the sovereign, day and night, is plagued by concerns for their own private interests. Consequently, they are compelled to enact stringent decrees. Paradoxically, the more stringent the laws become, the greater the tumult that besets the world–this is what we term the paradoxical jurisprudence of an unjust legal system.”

As illustrated above, this practice of checks and balances, pitting individuals against one another and institutions against institutions, is deeply ingrained in the Chinese belief in THE INNATE EVIL OF HUMAN NATURE. It bears a resemblance to the Western concept of the balance of power, which originates from the recognition of the flaws in human nature. While the Confucian tradition emphasizes THE INHERENT GOODNESS OF HUMAN NATURE, in practical Legalism in China, people’s true perspective on human nature aligns more closely with that of Han Fei 韩 非 (Han2 Fei1, c.280-233 BCE, a political theorist and a Prince of the Han 韩 State during the late Warring States Era which lasted from 453 to 221 BCE). HAN FEI was the greatest Legalist in China who recognized that all people, comments here and elites alike, are inherently selfish and covetous. Hence, he advocated for the strict enforcement of laws and severe punishment for wrongdoing, without discrimination, to manipulate human desires and align them with the needs of the state. Here is a short excerpt from the Writings of Master Han Fei, translated by Burton Watson :

“THE RULER OF MEN HAS TWO WORRIES; if he employs only worthy men, then his ministers will use the appeal to worthiness as a means to intimidate him; on the other hand, if he promotes men in an arbitrary manner, then state affairs will be bungled and will never reach a successful conclusion. Hence, if the ruler shows a fondness for worth, his ministers will all strive to put a pleasing facade on their actions in order to satisfy his desires. In such a case, they will never show their true colors, and if they never show their true colors, then the ruler will have no way to distinguish the able from the worthless”. AS A RESULT, the inclination toward suspicion and the art of checks and balances, in Chinese culture, have grown to an …”

OF MINDS & MEN (IX)
ON UNIVERSAL HISTORY & THE CREATION OF ARISTOCRATIC MEN

“… extent that, if not unique, are at least exceptionally rare in the various civilizations of humanity.

Those who are interested in this regard might do well to look beyond the classics of the “Four Books and Five Classics” (Confucianist Canon) and explore traditional children’s mengxue works (蒙 学, Meng2 Xue2, a combination of nursery rhymes and textbooks) which often embody the genuine outlook on life and have a more widespread and palpable impact on society. The Confucian classics teach that the purpose of reading and governance is *to cultivate oneself *regulate one’s family *govern one’s state correctly *and the whole kingdom is made tranquil and happy. (from Daxue 大 学 Da4 Xue3, also known as The Great Learning, attributed to one of Confucius’ disciples, Zeng Shen 曾 参 (Zeng1 Shen1, 505-435 BCE). However, in Shen Tong Shi 神 童 诗 (Shen2 Tong2 Shi1, meaning Poem for Prodigies) of the mengxue tradition, the plain truth is expressed with phrases like : •• A thousand pounds of grains, referring to the rich salaries of high-ranking officials, emerge from the books •• A mansion of gold emerges from the book •• A jade-like bridge emerges from the book.

While the classics advocate the inherent goodness of human nature, the practical and honest wisdom in the mengxue work Zeng Guang Xian Wen 增 广 贤 文 (Zeng1 Guang3 Xian2 Wen2, meaning Augmented Edition of Wise Words) tells us ‘To know a face is plain to see, yet to know the heart is an elusive feat’, ‘Never let your guard decline’, ‘When meeting others, share just three in ten thoughts; keep your true self concealed, in the shadows caught’, ‘Cork your mouth and fortify your thoughts’, and offers proverbs such as ‘In mountains off stand upright trees, the world ne’er sees one upright man’, ‘Relationships are as brittle as paper’, ‘None escapes the tongues of shame, still none resists a word of blame’, Kind souls are oft exploited, like gentle steeds are ever heavy-weighted’, etc.”

For those wishing to read the whole piece by Professor Qin Hui and the historical comparisons on the governmental structures of the different Chinese Imperial dynasties : https://www.eastisread.com/p/how-china-takes-to-perfection-the

We see that Professor Qin Hui was addressing what I labeled in part one of this series as Mian Zi 面 子 (Mian4 Zi), the Face of the Lower Trigram and socially corresponding to being streetwise, at the third epistemological stage of the Magician or the Sophist.

There is nothing wrong being streetwise; on the contrary and wholly enjoying the sense-perceptions, the intellect and the psyche and being successful in life as long as your success has been obtained correctly; but let’s not be so foolish as to believe that being streetwise is the same as having achieved one’s epistemological growth.

And that is the biggest trap that a Magician or a Sophist can make to catch the naive persons not having been introduced to a Classical Education. I push as far as to say that a person, having lived all his life at the highest stage of the Animal Kingdom (the third stage out of the six levels of the epistemological growth) might die with the false impression that his life has been a fulfilled one. An absolute and abysmal human tragedy to be absolutely avoided !!!

Never forget that you have a deeper/higher Face, the one the Whole gave you before your parents were born, the one having the same structure as the Whole, made of the Timeless Forms of Beauty, Goodness, Truth and once activated, being Just, Valorous, Humane and Wise will be as natural and spontaneous for you as for the Sun to radiate light and warmth. I really wanted to show Qin Hui’s article because it is very well articulated at the intellectual level but abysmally lacking in Being, abysmally lacking in Beauty, Goodness, Truth, abysmally lacking in the PRESENCE of the Sun of the Absolute.

Funny fact, his given name, 晖 (Hui1) means ‘Sunshine’ …Well, let’s assume it’s the sunshine from the physical Sun, not the eternal radiance of the Sun of the Absolute.

Going to the top of the epistemological Journey will not prevent you being streetwise. A balanced human being is STREETWISE & WISE. He has his ETERNAL FACE & his TEMPORAL FACE. His Lower Trigram is integrated with the his Upper Trigram as in the Star of David, the Upward Pointing Triangle is intimately nested with the Downward Pointing Triangle, different symbols for the same total Reality : Being & Becoming, Time & Timelessness, Principles & Phenomena. And it is the Classical/Aristocratic/Timeless Education which bridges Being & Becoming, Timelessness & Time, Principles & Phenomena.

I repeat, because of the utmost importance of THE TRINITY, what I wrote at the first page of my disquisition.

BEING : epistemological OVERTURE : BECOMING

TEMPUS : KAIROS : CHRONOS

TIMELESSNESS (Timeless Forms) : CLASSICAL EDUCATION : TIME (Myths & Facts)

道/DAO4       :         势/SHI4           :           历 史/LI4 SHI3

And that is the vital nexus coupling the Classical/Aristocratic/Timeless Education to the complete and definitive cessation of History obstinately alternating between tragedies and farces (Might is Right) but rather resolutely racing to the end goal of Universal History : MIGHT SERVES RIGHT or POWER SERVING JUSTICE or THE LOWER TRIGRAM INTEGRATED WITH THE UPPER TRIGRAM.

From here to the end of the article, I will be guided by the Principles enunciated by Confucius (551-479 BCE) as transmitted by the text of the Analects.

I will try to shed some light on the paragraphs coming from the Analects which I think contribute most powerfully to the creation of the Junzi 君 子 (Jun1 Zi3, ‘the gentleman’) that Plato called the ‘aristocratic man’, motivated by justice, honor, glory, discovery, inventiveness, creativity, playful exploration. The English translation I offer here is the one by Professor Robert Eno. I took the liberty of changing some words occasionally. It’s essentially when he kept the Chinese word Tian 天 for ‘Heaven’, I decided to use ‘Heaven’. I followed him concerning ‘Junzi’ that I did not translate as ‘gentleman’.

I mention at the very beginning of this section the paragraph 2.4 of the Analects which is the Confucian expression for THE HEXAGRAM as the symbol for the epistemological growth I already explained. The first text on this topic comes from the Shi Yi 十 翼 (Shi2 Yi4) The Ten Wings, the epistemological appendix to THE FIRST CONFUCIAN CLASSIC, the I Ching 易 經 (Yi1 Jing1), The Book of Change.

PARAGRAPH 2.4 (There are 20 books composing the Analects; 2.4 means the fourth paragraph coming from the Second Book) :

The Master said : When I was fifteen I set my heart on LEARNING. At thirty I took my stand. At forty I was without confusion. At fifty I knew the command of Heaven. At fifty I heard it with a compliant ear. At seventy I follow the desires of my heart and do not overstep the bounds.

THE LOWER TRIGRAM (Lines 1-2-3; 1 being at the bottom)

This is the basic structure for the Chinese Tradition concerning the epistemological growth.

Symbolically, 15 years old corresponds to the first stage of the growth (senses-perceptions); 30 to the second stage (intellect:wording, imaging, conceptualizing); 40 to the third stage (psyche, an inchoate soul). Being without confusion means you’re streetwise,you know the game of the Animal Kingdom so metaphorically, you’re no more shackled within it but you’re still in it (the Cavern); MORE IMPORTANTLY, you begin to understand that there is an Upper Trigram, THAT THERE IS A TIMELESS REALITY. Will you answer to the call & make the needed efforts, even the sacrifices or will you join the plutocrats (the Kings of the Animal Kingdom) on the platform according to Plato’s metaphor in the Republic, manipulating the puppets thus projecting Shadows on the walls mesmerizing the people still chained & not able to move (metaphor for those living at the first and second stages)?

**TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION**

OF MINDS & MEN (X)
ON UNIVERSAL HISTORY & THE CREATION OF ARISTOCRATIC MEN

THE UPPER TRIGRAM (Lines 4-5-6; The top Line of the Hexagram being Line 6)

Symbolically, when at 50 years old you are capable to hear the will or the command of Heaven, it means that you are capable of A HIGHER TYPE OF LEARNING, not dominated by sense perceptions; not related to the concepts & the images; not related to the social skills.

You knowing the social game & being deft at it is not relevant here. Most of the Confucian scholars would not have rejected the 1936 book authored by Dale Carnegie (How to Win Friends and Influence People) but they will not assess it as the ultima ratio of the human understanding. The Confucian Tradition does not promote socially clumsy people, but it does not see being socially skillful & successful in life (stage 3 out of six) as the apex of the human adventure & the human endeavor.

At 60 years old (symbolically), you are capable to hear the will of Heaven without complaining, meaning you’re now attuned to that higher mode of learning, you’re at ease with it and it has spontaneously become a second nature. THAT FACE GIVEN TO YOU BY THE WHOLE BEFORE YOUR PARENTS WERE BORN IS FROM NOW ON YOUR NATURAL FACE, NOT THE FACE GIVEN TO YOU BY THE SOCIETY.

At 70 years old (symbolically), you can follow your desires without infringing the Universal Laws. Here, it is not easy to describe it, suffice it to say that at 60, you know that your true Face is not the one given to you by the Society, it is in the periphery & your true, real Face is at the center.

AT 70, ONLY YOUR TRUE FACE REMAINS, THE ONE THE WHOLE GAVE YOU BEFORE YOUR PARENTS WERE BORN.

THE CORE MESSAGE OF THE SCHOOL OF THE SCHOLARS (Ru Jia 儒 家 Ru2 Jia1, called “Confucianism” in the West) IS :

***THERE IS AN ETERNAL SOURCE (Heaven) being the Timeless Reality which is THE FOUNDATION of THE WHOLE. GO TO THE SOURCE (the epistemological Journey) & LIVE YOUR LIFE IN TIME TRULY ANCHORED TO THE TIMELESS SOURCE***

In a few words, it’s the constantly renewed invitation to be a 君 子 (Jun1 Zi3).

THE WHOLE is made of Time INTIMATELY INTERWOVEN with Timelessness.

THE WHOLE is made of Becoming INTEGRATED with Being.

THE WHOLE is made of material and localized Harmonic Proportions NESTED with immaterial and non-localized Harmonic Proportions.

THE WHOLE is made of phenomenal right Actions GUIDED by the Eternal Principles; it reflects the inseparability of true Knowledge & Virtuous Actions or the Unity of the Virtues.

A Classic Book is a map with theoretical Principles & practical advices offered for the epistemological Journey. The Chinese character for Classic is 經 (Jing1, traditional graph; not the simplified one, which is this one : 经).

On the left side, we have 糹, the radical for ‘silk’, symbolically the fabric of Life as manifested on the Phenomenal Dimension or Becoming (Time). On the right side, we have the character for ‘warp’, symbolically the Reality of Being (Timelessness).

Time & Timelessness.

Becoming & Being.

Let’s develop this metaphor using the weaving technique. The lengthwise or longitudinal WARP yarns are held stationary in tension on a frame or loom while the horizontal WEFT (also written ‘woof’) is drawn through and inserted over and under the warp. The WARP is the Eternal Source being the Timeless engine, the true Cause at the level of Principles (D.E.B.B.I.E : D.ynamic E.ternal B.eing B.ooming I.n E.ntelechy); it is the Vertical Dimension, like the loom, it is stationary meaning OUTSIDE OF TIME, outside of Becoming but dynamic because it’s the Eternal ENGINE and STRUCTURING FRAME for the WEFT, the Horizontal Dimension or the Time Dimension, to be INTIMATELY INTERWOVEN with it. The WEFT (LIFE IN TIME) is guided by the stationary vertical structure of the WARP set on the loom (ETERNAL LIFE, outside of Time).

The 3 chevrons seen in the upper right component of 經 denote the 3 Timeless Forms, from left to right, of 道 (DAO4) for TRUTH, of 仁 (REN2) for GOODNESS, of 义 (Yi4) for BEAUTY. With proper self-cultivation & appropriate guidance from the right role models, those 3 Timeless Forms are expressed on the Phenomenal Dimension as the 4 Cardinal Virtues : Wisdom for TRUTH, Valor & Humanity for GOODNESS, inner sense of Justice for BEAUTY.

PARAGRAPH 15.21

The Master said, The Junzi seeks it in himself; the small man seeks it in others.

THIS SHORT SAYING IS VERY HIGH AMONG MY FAVORITE ONES.  A BLAZING & RADICAL INVITATION TO PERSONAL SOVEREIGNTY. And How to be a Sovereign ?

By achieving the epistemological Journey. The small man is the skillful sophist/magician (the fake timocratic man), the brutal plutocratic man or the dumb democratic man. Those people will ingratiate themselves with others for getting what they want and provoking all kinds of entanglements locally and globally; 99% of the woes undergone in this World come from their unconscious and disorderly behavior.

Paragraph 15.21 is the central panel of a philosophical triptych. On the left panel are 15.19 & 15.20. On the right panel are 15.22 & 15.23. The central panel is a terse statement inviting to the epistemological growth (the Cause) and not loitering in the Animal Kingdom. The other 4 statements showcase some effects coming from the Cause.

PARAGRAPHS 15.19 & 15.20

The Master said, The Junzi blames himself for lacking ability; he does not blame others for not recognizing him.

The Master said, The Junzi is apprehensive that he may leave the World without his name remaining praised there.

PARAGRAPHS 15.22 & 15.23

The Master said, The Junzi bears himself with dignity but does not contend; he joins with others, but does not become a partisan.

The Master said, The Junzi does not raise up a man because of his words, and does not discard words because of the man.

PARAGRAPHS 2.1, 2.2, 2.3; also about the effects coming from the Cause.

The Master said: When one rules by means of virtue it is like the North Star – it dwells in its place and the other stars pay reverence to it.

The Master said: There are 300 songs in the Book of Poems, yet one phrase covers them all: Thoughts unswerving.

The Master said: Guide them with policies and align them with punishments and the people will evade them and have no shame. Guide them with virtue and align them with  礼 (Li3: Rituals well understood and being a second nature) and people will not be shameless and fulfill their roles.

PARAGRAPHS 6.30 & 12.1,15.24, 14.34

PARAGRAPH 6.30 The Golden Rule

Zigong said: If one were to bring broad benefits to the people and be able to aid the multitudes, what would you say about him ? Could you call him 仁 (Ren2, incarnating Perfect Humanity) ?
The Master said: Why would you call this a matter of 仁 ? Surely, this would be a sage ! Yao and Shun themselves would fall short of this. The 仁 person is one who, wishing himself to be settled in position to have access to the powerful, achieves access for others. To be able to proceed by analogy from what lies nearest by, that may be termed the formula for 仁.

In other words, do unto others what you wish to be done to you.

PARAGRAPH 12.1

NOW THE CLEAREST DEFINITION GIVEN BY THE ANALECTS ON THE TIMELESS FORM AT THE CENTER OF CONFUCIANISM, the leitmotiv of the School of the Scholars: Ren 仁 (Ren2); my suggested translation is Perfect Humanity, also the Timeless Form of Goodness, corresponding to the Cardinal Virtues of Humanity/Moderation & Valor.

Let’s not forget that Valor is not only physical courage or seeing in oneself without any trace of self-deception (already a truly immense faculty) but also going to the exploration of the inner Cosmos and the outer Universe. That is the banner and the inner engine of the Junzi 君 子, the aristocratic man whose life is full of playful exploration, motivated by justice, honor, glory and driven by discovery, inventiveness and creativity. The type of man who will contribute to the utter acceleration toward the end goal of …

OF MINDS & MEN (XI)
ON UNIVERSAL HISTORY & THE CREATION OF THE ARISTOCRATIC MAN

… Universal History : from MIGHT IS RIGHT to MIGHT SERVES RIGHT.

Before going to paragraph 12.1, I want to state again that 礼 (Li3) translated usually as ‘Rituals’, when comprehensively grasped, is the appropriate behavior in a specific existential situation because of the right inner understanding coming from the achieved or advanced epistemological endeavor in a given human being.

PARAGRAPH 12.1

Yan Yuan asked about 仁 (Ren2).
The Master said: CONQUER YOURSELF & RETURN TO 礼 (Li3) : THAT IS REN.
If a person could conquer himself and return to 礼 for a single day, the World would respond to him with 仁. Being 仁 proceeds from oneself, how could it come from others ?
Yan Yuan said: May I ask for details of this ?
The Master said: If it is not 礼, don’t look at it; if it is not 礼, don’t listen to it; if it is not 礼, don’t say it; if it is not 礼, don’t do it.
Yan Yuan said: Although I am not quick, I ask to apply myself to this.

It is obvious for me that ‘Conquer yourself’ refers to the epistemological Journey, to the different types of learning. Learning information, learning skills including social skills, but the ultimate in learning is Being intimately woven with Becoming. Being eternally, unwaveringly Present through the Time flow of Becoming.

This paragraph is special because all the other numerous attempts to define 仁 in the Analects are epistemologically complex, even conceptually contradictory and frankly, voluntarily multi-directional allowing a rich discussion on the central theme of the School of the Scholars. Not a bad attitude for sure but here Confucius offers a short and surgical statement, as if winking to the people of the future generations, at least to those who read the whole ANALECTS attentively & capable of appreciating his tongue in cheek humor …

PARAGRAPH 15.24 The Silver Rule

Zigong asked: Is there a single saying that one may put into practice all one’s life ?
The Master said: That would be ‘reciprocity’: That which you do not desire, do not do to others.

PARAGRAPH 14.34 The Bronze Rule or the Common Sense Rule

Someone said: To employ virtue to repay resentment, how would that be ?
The Master said: What, then, would you employ to repay virtue ? Employ straightforwardness to repay resentment; employ virtue to repay virtue.

PARAGRAPH 9.29

The Master said: The wise are not confused, the 仁 (Ren2) are not beset with cares, the  valorous are not fearful.

For the attentive readers of the whole Analects & of the epistemological appendix of the I Ching, the Ten Wings 十 翼 (Shi2 Yi4) , this paragraph is about The Upper Trigram, Lines 6-5-4 (Truth : Goodness : Beauty in Timelessness. Wisdom : Valor & Humanity : Justice in Time).

Wisdom 智 (Zhi4) is 知 (Zhi1), the intellect made with an arrow (left component of 知), meaning physical skills combined with a mouth (right component of 知, the small rectangle), meaning verbal and conceptual skills AND enlightened with the 日 Sun of the Absolute as the Foundation, R.I.G.P.A. : R.eal I.nner G.rounded unwavering P.ure A.wareness. IN ONE WORD, BEING. That something that remains unchanged and always present through all the bodily, emotional and conceptual experiences of our life in Time. That something is the Presence of Timelessness (RIGPA) in our life in Time. Someone living with R.I.G.P.A. at the center of his life in Time can never be confused.

As already discussed, 仁 (Ren2) is ‘to conquer yourself & return to 礼 (Li3)’. Someone having conquered himself, meaning deeply seeing into the dark recesses of “his” PERSONALITY given to him by the Society and having developed his INDIVIDUALITY (doing his things, so to speak) and then reached to the Sun of the Absolute or BEING is simply not beset with cares because those anxieties come from the past memories having crystallized, those crystallized memories (good & bad) make the Personality [Per Sona : by (Per) all the inner ‘Sona’ meaning sounds/voices (memories) coming from the others, the social masks].

‘Fearful’ here is not the natural fear when in presence of a potentially lethal clear danger. ‘Fearful’ here is cravenness, lack of determination for doing what is right because the Timeless Form of Beauty has not been kindled thus there is no inner sense of Justice in Time. For those having Beauty, they are naturally not fearful.

PARAGRAPH 14.12

This paragraph is the twin of 9.29 but expressed with more words and offering apparently an easier alternative but is it really a lower alternative  or it’s yet another illustration of Confucius’s particular sense of humor ?…

“Zilu asked about the complete man.
The Master said: If he were as wise as Zang Wuzhong, as free of desire as Gongchuo, as valorous as Zhuangzi of Bian, as accomplished in the arts as Ran Qiu, and patterned
with 礼 (Li3) and music besides, then he maybe called a complete man.
He added: But for someone to be deemedva complete man nowadays, what need does he have for all this ? If, seeing profit, his thoughts turn to what is right, and, seeing danger, he is ready to risk his life, and if he can long endure hardship without forgetting the teachings that have guided his ordinary life, he may indeed be deemed a complete man.”

PARAGRAPH 14.42

Zilu asked about the Junzi 君 子.
The Master said: Cultivate in yourself respectful attentiveness.
Zilu: Is that all there is to it ?
The Master: Cultivate yourself to bring comfort to others.
Zilu: Is that all there is to it ?
The Master: Cultivate yourself to bring comfort to the people. Cultivating oneself to bring comfort to the people, even Yao and Shun themselves would fall short of that.”

Yao & Shun were sages having lived practically 2000 years before Confucius (551-479 BCE). They were exemplars of perfect virtue.

This paragraph is about the great foundation of the epistemological Journey as expressed by the 3 Guiding Principles in the Great Learning 大 学 (Da4 Xue2) written by Zeng Shen 曾 参 (Zeng1 Shen1, 505-435 BCE), a direct student of Confucius :

1- MAKE YOUR INNER VIRTUE BRIGHT.

Same meaning when Confucius said : Cultivate in yourself respectful attentiveness. That respectful attentiveness is the INNER VIRTUE or what I call, driven by my idiosyncratic proclivity for coining acronyms, RIGPA, The Real Inner Grounded unwavering Pure Awareness.

In a nutshell: Cultivate yourself. The 8 steps from the Great Learning :

A. Put order in your affairs (practical organisation of a healthy life)
B. Extend your knowledge & understanding
C. Are you really sincere about your intention going on the epistemological Journey ?
D. Ready to balance your Mind ? The six layers of the Mind present and in Harmony
E. Cultivate yourself (This step is simply a statement summarizing A to D)

F to H are the 3 circles of relations where you can practice your Mind and Self-Cultivation

F. Put order to your family
G. Assist in the governance of the State
H. Bring peace to the World.

2- RENEW PEOPLE

    Cultivate yourself to bring comfort to others
            Put order in your family.
    Cultivate yourself to bring comfort to the people. This circle includes everyone.
            Assist in the governance of the State
            Bring peace to the World

3- ABIDE IN THE HIGHEST GOOD

    Live your life driven by the highest aspirations and abiding in the highest SELF-IMAGE, a DIVINE SELF-IMAGE. As Socrates (469-399 BCE), before dying, reminded kindly all of us at the end of the Phaedo : Take care of your SELF.

     Confucius’ (551-479 BCE) words are : Cultivate your SELF. Cultivate your SELF to bring comfort to others. Cultivate your SELF to bring comfort to the people, even Yao 尧 Yao2 (2324-2255 BCE) and Shun 舜 Shun4 (2294-2184 BCE) themselves would fall short of that.

Above has been explained the endeavor of the aspiring Junzi 君 子, the aspiring aristocratic man.                                             

OF MINDS & MEN (XII)
ON UNIVERSAL HISTORY & THE CREATION OF ARISTOCRATIC MEN

PARAGRAPH 15.7

The Master said: How straight Shiyu is. When the Dao 道 (Dao4) prevails in the state, he is like an arrow; when the 道 does not prevail, he is like an arrow. A Junzi 君 子 !
With Qu Boyu, when the 道 prevails in the state, he serves; when the 道 does not prevail, he can roll it into a ball and hide it by his heart.

Some gentlemen keep the same public behavior even at the risk of losing their life when the 道 does not prevail in the state. It’s Shiyu’s case. But other gentlemen might choose not to be anymore involved, for the time being, when the 道 does not prevail in the state. It’s Qu Boyu’s case. Let’s keep our minds open to different individual choices.

PARAGRAPH 15.8

The Master said: To fail to speak with someone whom it is worthwhile to speak with is to waste that person. To speak with someone whom it is not worthwhile to speak with is to waste words. The wise man wastes neither people nor words.

No comment needed.

PARAGRAPH 15.9

The Master said: The gentleman who is resolute and Ren 仁 (Ren2) does not seek to live on at the expense of 仁, and there are times when he will sacrifice his life to complete 仁.

Ren: Timeless Form of Goodness, it means that at this fifth stage, The Timeless Form of Beauty (fourth stage) is also present. Cardinal Virtues of Valor/Enthusiasm & Moderation/Humanity, also inner sense of Justice : the inner engines of the aristocratic man.

PARAGRAPH 15.10

Zigong asked about Ren 仁 (Ren2).
The Master said: The craftsman who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. When you dwell in a state, serve those of its grandees who are worthy men, befriend those befriend those of its gentlemen who are 仁.

This paragraph definitely stresses the vital importance of the right role models in our life.

PARAGRAPH 2.12

The Master said: The Junzi 君 子 (Jun1 Zi3) is not a vessel.

The Junzi is not a tool. He has learned some skills obviously but his reality is the Face the Whole gave him before his parents were born. HIS REALITY IS BEING, NOT UTILITARIAN, even if he might be sometimes, in certain circumstances, be useful and willing to be helpful.

PARAGRAPH 14.39

The Master was striking stone chimes in 衛 Wey (Wey4).
A man passed by his gate, shouldering baskets hung from a pole. He said : What heart there is in the playing of these chimes !
Then he said: How uncouth, this clanking ! If none recognize you, then simply give up.
*When it’s deep, you wade straight through; when it’s shallow, you lift your skirts*
The Master said: Is it really so ? There’s nothing hard in that.

A first layer of interpretation would propose that Confucius said to the man essentially the following : it’s in my nature to keep on; there’s nothing hard in that. It’s not entirely wrong to think so but there is a deeper reading of the vignette.

The passer, in a nutshell, told Confucius to relinquish his aspirations. He suggested to Master Kong that if the society does not acknowledge him, just be relaxed with that, don’t be sad and just go with the flow. The ditty in the paragraph 14.39 is just perfect for conveying that mentality : “WHEN IT’S DEEP, YOU WADE STRAIGHT THROUGH, WHEN IT’S SHALLOW, YOU LIFT YOUR SKIRTS”, meaning you will get wet anyway because the waters are deep or when it’s shallow, you have the option to lift your skirts. So go with the very down-to-earth reality; don’t fight either to be completely uplifted  epistemologically or translating that Mind epistemological lifelong endeavor into lasting politico-socio-economic transformations. Just be clever enough or streetsmart enough to look for the signs of the times or the zeitgeist and go with them.

This sketch evokes uncannily the metaphor of the platform Plato used in his dialogue ‘The Republic’ showcasing the moment of our personal adventure, when we are unshackled within the Animal Kingdom (stage 3 of the epistemological development) and invited by the plutocrats (stage 2 of the epistemological growth) to join them on the platform playing with the puppets creating Shadows on the Wall for mesmerizing the democratic men still shackled to the senses-perceptions. What is understood as Daoism (pronounced Taoism, the pin-yin transliteration system is not friendly-user for the Westerners because it’s not based on the phonetic values they’re used to; one needs to learn the new phonetic values of the pin-yin system, eg D=T) in the West is basically expressed by the aforementioned ditty. In any time, for any average person, epistemologically speaking, living anywhere in the World, , it’s tantamount to an invitation to laziness, flippancy, irresponsibility and mediocrity.

With that background, Confucius’ reply is much more valuable, even heroic.
Confucius said: IS IT REALLY SO ? THERE’S NOTHING HARD IN THAT.

There is nothing valuable to stay ONLY in the Animal Kingdom (The Lower Trigram) and not making the needed efforts and even sacrifices, to go to the Timeless Reality (The Upper Trigram). Confucius invited everyone to go deeper notwithstanding social success or social failure. That’s not the criterion. THE CRITERION is true Self- knowledge, SELF-Knowledge. REMEMBERING UNWAVERINGLY THAT YOUR TRUE FACE IS THE FACE GIVEN TO YOU BY THE WHOLE BEFORE YOUR PARENTS WERE BORN. REMEMBERING YOUR ORIGINAL FACE, YOUR FACE FROM THE SOURCE, FROM THE TIMELESS REALITY.

Confucius (551-479 BCE) : Cultivate your SELF (Analects).
Socrates (469-399 BCE) : Take care of your SELF (Phaedo).

For the last section of my piece, I will simply write down nine paragraphs having more to do with socio-political considerations, thus ending logically my disquisition on the axio-epistemo-political endeavor, A NOETIC MACHINE HAVING ITS ENGINES IN THE CLASSICAL EDUCATION FOR CREATING ARISTOCRATIC MEN, whom PRESENCE is the absolutely vital ingredient for establishing The Everlasting Civilization, within which Might serves Right and Justice is intimately nested with Power.

PARAGRAPH 9.24

The Master said: Exemplary sayings, can one fail to follow them ? YET IT IS ADAPTING THEM THAT IS IMPORTANT. Lessons of obedience: can one fail to approve them with pleasure ? YET IT IS APPLYING THEM TO FIT THAT IS IMPORTANT. Those who approve without fitting and follow without adapting, I can do nothing with such people.

PARAGRAPH 13.3 正 名 : Zheng Ming (Zheng4 Ming2) : Rectification of Names.

Zilu said: If the ruler of 衛 Wey were to entrust you with GOVERNANCE of his state, what would be your FIRST PRIORITY ?
The Master said: Most certainly, IT WOULD BE TO RECTIFY NAMES.
Zilu said: Is that so ? How strange of you ! How would this set things right ?
The Master said: What a boor you are, 由 (You2) ! [由 was his given name. Zilu his aristocratic name used in society]. A Junzi 君 子 keeps silence about things he doesn’t understand. If names are not right then speech does not accord with things; if speech does not accord with things, then affairs cannot be successful; when affairs are not successful, 礼 (Li3) and music do not flourish; when 礼 (Li3) and music do not flourish, the sanctions and punishments miss their mark; when sanctions and punishments miss their mark, the people have no place to set their hands and feet. Therefore, when a Junaid 君 子 gives things names, they may be properly spoken of, and what is said may be properly enacted. WITH REGARD TO SPEECH, THE JUNZI 君 子 PERMITS NO CARELESSNESS.

PARAGRAPH 13.3   Harmony, not conformity

The Master said: The Junzi 君 子 acts in harmony with others but does not seek to be like them; the small man seeks to be like others and does not act in harmony.

君 子 和 而 不 同: Jun1 Zi3 He2 Er2 Bu4 Tong2.
The gentleman interacts harmoniously with all but does not conform.

PARAGRAPH 14.23

The Master said: The Junzi 君 子 gets through to what is exalted; the small man gets through to what is base.

To “get through” can be understood as ‘to master a topic, a skill’ but also ‘to gain access to power holders’.

OF MINDS & MEN (XIII)
ON UNIVERSAL HISTORY & THE CREATION OF ARISTOCRATIC MEN

PARAGRAPH 14.31

The Master said: Without anticipating that others are being deceptive, WITHOUT GUESSING that they will not keep faith, YET TO SENSE THESE THINGS IN ADVANCE, is that not what being worthy 贤 (Xian2) is about ?

PARAGRAPH 9.4

The Master forbade four things : One must not act on guesses, one must not demand absolute certainty, one must not be stubborn, one must not insist on oneself.

The capacity of living with an unpredictable environment and not going down the primrose path of wild guesses just to placate our Mind but staying with a balanced rationality, reassessing constantly the situation & considering new factors, is certainly a major quality. The major quality of seeing uncertainties as such and not imposing on them a fake explanation or a favorable interpretation not buttressed by facts.

PARAGRAPH 11.12

Zilu asked about serving the spirits.
The Master said: While you are yet not able to serve men, how could you be able to serve the spirits?
Zilu: May I ask about death?
Master Kong: When you do not yet understand life, how could you understand death ?

PARAGRAPH 20.2

Zizhang asked Confucius: What must a man be like before he may participate in governance ?

Confucius said: If he honors the five beautiful things and casts out the four evils, then he may participate in governance.

Zizhang said: What are the five beautiful things ?

The Master said: The Junzi 君 子 is generous but not wasteful, a taskmaster of whom none complain, desirous but not greedy, dignified but not arrogant, awe-inspiring but not fearsome.

Zizhang said: What do you mean by generous but not wasteful ?

The Master said: To reward people with that which benefits them, is that not to be GENEROUS BUT NOT WASTEFUL ? To pick a task that people can fulfill and set them to it, is that not to BE A TASKMASTER OF WHOM NONE COMPLAIN ? IF ONE DESIRES REN 仁 (Ren2) AND OBTAINS IT, WHEREIN IS HE GREEDY ? If he never dares to be unmannerly, regardless of whether with many or a few, with the great or the small, is that not to BE DIGNIFIED BUT NOT ARROGANT ? When the Junzi sets his cap and robes right, and makes his gaze reverent, such that people stare up at him in awe, is this not, indeed, to BE AWE-INSPIRING BUT NOT FEARSOME ?

Zizhang said: What are the four evils ?

The Master said: To execute people without having given them instruction is called CRUELTY; to inspect their work without warning is called OPPRESSIVENESS; to demand timely completion while having been slow in giving orders is called THIEVERY; to dole out stingily what must be given is called CLERKISHNESS.

Ren 仁 (Ren2) is the central Idea of Confucianism having been playfully explored in many passages of the Analects. One possible, not comprehensive naturally, ‘operational definition’ for 仁 and implicit in my favorite English translation for 仁, Perfect Humanity, is the following : Perfect Humanity will be unveiled in real human interactions when you’re capable, in a group, to intuitively sense the needs, the desires, the aspirations, the skills but also the character defects and weaknesses (in 3 words, the epistemological stage) of each member of the group and how to gather, combine them together to the satisfaction of all or almost all, for the common endeavor. So Ren has a lot to do with leadership qualities even if this practical understanding does not exhaust the full meaning of 仁.

What Confucius calls THE FIVE BEAUTIFUL THINGS and THE FOUR EVILS represent his ‘operational or relational definition’ for 仁. Etymologically, the graph is made of the radical for ‘human being’ on the left & ‘two’ on the right, SO REN 仁 IS ESSENTIALLY ABOUT HUMAN & HUMANE RELATIONS.

In the last paragraph (PARAGRAPH 20.3). the Master said:

“If you do not know your destiny, you cannot be a Junzi 君 子. If you don’t know 礼 (Li3), you cannot take your stand. If you don’t interpret people’s words, you cannot interpret people.”

Ending my article with the last paragraph of the Analects is simply natural.

Destiny here is 天 命 (Tian1 Ming4), often rightly understood politically as The Mandate of Heaven. Epistemologically, it’s the Will of Heaven, The Command of Heaven. The Will of Heaven, that you begin to hear clearly at the symbolic age of 50 (the fourth stage of the epistemological growth), is that you REMEMBER YOURSELF TOTALLY, that you remember the six layers of your Mind as symbolized by the Hexagram. At 40 (symbolically the third stage of epistemological growth & the highest of the Animal Kingdom), you also hear the Will of Heaven but in an inchoate manner, not as clearly as at 50. But it’s enough for you TO BE NO MORE CONFUSED. Socially, you know the game, you’re no more shackled within the Animal Kingdom (the Lower Trigram) but are you ready for the Cosmic Game ? For the Timeless Reality ? (The Upper Trigram).

Will 礼 (Li3), your socially adequate behavior when interaction with others, be an imitation or the spontaneous shining forth of your inner Reality fully developed, a natural expression of your Being ?

When you interpret people’s words, is it for ensnaring them & manipulating them or for trying to understand them and yourself, your SELF ?

*** TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION ***