Everyone regardless of ethnicity or religious faith, not just Chinese, can and should profit from studying Di Zi Gui (dizigui). That is because the moral precepts and standards taught in Di Zi Gui are universally applicable and, since they are not based on any particular religious doctrine, are compatible with any religion.
Persons of Chinese descent, however, especially need to and especially should study Di Zi Gui. What is the reason?
Well, the reason the same as the reason why we give Chinese parents the following answer when they ask how to ensure that their offspring grow up to be good, smart and capable: learn Di Zi Gui yourselves and have your children learn it.
So what is that reason? It is that not only Di Zi Gui teaches one how to be a good person, but aslo in today's pervasive Westernized culture, Chinese in general and Chinese children in particular are driven daily to be ashamed of their heritage. Chinese children are especially vulnerable since what most people know these days of the Chinese heritage is only a distorted version. If left unarmed with some accurate knowledge of Chinese culture such as that provided by Di Zi Gui, Chinese children will grow up to be ashamed of their heritage, of their parents and eventually of themselves. Then they won't have the self esteem or inner strength necessary to become good, smart and capable persons.
The Chinese cultural heritage is more than just kungfu, Chinese food, Chinese dress, or Chinese paintings. Even more important, Chinese culture also includes an intellectual heritage thousands of years old, an intellectual heritage of thought, philosophy, norms and mores, some important aspects of which are quite unique. It is exactly this intellectual part of Chinese culture that is most important to Chinese identity, pride and self-confidence.
Unfortunately, nowadays this intellectual heritage is often quite forgotten. Though the great emphasis on xiao, or being good to one's parents and ancestors, is a unique and fundamental Chinese tradition, nowadays one rarely hears of the word from Chinese young or old. When mentioned, it's often to misconstrue the word as meaning "blind obedience to parents" and then to proceed to criticize it. Other fundamental precepts, such as xin or trustworthiness and honesty, fan ai zhong or widely loving everyone, and the primacy of xing or of conduct, over riches or book study, are often forgotten nowadays as ever having been integral to Chinese culture.
Doubtless, the widespread denigration of traditional China by intellectuals, authors, playwrights and ideologues, mostly Chinese in fact, as having been a dark, evil, cynical, dishonest, "feudal", "oppressive", and "man-eating" society has played a large part in this mass amnesia for the Chinese intellectual heritage.
Di Zi Gui, or "Students' Rules," a primer formerly popular in China, was meant for making young people into proper Chinese gentlemen and thus is a great source for learning about the true face of the Chinese intellectual heritage, of traditional Chinese thought, philosophy, norms and mores.
Studying Di Zi Gui and understanding the thinking in it will enable Chinese persons to synthesize traditional Chinese culture with modern life and help strengthen our sense of identity, cultural roots, pride, and self esteem. Then we will not become discouraged and lose hope, or abuse and give up on ourselves; we will persist in striving to do our best in life.
Studying Di Zi Gui will give Chinese and Chinese children an accurate knowledge of the Chinese intellectual heritage. Armed with this knowledge, they will not grow up to be ashamed of their heritage, of their parents and eventually of themselves. They will have the necessary self esteem and inner strength to become upright, kind, smart and capable people.
Indeed, understanding traditional Chinese thought and taking up the Chinese intellectual heritage is of the utmost importance to each Chinese personally. Therefore, Chinese people especially need to, especially should, study Di Zi Gui.
There is in the last few years a small revival of sorts inside China of Di Zi Gui, consisting mainly of teaching it to young children. We are happy if our site should contribute to such a revival, whether inside or outside China. Of course, we think that Di Zi Gui should also be taught to older children, to teenagers in particular, to all Chinese irrespective of age, and indeed to all persons regardless of ethnicity or faith.
A great world event is taking place: the Chinese Cultural Renaissance. The revival of Di Zi Gui is merely part of this great event. We are at the very beginnings of a several-hundred-year long Chinese Cultural Renaissance. Just as in the West's Renaissance, old culture that has been shunned and forgotten will be rediscovered and synthesized with modern life, giving rise to a new and much more advanced culture. Also, just as has happened with the West, the resultant new culture will belong not only to China, but also to the whole world. Ethnic Chinese are just lucky to be closer, because of ancestry, to this rising and soon-to-be very advanced culture.
It behooves us all then, Chinese or not, to learn about the Chinese intellectual heritage, and an excellent way to do that is to study Di Zi Gui.
- Feng Xin-ming