Civil Service Manual: Newly Compiled Little Five Classics Four Books

Author: Zhao Guohua, Liu Guojian (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The book is divided into seven major categories: Cultivating Virtue, Governing, Nurturing the People, Adjudicating Disputes, Financial Management, Appointing Personnel, and Self-Cultivation. Governance depends on people; the subjects of political activities are people, and all policies and measures rely on them to be implemented. How effectively they are carried out and the results depend closely on the personal integrity of officials. Governance is the process that directly reflects and demonstrates the virtue and talent of officials, and it is also their duty as officials. Therefore, "Governing" is ranked second. The core and purpose of governance lie in ensuring the people live and work in peace and prosperity. Only by achieving this can national stability be maintained. Thus, "Nurturing the People" follows "Governing" and ranks third. To nurture and care for the people, it is crucial to adjudicate cases and resolve disputes in various official duties and specific political practices. Adjudicating disputes can alleviate the burdens of the people, stabilize social order, and promote moral education. Therefore, "Adjudicating Disputes" is ranked fourth. To maintain integrity and implement benevolent governance, one must handle financial matters with caution. "Integrity is the foundation of governance." Only by remaining incorruptible can one govern justly and stand upright. Whether one practices frugality and avoids extravagance is not only related to personal virtue but also affects the rise and fall of the nation. Thus, "Financial Management" is ranked fifth. Officials, immersed in the bureaucratic world, are constantly entangled in complex power networks and political relationships. How they handle relationships with superiors, colleagues, and subordinates is not only related to their career prospects but also determines whether they can govern smoothly, and even their own safety. Therefore, "Appointing Personnel" is included as a category. Additionally, governing one's family and managing one's relatives are deeper aspects of self-cultivation for officials, serving as prerequisites for governing the state and pacifying the world. "If one's family cannot be taught, then there is no one who can teach others." If one achieves success, dragging others along with them, political clarity cannot be achieved. "Self-Cultivation" is an aspect that officials often overlook but must never neglect. These seven aspects complement and are closely linked, none of which can be neglected by officials. Officials wield national power above and bear the expectations of the people below. Only with virtue and talent, governing with the heart, nurturing the people with principles, cultivating oneself and managing the family, remaining calm and composed in adversity, and remaining undisturbed by fame or disgrace—only then can one reach the ultimate state. To serve as an official for a time is to live as a person for a lifetime. Harmony that unites all directions, skill that moves mountains with a feather, adaptability that combines round and square, and a sense of propriety that seeks balance—all are the wisdom of governing and the people, as well as the skills of standing and living in the world. Those who reflect on themselves can learn from the text to understand gains and losses; those who care about the world can learn from it to achieve great things; those who remain detached can learn from it to discern clarity from obscurity; and those who treat life as a game can learn from it to correct their advances and retreats.