Life's Journey (The Beginning of Humanity Book Series)

Author: Zhao Dayan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: Naming this book series with the opening phrase of "The Three Character Classic" is intended to follow the path of governing books through virtue and dig out certain aspects from the virtues of our ancestors that can be applied in modern times.
At the beginning of life, humans are like innocent newborns, without speech or thoughts, pure and spotless, earning admiration from every adult and evoking a deep longing for their golden childhood. This tiny person has no high demands—just basic warmth and sustenance—and yet receives relentless care and boundless affection. Why, then, does he later encounter so much fortune and misfortune? Why can’t the warmth and harmony surrounding him at the beginning of life stay with him forever?
"The beginning of life is inherently good," as the Chinese saying goes. In the West, however, people begin to constantly examine themselves from the moment they are born—to atone for their sins before God. Whether advocating for innate goodness or the theory of original sin, when they reach the end of their lives, their fate will either be as humans or as ghosts, or as half-human, half-ghost, neither fully human nor fully otherworldly. Whether they become humans or ghosts, or something in between, it is all shaped by the social and historical journey they have lived through—the environment shapes them. An individual cannot transcend history; the idea that heroes create circumstances is nonsense. Even a wise figure like Jesus could not guide his people forward (see "The Book of Exodus"). Much less can ordinary, mortal humans, who eat five grains of rice and suffer from the hardships of life! It is safer to simply "feel one’s way like stepping over stones."
"The body and its hair are given by parents and must not be harmed." This is an expression of life from the perspective of self-love. If this principle is extended to others—to treat others with the same kindness as oneself—then perhaps the day of a unified world will not be far off. Last year’s "9·11" tragedy and the recent frequent "human bomb" attacks clearly show that the extreme indifference and cruelty toward one’s own and others’ lives have crossed borders, and the world has already become united in this regard. How much longer will such horrific human disasters, driven by a willingness to sacrifice lives and treat people as mere grass, continue to thrive?
"The Master, standing by the river, said: 'The passage of time is like this—unremitting day and night.'" I hope that more people can divert the whirlpools in their lives that are most stirring and impactful, channeling them into "The Beginning of Life." The great rivers and streams will grow even fuller and more magnificent due to your generosity.