The Dharma Master Chǒngsan of Won Buddhism: Analects and Writings

Chapter Six: The Nation

Chapter Six The Nation I. On the Nation In a nation it is inevitable that there be the ruler and the ruled, and the edifier and the edified. The rise and fall of the nation depends on whether the rulers and the ruled each fulfill or fail to fulfill their duties well, and the nation’s prosperity and decline depends on whether the edifiers and the edified each fulfill or fail to fulfill their duties well. Therefore, the leaders of the state should follow “the essentials of good leadership”6 elucidated in the Canon, lest the nation’s destiny and the future of the people become mired in difficulty. The nation will prosper and the citizens will all enjoy happiness only if leaders fulfill their duties. II. Principles of Governing and Edification There can be various ways of governing and edifying people, but their essential principles are as follows. The first is to govern and edify with the Way, which consists in letting people receive natural and spontane‑ ous edification based on the principle of accomplishing all things without external interference. This can be done by letting all people be enlight‑ ened to their own nature which is the ultimate truth of the universe, and thereby letting them be naturally edified by the great way of neither birth nor death and the cause‑effect responses. The second way of governing 69 70 / The Dharma Master Chŏngsan of Won Buddhism and edifying people is to bring to bear on them the moral influence of the leader’s moral excellence. The leader should demonstrate virtuous influ‑ ence by following the right Way ahead of the people, so that the people may be influenced by the virtue of the leader. The third way of governing and edifying people is to rule by means of laws. The people should be led by the enforcement of laws and the fair treatment of human affairs. In the past, one of these three ways was sufficient to govern and influence the people according to the times; in the future, people will be effectively governed or edified only if all three ways are applied together. III. The Way of the People The people are the sovereign of the nation. The nation will be prosper‑ ous and the people will be happy if the citizens of the nation fulfill their duties; if they do not, the nation will decline and the people will be unable to avoid misery. The first way of the people is to obey national law; national law should be strictly protected and duly obeyed by the rulers and the ruled. The second way is for the people to fulfill their duties to the nation, and the duties of education, national revenue, and national defense. Diligent work should be done by the people. The third way is to do service to the nation within one’s own occupation. One should contribute to national productivity and culture by making one’s own living sound, applying the moral principle of mutual benefit and the spirit of public service. The fourth way is the way of unison and unity. The whole people should, for the sake of national development and interest, unite against greed and unfair profit on the part of any individual. ...