The Analects of the Analects: "The Tao is based on government, Qi is punished" VS "The Tao is virtuous, and Qi is with courtesy"

2.3 Ziyi: The Tao is governed by government, the people are punished by Punishment, the people are exempt and shameless, the Tao is virtuous, the Qi is courteous, and there is shame and dignity.

Writing a chapter like this, and finally writing more than five hundred articles, it is easy to write numbly, or routinely do some interpretation, which has actually lost the meaning of writing. The meaning of writing is "Gou day by day, day by day, and new day by day", we must always keep alive, the original intention, maintain the feeling of life, there will be real writing, there will be practice, there will be real writing. This kind of writing is to have a real dialogue with the classical text, a dialogue between the life of the writer and the great life of the culture that this text should be, and this is the meaning of the study notes of the Analects. Yesterday, after a day of stopping, there is some stiff feeling, so stop and return to the original feeling. This is the way of "virtue of the way", that is, the way of "shame and character".

Self-cultivation and family governance are consistent, so Chapter 2.3 is the macro road to govern the country and the world, and it can also be used for self-cultivation and learning.

The Tao is consistent, but the way of this "Tao" is different. One is active and one is passive. Criminal administration is passive, driven by rewards and punishments, the most important of which is punishment, which is the thinking of the legalists, which is very efficient and the effect is also very direct, and the effect of governance can be reflected in the short term. Virtue is active, it depends on people's self-consciousness, it depends on people's inner shame, it depends on people's conscience, and it depends on people's virtue to guide their behavior and make a proper judgment, which is Confucian thought.

How can this order be achieved through violence, coercion, or through a gentle, conscious way? From the perspective of history, the establishment of a new dynasty must be achieved through violent struggle, and the so-called moderate changes are mostly like the "new Mang" imperial court, without foundation. We cannot deny violence and coercion, this is a transitional stage in the establishment of a new order, it is okay to fight the world immediately, but it is absolutely impossible to rule the world immediately, and a moderate, conformist way of governance that conforms to the will of the people is long-lasting. Here there is the distinction between scripture and power, "the way of virtue, the unity of etiquette", is the long-term way, "the way of government, the way of punishment" is the way of adaptation, the chaotic world with heavy code. This is the experience of history. Therefore, liturgy and criminal administration are not opposites, but the way to deal with different situations.

This article elaborates on the difference between politics and the rule of virtue. From a holistic point of view, it is the relationship between a small group of people and a large group of people, what kind of relationship? Relationships of coexistence, coexistence and management. How does a small group of people manage a large group of people? The original primitive state, the anarchic state, since the inheritance of civilization, human beings have hardly experienced true anarchy, but there will be a "no management" subconscious, all want to be free without any constraints.

What happens when it is managed? One is disobedience to management, unwilling to be managed, and deeply hurt by management; there is also a sense of happiness under management, willing to have this kind of management, have this kind of protection, and have a sense of security. For being managed, neither blindly affirm nor blindly deny. What is being discussed here is not the Zhuangzi-style "whatever you manage, the detachment that you can't control", but this chapter talks about what kind of management is the best management. There are two management paradigms offered here, namely the two paths, criminal administration and reed administration.

Taoist, guide also. There is not only the meaning of guidance, guidance and dredging, but also the meaning of leadership, guidance and management, as well as the meaning of opening up, pioneering and exploring. China's Taoist culture is not limited to any one family, but is to open up, dredge, and explore the road for the better survival of the ethnic group, so this road is "new day by day, new day by day, and new by day". There are both avenues and trails. This chapter can be said to be a battle of size.

Qi, Ping also. How to level? That's the key. The way of politics is to use punishment to let the people walk on this road, and if you deviate, punish you, make you afraid, and dare not deviate. This can cause oral disbelief. Walking in the path, from time to time thinking about cheating, or not knowing how to cheat. In the Tao, the heart is restless and afraid. Although this penal system is soft and rigid, it is still based on violence and the destruction of the people's body and mind, which has great hidden dangers. Ruling the country according to law is also based on this. This is also a feasible road, and it is also very spacious, that is, in this road, there are bitterness up and down, or bitterness and less happiness.

The way of rule by virtue is to use etiquette and righteousness to let the people walk on this road, you have deviated, then let you walk outside the road, once you go, you will feel that it is better to walk in the road, after being inspired by this, you will be ashamed, feel ashamed, you will reflect, how can this be? So he walked firmly in the path. The way of moral governance requires setting an example so that those who have deviated from the path can see it, so that they can come back. Therefore, in the land of virtue, the wise men and gentlemen cannot be hidden, but must be established. Therefore, Confucians have "virtue, meritorious service, and speech", and the reason for establishing is to reassure people in the Tao, let people outside the Dao return to their hearts, and let those who do not know have the opportunity to know and enter the Tao. Such a road will become wider and wider, and it is the sunshine road. Such a Tao is also susceptible to interference from external forces, so there is a great defense of Yixia, which is not the so-called cultural prejudice now, but more of a self-protection of Chinese civilization. In such a road, once it is exemplary, it is easy to be a hypocrite, and the hypocrite is much more hateful than the villain, and the more hypocrites there are, the more this road is abolished. The deviant will not come back, they think that your claims are all fake, they are all liars, fooling whom!

The Taoist family was wise, and Lao Tzu said, "Tao can be Dao, not Heng Dao, name can be named, non-Heng name." There is a cosmic pattern that transcends the visible Tao. The emperor who is high above is equally humble in front of the "great avenue", so there is equality, and all people are on the same level. Instead of taking the line of a small group of people managing a large group of people, it is another line, a line of personal transcendence, and more exploration in the natural sciences. Such as astronomical calendar, medical health, arithmetic and so on. Taoism follows the Tao of Heaven and has constructive significance for the politics of the country. If you rule a big country and cook small fresh, this is the governance of The Taoists, and it should be natural. Taoism has always existed but not appeared. It is for the foundation of Chinese culture. The imperial system, which began in the Qin Dynasty, continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is a way of mixing punishment and etiquette, there is politics and moral rule, one yin and one yang, the king is mixed, and it has been bumped and bumped for two thousand years, a miracle.