VOLUME III, SEMESTER 3, CHAPTER 39, SECTION 2
The basis is not the mechanism, it is character
The last section counted nine kinds of giving. This section digs a most root question: this whole set of the by need, these nine kinds of giving, on what can it truly be carried out. Before, we spoke of so many workings, rules, checks. But what this section means to say is: what makes all this come alive is not the mechanism, it is that deeper thing under the mechanism, character.
One, first look at a thing: one same mechanism, two results
First look at a thing. One same set of the by need’s mechanism, one same set of welfare’s rules, set in two places, will run out two wholly different results.
In the first place, this mechanism runs very well. The truly in need are cared for, the able put out their force all the same, and are glad besides to hand in one more share, to make up those not enough. This place is warm, and has vigor too. In the second place, one same mechanism runs bad. The four sicknesses looked at in chapter thirty eight all grow out: whoever can take the cheap comes to take it, the willing worker is chilled and works no more, the man with power divides to his own first, and that thing meant to make up the weak becomes a fat piece all come to tear at. Think a moment, the mechanism is one same set, the rules one same set, why is one made, one rotted.
What differs is not the mechanism. What differs is the men who use this mechanism. The men of the first place have in their hearts that character of unwilling to take for free, willing to carry a bit more for another. The men of the second place have it not. This forces out a most needful thing: the mechanism is dead, one same mechanism, fallen into the hands of men of different character, will run out results apart as heaven from earth. The mechanism itself guarantees nothing. What truly guarantees whether a set of the by need can be made is whether the men holding this mechanism have, in their hearts, that character.
Two, this layer joins straight onto that line of the front half
Join this layer onto that line at the close of the front half of the term. You will see the two halves, front and back, join here into one line.
Chapter thirty three of the front half, closing the floor of the by labor, set up a line: what makes labor come alive is the man standing behind it, is that little kind in the heart of man. What this section says is the other half of one same matter: what makes the by need come alive is also the man, also that little character, that little kind, in the heart of man. That whole set of things made before, the rule for weighing labor, the frame of distribution, the mechanism of the by need, the check that holds each other and grows, all are dead. They are a fine frame. But a frame cannot of itself stand up, cannot of itself come alive. What makes this frame come alive, move, have blood and flesh, is the man, is that thing in the heart of man.
This is the deepest, and the most to be gathered, floor of this whole term: whether the by labor or the by need, however fine the mechanism, however whole the check, said to the last, all land on the man, all land on the character of man. The mechanism can guard against the bad man doing the worst thing, and this is the mechanism’s use, not small. But the mechanism cannot make a man of his own accord go do a good thing, go give one bit more, go lay the heart in. That accord, that heart of giving one bit more, the mechanism cannot give, it can only lean on character. A by need mechanism however good, meeting a crowd of men with no character, rots all the same. A mechanism rough, meeting a crowd of men with character, can make up a warmth all over the ground.
Three, to govern by virtue is like the north star
This reasoning, Confucius has a line, spoken the highest, the most fair. He says, governing all under heaven leans on virtue. To govern by virtue is like the north star, which stays in its place, and the host of stars turns toward it. So runs the line in the Analects.
Put it plain. To govern by virtue, to govern by virtuous conduct. Like the north star, it is like that pole star in the sky. Stays in its place, it stays steady and settled in its own position. The host of stars turns toward it, the whole sky of stars turns toward it, rings it. Turns toward is to ring, to face. This likeness of Confucius is fair to the extreme. The pole star itself does not move, does not cry out, does not manage, it only stays steady and bright in its place, and the whole sky of stars, of itself, faces it, rings it, turns about it.
Set this pole star on this matter. A man with character in his heart is like that pole star. He need cry no slogan, need press no man, he only himself stands upright, himself is willing to give, himself lays the heart in, stands there, and the men beside him, of themselves, are drawn by him, lit by him, and turn better along with him. Character is just such a thing: it leans not on force, it leans on the drawing of the heart. A true living Lei Feng is never pressed out by a set of rules, he himself has that giving in his heart, and stood there, like the pole star, lights and draws the men beside him too, one by one. This is why the root of a set of the by need cannot be the mechanism, can only be character. The mechanism leans on force, on rules, virtue leans on the drawing of the heart, on the heart of man facing it of its own will. That word turns toward, that willing facing, is a thing no mechanism can make, only virtue can.
Four, but does this stake all on the sage again
Come to here, a sharp comeback may rise in your heart, and this comeback is excellent, must be answered straight on. You will say: your last section spoke of wishing to stand yourself, help others to stand, said the healthy giving is not burning yourself to ash. Yet this section says the root of all is character. Then, is this not back to that old pit chapter thirty eight faulted, staking the whole society again on that supposing, which does not hold, that every man is a sage.
This comeback is well asked. The answer is: no. Hear the measure here clear. We did not say, for a set of the by need to be made, every man must be a sage, every man high in character. That is still that wei question of chapter thirty eight. We say two things, and neither can lack. The first, the mechanism and the check must be there, they guard against the bad, guard against man doing the worst thing, and bar those four sicknesses at the door, and this is the bottom line. The second, above this bottom line of the mechanism, the more character in a society, the more of that spontaneous warmth, and the better, the more alive this set of the by need runs.
See how these two things pair. The mechanism guards the bottom line, character grows upward. The mechanism looks not for every man a sage, it asks only that man not be the worst bad man, and this ask is within reach. Character sets no target, forces nothing, it only says: in this society, the more men willing to give one bit more, the warmer it is here. It is a direction, not a threshold. So we have not gone back into that wei question. We say: the mechanism sets the bottom line, character fixes the height. Whether a society is good, its bottom line is guarded by the mechanism, its height held up by character. Both are wanted, neither can be short. This, then, is the most whole answer of this term.
Five, what this section set, crossing to the next
Good. This section dug to the deepest layer of this term.
It first looked at the two results one same mechanism runs out in two places, and saw clear what differs is not the mechanism, it is whether the men who use it have character in their hearts. Joining it onto that line of the front half, it saw the two halves join into one line: whether the by labor or the by need, what makes it come alive is the man, is that little character, that little kind, in the heart of man, and the mechanism however fine is a dead frame. Through Confucius, to govern by virtue is like the north star, it saw clear character leans on the drawing of the heart, on the host of stars turning toward it of their own will, a thing no mechanism can make. And it answered that sharp comeback straight on, set the measure firm: the mechanism guards the bottom line, character fixes the height, both wanted, and so it did not go back into that wei question of every man a sage.
The position this section set is: the basis of carrying out the by need is not the mechanism, it is character, the mechanism guards the bottom line, character fixes the height.
So, the question must be chased one last step. This thing character, where does it itself come from. Does it drop from the sky, can it be laid down by a paper decree. Neither. Character has its own soil, its own root. Where this root is struck is exactly the last thing this term, and this whole volume, means to hand out. The next section is the last section of this term, and it digs this root out, and hands this whole volume on to the volume that follows.
Credit to the ancestors; the mistakes are mine: Tiger Lyon.
Section 3, Character belongs to culture, culture is the root, and the whole map handed on