The harsh system of a government

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

The harsh system of a government         

Confucius said,
"The harsh system of a government is fiercer than a tiger".

   Confucius (or Kong Zong Ni) was born in 551BC in Chang Ping, 
a village in the State of Lu (present day Qu Fu county in Shandong 
province). He was a sage and a very famous scholar whose 
contributions to Chinese language and culture had affected the 
very fabric of Chinese society. His words of wisdom have been and 
are still being quoted thoughout the world even to this day. The 
following is the story behind one of his numerous quoteable quotes 
and the setting is the Tai Shan, a well-known
mountain in present day Tai An county in Shandong Province..

   One day, Confucius and a few of his students were on their way 
to another town. While travelling along a path through the woods 
at the foot of Tai Shan Mountain they heard a female voice crying 
miserably in the vicinity. They saw a middle aged woman, knelt in
front of a new grave, crying mourningfully. 

   Confucius stopped his chariot and directed one of his students    
named Zi Lu to ask what misfortune has befallen upon her.
  Zi Lu approached the lady and asked,
    "Why are you crying, my dear lady?
     From the way how you are crying, you must be 
     grieving at the death of a dear one." 

  The lady replied,
    "Indeed, I have lost a dear one.
     There is a fierce tiger around here.
     Not long ago, it dragged away and killed my father-in-law. 
     Recently, it killed my husband and devoured half of his body.
     Yesterday, it killed my only son."

Confucius heard this and went near her and said, 
    "Since there is a fierce tiger around here,
     why don't you avoid it and move to another 
     place far away?"

The lady replied,
    "The Government Officials here do not practise a harsh 
    system of government. That is the reason why I stay."

On hearing this, Confucius turned to his students and 
said to them,
   "All of you must remember that: 
    A harsh system of government is fiercer than a tiger."

Confucius added, 
    "You can make a pitfall to trap a fierce tiger.
     Once it has fallen into the pit it is under control.
     Later, you can even kill it.
     But there is no way that you can get rid of and 
     control a harsh system of government."

      "You can lock up someone in a very strong house.
       Yet it is possible that he could escape.
       But there is no way that someone can escape
       a harsh system of government."

     (Note: Confucius, at that time, did not know 
            about election or revolution). 

Confucius saying:  "Ke Zheng4 Meng3 Yu Hu3".

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.    chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au