China’s Excellent Tradition and Integrity Culture

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The traditional virtues formed by the Chinese nation in its own development process are deeply embedded in the great national spirit of unity and unity, peace-loving, diligence, courage, and self-improvement with patriotism as the core. Today, our country has entered a new stage of development in building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and accelerating socialist modernization. We should follow the important thought of "Three Represents" as a guide, implement the spirit of the 16th National Congress of the Party, and regard carrying forward and cultivating the national spirit as a socialist The extremely important task of building advanced culture is integrated into the entire process of national education. Traditional Chinese virtues have the quality of being everlasting and everlasting, and are an inexhaustible resource for moral education. The hope of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation rests on the Chinese youth who are facing modernization, the world and the future. [i] To build a clean government, we must have institutional guarantees and cultural guarantees. To talk about a clean government, we must talk about a clean government culture. China's excellent cultural tradition is an important part of world culture and a precious ideological treasure house that can provide sufficient ideological resource support for China's clean government culture. This article discusses how to absorb the essence of Chinese tradition to promote the construction of China's clean government culture, and believes that the discussions about "aspiration", "fear" and "knowing shame" in China's excellent traditions are directly related to the current construction of a clean government culture.

1. Aspiration is "determination"

To establish a clean government, we should advocate "determination", which means "will". We do not advocate voluntarism, nor do we advocate spiritual determinism. However, human actions are always determined by will. Will will not arise out of thin air. Once will is established, it will become the direction and motivation for action. There are lofty and mediocre wills. If you have a lofty will, you will have a clear goal in life and stay away from the traps of corruption and depravity. Will is also a kind of "concern" about what you put in your heart, and it becomes the dividing line between high and low will.

Mao Zedong said: "I recalled one time at a young man's home. The young man talked about buying meat. He called my servant in front of me and discussed with the servant for a long time how to buy meat. I asked him to buy a small piece of meat. I felt very uneasy and stopped seeing this young man. My friends and I were only happy to talk about big things - the nature of Chinese people and human beings. Society, the world, and the universe.” [ii] In Mao Zedong’s view, people who care about “human nature and human society, the world, and the universe” have lofty wills and can deal with major issues, but only care about personal material life. Putting it first in pursuit of life, such a person is not even qualified to be a friend.

It cannot be said that Mao Zedong was not influenced by traditional Chinese culture. He had read Confucius's books since he was a child and admired Zeng Guofan. He believed in a theory, the "original theory of will", in which will and spirit are in a relationship of opposites and identity. On the one hand, matter determines spirit; on the other hand, once spirit is determined, it will in turn promote the development and change of things, affecting life and life. Work and action become the source of strength. Without will, people become cartilaginous animals, losing direction and motivation.

Confucius said: "A scholar who aspires to the Tao, but is ashamed of those who wear bad clothes and eat badly is not worthy of discussion." This is what Confucius said to his student Zeng Shen. A scholar should regard observing and promoting morality as his ambition and goal. If he does not do this, he will always feel ashamed that he cannot wear fashionable and bright clothes or eat delicacies. This person is not worthy of discussing issues with him, and he is probably not qualified to be a friend. Neither. Considering Confucius's words and Mao Zedong's memories, can we say: Mao Zedong was indeed influenced by Confucius on the issue of determination?

The "Biography of Guo Moruo" contains the following record: Ye Ting, who was illegally arrested during the "Southern Anhui Incident" in 1946, was released from prison and was imprisoned for five years and two months. That night, Mo Ruo went to Hongyan Village to visit Ye Ting. The two hugged each other warmly, laughing and crying.

Ye Ting's first sentence was: "Mo Ruo, remember, three armies can seize the commander, but an ordinary man cannot seize the will!". These are Ye Ting's two favorite sentences. When he first became the commander of the New Fourth Army, Guo Moruo lived with him in Taihe Street, Hankou. At his request, he wrote these two sentences into a central hall. "Three armies can seize the commander, but a single man cannot seize the will." This sentence comes from Confucius's "The Analects".

To be determined, you need to be "clearly determined". The ambition of Confucianism is to be "a sage within and king outside". China has not had its own main religion since ancient times, but Confucianism has a religious-like significance. The inner saint is to strengthen self-cultivation, establish an ideal state, and sharpen a strong will; the outer king is to serve the society, manage the country, and govern the society. [iii] In traditional Chinese culture, there is a saying of “cultivating Qi and bringing peace”, which refers to cultivating one’s character, regulating one’s family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world. Civil servants in our country are not saints. They should always keep themselves clean and serve the country. "The law lies above, and the attainment lies within." Only when the ambition is set high, the temptation to be corrupted can be strengthened. Even if you don't have the ambition to be a "sage", you still have to follow the basic principles of a gentleman. "If you are powerful, you can benefit the world; if you are poor, you can only benefit yourself." The situation today is that we do not wait until we are "poor" before we can take care of ourselves, but when we are "advanced" we neither "take care of the whole world" nor "take care of ourselves alone." There is a saying: "If you become a good person in your later years, the fireworks of your life will be fine; if you lose your integrity in the old age, the poverty of half your life will be nothing." Even if you have many shortcomings in your life, it is always advisable to correct your mistakes in your later years. Some people lose their due integrity when they reach old age, and half a lifetime of hard work pays for it. Eastward flow. [iv] Tradition tells us that protecting the Wanjie is the basic determination, and the completeness of the Wanjie is the "bottom line" requirement.

How can we be determined? An ancient Chinese proverb says: “Without indifference, one cannot achieve clear aspirations; without tranquility, one cannot reach far.” The so-called indifferent means simplicity and simplicity, with less selfish desires. In this way, the selfish heart no longer burns like a flame, rolls like waves, or is as hot as drunkenness, but is wiped clean like a mirror and settled and transparent like water in a pool. At this time, lofty and pure aspirations will naturally emerge, and dominate the original wandering and endless. The heart of the Lord. Fang Zhimin wrote in the article "Poverty": "Poverty, a clean and simple life, is where we revolutionaries can overcome many difficulties." In today's market economy, it is even more important to endure poverty when doing business. Fang Zhimin's life is the best footnote to China's excellent traditions. History tells us that without desire there is strength. Hu Changqing and Cheng Kejie, as typical corrupt elements, are greedy, arrogant and extravagant. They use power as a tool to pursue pleasure and personal gain, and trade in power and sex, resulting in serious losses of national property. Zhou Xuehua, a "rich man" who was "like brothers" with Hu Changqing, said when explaining their criminal "mindset": "I am a fisherman, and I caught Hu Changqing, who has the status of deputy governor. But sometimes I think, I He is also a greedy fish. Isn’t it because of his power that he stole my money?” [v][4] This passage is worth pondering over and over again.

Wang Yangming was a Chinese thinker of the Ming Dynasty who carried forward Confucius' thoughts and left an important book "Chuan Xi Lu" to future generations. Wang Yangming advocated "conscience, leading to conscience, and the unity of knowledge and action" throughout his life. He said that everyone has a conscience. This kind of conscience is innate. Later, when it is blinded by selfish desires, the human heart will become worse day by day. He advocates that in life, we should constantly clear away the acquired spiritual garbage, and through the unity of knowledge and action, we can reach the state of "conscience" - the restoration and re-glow of conscience. "Supreme conscience" is a lofty state of mind and lofty ambitions. It is also a process and an ideological milestone of determination.

Wang Yangming said: When you are determined, you must "take it easy". A person should always be pure of heart and have few desires, and remain unmoved. This is the best state of the human heart. However, many times, people's hearts are restless and impetuous. They are tempted by the temptations of sensual dogs and horses, chasing things here and there without knowing where they are going. The human heart is no longer a beautiful "conscience", but has become a crazy "animal", exiled in the world of fame and fortune. Therefore, Wang Yangming said: Once the chickens and ducks are released, they have to be taken back, not to mention their own hearts! Wang Yangming's ideas are still useful today, because the consciences of some of our officials really don't know where they have gone, just like chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep that have been let out. It is difficult to take them back, and they don't want to take them back.

"The Analects of Confucius·Xueer" contains: "I say, examine yourself three times. Are you unfaithful in your plans for others? Do you not believe in your friends when you make friends? Do you not make a habit of passing on?" This means that a person must cultivate The habit of "I say three times to examine myself" is to reflect on your behavior every day, check your style, discover shortcomings and mistakes in a timely manner, correct them if they are present, encourage others if they are not, take precautions, and nip problems in the bud.

In short, there are many issues to discuss on the issue of determination. What is ambition? How to make a determination? To answer these questions, China's excellent cultural traditions are a valuable treasure trove of resources. If this treasure house is not used, it is a "waste of resources."

2. The philosophy of fear

To conduct honest government and reject corruption, there should be the word "fear" in our hearts. Now let’s talk about the philosophy of “fear”. This is also a question repeatedly mentioned in Chinese traditional culture. The education we originally received is "Don't be afraid of the sky, don't be afraid of the earth", "Be fearless", and "How bold a person is, how much he can produce". Overall, fearless. However, can we really be "fearless" in this world? Neither.

From a religious perspective, there are three religious areas in the world, namely the Christian area, the Buddhist area and the Islamic area. To establish a religion is to establish something worthy of fear, to make you fear it, and to use this to maintain the order of society and people's hearts. Therefore, Westerners are afraid of God and fear of going to hell after death. People who believe in Buddhism are afraid of Tathagata Buddha and the retribution of life and death. Unlike the other two religions, Islam does not have idol worship. There are no idols in temples, which tells you that Allah is everywhere, has an invisible eye, and an invisible hand that controls your destiny and tells you what to do. There is a word for fear in everything. Communists do not believe in God. In the revolutionary era, they talked about "lawlessness" and were talking about the spirit of fearlessness. This was stipulated by the historical conditions at that time. However, to conquer the world immediately and rule the world immediately, when our party has become a ruling party, we must have the word "fear" in our hearts and the word "heaven". This heaven is not God, not Buddha, and not Allah. , is "people"!

Chen Yi has a poem that everyone knows. This poem has the following sentence: "Don't stretch out your hands. You say you are afraid of being caught but don't stretch out your hands. If you stretch out your hands, you will be caught. The party and the people are supervising, and it is difficult to escape under the gaze of thousands of people. You say you are afraid of being caught but don't stretch out your hands. The people are so close and their hands are so close." "Shrink." In fact, the word fear and fear are mentioned here. People's desires are unlimited, but they dare not reach out. They are afraid that "the party and the people are supervising" and that "it is difficult to escape under the gaze of all eyes."

Deng Xiaoping said in the article "Communist Party Members Must Accept Supervision": It is not good for Communist Party members, especially party members and cadres, to be cautious, and it is not good to be too courageous. They must be afraid of doing things. , be afraid of something and cannot be careless. Xiaoping's words have profound meaning and contain profound dialectics. This means that on the one hand, the Communist Party must not be afraid, but on the other hand, it must have the word "fear" in its heart. We say we are not afraid because we are in an era of reform and many things are encountered for the first time. This requires a fearless spirit, bold practice, and courage to move forward. The word "fear" refers to self-cultivation. Whenever you encounter personal gain or loss, you must think twice before acting, walking on thin ice, or facing an abyss. Always remember that one mistake will lead to eternal hatred. The fundamental difference is whether it is for public or private purposes. For a public character, the word "dare" should come first; for a private character, the word "caution" should be at the front. With such awareness, we can establish a clean party style and enable our cadres to walk by the river without getting their shoes wet. Confucius said: "Do what you want without going beyond the rules." Today, this rule is the party discipline and state law, the rules that regulate our actions. With this rule in mind, awe of it, and always thinking of "not going beyond the rules," you will gain greater spiritual freedom. [vi]

Fear is a philosophy, and this philosophy is what Chinese tradition reminds us. Confucius said: "A gentleman has three fears: fear of destiny, fear of great men, and fear of the words of sages."

Among these three fears, Confucius emphasized the fear of destiny. He spoke of destiny in many places. He said: "At fifty, you know the destiny of heaven" ("The Analects": "Wei Zheng").

This means that in your later years, when you are approaching retirement age, it is also the most dangerous time. At this time, you must walk on thin ice and keep the word "fear" and the word "discipline" in your heart.

Many corrupt officials have been sacked and embarked on a road of no return because they lacked the word fear in their hearts. At least the word "fear" did not exert the greatest deterrent force on him. The following is a psychological record of Cheng Kejie's death: "With Cheng Kejie's strong support, a piece of land was finally re-approved to Yinxing Company at a low price. One day not long after, when Zhou Kun handed over a bag of money When it was in Cheng Kejie's hands, Cheng Kejie was really shocked after opening the zipper. He instinctively pushed the money back. With money on my pillow, money on my feet, and money on my body, sleeping on the bed of money all night was really a 'money addiction', and not all money brings happiness. According to Li Ping's later confession: 'That night There's a sense of fear in going to bed'". However, neither Cheng Kejie's "shock" nor his mistress's "feeling of fear" allowed them to stand still on the road. For them there was only a moment's hesitation but the allure of money led them to the abyss of death. [viii]

The word "fear" leads to the word "jie", which also leads to the concept of "carefulness of independence". "Book of Rites: The Doctrine of the Mean" says: "The Tao cannot be separated even for a moment, but it is not the Tao. Therefore, a gentleman should be careful about what he does not see, and be afraid of what he does not hear. Do not see what is hidden, do not reveal what is subtle. Therefore, a gentleman should be cautious about his own actions."

Morality, like people's lives, cannot be separated from them for a moment. If this "morality" can be separated, it would not be moral justice. Therefore, when a gentleman finds the truth of his belief, he will cherish it as much as life. He will always use it as a guide to life and a criterion for action. He will always be afraid of violating it and be cautious and fearful. Here again we need to know what "not seeing" and "not hearing" mean. This means that meaning and truth, as a conscious thought, are sometimes invisible and inaudible, and are in a "hidden" and "subtle" state. However, this is the case. A gentleman must pay special attention to morality and truth, and must not be paralyzed in the slightest. In today's terms, people are often in two states. One state is when someone supervises and reminds you, knowing what can and cannot be done, what should be done, and what should not be done. It's easy to keep a clear mind at this time. However, there are also times when you are alone, leaving an environment of supervision and reminders. What should you do at this time? If morality and truth are neither obvious nor visible, and are in a "hidden" state, then it is all up to you. This is being cautious and independent. [ix][8]

3. Understanding Shame and Moral Construction

Not long after the founding of New China, Mao Zedong said in a conversation with one of his relatives: "Governing a country means governing officials with etiquette, justice and integrity. , the four dimensions of a country; if the four dimensions are not open, the country will not be a country. If all of the ministers are shameless, corrupt, and misbehaved, and the country has no way to govern them, then the world will be in chaos, and the people must treat Li Zicheng like this, ** The same is true for the Communist Party. When I killed Zhang Zishan and Liu Qingshan, I said that by killing them, we would save two hundred, two thousand, or twenty thousand people. We will never be corrupt to that extent. If anyone engages in corruption, I, Mao Zedong, will cut off his head. If I, Mao Zedong, are corrupt, the people will cut off my head, Mao Zedong." Revisiting Mao Zedong’s words makes it clear that the construction of a culture of clean government is closely related to the establishment of a culture of shame.

A scholar in the United States published a book on Japanese culture called "The Chrysanthemum and the Knife." In the book, she defines Western culture as a culture of sin, while Japanese culture is a culture of "shame". Westerners are particularly sensitive to sin. Christian culture teaches them that people are born with sin, and this is original sin. Later in life new sins were added. The accumulation of sin will lead a person to hell. However, in Japanese culture, the fear of shame far outweighs the fear of sin. As a kind of mental tension, shame severely restricts Japanese people's thinking and actions throughout their lives. The author also noticed when studying and living in Japan that when a Japanese commits a crime, what he bears unbearably is not the guilt caused by the crime, but the shame brought by the crime.

This is not to say that the above ideas are the only ones that support the construction of a clean government culture in Chinese cultural traditions. It is just that the author believes that these three ideas have a relatively direct relationship with the construction of a clean government culture. He will draw inferences from this practice until he has a deep understanding of China's excellent traditions. In the past hundred years, Chinese traditional culture has been unfairly treated as a remnant of feudalism, with too much criticism but not enough inheritance. What we have to do is to dig through the sand, renew and rebuild it, so that its excellent elements can be revived and prospered, and become useful materials for the building of socialist civilization. If we have such a new understanding of traditional culture, if we really feel that China's excellent traditional culture is really helpful to the construction of a clean government culture, then I believe that China's clean government culture and even China's new century new culture construction will open up a new situation.