Worthy Emperor,
I am here today to discuss the arrival of the Jesuits. It is my concern that we are not being cautious enough about the situation at hand. For the past few years, Matteo Ricci has been petitioning our government for permission to establish a missionary residence in our capital city, Beijing. Before making any rash decisions we need to look at this situation through his point of view and ask ourselves, what are his motives and why does he want to set up this residency in Beijing? What is wrong with the residence he already has on the southern coast at Macao? And what is his ultimate goal?
I would like you to remember that the master said, “Claims that are made immodestly are difficult to live up to” (14.20), and it is our duty as secretaries to make sure we do not make arrogant claims as well. We must be certain that we are approaching this situation in the appropriate manner. Although currently, and for millennia, we have been the center of the universe, with rich resources, benevolent rulings, and enlightenment in the Confucian teachings, we must not be too proud. Foreigners wish to come here and benefit from our blessings, but we must still be strong and wary of who we allow in our city walls. I agree that we should teach foreigners and barbarians the world’s greatest known culture, but we cannot sacrifice upsetting our entire Confucian order that our society and culture has been founded on.
I know that some of you think that we need to be quick with our actions and set an example for the common people. I too agree that we need to send a message to the people, but lets avoid making a huge mistake and take the time to send out the right message. I do not think that allowing Matteo Ricci and the Jesuits into our city sends the right message, and it has too much potential to be disastrous and disrupt harmony. Instead, I propose that we send a group of officials to Macao to investigate the Jesuits. We need to learn their motives and consider what they have been doing in Macao for the past few years. We need to question the Jesuits as well as the Chinese people in Macao to ensure that we have both sides of the spectrum. The only way to make sure we are not sending the wrong message is by allowing them into our city and to make sure that they do not contaminate the common people while on their visit. We will be receiving the same knowledge without letting them into our city.
Some of you may wonder why I feel it necessary to be so cautious of these Jesuits. It is because I looked to the words of the master when he was walking in the company of two men and said, “I am bound to be able to learn from them. The good points of the one I copy; the bad points of the other I correct in myself (7.22)”. I then applied this to what I know about the past. St. Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary who had a vision to spread his foreign religion of the single god. He was successful in Japan and India, but failed in China before his death in 1552. Matteo Ricci is a fellow Jesuit of the same St. Francis Xavier! It would be an intelligent assumption to presume that his goals are the same as his companion; to impose his barbarous religion, Christianity, onto all of China, not to learn the Confucian principals as we would have hoped.
I understand that it is easy to be deceived by the Jesuits. We would hope that we could enlighten them, and they seem like they have potential. Matteo Ricci has been studying our language, but only in preparation to enforce his beliefs onto China so that we will understand. He has also been studying our classics and our society. Why do you think he is taking such an interest in our culture? We must not be naive and look under the surface. He wants us to trust him and be appealing to our ways. Because he knows our society, he knows that to convert our common people, which is the majority of China, he must first convert the imperial court and then work his way down. The master did say, “The common people can be made to follow a path but not to understand it” (8.9). Our common people do not have to understand what he preaches; Matteo Ricci knows that the common people will follow the emperor regardless. I honestly believe that his plan is to convert our vast dynasty and disrupt our harmonious balance. Matteo Ricci has studied the words of our master, “Men of antiquity studied to improve themselves; men today study to impress others” (14.24). He is smart; he knows our ways and what we want to hear because he has studied us and now wants to convert us as if we were barbarians. That is why he preaches in private discussions, because that is what we are accustomed to. He dresses in the dress of the scholars to appeal to our customs and he has already converted many to his devious ways.
I do understand that we could learn a great deal about war, business, and economy from foreigners; however, I do not believe that these missionaries are the foreigners to learn from. Their knowledge is not only a risk with disastrous potential, but it also comes at a very high price that the Ming dynasty cannot afford. The possibility of failure outweighs the danger this risk could bring by a considerable amount. I refuse to give up my Confucian principals for their commercial greed that is sure to disrupt harmony at an irreversible measure. I will leave you with the words of the master, “If I took anyone it would have to be a man who, when faced with a task, was fearful of failure and who, while fond of making plans, was capable of successful execution” (7.11).
I am here today to discuss the arrival of the Jesuits. It is my concern that we are not being cautious enough about the situation at hand. For the past few years, Matteo Ricci has been petitioning our government for permission to establish a missionary residence in our capital city, Beijing. Before making any rash decisions we need to look at this situation through his point of view and ask ourselves, what are his motives and why does he want to set up this residency in Beijing? What is wrong with the residence he already has on the southern coast at Macao? And what is his ultimate goal?
I would like you to remember that the master said, “Claims that are made immodestly are difficult to live up to” (14.20), and it is our duty as secretaries to make sure we do not make arrogant claims as well. We must be certain that we are approaching this situation in the appropriate manner. Although currently, and for millennia, we have been the center of the universe, with rich resources, benevolent rulings, and enlightenment in the Confucian teachings, we must not be too proud. Foreigners wish to come here and benefit from our blessings, but we must still be strong and wary of who we allow in our city walls. I agree that we should teach foreigners and barbarians the world’s greatest known culture, but we cannot sacrifice upsetting our entire Confucian order that our society and culture has been founded on.
I know that some of you think that we need to be quick with our actions and set an example for the common people. I too agree that we need to send a message to the people, but lets avoid making a huge mistake and take the time to send out the right message. I do not think that allowing Matteo Ricci and the Jesuits into our city sends the right message, and it has too much potential to be disastrous and disrupt harmony. Instead, I propose that we send a group of officials to Macao to investigate the Jesuits. We need to learn their motives and consider what they have been doing in Macao for the past few years. We need to question the Jesuits as well as the Chinese people in Macao to ensure that we have both sides of the spectrum. The only way to make sure we are not sending the wrong message is by allowing them into our city and to make sure that they do not contaminate the common people while on their visit. We will be receiving the same knowledge without letting them into our city.
Some of you may wonder why I feel it necessary to be so cautious of these Jesuits. It is because I looked to the words of the master when he was walking in the company of two men and said, “I am bound to be able to learn from them. The good points of the one I copy; the bad points of the other I correct in myself (7.22)”. I then applied this to what I know about the past. St. Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary who had a vision to spread his foreign religion of the single god. He was successful in Japan and India, but failed in China before his death in 1552. Matteo Ricci is a fellow Jesuit of the same St. Francis Xavier! It would be an intelligent assumption to presume that his goals are the same as his companion; to impose his barbarous religion, Christianity, onto all of China, not to learn the Confucian principals as we would have hoped.
I understand that it is easy to be deceived by the Jesuits. We would hope that we could enlighten them, and they seem like they have potential. Matteo Ricci has been studying our language, but only in preparation to enforce his beliefs onto China so that we will understand. He has also been studying our classics and our society. Why do you think he is taking such an interest in our culture? We must not be naive and look under the surface. He wants us to trust him and be appealing to our ways. Because he knows our society, he knows that to convert our common people, which is the majority of China, he must first convert the imperial court and then work his way down. The master did say, “The common people can be made to follow a path but not to understand it” (8.9). Our common people do not have to understand what he preaches; Matteo Ricci knows that the common people will follow the emperor regardless. I honestly believe that his plan is to convert our vast dynasty and disrupt our harmonious balance. Matteo Ricci has studied the words of our master, “Men of antiquity studied to improve themselves; men today study to impress others” (14.24). He is smart; he knows our ways and what we want to hear because he has studied us and now wants to convert us as if we were barbarians. That is why he preaches in private discussions, because that is what we are accustomed to. He dresses in the dress of the scholars to appeal to our customs and he has already converted many to his devious ways.
I do understand that we could learn a great deal about war, business, and economy from foreigners; however, I do not believe that these missionaries are the foreigners to learn from. Their knowledge is not only a risk with disastrous potential, but it also comes at a very high price that the Ming dynasty cannot afford. The possibility of failure outweighs the danger this risk could bring by a considerable amount. I refuse to give up my Confucian principals for their commercial greed that is sure to disrupt harmony at an irreversible measure. I will leave you with the words of the master, “If I took anyone it would have to be a man who, when faced with a task, was fearful of failure and who, while fond of making plans, was capable of successful execution” (7.11).
posted by Stuckey | 12:19 PM
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