Enforcement is not as good as Self-Initiate/Self-Directed.
Rule by Laws is typical enforcement to make sure people behave. That's the teaching of Legal School of Han Fei Zi and typical Western Approach. It is effective immediately but you usually get minimum standard of performance and most likely superficial conformance, if not cheating (catch me if you can).
Self-initiated is a better approach. But how to get them to do right? Confucius' approach is the use of shame, social pressure, to enforce right behaviour. Han Fei Zi laughed at the Confucius' approach of education and conduct. What is the effectiveness of educating people not to steal. Just implement the law of chopping off hands if caught stealing and people will obey immediately.
Lao Zi's approach is to follow the ways of Dao, of the Heaven and Earth. Dao way is the way of love. I love first and hence steal not. If only we can internalise the Dao of love, we will automatically do away with all the Laws and everyone can live freely in the world of love. Such is also the dream of Confucius, Da Tong, the Great Community of Unity - you, me and others are all One and the Same. (This is very much like the church of the believers is the body of Christ.)
So we can see the progression, from timeliness to effectiveness, the Laws, the Social Pressure of Shames, and the Way of Dao (of Love).
The inability of man to love others as much as self is solved by having a rebirth with a new life. This is the teaching of Jesus - we must be born again. The gospel is not about making man better but is about making dead man alive. A new man with love for others built-in, with the Laws internalised.
So we can see that the Classic Chinese Teachings point out the Way and the answer is provided in Jesus Christ. The gospels completed the search and desire of the Classical Chinese Masters.
Lim Liat (c) 5 Jan 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment