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Human Hearts Are as Clear as a Mirror
(Clearwisdom.net) As the curtain is slowly drawn open for the 2008 New
Year Spectacular, the magnificence and splendor of 5,000 years of Chinese
culture reveals itself before our eyes. This culture has been created and left
behind by divine beings and overseen by the Lord Supreme. One of the beautiful
scenes in the Spectacular is from the Tang Dynasty, the pinnacle of Chinese
culture. In the background, the Da Ming Palace is depicted from the time the
Tang Dynasty was at its peak in the areas of literature and the martial arts. Many Chinese are familiar with two proverbs related to Da Ming Palace:
"Ming Jing Gao Xuan" ("As clear as a mirror hanging up
high"), and "Zheng Da Guang Ming" ("Righteously and
nobly"). The proverbs refer to the open and unbiased nature of all the
issues resolved by the imperial court, always with righteousness and nobility,
and unblemished, like a clear mirror that hangs high. To the imperial court ministers, the proverbs served as constant reminders,
and they were also the expectations of the people. "Clear mirror hangs up high" was formerly termed "Qin mirror
hangs up high." Why was that so? To understand the origin of the phrase,
one has to look back to the Qin Dynasty. It was said that the Qin mirror was
made from jade. It had been carefully kept by emperor Qin Shihuang in the
Xianyang imperial court. The mirror had a special function. When one looked at
the mirror from the front, it reflected the image upside down. If the person
rubbed his hand over the chest, then the internal organs of the person could
also be clearly seen. More interestingly, it could also distinguish the loyal
from the disloyal ministers in the imperial court, as well as foretell the rise
and fall of a state... indeed it was a state treasure. However, Emperor Qin used
the mirror only to look at the ladies in the imperial court. Whenever he spotted
some ambitious people, he treated them as traitors and had them killed. His son,
Qin the Second, was worse. He killed innumerable people, but left behind
Minister Zhao Gao, who finally betrayed him. So the great State of Qin, once
respected and feared by the Tartars, finally collapsed during the rule of Qin
the Second. When Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty, won the war and took
over the capital city Xianyang, Xiao, he advised the emperor to close down all
the imperial courts, including Xianyang court and Ah Pang court, and not to
remove any of the gold and treasure or take away any women, children or animals.
But what he did take from the Qin palace were all the books and scrolls, and the
acclaimed treasure of the state - the Qin mirror. When the Han Dynasty came to
an end, all of the leaders scattered, and the whereabout of the Qin mirror was
unknown. The mirror resurfaced a few hundred years later, when Emperor Tang Tai
Zong gave the order to rebuild the Yong An Court into a palace. While excavating at the Yong An court site, the Qin mirror was unearthed.
Accompanied by the two ministers, Fang Yuanling and Wei Zheng, Tai Zong
personally visited the site. The following famous legend about the Qin mirror
had since been handed down. After hearing Fang Yuanling and Wei Zheng's discuss the importance of the Qin
mirror, Tai Zong sighed and said, "What do I need this mirror for? I
already have a mirror many thousand times better than this Qin mirror!" Wei
Zheng blushed on hearing that. Unable to comprehend, Fang Yuanling asked,
"Your majesty, where is this mirror of yours? Can we see it?" Patting
Wei Zheng's shoulder, Tai Zhong said, "My beloved Minister Wei, you are my
mirror!" After saying this, he laughed aloud. In seriousness, Tai Zong said, "With a copper mirror, I can see my
attire. Taking history as my mirror, I can see the rise and fall of history.
Looking at my people, I understand one's loss and gain. My beloved Minister Wei,
all the time you have been reminding me of loss and gain, and of the ups and
downs in history. Are you not like a clear mirror to me, hanging up high? To
commemorate our 'mirror' meeting today," Tai Zong continued, "I will
rename this Yong An Court the Da Ming Palace." Everyone applauded. From
then on, the name Da Ming Palace spread far and wide. When the Da Ming Palace was finally completed, emperor Tai Zong designated
the Qin mirror as the founding treasure of the palace. Henceforth, the Changan
scholars claimed that the imperial Da Ming Palace on the dragon plain could be
seen brightly illuminated every night, as if in broad daylight. However, Tai
Zong never moved into Da Ming Palace to live. He stayed behind in Tai Qi Palace,
helped by Wei Zheng and other able ministers with his administration. For the
first time in history "governing by virtue" was established, and that
brought the Tang Dynasty acclaim, honor, and prosperity. Several thousand years have gone by. The former glory of the Da Ming Palace
has long been buried beneath the ground. But the legend of the "clear
mirror" and how the Tang Dynasty was governed with virtue still remains in
people's heart. It reflects the corruption of today's communist regime, and the
notoriety and lawlessness of today's degenerating world. |