59、Govern Without Intervention

4 October 2015

Tao Te Ching: Chapter 3

‘Do not highly praise wise men to make people not to fight for it; do not value precious stuff to make people not to steal; do not show the precious things to make people calm. Make their hearts empty, make their stomachs full; make their minds innocent and strong their bodies. Make people have simple minds and do not have unsatisfied yearns.’

Governing without intervention is the most profound principle in Tao Te Ching, and many people are easy to be misinterpreted from the words.

We often hear that officials do nothing. Ordinary people are easy to understand that as, inaction as officials. It is not inaction, because Tao Te Ching is not for ordinary people and they cannot understand it. Tao Te Ching is not a Confucian classic about ordinary people’s behavioural requirements.

It is called ‘gentlemen’ in Confucian classics. It can be considered as saints, supreme leaders, and nationwide leaders.

‘Gentlemen’ inaction can govern the whole country. Ordinary officials’ inaction is considered as useless. Incompetent people will be dismissed.

Leaders around the world do not need to do ‘inaction’, but they need to know what is ‘Govern by doing nothing that goes against nature.’ It is the supreme idea of leaders.

Explanation: ‘Do not highly praise successful people, so common people do not struggle for fame and wealth. Do not pay attention to precious treasure, so people do not steal them. Do not motivate people’s desires, so people are not confused by greed. So the ruling principle of saints is that make people’s mind empty, making them have enough food to eat, weakening their ambition and making them strong. They make people never fight and do not have greedy thoughts, even the wise dare not act wildly against the law and public opinion. If we handle affairs according to objective law, no place cannot be governed well in the world.’

The rankings of rich people, superstars, and beautiful girls are a commercial behaviour, which can boost the economy and stimulate people’s desires for consumption and pursue higher life quality. From the perspective of business, it does not have problems but an effective method, which can be utilised. I think beauty contest and rich list are not bad. You can say it is the admiration of corrupted life, and also an effective way to boost economy.

China rarely has a national beauty contest. I think the idea is not bad.

People need to pursue beauty and follow rich people to develop economy.

From the perspective of gentlemen, you must be very clear in mind that it is a game and a method to boost and develop economy, not the goal for gentlemen to pursue.

They are just actors and actresses on stage. For some purposes, we need them to perform. Except for this, they are nothing.

They just want money, and they have no privilege in politics. And they should not have any privilege. Drug addicts must be fought, licentious people must be exposed, and people who murder people for money should be executed by shooting.

‘Make their hearts empty, make their stomach full; make their minds innocent and strong their bodies. Make people have simple minds and do not have unsatisfied yearns.’

It sounds very reactionary. But in fact, it is a profound principle, the most basic standard to oppose to heresy and the most fundamental standard to differentiate human beings from heresy—take people’s interests or ideology as priority.

The thinking mode which takes people’s interests as priority is human thinking.

The thinking mode which takes ideology as priority is heresy thinking.

Because ‘eating, drinking, playing, having fun, the necessities of daily life [fuel, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea], house, wife, children, car, and cash’ are the supreme interests and maximum pursuit for common people.

Before these things are done, do not talk to people about ideology. Ask people to do this, to protest. It is bullshit and heresy.

When calling people to revolute and seize the power, every party and regime will say, ‘I will give you happiness and money.’

After holding the power, they will use another word and method.

Now, we have to return to original nature and fulfil promises. Cash, money, happiness, safety, and guarantee are the first standard to evaluate a regime. Satisfy the first condition and then talk about ideology with us. Otherwise, it is heresy. Islam is the first heresy. Those religions which do not talk about material but ideology are heresies, bullshit, gangster, and illegal.

People are realistic and ask for money. If not, then there is no room to discuss. People need money and interests. Take out your money first and then talk about ideology.

Otherwise, it is bullshit, heresy, and a lie.

Except for money, people’s interests also include social order, social safety and social guarantee.

It is the lowest level of Maslow’s human needs. And capitalist society proves that they can offer security demands to people and cannot guarantee people’s safety.

I do not want to mention the shooting accidents in the US, which is stereotyped. If there is no shooting in the US for a while, then that is news.

And Mexico becomes a model of gangsterdom. I think gangsterdoms in capitalist countries cannot compare with those in socialist countries. Socialist countries must prohibit and punish gangsterdoms. But in democratic countries and capitalist countries, they need gangsterdoms. They need shootings to maintain social justice, because their social systems cannot realise scientific and effective management of society. People have to take weapons themselves and organise organisations to protect their own benefits.

For example, gangsterdoms in Taiwan and Japan are like national heroes, chivalrous people and swordsmen. Gangsterdoms in Mainland China are pure gangsters and bandits, which need to be banned and punished.

Socialism takes social management as priority to make social system and social order. Capitalism takes people’s interests as priority to make social system and social order. Taking social management as priority, the social security should be fully in charge by the country.

Taking people’s interests as priority, part of social security is in charge by country and another part is in charge by individuals. So capitalist countries need gangsterdom, which is a project needed in top level design of social system, and that is why that Americans cannot ban the guns. The result is that people must bear shots and fear. That is your choice. They are on their own.

So Hong Kong also has legal gangsterdom. Chinese government should separate the three powers in Hong Kong and take back the judicial power in Hong Kong. Help Hong Kong people to eliminate gangsterdom and save Hong Kong people. This is what a country should do.

‘Govern by doing nothing that goes against nature.’

This sentence means that gentlemen govern by doing nothing that goes against nature, and they can do everything well and govern every place well.

The so-called ‘inaction’ here means gentlemen need to make up all management thoughts and management systems of the country well. When the most effective, reasonable, and scientific management systems operate well, gentlemen do not need to adjust the country. And the country can operate well and do well in everything. Common people obtain the materials and benefits, safety guarantee, and the development of spiritual civilisation that they want. Officials can play their own talents in their respective positions. All the systems of country operate orderly and reasonably, which do not require gentlemen adjust people’s behaviours through powers, this is the ‘doing nothing’. It is also the essence that the author of Tao Te Ching wants to express and the main theme of Tao Te Ching.

In fact, the biggest work that gentlemen do is theoretical work. The reason why human beings are not civilised is that the conscious scope of everyone is limited without seeing all the people and things. Truths and operation principles between things cannot make perfect operation rules.

When people are able to fully understanding the people and things in the world, suitable people will make up social rule and social management order that suit the conditions of their country. And countries and social units as well as social cells will be managed well.

‘All the people and things, and the truths and operation principles between things’ is the ‘Tao’ that Tao Te Ching wants to express.

It is also the central idea and leading thought of Tao Te Ching.

I think Tao Te Ching is a Confucian classics and a truth that God passes on ancient Chinese. It requires Chinese to cultivate themselves in the aspects of ‘Tao’ of soul.

‘Tao’ is the most important dogmata in the world and the whole universe, which is the most fundamental operation rule and basic principle in the world and the whole universe.

In ancient China, people call the emperors who do not know ‘Tao’ as ‘self-indulgent rulers’.

Now, the leaders around the world must have ‘Tao’. If not, they will be overturned.

Islam needs to be banned at first.

It is the cruellest heresy.