Han Wangxi

TODAY we’ll talk about a Chinese character, “宽,” which means “broad” or “tolerant.” In modern society, a calm and inclusive heart is particularly needed. Among the Confucian values of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, trust, respect, tolerance, trustworthiness, kindness and acuity, courtesy, respect, tolerance and kindness are emphasized. By showing respect and being broad-minded, one will avoid humiliation and gain support from others.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), there was a person named Liu Kuan who was very gentle and benevolent. One day, a man lost his ox and mistakenly insisted that the ox that Liu was driving belonged to him. Unable to solve the situation, Liu got off his oxcart and walked back home. After a while, the man who lost the ox found it and returned Liu’s, apologizing for his mistake. Liu replied that “Sometimes things in the world look similar and mistakes can happen. Since you have gone through the trouble to return the ox to me, there’s no need to apologize.”

This is the virtue of a kind person. As a county governor, Liu’s virtuous personality had a significant impact on his community and eliminated evil people in villages, fostering a positive atmosphere and a harmonious society. From this story, we can see that respecting others and being kind and tolerant will naturally win their respect.

Lyu Kun, a scholar in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), said that being considerate is the highest form of wisdom. He said, “Broaden your heart to be inclusive of all things in the world; empty your heart to receive goodness from the world; maintain inner tranquility to judge matters of the world; be concentrated to observe the principles of the world; and set your mind at ease to adapt to changes in the world.” Only with a broad and inclusive heart can one attain a higher level of enlightenment.

Let’s hear another story called “Three-foot Alley.” It’s important for neighbors to live in harmony. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), there was a high-ranking official named Zhang Ying. One day, after returning home from court, he received a letter from his hometown. It said that his family was building a house and was in a conflict with neighbors over the property boundaries. Zhang’s family asked him to use his power and influence to suppress the neighbors’ arrogance. Such conflicts among neighbors are common, but solving them requires great wisdom. Zhang wrote a four-line poem in response: “A thousand miles to send a letter just for a wall, what harm would be over just three feet? The Great Wall still stands today, but the first Qin Emperor has long gone.”

He conveyed the message that people should be kind and tolerant towards one another. After receiving the letter, Zhang’s family reflected on their behavior, felt ashamed and gave up three feet of land. When their neighbors heard about this, they were also moved and relinquished three feet of their land. The alley thus has been expanded to six feet wide. The “Six-foot Alley” is still present in Tongcheng, Anhui Province, and you can visit it.

The Book of Songs says, “If someone has an intention, I can conjecture it.” Benevolence and tolerance mean treating others as you would like to be treated and empathizing with others. We care for others, protect and help them. We treat the elderly as we would our own parents, and the young as we would our own children. By using empathy and treating people as we would like to be treated, we can build a better society. The spirit of benevolence and the value of tolerance should be universally recognized and pursued by the public.

(The author is a cultural scholar.)

(Translated by Cao Zhen)