(Minghui.org) Traditional Chinese culture is vast and profound. But some people think the values are outdated. Someone once asked me, “How do these ancient values help us in the age of modern science and AI?”
This is an important question because it invites us to explore the connection between ancient wisdom and modern society.
(Continued from Part 1)
The ancient Chinese sage Laozi wrote Tao Te Ching. The book was translated into many languages and is available around the world. In 5,000 words it talked about the origin of the world, how to manage a country, military strategy, human relationships, and more. The meanings are profound.
The first half of the book focuses on the Tao while the second half focuses on de (virtue). As the foundation of the world, the Tao is not visible or tangible, but is present everywhere. “That was something chaotic which existed before heaven and earth… it served as the origin of heaven and earth. I did not know the name, so I called it Tao,” Laozi wrote.
Heaven, earth, and everything in this world functions because of the Tao—including day and night, the sun and moon, the four seasons, and our surroundings.
Virtue is also very important. Things originate from the Tao but they are nurtured by virtue; although they have individual forms their growth depends on their environment, Laozi explained in Tao Te Ching. The Tao guides our world on a fundamental level while virtue regulates the growth or decline in a practical way.
Tao Te Ching includes some principles that are easy to understand and follow, which became well-known Chinese proverbs. One is: “The ultimate kindness manifests like water – benefiting everything without competing and staying low in front of everyone without complaining.” Another is: “The heavenly law has no preference and tends to look after those with kindness.”
Laozi emphasizes that the Tao is the most important underlying principle, but virtue is the basis. When one embraces virtue, one treats others with kindness.
With this in mind, one would gain a perspective different from that in modern thoughts. Consistent with Laozi’s relation on Tao and virtue, ancient Chinese people believed in the harmony of heaven, earth, and mankind. Chinese medicine applies this understanding of our physical bodies. For example, yin and yang are balanced as well as the five elements connected to our world. The human body also has corresponding mechanisms that involve our internal organs. When this balance is disrupted, a person becomes sick. Chinese medicine adjust the body, and resets the balance to improve the person’s health.
The meridian system in a human body is not visible to the human eye, but it can be detected through instruments. Methods like acupuncture can correct the imbalance in patients and restore health. The Gaia hypothesis also believes living beings on the earth interact with their surroundings to form a complex system that maintains the condition for life on earth.
This is consistent with the holistic viewpoint proposed by Laozi in Tao Te Ching. “Human beings follow the earth, the earth follow heaven, heaven follows the Tao, and the Tao follow nature.” Human beings are part of nature. Only by obeying the natural law can an individual or a community flourish.
People in ancient China had this perception. Rather than relying on modern scientific instruments, they explored nature with respect and tended to consider fundamental issues. “Everything in this world starts from substance we can see; substances that we can see starts from existence that we cannot see,” wrote Laozi. Therefore, to understand our world on a deeper level, we need to know the underlying existence.
This understanding is seen in another ancient Chinese classic, I Ching, which says, “What is beyond what we can see is called Tao; what we can see is called implement.”
This interesting relationship was also recognized by Western scientists. When renowned Danish physicist Niels Bohr was conferred the Order of the Elephant in 1947, his coat of arms contained the yin-yang symbol and a Latin phrase, contraria sunt complementa (opposites are complementary).
One of his major accomplishments was in the field of quantum mechanics, and that items could be analyzed separately for contradictory properties. This understanding was a major breakthrough in analyzing atomic structure and science and nature.
One may get a new perspective by following this path, from quantum theory to the relationships between the human body, society, and the cosmic body. The connection of binary system and I Ching can serve as a bridge for science and philosophy. This is also the crossroad of two paths on studying natural phenomena and the purpose of life. One may find the valuable guidance provided by ancient wisdom.
The concept of Tao in ancient Chinese culture can be interpreted as the underlying principles behind our physical world and human society. In the modern era, it also has various manifestations in two pillars of our society—scientific technology and business operations.
Shibusawa Eiichi, a Japanese business magnate known as the “Father of Japanese capitalism” founded and built over 500 banks as well as business corporations. He believed morality and economy are compatible, and are in fact inseparable.
In The Analects and the Abacus, Shibusawa references morality in The Analects of Confucius and economy as the abacus. He felt there are two types of morality: passive and active. The former is abstaining from wrongdoing and the latter is doing good deeds. He said morality is essential for economy and the economy is essential for active morality. In other words, there is no economy without morality, and there is no morality without economy (since people’s lives should be free from economic worries).
Another example is the Four Asian Tiger economies, namely South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. All these economic entities grew rapidly between 1950s and 1990s. In fact, they were heavily influenced by traditional Chinese culture especially Confucian values. From social governance, education, to business ethics, they emphasize integrity, diligence, frugality, respect for teachers, and family responsibility. This laid a solid foundation for social stability and economic development.
Traditional Chinese culture is inclusive and open. During China’s dynasties, various belief systems coexisted including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, and Taoism. Similarly, the successes of the Four Asian Tigers confirmed that traditional culture provides a fertile ground for wisdom, productivity, and sustainability in modern civilization.
The third example is Falun Dafa, a meditation system that started in China and is practiced by about 100 million people around the world. With the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and five sets of exercises, the practice has improved the minds and bodies of people from all walks of life. This has in turn brought prosperity and stability to societies around the world.
Although Falun Dafa has been suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the past 26 years, practitioners persevered in their faith and upheld traditional values. Their peaceful opposition of the harsh persecution inside and outside China has not only demonstrated their courage and inner strength, but also set a good example for our society and the future.