Military Cultivation | "One Who Is Skilled at Prohibition First Prohibits Himself, Then Others"
The ancients said: "Under heaven, affairs are not difficult in the establishment of laws, but difficult in ensuring those laws are carried out." The meaning is that in governing a state, drafting statutes is not the hard part—enforcing them is. How does one cause the people to consciously abide by laws and regulations? The Eastern Han thinker Xun Yue, in Shenjian: Zhengti (申鉴·政体), put forward the principle: "One who is skilled at prohibition first prohibits himself, then others; one who is not skilled at prohibition first prohibits others, then himself." The meaning is that a person skilled at using prohibitions to govern society will first restrain himself and only then guide and regulate others; a person not skilled at governing society demands that others comply with prohibitions while placing himself outside their reach. Chairman Xi has cited this classical saying to admonish leading cadres at all levels that when addressing problems of work style, they must "lead by example and set the standard first—what is said must be done, and what is promised must be delivered."
The principle of "first prohibiting oneself, then others" embodies the political ethic of those in governance leading by example and rectifying others through rectifying themselves (正己化人). It is an important element of China's traditional political culture and has received broad recognition and esteem over thousands of years. Surveying the classical texts: the Analects advocates governing concepts such as "governance is rectification (政者，正也)" and "when the ruler's own conduct is correct, his orders are followed without issuing them," emphasizing that only when those in governance conduct themselves uprightly will the people consciously comply with their edicts; the Discourses on Salt and Iron (盐铁论) states, "One who wishes the shadow to be straight must straighten the form; one who wishes subordinates to be incorrupt must begin with himself," intending to admonish officials at all levels that to make subordinates honest and clean, they must first maintain their own integrity; the Book of the Later Han (后汉书) contains the thought that "teaching by personal example is followed, teaching by words alone is disputed," placing personal example above verbal instruction; the Imperially Commissioned Record of Warnings for Officials (御制人臣儆心录) presents the governing logic that "if senior officials are not incorrupt, they have no basis to lead those below, and junior officials will certainly be corrupt; if junior officials are not incorrupt, they have no basis to govern the people, and social customs will certainly deteriorate"—all of these, from different angles, expound the ancient governing principle of holding oneself to strict standards before holding others to them, and disciplining oneself before disciplining others.
During the Spring and Autumn period, Yan Ying, the celebrated chief minister of the state of Qi, ate coarse-grain rice, wore rough cloth clothing, and rode in a plain carriage in his daily life, repeatedly declining various gifts from Duke Jing of Qi. Duke Jing was displeased, and Yan Ying explained: "I ordinarily oppose extravagance and waste, and require officials to be frugal in order to lighten the burden on the people. If I were to ride in fine carriages with fine horses, officials would follow suit from the top down, and the extravagant and dissolute tendency would be impossible to stop." Yan Ying's insight coincided with that of Zhao Bian, an official of the Northern Song. Zhao Bian once put forward a governing philosophy of "three incorruptions" (三廉): incorruption in one's own person, beginning with oneself; incorruption in one's duties, not using the power in one's hands to seek private gain; and incorruption toward society, advocating frugality and opposing extravagance. The facts have proven that if those in governance are themselves honest, clean, and strict in self-discipline, they have the standing to demand that subordinates observe discipline and handle affairs according to law and regulation; conversely, if they themselves are not upright and take the lead in violating rules and discipline, this not only diminishes their own image and authority but also transmits erroneous values, causing subordinates to follow suit, corrupting a cohort of people and polluting the political ecology of an area.
Leading from the top down and being strict in self-discipline are likewise requirements that our Party has consistently applied to Party member cadres at all levels. The Party Constitution emphasizes that leading cadres of the Party at all levels must "uphold Party spirit, emphasize moral conduct, and set an example"; the Several Guidelines on Intra-Party Political Life under the New Situation (关于新形势下党内政治生活的若干准则) states that "senior cadres, especially members of the central leadership, must lead by example and model compliance with the Party Constitution and Party regulations"; the Chinese Communist Party Code of Clean and Honest Conduct (中国共产党廉洁自律准则) sets higher requirements for Party member leading cadres across four dimensions—"clean governance, clean exercise of power, clean self-cultivation, and clean family conduct (廉洁从政、廉洁用权、廉洁修身、廉洁齐家)"—and so on. Looking across our Party's journey of more than one hundred years, many outstanding Party member cadres have led by example and set the standard first, using their own good image and exemplary conduct to guide, educate, and inspire others. In the 1960s, Comrade Mao Zedong's household manager entrusted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with purchasing two cartons of cigarettes and sought to have this expense reimbursed from entertainment funds. Upon learning of this, Mao Zedong issued a serious rebuke: "China is not short of what one Mao Zedong eats and spends. But if I am not careful in my personal life—if I casually eat and take things—then all those ministers, governors, mayors, and county magistrates can eat and take things too. How then would this country be governed?" Leading by example is the most effective mobilization order. What Party member cadres demand that others do, they must first do themselves; what they demand that others not do, they must resolutely not do themselves—only then can they produce a sound exemplary and guiding effect and release powerful positive energy (正能量).
On the new journey, Party member leading cadres at all levels are both the lead geese in undertaking work and driving development, and the vanguard in observing rules and maintaining discipline. The higher the position and the greater the power, the more one should hold reverence in one's heart and keep a ruler of restraint in hand. When facing tests of public versus private interest, righteousness versus profit, and corruption versus integrity, one must, with the ideological consciousness and behavioral consciousness of "first prohibiting oneself, then others," always hold to the righteous path and promote a healthy atmosphere (弘扬正气). Only in this way can one lead and drive officers and soldiers, allowing new conduct and a healthy atmosphere to become ever more abundant throughout the force.