Conduct and Work Capacity: Which is more Decisive ?
K.S.Chow
Introduction
Once I was browsing the international book advertisement column in a local daily in my country, the book entitled ‘Ten-point Conduct and 3-point Work Capacity’ (七分做人, 三分做人事) captivated my attention. It is obvious that the author opines that ‘The Way how one conducts or relates with others’ is more important than one’s work performance in determining success or achievement. The author is a Chinese nationality which I speculate to hail from mainland China as most of the books advertised are published in mainland China. That, a Chinese nationality conceives such a paradigm of philosophical thought of successful human engineering, is not at all amazing.
In fact, it is generally acknowledged by those successful Chinese entrepreneurs or corporate leaders that ‘Relationship’ (關係) is the cornerstone of any entrepreneuring or corporate attainment or harvest. This universal law of harvest accords with the vision of modern psychologists that EQ (Emotional Quotient) is more decisive than IQ (Intelligence Quotient) in determining any human harvest or attainment. The brain scientists also unveil their discoveries that left-brain function should be supported by right- brain function to maximize human capacity or performance. The left-brain function pertains to one’s level of IQ (Intelligence Quotient). The right- brain function is related to one’s level of EQ (Emotional Quotient). A unity of function of both left and right brains maximizes the performance capacity and harvest.
Chinese philosophy
Chinese Nationals as well as overseas Chinese in the China towns, scattered all over the worlds in America, Europe, South-east Asia, and Oceania are fundamentally endowed with the basis education of Confucian ethics and philosophy. They acquire the knowledge through their Chinese language study or mother-tonque education during their primary and secondary schools. That, overseas Chinese are dwelling courageously as local citizens or as permanent citizens in foreign soils are characterized by their determination and perseverance to defend their mother-tongue education mirrors the pragmatic value of their mother-tongue education. Nevertheless, their hard struggles in the foreign soils do not mirror their minds of chauvinism and insularity. It is not their ethnic struggle to protect their ethnicity. It is the love of pragmatic value of Chinese philosophy incorporated in their mother-tongue education which influences and conditions their incessant struggles for the wellbeing and economic security of their children. It is their crusade to protect their fundamental rights. The concurs with the spirit of universal declaration of human rights by United Nations on December 10, 1948. This is the crucial reason that the overseas Chinese are transacting well in the China towns in the west.
Human Rights
The most cherishing and dear dimension of life in the modern western civilization is that democracy and human rights are divine or sacred to the westerners. From the pantheistic paradigm, democracy and human rights are divine and should be righteously defended and protected. Even though I do not concur with the use of force in any manner, permit me to unveil one of the underlying motivating factors which condition United States’ military occupations in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan is the crusade to protect democracy and human rights in the politically troubled spots of the world. May I ask ? If the weak are bullied by the excessive power of the state, who are going to defend them ? The injustice must be overcome with justice.
Neo-Confucianism
The Chinese esteem the pragmatic value of their mother-tongue education in which the medium of instruction is Chinese language. Chinese education curriculum embodies rich elements or flavour of Chinese Confucianism or Neo-Confucianism, Taoist and Mahāyāna ethics and philosophy. These edifying values and penetrative insight or wisdom of Confucianism, Taoism and Mahāyāna Buddhism are incorporated in the Chinese educational system to develop and cultivate virtuous and wise individuals among the students. They learn these edifying, and discerning uplifting values as their survival living skills of cognition and affection. The ethical system and philosophy assist them to struggle and survive continuously and harmoniously in foreign lands.
The Chinese demonstrations or violences in conflict with foreign authorities in foreign lands are almost unheard of. Most beautifully, they have been contributing towards the economic development of the foreign lands where they are residing permanently. The principal Chinese philosophy emphasizes harmony: Harmony is foremost in human life. Their Chinese ethics and philosophical wisdom facilitate the path of their life struggle to earn their minimum, subsistence or affluent livelihood. Overseas Chinese survival skills are impacted and empowered by the spirit or wisdom of Neo-confucianism and Chinese Buddhism.
Neo-confucianism is crystallized from the syncretism between Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism by Confucian Scholar-elite Zhu Xi (1130-1200C.E). Neo-Confucianists are moral transcendentalists in the sense the Buddhist transcendental Wisdom of Perfection invigorates the system of ethics of an individual. Succinctly put, the morality is supported and strengthened by the element of Chan or Zen wisdom. The Chinese Classic of ‘Great Learning’(大學) advocates the ‘Penetrative insight of things or phenomena’(格物致知). This is synonymous with Buddhist tenet of unsurpassed supreme enlightenment (大徹大悟). Ethics can only be effectively be invigorated with religion.
Reciprocal Relationships
In addition to living skills for survival and honorable living, traditional Chinese families love Confucian system of ethics because of the strong flavour or element of deontological ethics. Deontological ethics pertain to the self-cultivation for moral improvement and the preservation of harmonious reciprocal relationships between close family members and fellowmen. The traditional Chinese families emphasize harmonious reciprocal relationship between children and parents, between elder brothers and younger brothers (sisters included), between the subordinates and the boss, between the ministers and the ruler and so forth.
Asian Tigers
Singapore, Korea and Japan have created their stories of economic miracles in Asia mainly because of the enormous influence and empowerment of Neo-confucianism and Chinese Buddhism imported from mainland China in the past. Vietnam is another Asian economic tiger whose culture has been moulded and refined by Chinese Neo-confucianism and Chinese Buddhism for decades. It is another economic rising star in Asia after China and India currently. Historically, India has played a crucial role in shaping and evolving Chinese Buddhism. If China, India and Vietnam are as adept as the Japanese government and her people in diffusing Zen and Neo-confucianism in their private and public sectors, they too can excel in their national development and become key players in the world.
It is speculated by economic observers or intelligentsia that China will surpass the United States in economic affluence and political influence in about 20-year time. The United States is being finiancially depleted and eroded by her heavy commitments in the seemingly endless wars in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Chinese Influence
Obviously, the Perfection of Wisdom of Chan or Zen Buddhism has been influencing and impacting the life of Japanese people enormously almost in all dimensions of their private and public sectors especially their commercial business lives. Japanese culture of team-work, consensus decision-making, brain-storming, QCC(Quality Control Circle), diligence, royalty, Japanese Incorporated concept, Zero-defect culture, Zero Inventory system, self-retrospect, whole-life employment, meditation and others is intimately related to the Buddhist fundamental doctrine of Mutualism, Insubstantiality and duality in terms of the totality or unity of the business or non-business system. This is a reflection of Neo-Confucian ethics and Zen wisdom which influence their thinking culture and cultural practices enormously. They perceive that the sum total of all potentials of the workers, supervisory and administrative staff is responsible for the total quality of any product or service. Therefore, they perceive every single work force to be an integral part of production of good and service. Consequently, they perceive that harmony and mutual respect are crucial in maintaining team spirit which is unity. The Japanese are habitually headed for the co-operative culture of Dependent Co-arising.
Great Learning
The Confucian Classic of ‘Great Learning’ (大學) influences, educates or impact the Chinese language students and adults throughout the world thus:
欲齊其家者, 先修其身.
欲修其身者, 先正其心.
欲正其心者, 先誠其意.
欲誠其意者,先致其知.
致知在格物.物格而後知至.
知至而後意誠, 意誠而後心正.
心正而後身修, 身修而後家齊.
家齊而後國治,國治而後天卞平.
It is my pleasure to render the above classical Chinese into English language to facilitate comprehension and discernment of this traditional Chinese philosophical thought by our serious Deer Park readers. Our readers may comprise those who are non-Chinese with no knowledge of Chinese language at all. Perhaps part of our readers may be the English educated Chinese who are not so adept at comprehending the Chinese classical language.
Desiring to manage the family well, one must first cultivate.
Desiring to cultivate, one must first rectify the heart.
Desiring to rectify the heart, one must first be conscientiously sincere.
Desiring to be conscientiously sincere, one must first discern Knowledge.
To discern knowledge, one must first penetrate insightfully.
Having penetrated insightfully, one discerns the knowledge.
Having discerned the knowledge, one becomes conscientiously sincere.
Having become conscientiously sincere, one rectifies the heart.
Having rectified the heart, one becomes cultivated.
Having cultivated oneself, one manages the family well.
Having managed the family well, one helps in the governance.
With good governance, there is peace.
This prose in the Chinese philosophy of ‘Great Learning’ concurs with the Word of the Buddha. It is therefore pertinent and helpful for me to furnish a Buddhist as well Confucian exegesis on the quintessence of Great Learning. The Great Learning moulds and shapes Chinese traditional thinking on the relationship between the family and the nation with the aspiration and hidden agenda to construct harmony and peace.
Original Supremacy
The Great Learning expounds that knowledge must be penetrated insightfully in order to discern absolute Truth. The knowledge of penetrative insight is the knowledge of root (知本) or the original nature of Man(自性). Knowledge of the original nature of man is the self-knowledge of Man’s innate supremacy in virtue (明明德). In Mahāyāna Buddhism, it is the perfect knowledge of the human intrinsic Buddha-nature(佛性) which engenders the Perfection of Wisdom (般若). Having developed the Perfection of Wisdom, one emerges as the Man of Perfection or the Enlightened Man called Bodhisattva (菩薩). In Chinese Confucian’s designation, the Chinese saint is called the man of virtue and knowledge called Jun-zi(君子). In Chinese imperial civilization, a Jun-zi is a Perfect Man who is capable of practising his perfect EQ in managing his emotions and moral conduct. The perfect score of EQ is known as the supreme virtue of Mean (中庸) in terms of behaviorial moderation in dealing with others. The skill of Mean is actually the wisdom of managing harmonious relationship. A genuine Jun-zi conducts himself concurring with the middle path of Mean. Whoever has penetrated into the knowledge of Absolute Truth (格物致知) develops conscientious sincerity. Sincerity manifests the harmonious skill of Mean in managing one’s emotions. The ignorant does not have the wisdom to practice the perfect virtue of Mean. The practice of Means is manifested through conscientious sincerity. Conscienteous sincerity (至誠之心) is the innate or inborn human supreme virtue. It is elucidated by ‘ The Doctrine of Mean’ (中庸) of another Confucian Classic thus:
誠者,非自成己而已也, 所以成物也. 成己, 仁也;
成物,知也.
Conscienteous sincerity is not manifest of inner supreme
virtues only. It is used to help develop others. Self-
development leads to universal love. Helping others
develop themselves is the path of the knowledge
of discernment.
The philosophy of the Confucian Classic of the ‘Doctrine of Mean’ differs not from the first principle of esoteric religions including Buddhism of course. The first principle is that one must develop and cultivate to redeem the innate supremacy of Man. This supremacy is called Buddha-nature in Mahāyāna Buddhism before helping save others. Once the Buddha-nature or Buddha-mind is manifested, one emerges as a Bodhisattva (Wisdom Being or Enlightened One). A Bodhisattva selflessly participates in his Bodhisattva career to help and save others.
Christian Salvation
Correspondingly put, in Christianity, a saved believers sees and receives Christ in his or heart with absolute sincerity. The absolute sincerity is unshakeabe faith in their Beloved Lord. Absolute faith connotes complete concurrence with divine commands. All actions are committed precisely according to the Word of God. In short, the Bible must be intuitively comprehended before one can really develop absolute faith in God. The most important divine commandment is that the illusive or Ego must not direct all six-sense activities. From the Buddhist perspective, a Christian is only saved by God if and only if he or she does not grasp upon his or her Five Aggregates (Form, Feelings, Perceptions, Volitions, and Consciousness). Only the Holy Spirit or God is permitted to direct all six-sense activities. Consequently, the sincere believer is thus born of God and saved.
When Christ or God sits on the throne of a believer’s life, the supreme virtue of Man is manifested as the universal love for all neighbours and enemies without exception. A saved Christian can only see and love his beloved God if and only if his or her illusive Self or Ego (lower or animal self) has been annihilated. Likewise, the original nature of absolute sincerity can not manifest if any taint of selfishness or egoism impurifies the heart of Man. When the Holy Spirit of Christ or God indwells in a saved Christian, the Christian manifests conscientious sincerity. Consequently, the heart is rectified. The heart is said to be rectified when one has repented to receive Christ.
What is expounded in Confucianism is, in essence, shares the first principle of Truth with that of Christianity and other esoteric religions. It is the dissimilar ritualism and exoteric doctrines that make religions appear to be different. Esoterically and pantheistically, all esoteric religions are identical in their soteriological goal.
In the Confucian Doctrine of Mean, the Mean is said to be beyond the practice of small man (xioo-ren小人). Xioo-ren is defined to be an unethical and knowledge-deficient person who is malevolent towards others. A small man is synonymous with the Christian concept of the sinful one.
Mean and Mindfulness
In the Confucian Classic of Doctrine of Mean (中庸), it reveals what Confucius has said about Mean. Confucius says, “ Jun-zi concurs with the Mean; Xioo ren violates the Mean.(君子中庸; 小又人反中庸.)”. The Mean is the Tao (Path of Wisdom).
Fortunately, a Buddhist, who practises the Four Establishments of Mindfulness (Cattāro Satipaṭṭhā̄na, 四念住), is capable of executing the Confucian living skill of Mean (中庸). The Four Establishments of Mindfulness generate Five Spiritual Powers (五力) which manifest the Mean. The Five Spiritual Powers are Faith (信力), Energy (精進力), Mindfulness (念力), Concentration (定力) and Wisdom(慧力). With these Five Spiritual Powers, the Mean can be executed.
Having discerned the knowledge of ultimate Truth, a Jun-zi is capable of exercising the conscienteous sincerity of heart. His words concur perfectly with his practice; His practice concurs perfectly with his words. He is said to have rectified (purified) his heart or mind. Mental purification connotes the complete annihilation of illusive or superimposed self or ego. With the purified heart of absolute sincerity, he manages his family members or group of colleagues or co-workers skillfully and harmoniously (manages others skillfully and thus harmoniously). When his family or group is skillfully and harmoniously managed, he contributes to the sound governance of his country. When a nation or country is skillfully and harmoniously managed by the collective ethical and wisdom power of Junzis, tranquility and peace are manifested for the wellbeing, prosperity and happiness for all citizens of the country.
Conclusion
The innate supremacy of Man in knowledge and virtue manifested by a Chinese saint, Jun-zi is located at the Centre of the human heart or Tao. Tao is found only in the Original Nature of Man. An esoteric or inward return to this supreme heart of heart or the entrance into Tao through intuitive discernment of the knowledge of Ultimate Truth is called self-redemption(返本還原).
In Vedānta or Hinduism, this innate supremacy or Tao is designated as Ātman or Brahman. It is named as Anattā or Nibbāna in Theravā̄da Buddhism. It is labelled as Buddha-mind or Nirvāṇa in Mahāyạ̄na Buddhism; It is described as Holy Spirit or Christ in Christianity. It is expounded as Fanā in Sufism and as Baqā in Islam. Though different denominations are assigned for this common Tao, it is actually ineffable or indescribable.
In Tao Te Ching (道德經), Lao-zi declares: Tao, which can be expressed is not the Tao(道可道非常還道). Brahman, Buddha and God is synonymous with Tao. Tao is the eternal Truth of Unity, Non-duality or Dependent Co-arising. Tao is the Holy Path or Way of Life or eternal Absolute Truth. The entrance into Tao is akin to reaching the borderless Ocean to which all tributaries and rivers converge to and merge with finally.
Every living being is merely a drop of water originating from and returning to this borderless Ocean in a vicious circle. The perfect knowledge of the infinite cosmic Unity produces a Man of Perfection. The perfect man is one who returns inwardly to the Centre of the heart. As a result, he is self-redeemed. What is to be done has been done (complete spiritual development has been undertaken); he emerges as a saint worthy to be emulated by all. A saint is one who has regained his original supremacy. The function of all esoteric religions is to help us return esoterically to our original home as we have gone astray. The ordinary worldlings have been wandering away from home for aeons of time since time immemorial. It is time to journey home! |
