Chen Xuefeng

    I once read a book written in English called “The Spirits of the Chinese People” by Lin Yutang, a master of both English and Chinese writing. In the book, Lin talks about traditional Chinese culture, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

    Lin expresses his concern over Chinese people’s spiritual pursuit after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. There was a time when people attached no importance to the traditional values and even disregarded the culture generated by Confucianism. It was not until the ending of the Cultural Revolution that some intellectuals on the mainland found the time and opportunity to reevaluate the merits of traditional Chinese culture. But once the spiritual link broke, it was hard to restore what had already been discarded.

    Today we live in a world of information overload. It’s easy to get whatever resource we want, and news of immoral behavior such as corruption. Also, as people live in such a profit-oriented society, they care more about visible earnings than spiritual achievements, which may be one of the causes behind the production of poisoned powder and inedible food.

    To some scholars, the lack of legal supervision has led to misdoings. As far as I am concerned, however, they ignored the spiritual factors behind it. People that lived in ancient China followed the moral standards more strictly. Criminals were not only punished by law but also for their beliefs. But today, fewer people would feel shame or pain when they misbehave. It’s important to re-build people’s spiritual world and re-create the values that are crucial to a civilized society. Applying the rule of law is necessary, but we shouldn’t neglect the power of values.