Chapter 17 Safety does not forget danger, governance does not forget chaos

The Master said: "Those who are in danger are those who secure their position; those who are dead are those who preserve their existence; those who are in chaos are those who have their own order. Therefore, a gentleman is safe but does not forget danger, survives but does not forget death, and governs but does not forget Chaos means that the country can be protected because the body is safe. "Yi" said: "Its death is tied to the bud mulberry." ——"Book of Changes: Xici II" (excerpt) On March 14, 2004, the Second Session of the Tenth National People's Congress closed. After the meeting, Premier Wen Jiabao, at the invitation of the session, met with Chinese and foreign journalists and answered relevant questions.In response to CCTV reporters' questions about the "SARS" in 2003 and their work prospects in 2004, Premier Wen first affirmed the achievements in the fight against "SARS", and then said: "The important thing is not the achievements, but the experience, lessons and inspirations. For this year's work, I have always kept a clear mind, never forgetting danger in peace, never forgetting chaos in governance, having a sense of crisis, and seeing the difficulties and problems that exist in the process of progress."

Premier Wen mentioned above that "safety does not forget danger, and governance does not forget chaos" comes from "Book of Changes: Xici Xia". Regarding the meaning of this sentence, Kong Yingda said in "Zhouyi Justice": "'Those who are in danger, settle down Those who are also" say that those who are in danger today will be happy with their positions from the past, and they will feel safe and not be cautious, so they will be in danger today. "The dead, keep them alive", so those who perish today will be Going forward to keep its existence, always thinking of it, and not worrying, so now it will be destroyed. "The chaos has its own governance", so those who are in trouble today, from the past, they rely on their own governance, which is called constant thinking. Therefore, although a gentleman is in peace now, he never forgets the dangers; although the country exists, he never forgets the destruction; although the government is in order, the mind never forgets the disasters. To explain it in modern Chinese is to say: Those who are in danger are those who think that their status is stable, those who are ruined are those who think they can survive, and those who are in trouble are those who think they have peace and rule the world.Therefore, the gentleman does not forget danger when he is safe, he does not forget perdition when he is alive, and he does not forget disaster when the world is peaceful.

This thought is one of many dialectical thoughts in the Book of Changes, which fully demonstrates the wisdom of governing the world in this ancient work. "Security, danger", "survival, death", "governance, chaos" are two opposite and contradictory aspects; they are both opposite and unified, and they transform into each other under certain conditions.In "security", "preservation" and "governance", there are elements of "danger", "perishment" and "chaos".It clearly warns all the rulers of the world: when it is safe, don’t forget the existence of danger; when it is going well, don’t forget the possibility of perishing; "Be prepared for danger in times of peace" is not unfounded worry, but good at actively looking for signs of danger from the objective laws of the development of things, and being alert to signs of danger at any time.As big as a country, a society, a nation, as small as the survival and development of each individual, "being prepared for danger in times of peace" is a potential quality that must be possessed.This kind of quality can make a country grow stronger, make a society progress day by day, keep a nation prosperous for a long time, keep everyone optimistic and uplifting, and remain invincible forever.

This idea is not created out of thin air, it is a summary of the common wisdom of the ancestors in ancient times.Our ancestors learned long ago that safety and danger come in succession. There is a record in "Shangshu·Shuo Ming" that "the only thing to do is to be prepared, and to be prepared is to avoid danger". "Zuo Zhuan Eleven Years of Xianggong" also has the saying "Be prepared for danger in times of peace, and be prepared when you think about it, and be prepared for no danger".In later generations, its influence will be even greater.In the "Ode to Guangcheng" written by Empress Dowager Deng in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ma Rong put forward the idea that "Gai's security does not forget danger, governance does not forget chaos, the Tao depends on it, and the reason why Sigu emperors shine on the gods and martial arts is also the one who breaks down and rushes", aiming at Opposed to the proposals put forward by the vulgar Confucianists at that time that "literature and virtue can be flourished, but martial arts should be abolished", "the ritual of searching and hunting in bed, and the method of stopping the war" ("Book of the Later Han·Ma Rong Biography").According to the "Zhenguan Zhengyao·Careful End", Emperor Taizong often said to his ministers: "In peace, do not forget danger, and in order, do not forget chaos. Although you know that nothing is going on today, you must think about the end. It is often like this, and the beginning is precious. "And Wei Zheng often remonstrated with Emperor Taizong: "Thinking is dangerous, and there is peace, thinking is chaotic, and thinking is perishing." Emperor Mingzong said: "In peace, do not forget danger, and in governance, do not forget chaos, the precepts of Confucianism." In the second year of Zhongtong in Yuan Dynasty (1261), Li Chang also said when he went to remonstrate Kublai Khan: "Beware of adversity, and avoid disasters and chaos." The general will open up the sage, vow to renew his virtue every day, don't give up even if he stops, don't be proud of victory, and don't have achievements, reconcile clan relatives, caress the generals and men, increase the common government, select hundreds of officials, be frugal enough to use, and be lenient In order to support the people, we must not forget danger in peace, chaos in order, and always be diligent in conquering the night in the north, and always serve as a precept to Yiyu in the south." ("Yuan History · Li Chang Biography") These records show that "in peace, we must not forget danger, and in order to govern, we cannot The idea of ​​forgetting chaos has become the consensus of successive Ming emperors and ministers in governing the country and achieving the goal of long-term peace and stability.

At the press conference after the Second Session of the Tenth National People's Congress, Premier Wen Jiabao quoted this famous saying, showing his modest attitude in the face of achievements. More importantly, by using this famous saying, Premier Wen emphasized his own A clear understanding of the various difficulties and problems that currently exist.