{"id":3471,"date":"2019-11-17T08:42:05","date_gmt":"2019-11-17T08:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/chinese-culture\/the-five-constant-virtues-of-china\/"},"modified":"2019-11-17T08:42:05","modified_gmt":"2019-11-17T08:42:05","slug":"the-five-constant-virtues-of-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/mm\/the-five-constant-virtues-of-china\/","title":{"rendered":"The Five Constant Virtues of China"},"content":{"rendered":"
Owning over thousands of years of history, the Chinese have created a brilliant history and culture, and at the same time have formed their own moral code that has played an im<\/em>portant role in social development and progress. This is what we call Traditio<\/em>nal Virtues (chuán t\u01d2ng m\u011bi dé \u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7), which still have great significance today and whose value to the development of human civilization is now widely recognized.<\/p>\n

Benevolence (rén \u4ec1), righteousness (yì \u4e49), propriety (l\u01d0 \u793c), wisdom (zhì \u667a) and fidelity (xìn \u4fe1) are the Five Co<\/em>nstant Virtues (w\u01d4 cháng \u4e94\u5e38) which are the most im<\/em>portant o<\/em>nes in traditio<\/em>nal virtues of China. Although they all came from Co<\/em>nfucianism (rú ji\u0101 s\u012b xi\u01ceng \u5112\u5bb6\u601d\u60f3), they are widely acknowledged all over China. To be a moral person, the ancient Chinese cultivated and mo<\/em>nitored themselves according to the Five Co<\/em>nstant Virtues and carried them down to the modern life.<\/p>\n

Benevolence
the five co<\/em>nstant virtuesBenevolence is the first and most im<\/em>portant virtue among the Five Co<\/em>nstant Virtues. It manifests itself in the inner mind in love and compassion for people and in avoiding harm or envy toward anyone. In terms of behavior, benevolence demands that one be amiable, not wrangle with others nor do evil deeds. To cultivate one’s attentiveness to Benevolence one should use another Co<\/em>nfucian version of the Golden Rule: What one does not wish for oneself, one ought not to do to anyone else; what one recognizes as desirable for oneself, one ought to be willing to grant to others. Virtue, in this Co<\/em>nfucian view, is ba<\/em>sed upon harmony with other people, produced through this type of ethical practice by a growing identification of the interests of self and other. In short, as parents treat their children, the benevolent person spares no effort to help others; one even lays down one’s life to this end, with no thought of being repaid.<\/p>\n

Examples
More than 2,000 years ago, Han Xin (hán xìn \u97e9\u4fe1), who later became a general of the Han Dynasty (hàn cháo \u6c49\u671d), was so poor that he couldn’t afford to eat. One day, an old woman washing clothes beside a river offered him some food. Han Xin was very grateful and said that he would reciprocate her kindness in the future. The old woman said, "I offered you food not to obtain your repayment." The old woman even did not tell Han Xin her name, but her virtue of being ready to help others has been handed down from generation to generation.
When Fan Zho<\/em>ngyan (fàn zhòng y\u0101n \u8303\u4ef2\u6df9) of the Song Dynasty (sòng cháo \u5b8b\u671d) (960-1279 AD) was a local official, one of his subordinates died of illness and left behind a young wife and two children. Fan Zho<\/em>ngyan gave financial aid to them. Encouraged by Fan, other officials also showed their generosity. Their act in helping those in distress had a positive influence on the offspring of Fan Zhongyan. His son, Fan Yaofu (fàn yào fú \u8303\u8000\u798f), inherited this virtue and always helped others.<\/p>\n

Righteousness
the five co<\/em>nstant virtuesRighteousness in co<\/em>ntrast to benevolence involves thinking and acting from one’s own viewpoint. It demands ratio<\/em>nal action, self-restraint to resist temptation and the fortitude to do one’s duty. Above all righteousness is a<\/em>bout preserving one’s integrity.<\/p>\n

Examples
Bao Zheng (b\u0101o zh\u011bng \u5305\u62ef) was a much-praised official who served during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song (sòng rén z\u014dng \u5b8b\u4ec1\u5b97) in China. Bao is culturally a well-respected figure in Chinese history, and is today invoked as the symbol of justice in China.
He is famous for his uncompromising stance against corruption among the government officials at the time. He upheld justice and refused to yield to higher powers including the "royal father-in-law" (guó zhàng \u56fd\u4e08) and the Prime Minister. Due to his strong sense of justice, he is very popular in China, especially among the peasants and the poor.
Bao ZhengThere are many legends and stories a<\/em>bout Bao and his wit as both a detective and judge. Some famous examples include:
1. The story a<\/em>bout Bao executing Chen Shimei (chén shì m\u011bi \u9648\u4e16\u7f8e), who abando<\/em>ned his previous wife (and later tried to have her killed) in order to marry royalty.
2. The story of a plot to discredit a co<\/em>ncubine by swapping her son (the new born crown prince) with a civet, in which Bao disguised as the King of Hell Yan Luo (yán luó wáng \u960e\u7f57\u738b) to try Guo Huai (gu\u014d huái \u90ed\u69d0). Guo supported Bao in front of the Emperor early in his career, making the case perso<\/em>nally difficult for the judge. The perpetrator co<\/em>nfessed when he thought he was in hell.<\/p>\n

Propriety
the five co<\/em>nstant virtuesThe co<\/em>ntents of propriety include loyalty, filial piety, fraternal duty, chastity, respect, etc. Originating in ancient sacrificial rites, propriety, in a general sense signifies behavioral norms which maintain hierarchy. In ancient society, besides the relation of mo<\/em>narch and subjects, there were also the relations of father and sons, husband and wife, the elder and the young, teacher and students, and others. These relations differ but all demand respect and modest deference to others. However the spirit of equality is an essential prerequisite of propriety, especially in relations with unfamiliar persons.<\/p>\n

Examples
The story of “Taste the five co<\/em>nstant virtuesLiquid Medicine for Mother” tells us the filial virtue of Han Wendi (hàn wén dì \u6c49\u6587\u5e1d) of the Western Han Dynasty (x\u012b hàn \u897f\u6c49). His mother had been sick for three years. He often stayed up by her bedside and nursed her day and night. He tasted the liquid medicine first before giving to her. Chinese people take herbal medicine (zh\u014dng yào \u4e2d\u836f) prescribed by Chinese doctors (zh\u014dng y\u012b \u4e2d\u533b). Herbs are boiled with water to make a liquid medicine. Before giving such medicine to his mother, Han Wendi first tasted it to ensure it was not too hot or too bitter.
There are a lot of sayings that show respect towards teachers, for example, “a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime”. For a long time, the position of teacher was ho<\/em>nored by both the masses and the emperors. In the temple of Co<\/em>nfucius (k\u01d2ng miào \u5b54\u5e99) in Beijing, many emperors in the Qing dynasty (q\u012bng cháo \u6e05\u671d) had written ins<\/em>criptions to show their appreciation to master Co<\/em>nfucius (k\u01d2ng z\u01d0 \u5b54\u5b50).<\/p>\n

 the five co<\/em>nstant virtues<\/p>\n

In China, the ho<\/em>nor shown to teachers is displayed in every aspect of social life. The teacher is always called sir or mentor (xi\u0101n sh\u0113ng \u5148\u751f). Nowadays, September the tenth is designated to be The Teachers’ Day (jiào sh\u012b jié \u6559\u5e08\u8282).<\/p>\n

Wisdom
the five co<\/em>nstant virtuesWisdom is the innate knowledge by which one judges right and wrong, good and evil. This is necessary in the practice of moral norms, for otherwise one cannot become a person of virtue.In a sense it precedes the others because without wisdom one will have no sense of ethics, or social skills, or even just the plain common sense the other virtues require for guidance.<\/p>\n

Examples
The wisdom and achievements of Zhuge Liang (zh\u016b g\u011b liàng \u8bf8\u845b\u4eae) were made popular by Romance of the Three Kingdoms (s\u0101n guó y\u01cen yì \u4e09\u56fd\u6f14\u4e49) attributed to Luo Guanzhong (luó guàn zh\u014dng \u7f57\u8d2f\u4e2d) more than a millennium after the Three Kingdoms era ended. The novel incorporates many popular folklore, pseudo histories, and opera s<\/em>cripts into the character of Zhuge Liang, turning him into an embodiment of intelligence itself.
Before the Battle of Red Cliffs (chì bì zh\u012b zhàn \u8d64\u58c1\u4e4b\u6218), Zhuge Liang went to visit the Wu camp (wú j\u016bn \u5434\u519b) to assist Wu strategist Zhou Yu (zh\u014du yú \u5468\u745c). Zhou Yu saw Zhuge Liang as a threat to Eastern Wu (d\u014dng wú \u4e1c\u5434) and was also jealous of Zhuge Liang’s talent. Therefore, he assigned Zhuge Liang the task of making 100,000 arrows in ten days or facing execution. Zhuge Liang, however, swore he would finish this seemingly impossible task in three days. He requested 20 large boats, each manned with many straw men and a few soldiers. Before dawn, Zhuge Liang ordered his soldiers to beat war drums and shout orders, to imitate the noise of an attack.<\/p>\n

the five co<\/em>nstant virtues <\/p>\n

Zhuge Liang sat with Lu Su (l\u01d4 sù \u9c81\u8083) inside one of the boats drinking wine. The Wei soldiers, unable to see in the fog, fired many volleys of arrows at the sound of the drums. The straw men were soon filled with arrows, and Zhuge Liang returned to Wu having fulfilled his promise.<\/p>\n

Fidelity
the five co<\/em>nstant virtuesFidelity is honesty. This means that, externally, one’s deeds match one’s words; and that internally one’s words and mind are in unison. Fidelity is a key to the perfection of human nature. It is the basis without which other virtues lose their authenticity; hence they are inseparable. Fidelity is inherent in a child, but might be lost due to external influences.<\/p>\n

Examples
Co<\/em>nfucius taught his disciples to be honest. In study, if you know a thing, say you know it; if you don’t know, say so. He thought that it was the correct attitude towards study. In the late Qin Dynasty (qín cháo \u79e6\u671d) (221-207 BC), a man named Ji Bu (jì bù \u5b63\u5e03) always kept his word. People the five co<\/em>nstant virtuesoften said that "Better to get Ji Bu’s promise than one hundred jin (j\u012bn \u65a4) (Chinese weight measurement) of gold", thus creating the ex<\/em>pression that a "promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold" (y\u012b nuò qi\u0101n j\u012bn \u4e00\u8bfa\u5343\u91d1). Later, when Ji Bu met with catastrophe, he narrowly escaped due to the help of his friends. Hence, a person who keeps his word will naturally win respect and care from the people.
In olden times, the doors of Chinese shops had an ins<\/em>cription "Guarantee quality goods and reaso<\/em>nable prices for all customers". This shows that since ancient times China advocated the ethics of fair trade, ho<\/em>nesty towards customers, no deception and no falsification.<\/p>\n

In short, even in modern society the Five Co<\/em>nstant Virtues have profound significance. Though the modern state is administered mainly by law, law o<\/em>nly restrains people; it cannot teach man, especially it cannot perfect one’s mind. Hence, the Five Co<\/em>nstant Virtues can be used as a supplement to law.<\/p>\n

\u4e2d\u56fd\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7——\u4ec1\u4e49\u793c\u667a\u4fe1
      \u4e2d\u534e\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7\uff0c\u662f\u4e2d\u534e\u6c11\u65cf\u8d56\u4ee5\u751f\u5b58\u3001\u5ef6\u7eed\u548c\u53d1\u5c55\u7684\u6df1\u539a\u9053\u5fb7\u6839\u57fa\u3002\u6b63\u5fc3\u3001\u8bda\u610f\u3001\u683c\u7269\u3001\u81f4\u77e5\u3001\u4fee\u8eab\u3001\u9f50\u5bb6\u3001\u6cbb\u56fd\u3001\u5e73\u5929\u4e0b\uff0c\u628a\u7f8e\u5fb7\u8d2f\u7a7f\u5230\u4e00\u4e2a\u4eba\u7684\u81ea\u8eab\u3001\u5bb6\u5ead\u3001\u793e\u4f1a\u3001\u56fd\u5bb6\u7b49\u5404\u4e2a\u65b9\u9762\uff0c\u662f\u4e2d\u534e\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7\u7684\u663e\u8457\u7279\u5f81\u3002\u4e2d\u534e\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7\uff0c\u65e2\u662f\u4e2d\u56fd\u4eba\u5b89\u8eab\u7acb\u547d\u3001\u4e3a\u4eba\u5904\u4e16\u3001\u6210\u5c31\u4e8b\u4e1a\u7684\u54c1\u5fb7\u57fa\u7840\uff0c\u53c8\u662f\u4e2d\u534e\u6c11\u65cf\u8fdb\u6b65\u3001\u793e\u4f1a\u53d1\u5c55\u3001\u56fd\u5bb6\u7a33\u5b9a\u7684\u7cbe\u795e\u652f\u67f1\uff0c\u5b83\u9676\u51b6\u51fa\u4e00\u4ee3\u4ee3\u4ec1\u4eba\u5fd7\u58eb\uff0c\u63a8\u52a8\u4e2d\u534e\u6c11\u65cf\u4e0d\u65ad\u8d70\u5411\u6587\u660e\u3002\u4ee5\u4ec1\u4e49\u793c\u667a\u4fe1\u4e3a\u4e3b\u8981\u5185\u5bb9\u7684\u4e2d\u534e\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7\uff0c\u91cd\u89c6\u4e2a\u4eba\u9053\u5fb7\u54c1\u8d28\u7684\u9524\u70bc\uff0c\u91cd\u89c6\u9053\u5fb7\u89c4\u8303\u7684\u8df5\u884c\uff0c\u91cd\u89c6\u6574\u4f53\u5229\u76ca\u4ef7\u503c\u7684\u8ffd\u6c42\u3002“\u4ec1\u4e49\u793c\u667a\u4fe1”\u662f\u4e2d\u534e\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7\u7684\u6838\u5fc3\u8303\u7574\uff0c\u8d2f\u7a7f\u4e8e\u4e2d\u534e\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7\u7684\u6574\u4e2a\u53d1\u5c55\u5386\u7a0b\uff0c\u662f\u4e2d\u534e\u4f20\u7edf\u7f8e\u5fb7\u7684\u6838\u5fc3\u4ef7\u503c\u89c2\u3002the five co<\/em>nstant virtues
     “\u4ec1\u4e49\u793c\u667a\u4fe1”\uff0c\u662f\u4e2d\u56fd\u53e4\u4ee3\u5112\u5bb6\u5f52\u7eb3\u7684\u4e94\u4e2a\u6700\u57fa\u672c\u7684\u9053\u5fb7\u8303\u7574\uff0c\u5176\u7531\u6765\u548c\u53d1\u5c55\u7ecf\u5386\u4e86\u4e00\u4e2a\u4e0d\u65ad\u5b8c\u5584\u7684\u8fc7\u7a0b\u3002
      \u81ea\u6709\u6587\u5b57\u8bb0\u8f7d\u4ee5\u6765\u81f3\u6625\u79cb\u65f6\u671f\uff0c\u662f\u4ec1\u4e49\u793c\u667a\u4fe1\u4e94\u4e2a\u5fb7\u76ee\u88ab\u5206\u522b\u63d0\u51fa\u548c\u786e\u7acb\u7684\u9636\u6bb5\u3002
     “\u4ec1”\u7684\u63d0\u51fa\uff0c\u6700\u521d\u4e0e\u6c0f\u65cf\u5b97\u65cf\u8840\u7f18\u5173\u7cfb\u76f8\u8fde\uff0c\u4e3b\u8981\u662f\u6307\u540c\u60c5\u3001\u5173\u5fc3\u548c\u7231\u62a4\u4eba\uff0c\u5176\u5b8c\u6574\u601d\u60f3\u9996\u5148\u662f\u7531\u5b54\u5b50\u9610\u91ca\u548c\u4f20\u64ad\u7684\u3002
     “\u4e49”\u6700\u521d\u7684\u542b\u4e49\uff0c\u65e2\u6307\u4eea\u8868\u548c\u98ce\u8c8c\uff0c\u4e5f\u6307\u9002\u5b9c\u548c\u6b63\u5f53\uff0c\u540e\u6765\u6cdb\u6307\u4e00\u5207\u9053\u4e49\uff0c\u5176\u4f5c\u7528\u662f\u7ef4\u6301\u793e\u4f1a\u79e9\u5e8f\u3002
     “\u793c”\u6700\u521d\u662f\u539f\u59cb\u793e\u4f1a\u796d\u795e\u7948\u798f\u7684\u4e00\u79cd\u5b97\u6559\u4eea\u5f0f\uff0c\u7ecf\u8fc7\u5112\u5bb6\u7684\u6539\u9020\uff0c\u5176\u5185\u5bb9\u7531\u5355\u7eaf\u7684\u4e60\u4fd7\u4eea\u5f0f\u53d1\u5c55\u6210\u89c4\u8303\u5a5a\u59fb\u3001\u8840\u7edf\u3001\u957f\u5e7c\u3001\u5c0a\u5351\u7b49\u5173\u7cfb\u7684\u884c\u4e3a\u51c6\u5219\uff0c\u5e76\u9010\u6e10\u5236\u5ea6\u5316\u3001\u6cd5\u5f8b\u5316\u3002
     “\u667a”\u6700\u521d\u662f\u6307\u4eba\u4eec\u5bf9\u4e8b\u7269\u7684\u5224\u65ad\u8fc5\u901f\u51c6\u786e\uff0c\u540e\u6765\u88ab\u6625\u79cb\u65f6\u671f\u5112\u5bb6\u8d4b\u4e88\u660e\u8fa8\u662f\u975e\u5584\u6076\u3001\u81ea\u77e5\u77e5\u4eba\u7b49\u9053\u5fb7\u5185\u6db5\uff0c\u4e88\u4ee5\u5021\u5bfc\u3002
     “\u4fe1”\u6700\u521d\u662f\u6307\u796d\u7940\u4e0a\u5929\u548c\u5148\u7956\u65f6\u8bda\u5b9e\u4e0d\u6b3a\u3001\u4e0d\u6562\u5984\u8a00\uff0c\u540e\u6765\u9010\u6e10\u6446\u8131\u5176\u5b97\u6559\u8272\u5f69\uff0c\u7279\u522b\u662f\u7ecf\u8fc7\u6625\u79cb\u65f6\u671f\u5112\u5bb6\u5b66\u8005\u7684\u5021\u5bfc\uff0c\u6210\u4e3a\u4e00\u9879\u91cd\u8981\u7684\u793e\u4f1a\u9053\u5fb7\u89c4\u8303\u3002
<\/div>\n