Virtue and Goodness

In the practice of self-cultivation, much emphasis is placed on virtue and on doing good to accumulate merit. However, definitions of what constitutes virtue and goodness vary widely—some hold firm to their own views, others are ambiguous, and still others affect an air of profundity.

What is goodness? Is a good heart more important, or are good deeds?

If a good heart is what matters, then consider the many ignorant believers who release animals into the wild—undoubtedly, they act with good intentions. But do they truly accumulate merit?

If good deeds are what count, then the wealthy and powerful, capable of saving thousands with a single decision, would surely amass all merit. Does virtue then belong solely to the rich and influential?

Alternatively, what exactly is the standard for goodness? How many times in history have mass killings been carried out in the name of good?

If killing one to save a hundred is good, what about saving ten? Or five? Or three, two, or just one? Where, then, lies the boundary between good and evil?

If one acts with good intentions but causes harm, how should that be judged?

If doing good is meant to accumulate virtue, what is virtue? What kind of goodness truly builds merit?

If doing good is merely a means to accumulate virtue, is goodness not reduced to a transaction—a bargain with heaven, earth, or spirits? How, then, can it be called true goodness?

Questions like these often trouble many people and expose the inadequacies of seemingly well-constructed explanations.

The principles of heaven and earth are simple and ordinary. Heaven and earth nurture all things, aiming to foster vitality and continuous growth—this is the great goodness of heaven and earth, the essence of virtue, and the harmony with the Dao. For living beings, this translates to striving for self-improvement and the development of one’s community. This is how heaven and earth guide beings toward goodness, without strict rules or decrees to enforce it. No deity idly monitors each person’s good and evil deeds to determine their fortunes.

The foundation of heaven and earth is clarity and turbidity. Aligning with the Dao is clarity. Those who dwell between heaven and earth and restrain themselves in accordance with the Dao gradually become clearer and brighter. The clear and bright attract more clarity, resulting in a higher probability of clear and positive outcomes—this is the concept of karmic retribution, where actions bear consequences. Clarity resides in the heart, not in actions. Whether poor or rich, humble or noble, all can attain clarity. Thus, while good deeds may vary in scale, the heart behind them remains the same. A good heart leads to good deeds, embodying the unity of knowledge and action.

Yet, there is no explicit standard for what it means to align with the Dao. One can only seek a good heart and continually deepen their understanding through the practice of goodness. As their grasp of goodness strengthens, they naturally align more closely with the Dao and accumulate virtue—this is the essence of doing good to build merit.

Since all beings exist within heaven and earth, they inherently occupy certain positions. Divorced from these positions, discussions of good and evil become meaningless. A wolf ought to hunt sheep; a sheep ought to escape. A sheep that helps the wolf hunt is not good, nor is a wolf that helps a sheep escape being hunted. Neither can be called good.