When the Great Spiritual Path (the Tao) is practiced, everything is public. The virtuous and the able are chosen for public office. Integrity and friendliness are valued by all. People cherish not only their own parents and children, but cherish the children and parents of others as well. The elderly live their last years in happiness, able-bodied adults are usefully employed; and children are properly reared. Widowers, widows, orphans, and the childless aged, the crippled and the ailing are well cared for. All men share their social responsibilities and all women have their respective roles. Natural resources are fully used for the benefit of all, and now wasted or appropriated for selfish ends. People want to contribute their strength and ability to society for the public good, and not for private gain. Trickery and cheating could not occur in such a society. Robbery, banditry, rebellions, and other crimes all disappear. Gates and doors are not locked; no one ever thinks of stealing. This is the Age of the Great Commonwealth of peace and prosperity.

This article describes Confucius' ideal world. When the Great Commonwealth is realized, the world is at peace. There would be no war; everyone gets along well, has an abundance of clothing and food, and lives and works happily. This is Confucius' political policy, unfortunately it did not work because everyone is selfish.

Peace and prosperity: Everyone is walking on the path of peace and prosperity, continuing without pause. Everyone understands propriety, having moved from not understanding it to understanding it.

The Great Commonwealth: everyone on this planet is one family. Everyone loves each other the way one loves oneself. Deception does not exist; there is only sincerity and mutual help. The Great Commonwealth is a blueprint for world peace. That is why Mr. Yixian Sun pulled this article from the Records of Propriety and spent a great deal of effort promoting the idea of the world being one's responsibility. Simply put, great commonwealth means that you and I are the same, there is no difference, no self and others, no difference between right and wrong. Everyone is free, everyone is equal; that is the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

When the Great Spiritual Path (the Tao) is practiced: the great tao is a law that everyone follows and practices. You can walk on this great bright path and so can I. This is not a private road. You cultivate then your great path is bright; I cultivate then my great path is bright. This bright and smooth great path directly links to the world of great commonwealth.

Everything is public: people do not fight, are not greedy, do not seek, are not selfish, are not self-benefiting, do not lie, then naturally they will be selfless and consider the good of the public. If they were to reach this level, then they take the world to be their responsibility. This is the kind of democratic rule that Confucius promoted because he wants to restore the rule of Yao and Shun.

The worthy and the capable are chosen for public office: when electing national rulers, select worthy and virtuous ones, capable and wise people who can get things done. This kind of people will try to bring humanity happiness and make a nation prosperous and strong.

Speak with credibility and cultivate neighborliness: speak credibly to neighboring countries and interact peacefully rather than deceive each other. One's words keep to one's acts, one's acts keep to one's words. There is no deception. People are in harmony; families are in harmony, and nations are in harmony. Everyone is concerned with the morality and ethics of the Tao rather than concerned about advantages or disadvantages, naturally then there are no wars.

Therefore people cherish not only their own parents, but cherish the parents of others as well: because one is just and selfless, everyone gets along well. Not only are they filial to their parents, but they are filial to other people's parents too. As it is said, "one takes care of all elders as one would one's own." One attends to other people's parents and makes them happy with the same kind of heart that one has while attending to one's own parents.

People not only cherish their own children, but cherish the children of others as well: they not only are kind to their own children, but are also kind other people's children. As it is said, "one takes care of all youngsters the way one would one's own." One educates other people's children and make sure they learn the way one would educate one's own children.

The elderly live their last years in happiness: an elders home with comprehensive facilities for taking care of elders, making them happy and allowing them to enjoy the remainder of their lives. So that they can be free of problems or afflictions, die a natural death and become reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Those able bodied are usefully employed: those who are young and strong must offer their services in the society and do everything they can to contribute to the country. Do not collect unemployment or welfare, being great burdens of the country. You should work hard and maintain social order rather than roam about doing nothing, bringing harm to the country.

And children are properly reared: we must educate kids on how to be filial to their parents, be loyal to their country, be faithful to their duties. Those who are raised with this kind of education will definitely be outstanding citizens in the future.

Being sympathetic to widows, orphans, and the childless aged, the disabled and the sick: being empathetic, caring and sympathetic toward widowers and widows, orphans and elders who have lost their kids, the disabled and the sick.

so that they are well cared for: have these unfortunate individuals live a life of stability. So that they do not feel threatened and feel secure. The country sets up various institutions to take them in and treat them.

All men share their social responsibilities: men have men's basic duties, positions, and responsibilities in terms what they should do for their country. They should not be lazy and become delinquents.

and all women have their respective roles: women are good wives and mothers in their homes, attending to their husband and teaching their kids. This is the women's responsibility. Each person is happy in her role and does not go beyond that role and does not abuse her power. Men and women do not fight over power. Men are responsible for external affairs while women are responsible for internal affairs. Each has one's primary responsibilities.

The Chinese advocate for the separation between men and women to avoid being suspect. Men and women do not talk to each other. As it is said, "One does not step into one's shoes in a melon field; one does not straighten one's hat under the plum tree." To maintain propriety, men and women maintain their distance. "Male and female relatives have no physical contact; the elder and the younger are not shoulder to shoulder."

Natural resources are not wasted and tossed: natural resources refer to all grains and material goods. People will not spoil, waste and damage food and goods. For instance, countries now with an over-abundance of food should not dump them into the sea or burn them. These would be acts of waste, they will face the consequences of such acts in the future.

Or appropriated for selfish ends: they barter their good rather than hoard them, hoping that rare items could be sold at a good price later. They future do not try to monopolize resources. They barter and have fair transactions. An exchange can happen between a country without something with another country that does. Why not be glad and do something that helps oneself and others! If they are unwilling to do that, they are wasting or tossing away natural resources, or appropriating them for selfish ends.

People want to contribute their strength and ability to society for the public good: the abilities and skills that they have learned are not used solely for their own purposes, but for serving humanity throughout the world. That is what is meant by "putting what you've learned to good use."

And not for private gain: do not plan for ourselves. Do not be concerned about ourselves in anything that we do. Consider all beings. We must have the spirit of sacrificing ourselves for others. This is the least we should do as human beings.

Therefore, for these various reasons, everyone is open and straightforward. There is no thought of scheming or contending in the world; there are no open fights or behind-the-scene forays.

Trickery and cheating could not occur in such a society: trickery and cheating disappear. The door of contention and deception are shut. Incorrect behavior such as the manipulative means of profiting by advertising goods different than they really are will not happen.

Robbery, theft, rebellions, and others crimes all disappear: stealing out in the open is robbery; stealing on the sly is theft. Rebels are those who revolt. Robbery and thefts happen because of injustice, creating disparity between the have's and the have-not's. If everyone lived happily and enjoy an abundance of material goods, then robbery and theft will naturally disappear.

People revolt over a shortage of food. Consequently life for the people is intolerable; nine out of ten houses are empty, people become destitute and homeless, they suffer indescribable pain. "Winners are kings and ministers while losers are thieves." This refers to rebels. If everyone had a job and had food to eat, rebels will naturally be non-existent.

Gates and doors are not locked; no one ever thinks of stealing. . . in this utopia, there are no internal worries and no external threats. Observing the laws, they do not pick up lost items on the road and do not lock their doors at night. The weather is always clement in a prosperous country where its citizens are happy.

This is the Age of the Great Commonwealth of peace and prosperity: this is the Great Commonwealth where no one is selfish or self-benefiting. Everyone is fair and happy. Peace prevails under heaven.

(note: this article is a required course at various education levels at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Be one a student at Instilling Goodness Elementary School, Developing Virtue Secondary School, or Dharma Realm Buddhist University, one must first memorize this well, think about it in-depth, and put it to practice. Here's hoping that Dharma Realm Buddhist Association's volunteer teaching will revive morality and reverse the downhill trend, become the foundation for changing people into proper individuals and realize a Great Commonwealth in the future.)