Special Plan for the Root Nature of Civilization (3) No. 7: Yang Qingzhong: How does tolerance fit into the blood of Chinese?
China News Service, Beijing, February 27 Title: How to integrate tolerance into the blood of Chinese?
Author Yang Qingzhong, Professor of The National College of Chinese Min University
Tolerance, that is, tolerance, tolerance, it is based on difference, diversity, and recognition of difference, diversity, and committed to the harmonious coexistence between difference and diversity is a concept and behavior.
The Chinese ancestors have long been conscious of the problem of "tolerance", and there is a sentence in the Book of Shang: "There is tolerance, and virtue is great." This means that with tolerance, the meritorious cause accomplished will be great. For thousands of years, tolerance has become one of the core concepts of Chinese civilization and has been integrated into the blood of Chinese.
Tolerance is the product of the integration of the Chinese nation
Chinese civilization is a product of multi-ethnic tolerance and integration. During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties, the land of China was dotted with ethnic groups of different forms, and the various ethnic groups exchanged, intermarried, and exchanged ideas very early. The "Chinese" says that the former kings of Zhou "hired after different surnames, sought wealth from the good, chose ministers to take advice and talked about many things..." This means that the previous kings of the Zhou people pursued a system of intermarriage with different surnames, a trade policy of mutual exchange, and a political atmosphere of recruiting talents and opening up the way of speech. The Chinese calls these tactics "business and solidarity."
Thinkers of the Western Zhou Dynasty once discussed this profoundly from a philosophical perspective, such as Shi Bo's proposition that "harmony with real creatures, the same is not continued", and gave an example: "Sound has no hearing, things have no text, taste has no fruit, and things do not speak." "This is an emphasis on pleasant sounds, beautiful literary styles, delicious cuisine, comparable things, etc., all based on the unity of differences." Therefore, "harmony" means acknowledging differences, acknowledging diversity, and embracing differences and diversity.
This is also the essence of what the famous thinker Confucius called "harmony and difference" in the late Spring and Autumn Period. "Harmony and difference" best embodies the meaning of inclusion. This idea also played a role in promoting the continuous integration of the Chinese nation in the later period, such as Tang Taizong's emphasis on the unity of Huayi on the issue of ethnic relations, the Ming rulers also emphasized the unity of Huayi, and the Qing Dynasty emphasized that there was no difference between Huayi and Yi within its rule, and there was no distinction between inside and outside, and so on.
Wang Yiting (1867-1938) calligraphy work "Harmony and Difference". China News Service reporter Zou Xian photographed
In this regard, the concept of tolerance is the product of the integration of the Chinese nation, but also promotes the integration and development of the Chinese nation, the Chinese nation's culture is so brilliant and colorful, that is, from this spirit of tolerance, it is also its result.
"Concord" is the embodiment of inclusive political ideals
The integration of multiple ethnic groups has formed a big family of the Chinese nation, and of course there is a need for a spirit of tolerance in politics, and Chinese philosophers have long put forward the political ideal of "harmony and all nations". "Wanbang" is "Tianxia", which is what is called "global" today.
Chinese philosophers attach great importance to thinking about problems from the perspective of the world and the whole of mankind. The Shang Shu Yao Dian says: "KeMing Junde, pro-nine tribes; nine tribes are harmonious, Pingzhang people; the people are clear, and the people are harmonious." This means to carry forward the great virtues and harmonize the family, and then to discern the affairs of the various ethnic groups, to coordinate the princes of all nations, so that the people of the world can live in harmony. "Shang Shu Hong Fan" also put forward the idea of "unbiased and unbiased", requiring the rulers to be selfless, likes and dislikes to the world together, and not bound by their own selfishness. ”
Lao Tzu in the late Spring and Autumn Period further pointed out that "tolerance is justice", that is, there is tolerance to be just.
These ideas have profoundly influenced the political ideas and policies of successive Generations of Chinese Thoughts. Taking religion as an example, in ancient China, many religions coexisted, but there was never a war between religions, and they were able to live in harmony with each other. Not only do we live in harmony, but we also learn from each other and complement each other. For example, Confucianism and Taoism in Confucianism are native to China, while Buddhism originates in India. The introduction of Buddhism to China, although it has also aroused alarm among some intellectuals, has encountered no resistance. It can be said that the history of the development of the three religions is the history of continuous integration between the three religions. Although it is fusion, it has not destroyed the other party.
At the Hong Kong Winter Solstice Ancestor Worship Ceremony, people from all walks of life and people from all over the world jointly worship the ancestors of the Chinese nation. China News Service reporter Zhang Yu photographed
We can also give the example of Jingjiao. Christianity was introduced to China in the Tang Dynasty 1300 years ago, when it was called "Jingjiao". The Jing sect priest Aroben, a Syrian, went to Chang'an with him, where he was favored by Li Shimin, the King of Tang, and was crowned as the "Great Law king of zhenguo". During the Tang Dynasty, Jingjiao was able to achieve the great feats of "a hundred cities full of temples" and "ten ways of faliu", which cannot but be said to be related to the inclusiveness of Chinese culture and Chinese politics.
The spirit of "benevolence" is a moral manifestation of tolerance
The expression of inclusiveness in political culture at the level of moral practice is the "benevolent" spirit of "bosch and charity". In the "Left Biography", it is said: "Kindness and good neighborliness, the treasure of the country." This means that being close to benevolence and righteousness and making good friends with neighboring countries is a very precious national strategy. Confucius summed him up as "Virtue is not alone, but there will be neighbors." Confucius advocated "loving the people", "standing up for others if you want to stand up, and reaching people if you want to reach people", "do not do to others what you do not want", and advocating "giving to the people and being able to help the people", all of which show benevolence and great love.
On the basis of Confucius's idea of benevolence, Mencius further put forward the theory of benevolence, advocating the royal way and advocating subjugating people with virtue. Mencius believed that "three generations of the world are also benevolent, and the world is also unkind." The same is true of the reason why the state is abolished and the survivors are dead. The Son of Heaven is not benevolent and does not protect the four seas; the princes are not benevolent and do not protect the community. This means that among the rulers of the three dynasties of Xia And Shang, they were able to become co-lords of the world because of their benevolence; it was because they lost their common masters that they lost their benevolence. Mencius therefore opposed the unjust war of "subduing people with force", especially the unjust war of "the strong bullying the weak, the multitude of tyrannies and widows", and put forward a severe criticism of the cruelty of the war of "fighting for land and killing people; fighting for the city, killing people and winning the city".
Mo Zhai, the founder of the Mo family, although his thinking is different from Confucianism, is very consistent in advocating "bo shi and help", Mo Zi advocates "both love and mutual benefit", and also emphasizes "non-attack" and resolutely opposes aggressive wars. Shi Zai Gong lost the equipment for the Chu State to attack the Song State, Mozi heard about it and went to dissuade it, and took out the defensive equipment he developed to compete with the public loss, the public loss-like siege equipment was exhausted, and there were many mozi defense equipment, and the public defeat conceded defeat. Mozi finally stopped the war in the laboratory.
These ideas have forged the Chinese nation's tolerant spirit of comparing hearts to hearts, promoting oneself and others, loving peace, being just and honest, and has also created a batch of peace messengers. Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions, Wang Zhaojun went out to sai and kissed, and Princess Wencheng entered Tibet... They are not only messengers of peace, but also messengers of love. Chinese advocates great virtue and boundless love, empathizes with the disasters that occur around the world and the sufferings that disasters bring to the people, and selflessly assists poor and backward countries and regions, all of which embody the spirit of tolerance of both generosity and charity.
The dance drama "Zhaojun Out of the Plug" was photographed by Qu Honglun, a reporter from the News Agency
Tolerance is also embodied in the cosmic consciousness of "people and things"
The inclusive spirit of Chinese culture not only extends to the ethnic group of the population, but also embodies the cosmic consciousness of benevolence and love for the people, people's things and things. From its beginning, Chinese civilization attaches great importance to the three elements of the existence of man in the world, "heaven and earth man", and also attaches great importance to the harmony and unity between heaven and earth and all things and people, Lao Tzu pointed out that there are four major "Dao is great, heaven is big, the earth is big, and people are also big", "Zhongyong" puts forward "all things breed together without harming each other, and the Tao is parallel and not contradictory", Mencius proposed heaven and time, geographical advantages, people, and advocated "kissing and benevolent people, benevolent people and loving things".
Zhuangzi is very advocating a free life of "living with animals and animals, and the clan and all things together". The Song Dynasty philosopher Zhang Zai clearly pointed out in his Zhengmeng: "Qian is called father, and Kun is called mother." Yuz is in the middle of the chaos. Therefore, the plug of heaven and earth, my body; the handsomeness of heaven and earth, my nature. People and my compatriots, things and things. That is to say, the heaven that began all things is the father of all things, the earth that gives birth to all things is the mother of all things, and man is like all things, between heaven and earth; the qi of heaven and earth is my body, the way of heaven and earth is my nature, all people are my brothers and sisters, and all things are my kind.
What a harmonious, harmonious and beautiful picture of the universe, and what a broad, neutral and inclusive humanistic feeling. "Grass and trees are nurtured, and there is no tolerance for land." This is the spirit of tolerance that is integrated into the blood of Chinese, based on the whole of the universe, based on the harmony and unity between heaven and man, based on the peaceful coexistence of human multi-civilizations, and the inclusive spirit of viewing the world as a community of destiny! (End)
About the Author:
Yang Qingzhong, a native of Gaocheng, Hebei Province, is currently a member of the Academic Committee of Chinese University, the director of the Academic Committee of Guoxue College, a professor of Guoxue College, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Chinese Studies, the vice president of the Chinese Confucius Society, and the vice president of the International Yixue Federation. He has published "The History of Chinese Yixue in the Twentieth Century", "Research on the Transmission of Zhou Yi", "Interpretation of Zhou Yi", "Zhou Yi and Life" and so on.