Tao, Virtue, Law, Benevolence, Righteousness, Rituals, Wisdom, Credibility, Magical Art

Xuefeng

Observing human history, it always seems like a tangled mess. Looking at the current state of humanity, it appears as a complete mess.

Where do the problems lie? Can we organize this tangled mess and find some order?

The universe operates in order, seasons change in a timely manner. Does human society have to remain forever like history, forever like the current state? Must humanity forever repeat its mistakes?

Let me first provide definitions for Tao, Virtue, Law, Benevolence, Righteousness, Rites, Wisdom, Trust, and Art, and then examine the causes behind human history and its current state.

Tao - It's the spirit of the Greatest Creator, to put it simply, the consciousness of the Greatest Creator. Tao is nonmaterial, belonging to the negative aspect of the universe. It's the force governing the evolution and changes of the universe, representing laws, principles, vitality, and the blood of the universe.

Virtue - It's the quality of gods and Buddhas (celestial beings), the thinking quality that strictly conforms to the essence of Tao while aligning with the flow of Tao.

Law - It's a way for gods, spirits, Buddhas, and demons to utilize Tao and manifest their respective abilities.

Benevolence - It's the internal standard used by sages in human society to restrain themselves and all people to uphold the inner quality of Virtue.

Righteousness - It's a behavior of noble people and gentlemen.

Rituals - It's a method used by rulers to maintain their rule.

Wisdom - It's the cleverness and ingenuity acquired by the common people for survival.

Trust - It is a mutually binding covenant devised and created to maintain the orderly life of humanity.

Magical Art - It's a trick played by lower-class individuals in society to highlight themselves through abnormal channels.

By analyzing human history and current state from these definitions, when humanity prioritizes Tao, all aspects of human society can operate in order, presenting a state of national peace, favorable weather, natural harmony, and genuine modesty and accommodation.

When humanity forsakes Tao but prioritizes Virtue, the trend of seeking gods and Buddhas starts to prevail. Waves of religious movements emerge, the mindset of seeking divine blessings becomes increasingly prominent, and religions begin to dominate various social domains. People refrain from arrogance and recklessness, thus maintaining effective societal functioning while preserving harmony between humans and nature.

When humanity abandons both Tao and Virtue in favor of Law, the situation of warlords rising gradually emerges. Inevitable wars and plundering escalate, intensifying the destruction of nature. Humanity plunges into a phase of frenzied development.

When humanity esteems Benevolence, with Tao and Virtue in decline, Law can receive appropriate restraints. However, cunning and sophistry begin to prevail. Various doctrines, thoughts, and ideologies proliferate, and humanity gradually loses spirituality, relying more on rationality for survival.

When Righteousness becomes a trend, numerous political parties, social groups, and civilian factions emerge, intensifying the competition for self-centered interests. Human society becomes restless and unstable.

When rituals dominate society, the essence of human nature begins to degrade, and beastly behavior finds its way. Everyone strives vigorously to climb upward, leading to prevalent acts of oppression, slander, false accusations, mutual deception, opportunism, and a surge of deceitful practices. These phenomena proliferate like mushrooms after the rain.

When wisdom is promoted as human cleverness, people become excessively shrewd, constantly striving for personal gain, seizing every inch of merit, their hearts and words at odds, lies pervading streets and alleys, faith completely lost, their small minds exceedingly bright while their larger minds are exceedingly foolish. They appear human but resemble ghosts, making it difficult to distinguish between the two, making it hard to differentiate between humans and demons.

When credibility is recognized by the masses as the best tool to restrain humanity, constitutions, laws, regulations, and systems multiply, becoming increasingly intricate. Coupled with religious doctrines and ritual constraints, human nature is almost entirely lost. Everyone becomes a cog in society’s machinery, struggling and fighting, yet finding it challenging to realize their noble ideals.

When magical art takes center stage in society, superstition prevails, the distinction between humans and ghosts becomes blurred. Falsehoods, ugliness, and evil replace truths, beauty, and goodness. People become akin to those under a spell, chaotic, disordered, rendering it almost impossible to find a remedy for humanity.

Isn't this the cause of human history and its current state?