正 (Uprightness)

正字從一從止即止於一之謂也

The character ZHENG (Uprightness), which is comprised of the signs oneness and attainment, means to reach a state of oneness and to maintain it.

大學曰為人君止於仁為人臣止於敬為人子止於孝為人父止於慈與國人交止於信皆止於一也即所以為正也

The Book of Great Learning mentioned, “Being a ruler, one must attain benevolence; being a government official, one must attain paying respect; being a child, one must attain filial piety; being a parent, one must attain mercifulness; being associated with others, one must attain trustfulness.” These all “reach a state of oneness” so that they are each regarded as ZHENG.

又曰心有所忿懥則不得其正有所恐懼則不得其正有所好惡則不得其正

有所憂患則不得其正

蓋忿懥恐懼好惡憂患皆失其心之一而不得其正也

Others say, “If a heart is filled with resentment, fright, prejudice or anxiety, ZHENG is lost.” Hence, resentment, fright, prejudice and anxiety can cause the oneness to be lost from the heart, thus ZHENG is unreachable.

故為君者正身以正朝廷正朝廷以正百官正百官以正萬民萬民正而天下無不正矣

Therefore, a ruler must attain ZHENG personally in order for ZHENG to abound in the government; ZHENG must abound in the government in order that ZHENG permeates the hundreds of government officials; and ZHENG must be the way of the hundreds of government officials so that ZHENG comes to the millions of citizens. When all citizens attain ZHENG, the world will be ZHENG.

孔子言修齊治平之要必推本於誠意正心

誠意正心云者不起纖微之私意不起毫末之曲心目無邪視口無邪言耳無邪聽足無邪行且又正其衣冠正其顏色

Confucius said that the principle of “Practice your morals, put your family in order, manage your country and pacify the world” is derived from the honesty and the heart of ZHENG (uprightness). The honesty and the heart of ZHENG mean that a person has neither selfish motives, nor wicked intentions. A person should not see, speak, hear or act evil. Furthermore, one should dress uprightly, with a personal bearing that deserves respect.

如孔子之居鄉席不正不坐割不正不食

伯夷之交友其冠不正望望然而去之斯則可謂之正人君子矣

For example, when Confucius lived in his village, he would not sit on an un-ZHENG mat; he would not eat if the food was cut un-ZHENG. If one of Pak Yee’s friends didn’t put his hat in a ZHENG position, he would simply walk away from his friend¹. These people have reached ZHENG and its upright way!

¹: There is a saying that bird of a feather flocks together. If a person cannot even dress properly, there is a obvious chance that this person is not ZHENG. Thus, you don’t want to be influenced.

有云正直之人難免受小人之欺謗當此末劫之時四生六道轉入人曹

固不免為正人之害然四生六道皆稟於彎心曲性

若人則本來原質溫良中正其處於世必有一番正氣非彼四生六道所可比

語云邪不敵正即此意也

Some say that people who are ZHENG are inevitably bullied and libeled by wicked people. In these dangerous times, all kinds of creatures (Four types of Births and Six Realms of Transmigration¹) are reincarnated into human beings. These creatures, crooked in their hearts and ill-natured, cause harm to the people of ZHENG. However, mankind, whose natural essence is at peace and full of ZHENG, always possess a spirit of ZHENG with which no other creatures can compare in this world.

As the Analects of Confucius affirmed, immorality is always defeated by ZHENG.

Note¹: Four types of Births 四生:

胎/viviparous(born of one’s kind)、

卵/oviparous(hatching from an egg)、

濕(如虫因濕氣而生)/(worm born out of ooze)、

化(無所依托, 因業力而生)/(born only from Karma)

Six Realms of Transmigration 六道:

天/Heaven、

人/Mankind、

阿修羅/Asura、

地獄/Hell、

餓鬼/Hungry Ghost、

畜生/Animal.　

近數百年來人禽同居正直之道消磨殆盡然以世界之大豈真無一正直之人

奈群魔廣佈正人無可立足不得不隱以求志亡以保身

Within the last couple of hundred years, mankind and those creatures which have been reincarnated as humans have mingled together and caused the TAO of ZHENG to fade. Nevertheless, as huge as is this world, does it really have no ZHENG people? Amid the vast scattering around of devils, people of ZHENG reluctantly seclude themselves from this world that has no place for them, in order to preserve their ambitions and lives.

是以正氣消亡魔風日熾幾有不可收拾之勢

This is why the spirit of ZHENG has faded from view; the evil atmosphere expands inexorably and becomes uncontrollable.

今欲伸張正氣必須推己及人由精正之氣化為原正之氣

由原正之氣化為剛正之氣剛正之氣日伸則邪魔之氣日縮而劫運化為烏有矣

If we want to revive the spirit of ZHENG today, we must start with ourselves and spread it to others to develop a spirit of essential ZHENG from the spirit of purified ZHENG; to develop a spirit of indestructible ZHENG from the spirit of essential ZHENG. As soon as the spirit of indestructible ZHENG starts growing, the wicked spirit starts shrinking. Thus, the disastrous fate of mankind is averted.

先正云和氣致祥乖氣致戾人能煉成正氣則五風十雨萬魔星散

The past Sages said, “A harmonious atmosphere brings the spirit of fortune; a wicked atmosphere brings the spirit of evil.” If mankind can comport itself steadfastly until we possess the spirit of ZHENG, timely wind and rain will come and devils will be dispersed.

人心由邪以轉正世運由衰以轉盛有何天心之不可挽人事之不可移哉

When mankind’s heart turns from wickedness to ZHENG and the world trends to prosperity instead of degeneration, what confidence of the heart of Heaven cannot be restored and which human affairs cannot be transformed?

抑有進焉者人苟正己以正人正人以正物則正氣流行可由吾身之氣

以通天地之氣由天地之氣以通太虛之氣氣氣相融隨所感而應之

Furthermore, if one can attain ZHENG oneself, bring others ZHENG, and then apply it to all matters, the spirit of ZHENG circulates. This spirit can come from our bodies and channel with the spirit of the Heaven and the Earth, to the spirit of the Great Void. When these spirits merge harmoniously with each other, the universe will ‘respond’ to what we ‘feel’.

故人即神神即虛虛即道分之則為萬合之則為一

If this could come to pass, each man would become a deity; a deity which is the void/universe. The void is the TAO. If everything remains separate, there is nothing but innumerable pieces. Uniting them makes Oneness.

此其理難明非有以考證之不可考證之法為何即如吾有救治之方不需一藥

乃係感應也

Without meditative reflection, this concept is difficult to understand, just like my method of healing which doesn’t require any medicine. This is the process of ‘feel and response’.

傳曰神聰明正直而壹者也

The book of Zuo Zhuan¹ mentioned, “A deity is intelligent, ZHENG, and completely focused.”

Note¹: Zuo Zhuan or the Records of History is the first and most revered Chinese history book.

我能正直我即神也以我心而合神意以神意而合天心豈不如響斯應乎

I can be ZHENG, therefore I partake in the essence of a deity. When my heart matches the thoughts of a deity, and the intention of the deity also matches the heart of Heaven, the ‘response’ from the universe surely echoes resoundingly.

但濟世之方有效有不效因其人有正與不正之別也

正則神可感而生效不正則神且惡之安能手到而病除哉此則諸生之所宜考究者也

However, for the ‘healing’ to be effective depends upon the healer who is either ZHENG or not-ZHENG.

When the healer is ZHENG, a deity is touched and the ‘healing’ becomes effective. When not, the deity is annoyed; how can then, the illness be healed? Let all learned audiences carefully consider this concept.

今世傳道之士頗不乏人有云彼正者有云彼邪者不知道無邪正亦無是非惟在人之心正與否而已諸君子以為然否

Nowadays, preachers are everywhere. People say that some preachers are ZHENG (orthodox), and others are not ZHENG (heterodox). They don’t know that TAO (way of life) has neither wicked nor ZHENG, right nor wrong. It is that the person’s heart is ZHENG. Don’t you think so?