(Minghui.org) Throughout ancient history, people by and large believed in time-honored values and the common good. China's history is no exception.
From emperors to ordinary citizens, Chinese societies valued virtue; people were encouraged to let their conscience guide their daily lives. This led not only to prosperity and stability, but also a rich culture of spiritualism. For some individuals, this even meant enlightenment through Buddhism and Daoism.
But for all the apogees China reached in the Han, Tang, and Qing dynasties, there were also unfortunate chapters in her history. Many of these nadirs correlate with periods of time during which morality was neglected.
One such example was the reign of Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty. A number of factors could have contributed to the demise of his dynasty, but his cruelty in executing a loyal general, Yuan Conghuan, may very well have played a critical role.
Another example is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of contemporary history. Tens of millions have perished at the hands of its various political agendas, and yet the tragedy still continues today in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
Tragedy of Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan, born in today’s Guangxi Province in southern China, enjoyed traveling and making friends. He was especially interested in national defense and border security.
After the Manchurian forces attacked mainland China with little resistance, Yuan volunteered to safeguard Shanhaiguan, one of the most important passes in the Great Wall. After comparing the Ming Dynasty and the Manchurian forces, he decided to focus on defense and stop border trade to weaken the enemy’s economy. These strategies worked well and he was able to defeat the enemy many times, which were rare successes for the Ming Dynasty at the time. These accomplishments and long-term stability made possible by his strategies established him as one of the greatest generals in Chinese history.
Facing increased rumors spread by the enemy, however, Emperor Chongzhen removed Yuan from his post and in the end sentenced him to death by slicing him at least 3,600 times alive with a knife. Moreover, people believed the rumors and nearly 10,000 residents in the capital city ate pieces of his flesh.
Major plagues soon followed, especially the Capital City. In addition to the Manchurian forces, armies of Li Zicheng also started to rebel. In the end, the Ming Dynasty ended and the emperor committed suicide at the age of 33.
Immeasurable Losses Caused by the CCP
Compared to the reign of Emperor Shizong, the harm caused by the CCP in recent decades has far surpassed it in severity. And each time, rather than admitting to its own wrongdoings, the regime often labeled such man-made calamities as “natural disasters.”
One example was the Great Leap Forward movement that went from 1958 to 1962. Internal documents from the CCP indicated over 30 million Chinese citizens starved to death during that time. Over one million perished in Xinyang City, Henan Province alone.
Statistics showed the harvest was normal during those years, a fact that runs contrary to the natural disasters depicted by the CCP's propaganda. In fact, the CCP exported 4.12 million tons of grain in 1959 and another 2.7 million tons of grain the following year. Such supply could have easily prevented about 30 million people from starving to death during the peak of the Great Leap Foward, from the winter of 1959 to the spring of 1960.
Another example was the earthquake in Tangshan, China on July 28, 1976. Although it was only the 18th largest earthquake of the century, this earthquake was probably the most devastating – with a death toll of about 240,000 people. The main reason for this high death toll was that no warning was issued to the public prior to the earthquake.
In fact, when a nationwide earthquake prevention conference took place in Tangshan just two weeks earlier on July 14, numerous attempts by experts to report their predictions of an upcoming earthquake in Tangshan were suppressed for political reasons, due to the city’s proximity to Beijing.
Wang Chengmin, a young scientist from the National Earthquake Administration, took a risk and shared his findings during small-group discussion sessions on July 17 and 18. A delegate from Qinglong County, Hebei Province, heard this and quickly worked with local officials to take immediate action. When the earthquake hit on July 28, no one died in Qinglong County – a county of 400,000 – despite being located only about 115 km (71 miles) from Tangshan.
The miracle of Qinglong was documented by the United Nations as an example of effective disaster prevention, warning, and management. This miracle also debunked the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda that the Tangshan earthquake was “sudden” and had no warning signs.
The Dangers of Deception
Consistent with traditional values, Falun Gong practitioners have followed the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance to become healthier people and better citizens. Although the CCP has severely suppressed practitioners since July 1999 with massive propaganda campaigns and brutality, it has failed to compromise practitioners’ faith and their will towards spiritual refinement.
After recognizing the CCP’s lies and cruelty, on the other hand, over 350 million people have decided to quit the CCP and its junior organizations.
As to the ongoing coronavirus, an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine by a group of Chinese scientists has stated that, “There is evidence that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts since the middle of December 2019.” But the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) did not declare the disease was transferable from human to human until January 20, 2020.
In fact, 8 physicians were punished by the Wuhan police on January 1 for speaking with others about the surging epidemic. Among them, Dr. Li Wenliang from Wuhan Central Hospital was later infected and died of the virus on February 6, 2020. Such delayed responses and continued cover-ups led to rapid dissemination of the virus to all provinces of China and over 30 countries.
It's the latest in a series of examples, from ancient times to near-modernity, that show us that only a society that listens to its conscience and acts in good faith is one that can possess a prosperous future. And, perhaps, the same applies to the individual as well.
Related Article in Chinese:天下没有无妄之灾
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Category: Traditional Culture
