Justice, what is it? A Confucian view of why being who you really are is the right thing to do

Mencius coined the term jen-i (humanity-righteousness), which has been recognized as the essence of Confucianism. He did it to use the self, justice, as a bridge between the inside and the outside of the mind, between humanity and propriety. One of the most impressive and effective features of Mencius’s philosophy is his ability to show morality, or righteousness, as a faculty, an ability, of humanity. Another impressive feature is Mencius’s ability to display the spiritual power of justice. The first feature of Mencius shows that Confucius’s humanity, the natural ability and potential of each person to practice virtue, encompasses an innate sixth sense, a kind of sense of morality. Each person can cultivate this sense through practice. Justice is like a second sight; it is the ability to ‘see’ what needs to be done in each of life’s situations. Through contemplation, reflection, and continued practice, people can improve their proficiency in this skill. Through a better understanding of humanity and a deeper sincerity, this ability can be instantly applied to seemingly complex scenarios. Mencius connected righteousness with humanity, because he understood that his ability was rooted in this vastness innate in the mind of humanity. As described in previous posts, this limitless heavenly principle endowed within all people, humanity, is a manifestation of Heaven. Cultivating humanity is like cultivating a heavenly mind. This high vision, this immensity, gives us time and space in the mind within which we can be free to contemplate, understand and apply justice to each of our affairs. This process, through repetition and practice, can become natural and instantaneous.

The second impressive and effective feature of Menius’s philosophy becomes evident when we rest on this justice, when we take it as the purpose of our life. It is then that we discover that we have an energy, a ‘ch’i’ that can merge with the universal. This accumulated righteous energy can go anywhere. With a clear conscience and a courageous sense of confidence built from continuous practice, we will be in the right place at the right time and will be able to understand the right path, easily following it. This energy can ‘go anywhere’, because it is built from past successes that take us to the right place at the right time. This energy can go anywhere because it responds appropriately to the world around us. Our righteous ch’i finds the right place at the right time and we accumulate even more each time we follow it. Cultivating this ability is of infinity, or ‘great’ benefit. Following righteousness has harmonious repercussions that reverberate through all of our connections. The superior person is defined by his relation to justice. They are of great harmony and benefit to society.

Although this righteousness is this great and powerful ability of each individual, it is not incompatible or contrary to the others:

I (justice) originally meant expression of personal or individual attitude, because the character has the radical for “I”, which means I as a model. “I am the majesty of oneself” (Hsu Shen, Explanation)…

Due to i’s relation to oneself, it is too easy to judge another by one’s individual opinions… Two qualifications help to avoid this situation and to understand the true meaning of i. (Yi Wu’s Chinese Philosophical Terms, 1986, 135)

Those two qualifications are ‘benefit’, or ‘great benefit’, and suitability. Wu points out that the first hexagram of the Classic Book of Changes, the I Ching, says that “benefit is the harmonizer of all i”, each person’s path of righteousness promotes harmonious benefit (1986, I Ching). All the ‘justices’ of individuals are united in this ability to harmoniously benefit all things. Each thing on this Earth has its function from Heaven and by fulfilling the mandate of Heaven they are in harmony with the Celestial principle of all other things. By fulfilling the role ordained by Heaven, each of us can embody and display the virtues of Heaven in our lives. ‘Sublime Beginning, Perfect Communication, Harmonious Benefit and Right Path’ are four characteristic virtues of the movement of Heaven as described in the I Ching (Hexagram 1). We manifest the movement of Heaven in our own affairs when we embody these four virtues; we manifest this ‘harmonious benefit’.

The second qualification to avoid self-righteousness is the consideration of the suitability in practice of i. Because righteousness includes doing the right action in the right place at the right time through the right relationships, it is appropriate and compatible. Following justice adapts to any situation because it takes into consideration what is appropriate, and self-righteousness is never a useful tool and it is never appropriate. Justice, as Mencius describes it, is a practice that takes all factors into consideration. It allows others the space for their own ‘I’ to emerge. Actually, when we practice righteousness, we harmonize with the higher principles of others and open the Way for them to practice their i. This adequacy is more than just compatibility with others, more than just being in harmony with others; it is of great benefit to others because it helps them open the Way for them to see their own ability.

By following righteousness, by following what is one’s own and of great harmonious benefit, one can know the way of the superior person:

“Humanity is the mind of man; i is the way of man” (Mencius, Bk. VI, Part 1, Ch.11). “I am the way; property is the door” (Mencius, Bk. V, Part 2, Ch.7). Here Mencius saw ai as the path that leads humanity from mind to the gate of property, through which it passes into action. For Mencius, I was the way to practice humanity. (Wu 1986, 136-137)

Seeing this path becomes easier and more attractive with practice, as its spiritual power becomes apparent. For example, this path is easy to see in the most basic practice: when we wake up we walk around our house and start preparing breakfast. We eat. We clean the dishes. Washing the dishes is the correct action, the proper action to take after breakfast. While this is a very small and simple situation, it is in such situations that we learn to understand and build momentum for right action in all areas of life. While it may not seem like much of a benefit for us to wash our dishes in this example, doing the dishes trains our minds to follow justice, and in that place at that time it is our destiny to wash those dishes. When we follow our destiny, we follow our justice, we do our unique part. Also, as we take care of our own responsibilities, like doing the dishes, we open ourselves to righteousness and accumulate energy, righteousness ch’i, in our lives. With a clean kitchen, we free ourselves from dirty ch’i. We can move smoothly into our next situation. Righteousness may dictate that we should sit down for a minute and rest, or continue cleaning, for example. But in this simple act of learning what is appropriate according to our training, we work this ‘straightness muscle’. We do what is opportune, resting or continuing, and accumulate energy, just as we practice using our sense, our faculty of righteousness. With the righteous energy accumulated from such simple acts, we will have a surplus of energy to deal well with our family members. With the energy accumulated by treating our family members well, we will be able to go out and take care of the day’s business well. The more we practice justice, the more right things happen. The more right things happen, our destiny, the more righteousness energy accumulates and the better our ability, the stronger our sixth sense of righteousness.

With this connection to righteousness, Mencius gives Confucian philosophy a heroic energy. By using righteousness in this way, Mencius is honoring Confucius’ emphasis on practice. Through repeated practice, righteousness can break all selfishness and all ignorance. Mencius puts up a strong barrier to selfishness by stating that righteousness and profit are mutually exclusive motivations. The egotistical desire for personal benefit is incompatible with justice, because justice is its own motivation. While profit may or may not come, it is not a consideration in the cultivation of righteousness. The superior person learns to follow righteousness in all actions and by doing so becomes a pillar of society. The next chapter will show that justice in many ways defines superior people, differentiates them from inferior people. This righteousness is the standard by which superior people live their lives. Through repeated practice, they gain confidence in getting the right result and following righteousness, and they become bolder. This courage inspires them to consider only doing what is right and this becomes their path in life. Superior people continue to be in the right place at the right time with the right understanding and the right skills. This adequacy is beyond anything we can devise. It is the path of humanity, commanded by Heaven.

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