Mandate of Heaven

 

Mandate of Heaven : Ancient Chinese Soteriology

Ancient Chinese Classic texts:

“
天命之謂性；率性之謂道；修道之謂教。

　　道也者，不可須臾離也；可離，非道也。是故君子戒慎乎其所不睹，恐懼乎其所不聞。

　　莫見乎隱，莫顯乎微。故君子慎其獨也。

　　喜、怒、哀、樂之未發，謂之中。發而皆中節，謂之和。中也者，天下之大本也。和也者，天下之達道也。

　　致中和，天地位焉，萬物育焉 (《中庸》 )

“
人之初，性本善。性相近，習相遠。

　　苟不教，性乃遷。教之道，貴以專。 (《三字經》 )

“夫上古聖人之教下也，皆謂之虛邪賊風，避之有時，恬惔虛無，真氣從之，精神內守，病安從來。

　　是以志閒而少欲，心安而不懼，形勞而不倦，氣從以順，各從其欲，皆得所願。

　　故美其食，任其服，樂其俗，高下不相慕，其民故曰樸。

　　是以嗜慾不能勞其目，淫邪不能惑其心，愚智賢不肖，不懼於物，故合於道。

　　所以能年皆度百歲而動作不衰者，以其德全不危也。 (黃帝內經 素問·上古天真論原文)

“　有物混成，先天地生，寂兮寥兮，獨立而不改，周行而不殆，可以為天地母。吾不知其名，強字之曰道，強為之名曰大。大曰逝，逝曰遠，遠曰反。故道大，天大，地大，人亦大。域中有四大，而人居其一焉。人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然。

“

“　致虛極；守靜篤。萬物並作，吾以觀复。夫物芸芸，各復歸其根。歸根曰靜，靜曰復命。復命曰常，知常曰明。不知常，妄作兇。知常容，容乃公，公乃全，全乃天，天乃道，道乃久，歿身不殆。

“歸妹 卦 54.　歸妹卦　雷澤歸妹

《彖》曰：歸妹，天地之大義也。天地不交，而萬物不興。歸妹，人之終始也，說以動，所歸妹也。征凶，位不當也；无攸利，柔乘剛也。

《象》曰：澤上有雷，歸妹。君子以永終知敝。

“A body thou hast prepared.........I have come to do thy will” Hebrews 10:6

I was educated in American fundamentalism, and salvation of this teaching is about an individual, born as a sinner, with acts of sins and departure from God's holy teaching, destined to perish and eternally punished. By the acts of Christ's own death on the cross, the sinless for the sinful, and by his substitutionary atonement, Christ was able to redeem the sinful and fulfilled the acts of righteousness, and thus a sinner converted, trusted in that saving faith, can become righteous, and hence attained salvation, here and in the afterlife, as a righteous person, to attain eternal life.

This American teaching invented in this North American context, focuses on individual salvation, perfected in personal conversionism, turning from acts of wantoness, and acts of drunkenness, adulterous living, gluttony and avarice, turning to Christ Jesus, holding him as the centre of his life and trusted in his righteousness and deeds of righteousness, striving to lead a life pattern by personal piety of studying the Bible, church attendance, prayer, and being a witness to this faith by leading others into this faith.

In short, “the old has passed, the new has come, behold, I have made everything new.” This teaching focuses on the new birth as if this converted person has not done any deeds of sin or crime. A person in Christ is regarded as a new person, his righteousness is “imputed” onto him by Christ's acts of self sacrifice and his teaching.

Perhaps the best way that I can see this faith is in its teaching, that God was in Christ, focused on the individual, and salvation is all but for the individual person.

I was a faithful follower of this way. Converted at the age of 16, dedicated my life to Christ, and his teaching, being a person who attains this teaching, follower of the way, and always in my acts and deeds reflect this way. As a Christian, and a Chinese from Taiwan, China, I thought Chinese culture has nothing to contribute to my person, personal well being, and how to behave. I one time thought that if I married a white girl, that might solve this problem, being able to be embraced by this American culture in every way. Life was not so easy, the more I moved apart and in denial of my Chinese identity, the further I drift. The more I got to see that being a Chinese has a low social standing in this society, and lower than black people. In the eyes of American whites, we are but an oddity, similar to Jews, and to be converted and hold our own social standing, lower than white people and blacks. No matter how much education a Chinese attains, it is the same situation every where. In the more progressive northern states, being a Chinese has a slightly higher status than that of the South, nevertheless, the same lower social status and order that I came to embrace or rather, it was reputed/imputed onto me by my birth. Similar to that American Evangelical teaching, that Christ's own righteousness is imputed onto sinners, my Chinese identity and all that inferior social standing, political standing here in this American nation – has imputed onto me, just because I am a Chinese person.

This understanding is clearer to me now after a few years of Mr Trump's politicization of China threats, and also I see it commonly, every day. I see that also through the eyes of those who suffered this injustice, such as Hispanic people :“these Mexicans.”Migrants and Mexicans are regarded as a threat and lower class, treated as such in this American nation. I see that politicization supported by American Evangelicals, as if it is God given, and their rights. It is seen as an immigration issue, disguised as 'illegals' that are threatening American society, to the point that their elevated status is threaten. American Evangelicals, supported this ideology by votes and action. Their action speaks louder than words, always holding the moral high ground as the elect, that God has chosen them to lead this American country out of the miry of sin and despair, and that they shall manifest God's destiny in this way. Their religious faith being the forefront of this fight. Hence, many of these White American Evangelicals, as in the lead to fight against the unrighteous, drunken and rapist illegals, who also import covid pandemic through their massive emigration through southern borders.

Why is this political topic important in the discussion of Chinese classical view of soteriology? In ancient Chinese, “nature” as heaven imputed onto Chinese is something good, kind and if I may use Christian words, “illustrious.” It is because this nature is an emanation from the heavens. Departure from this goodness, is common and as a result, Huang-Di in his conversation leading to the description of eventual sickness and disease. He does not preach eternal life, but a good life that ends well through self discipline and good living.

American soteriology is about the salvation of individuals who attained this blessing and shall inherit this land. Much of inheriting this land resulted in genocide of previous residents, millions perished because God has not chosen them, but these newly arrived European immigrants. Not that they are smarter, but this one thing they do, pursuing and pushing and clearing the land from these none-humans, “Indians.” These are pagans, to be converted by the sword or death, brought under subjugation for the sake of Christ, and his kingdom. Indeed, history belongs to the victors. These victors then divided up the land according to their own image and after their likeness, and of course, this anger comes again when pagans and these ugly Mexicans are invading this American land and taking away their God given rights.

There is this stark contrast between American Evangelical faith to that of ancient Chinese Classics.

Our Chinese Classic teaches that “mandate of heaven” is what defines human nature, and understanding that and attaining this heaven given nature, is the way/Dao, as the process to attain this way, is the teaching that comes from generations of those who had attained this life here on earth. This word “teaching” is that of ancients from China, and as Christian, we have a Master who taught us how to be. This is the same context of Christianity when translated into modern Chinese as “Christ's teaching.”

In order to understand and attain this doctrine, sages and holy ones from Chinese past history learned that this was seldom far from each of us, and when in action and behaviours, themselves strive to behave in that way, without departing to the left or to the right. It brings peace when all action ceases to be, and this peace is the evident and visible sign of one who is on the way. This is the simplest Chinese soteriology. Salvation is to return to that illustrious nature given by the heavens, and as this mandate is evident to us, we know in our hearts, right from wrong, and if we do not know acts of right from wrong, we can be taught from ancient Chinese Classics. These teachings have accumulated years and generations of practice, and come down to us, some five thousand years ago, crystallized by Confucius, Laotse, and sages and holy men from the past. Sometimes, it helps with a different perspective, such as brought in from India, Buddhism, or by ancient Christians from Persia, or Manicheans or those sages from the West, through Silk Road trades and flourished for a time. Nevertheless, ancient Chinese were able to convert these and absorbed them for Chinese use, for a better living.

Ancient Chinese medical text testified that people departed from ways of “truth” “goodness” and “empty-state.” Their lives have been cut short, and suffered various illness. These habits can be mended through an understanding of how to be, and how to behave. Attaining this ideal, is similar to that of YiChing's 54^th hexagram, that we shall return to that of our nature, that attaining, and returning to that which was formed, is the salvation in Chinese context, the great righteousness.

As it was said, “humans follow the way of the earth, and earth to heaven, heaven to dao, and dao/this way follows nature/itself, that of itself, as it was.” This way is never far from us. We do not need Western missionaries from the West, through wars, and acts of aggression, through subjugation, and destruction of our land, or to caricature our own image or to regard us, Chinese, as lower than them, as it once was said in the Psalms, “Thou hast regarded man, lower than the angels.” Indeed, we are lower than these White American masters. They beat us in every way, they run our schools, and our kids cannot move upward due to their restrictions. They show us how to behave, and grant us to look at them, and their beauties. They imputed onto us, the white features, but given us an ugly image, of slanted eye, evil eye Chinese look, as if that is how we should look at ourselves. Theirs is the right to the Kingdom, ours, is the right to be beneath them, even in American religious world, no one scarcely look at us. The more we imitate them, and sound like them, the less we imitate Christ, and his teaching. Expansion and greed is the American way, ours is to imitate that, and to be converted so that we can sit beneath them, as in the Psalms, “Sit on my right hand, and I will make enemies a footstool for your feet.” Yes, to be a foot stool for their feet, our faith has taught us that. I am just getting tired of it, so now I am looking at ancient Chinese Classics, and the more I look, the less likely I am impressed by these Americans.

I am returning to that of my forefathers' way and this is Chinese soteriology. An answer to modern Americans, as their churches are laying waste, massive expatiated from their midst. Why such a horrible destruction? May I suggest that American faith does not work, and American rule is no longer the case. As Yang spoke to their Blinken at Anchorage, “You have no right to speak from a position of strength.” In order to attain Christ's teaching, I suggest, we shall return to that eternal way, the dao, which is no far from all of us. We are a proud people, and we have our way, and why not look into it, and be humble enough to learn from this source of living water? As the holy scripture teaches, “those who believe me, out of their bellies shall flow waters of living stream.”

Indeed, ancients taught, Dao is not far from us, from those who are illiterate, or stupid or simple. Those things we regard as the way, is not. It is often and manifested in the nature that Heavens has imputed onto us, when we see acts of humanity, righteousness, acts of li (rites), or through wisdom, we are seekers of the way, as ancient Christians. Indeed, theirs is the Father Abraham, but Christ saw through all that, told them, “Yours is the devil, as your father.” Theirs is the way to destroy other nations and race and culture. I say, ours, is the way to imitate that of the nature of peace, and median way. There is no easy passage, but to depart from this way, is the way that leads to death, and wide as it is, smooth and broad is the way that leads to destruction. I choose life, I choose to live in a way handed down from ancients of my forefathers. I shall continue to tread lightly, confidently, and on my way. This is my Chinese soteriology.