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This expression means to uphold the law by means of power. This is a way of governance advocated by Hanfeizi (280?-233 BC). Law is what all people have to abide by, regulating people’s conduct as well as the judgment of right or wrong, good or evil. “Power” refers to the position and strength of the ruler. “Upholding law by means of power” requires the ruler to use his power to ensure that the law is enforced through reward and punishment so as to maintain social order and social values.
The Chinese character fa (法), originally meaning “penalty,” refers to the legal system consisting of laws, decrees, and regulations. In ancient China, both fa and li (礼rite) set standards for individual behavior. In particular, rites rewarded virtue, while laws punished vice. It was generally accepted that while only a sovereign ruler had the right to enact and promulgate laws, everyone, be it a ruler or a subject, had to obey the laws. This point of view reflects the justice and fairness of law. In 536 BC, Zichan (?-522 BC), the chief minister in the State of Zheng, had the legal provisions cast on a bronze ding, a tripodal vessel that symbolized the power of the ducal ruler. Zichan’s action, known as “casting the penal code,” was the very first example of publishing a statute in Chinese history. The Warring States Period witnessed the rise of the Legalists such as Shang Yang (390?-338 BC) and Hanfeizi (280?-233 BC). Fa (法) is also a Buddhist term. In scriptures, it is the Chinese equivalent of the Sanskrit word dharma with three shades of meaning. First, it refers to real being, which is the object of genuine knowledge. Buddhism argues that all things in daily life are produced through the concomitance of causes and conditions. In this sense, what one appears to see or know is unreal in nature. However, one can perceive the dharmas, the indivisible real elements beneath the surface, through mental practices. Indeed, there are more than a hundred types of the elements, such as substance and consciousness. Second, dharma can be defined as the Buddhist teachings. The teachings here not only refer to the words dictated by the Buddha but also what dharma-hearers receive and pursue. This point of view is different from the characteristics of dharma discussed in the Abhidhamma Pitaka (Basket of Advanced Dharma). But they do not contradict each other, because both of them advocate that perception of reality be based on relevant teachings. For Buddhism as a whole, the teachings constitute a significant portion of its knowledge system; for all Buddhists, the teachings pave the way for their personal liberation. Third, dharma denotes the worldly phenomenon, which is clearly distinguishable from the previous meaning. In scriptures, zhufa (all dharmas) and wanfa (tens of thousands of dharmas) represent all worldly phenomena, unreal in nature, in the broadest sense.
This refers to the situation or trend in the development of things. The formation, existence and change of a situation hinges on how things are organized, their relative strength, and how they interact with each other. It also refers to topography, such as occupying a commanding position at a high location. It may also refer to how people behave as influenced by their social positions. In terms of literary work, a trend refers to a particular force running through a literary work arising from its structure and style. The impact of a tendency upon people and social affairs gives rise to laws governing nature and social development. One can accomplish great things by following and gaining a good command of social trends. Under certain conditions, one changes the developmental course of things by creating trends.
Changes in trends or situations arise from the clashes and stimuli of factors and forces. This was an explanation of history proposed by the famous ancient Chinese historian Sima Qian (145 or 135?-? BC). “Events” were the basic trends or situations in the world; their “flow” was how they changed over time like flowing rivers. Sima Qian felt that while history was composed of the stories of people, it could not be changed by the will of any one person or persons. Rather, the outcome of the flow of events was basically determined by the clash or stimulus of various factors and forces involved in the process. This embodies ideas of the convergence and interaction of historical forces.
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