A self-punishment decree allowed ancient Chinese emperors to reflect upon themselves and confess their faults to the people. This was a form of repentance for their wrongdoings.
The legacy left by traditional Chinese culture can be said to be the contributing factor to respecting and following the will of Heaven, pursuing the unity of nature and humanity, and incorporating the wisdom of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
In the past, tyrannical emperors were called “undisciplined and incompetent rulers” since they violated the will of Heaven and moral standards. Therefore, it was imperative for a ruler always to pay attention to changes in nature and reflect on their conduct to see if they had followed the will of Heaven; if not, they needed to make timely corrections.
Disasters and their causes
In ancient times, a specialized institution called the “Imperial Observatory” was established to monitor celestial phenomena and make recommendations to the Emperor. Once a disaster occurred, the Emperor would issue a “self-punishment decree” to reflect on his shortcomings and seek to make amends. Local officials were also required to help resolve the consequences of any disasters and get people’s lives back to normal.
Many disasters were directly related to court politics. For example, it was believed that a “solar eclipse” occurred due to excessive forced labor and taxes imposed on the people, while a “lunar eclipse” indicated wrongful judicial cases.
Further ill practices, including absurd decrees, officials neglecting their duties, moral decay among the people, interference from the harem, corruption, not accepting good advice, and reliance on evil men, all attributed to the onset of other disasters.
The Prayer of Tang in the Mulberry Grove
Tang of Shang, the founding monarch of the Shang Dynasty, ascended to the throne and, for seven years, under his rule, experienced a severe drought with no rain. Tang went to the field of Mulberry trees and sincerely prayed to the heavens. He took responsibility for his six previous faults, and before he finished praying, it began to rain across thousands of miles.
This event became known as the “Prayer of Tang in the Mulberry Grove.” This authentically portrays ancient Chinese governance, one of reflection on the spirit of self-discipline and the courage to accept the advice of virtuous emperors. This “Holy Virtue” also became a kind of “Official Virtue” in the ancient bureaucratic system.
Hope for Song
The way of a true gentleman is to repent and correct one’s faults. During the Spring and Autumn period, the state of Song experienced a great flood. The state of Lu sent envoys to offer condolences.
The King of Song replied: “I, the king, am not benevolent because I did not observe the fasts with enough sincerity, and the forced labor has disrupted people’s lives. Therefore, Heaven has sent down this disaster, causing your esteemed King additional worries and troubles. Also, I am sorry for causing your need to visit.”
Speaking to his student on this matter, Confucius said: “It seems that there is hope for Song.” His student asked: “Why?” Confucius replied: “The Jie and Zhou denied their mistakes in the past and were soon destroyed. But on the other hand, Tang of Shang and King Wen of Zhou recognized their errors and were quickly prosperous.”
The universe is a unified whole
Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty issued a decree to ask for advice. Hong Jialiang offered his insights and wrote a thousand-word memorial stating the court’s shortcomings. This angered Emperor Jiaqing to the extent that he sentenced Hong to death. Later, however, Jiaqing regretted his decision and changed the sentence to exile in Yili. In April of that year, a severe drought occurred in the north.
Despite the efforts of local officials and Emperor Jiaqing’s prayers for rain, there was no rain. So Emperor Jiaqing decided to clear Hong of his charges, and just after he finished writing his decree, the rain finally came.
This event illustrates the traditional belief in China that the universe is a unified whole and emphasizes the importance of respecting Heaven, believing in Gods, and believing in the law of cause and effect.
The self-punishment edict
In ancient times, an emperor was considered the “Son of Heaven.” As the mediator between Heaven and Earth, they were responsible for managing the welfare of the people. So naturally, they felt responsible when the country experienced disasters or some form of chaos.
Hence, they believed that the people’s sufferings, such as famine and cold, were caused by their mistakes. The “self-punishment edict” allowed ancient emperors to confess their sins, show their humility, and reflect on their wrongdoings.
Heaven’s punishment for persecution
In all warnings from Heaven, political persecution against cultivation practitioners was considered the most severe punishment. People should reflect on why disasters happen and recognize that plagues are punishments from the Gods. They target those who defy Heaven’s will, especially those who persecute their believers.
In the Bible, for example, God punished the Egyptians with 10 plagues to demonstrate his power and forced them to submit and change their course of action. Therefore, disasters like plagues are targeted toward specific individuals or groups.
The Roman Empire persecuted Christianity for hundreds of years, with multiple emperors leading waves of persecution that claimed countless Christian lives. At that time, people believed the government’s lies and considered Christianity their enemy, which led to the appearance of plagues. Despite this, people did not reflect on themselves, and generation after generation, they persisted in their delusions and viewed Christians as enemies.
In A.D. 54, Nero became Emperor of Rome. In A.D. 64, he set fire to Rome and blamed the Christians, further portraying Christianity as a cult. He incited the Roman people to participate in the persecution, resulting in the deaths of many Christians. Those who listened to these lies and participated in the persecution of Christians soon faced retribution, as a plague broke out the following year. Three years later, Rome was besieged by a riot, and Nero committed suicide at 31.
In A.D. 313, Emperor Constantine vindicated Christianity, and this was a personal achievement attributed to him. However, it could not compensate for Christianity’s 300 years of persecution under the Roman Empire. Ultimately, the vast Roman Empire disintegrated and perished as a result.
In a similar vein, when looking at present-day China, the persecution of practitioners of faith by the Chinese Communist Party is reminiscent of the persecution of Christianity faced by the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, many people today still believe the government’s lies, and some even participate in the persecution.
Do the continuous natural disasters and pandemics facing modern China bespeak Heaven’s warning? Should we be learning positive lessons from history? Time will tell!
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