Do Huy^[i]

170 years after his death, Nguyen Binh Khiem’s biography, as claims by Vu Phuong De in his Cong Gia Tiep Ky written in 1755, was orally transmitted without any official text. Later versions are only the copies of Vu Phuong De’s book. According to the present Vietnamese Literature Dictionary, Nguyen Binh Khiem was born in 1491 and died in December 1585 on the coast in Trung An village, Vinh Lac District (today Vinh Bao District), Hai Phong city.  His father, Nguyen Van Dinh, was a writer, and his mother, Nhu Van Lan, a intelligent lady with a deep understanding of Eastern philosophy.

Nguyen Binh Khiem lived in the unrest period of the history of Vietnam. In 1535, when he was 44 years old, Nguyen Binh Khiem took the state examination and passed it with the number one rank in the country. He served in the Mac Dynasty court and was promoted to important posts in the Mac Dynasty Court. He resigned and returned to his native village at Tuyet Han’s River where he built Bach Van’s hermitage and took the Taoist name of Bach Van Cu Sy (White Cloud Hermit). He opened a school, among his disciples were renowned names like Phung Khac Khoan, Nguyen Quyen, Nguyen Dzu. He was influential man both for Trinh’s and Nguyen’s Court. Many people thinks that he studious scholar, others consider him as an opportunist. Some are interested in his literary talent but others only his social and political activities. Nguyen Binh Khiem main literary works are Bach Van’s am Thi Tap (White Cloud hermitage Poems) and Bach Van Quoc ngu thi (White Cloud Poems in the National Language). There are also other works like Trinh Quoc cong sam ky, Trinh Tien sinh quoc ngu etc. Whether these works belong to Nguyen Binh Khiem or not is still disputable.

Bach Van am thi tap (White Cloud hermitage Poems), which is also known as Bach Van am Trinh Quoc cong thi tap, is a poetical compilation. According to author’s preface the compilation originally consists of one thousand poems but at the present there are only about 300 left. The poems express Nguyen Binh Khiem’s reflections, thoughts and communications through the 16^th Century. He focused much on moral education. As often he used poetic scenes to express his affection. Most of poems describe natural scenes, some dedicate to social life and especially in some poems Nguyen Binh Khiem gives a philosophical account of his life. His poems are in Chinese, some are hundred-verse long.

Bach Van Quoc ngu thi (White Cloud Poems in the National Language) consists of about 170 poems in eight-line poetic form. This is a Nom poetic compilation (poetry in Chinese transcribed Vietnamese) containing valuable national linguistic features. The main content of poems was the reflection the self, life and moral admonitions in turbulent times. The compilation also contains many philosophical and aesthetic thoughts.

Nguyen Binh Khiem’s works are diverse in content but ethical thoughts come into prominence.

Dinh The Trung in his funeral oration to Ngyen Binh Khiem’s death pointed out clearly that Nguyen Binh Khiem was the most sagacious intellect of the Vietnamese in the 16^th Century. He was a man of wide and profound learning, whose talent was not inferior than that of Sushi (蘇h東?坡) and Ouyang (歐陽z修). He knew very well numerology and Wu Jing (five classics). When Nguyen Binh Khiem’s heart stopped beating mountains and rivers changed their rhythm to express their deep condolence and sympathy, ants and spiders stopped in anguish, traders felt tumultuous, poets grieved and flowers were doleful. His morals will last for ever with his pupils and the age.  

Being born into a family with great learning tradition in 15^th Century, Nguyen Binh Khiem reached a high level of intellectual development at that time, he was very good at numerology, had good knowledge of astronomy, and geomancy. He was avid for devoting his talent and intellect to the development of the country and people. However, living in the time of social unrests and turbulences Nguyen Binh Khiem, despite his talent and wide learning, was not be able to prevent desires for power of different feudal political factions of Le, Trinh and Mac dynasties. Finally he decided to help Mac dynasty. During 30 years serving in Mac court, Nguyen Binh Khiem, together with former officials of Le’s dynasty and his six sons, had some significant contributions to country’s development. In the field of ethics, he initiated economic renovation, especially some important renovations in the relation between the king and subjects. Seeing power abuse by dishonest mandarins and courtiers, people disunity and the country hang by a single hair Nguyen Binh Khiem submitted a petition to the king to ask for beheading sycophantic courtiers. But his request was rejected. He lived an upright and staunch life and detested the corruptors. Some say that he was a three-faced man serving simultaneously Trinh, Nguyen and Mac dynasties. Through his works we can see that his ethical ideas were profound and close to the personality of contemporary intellectuals (men of letters). With his flexible and politic way of conduct he would be able to serve three dynasties, as some suggest.

There are two main features in Nguyen Binh Khiem’s ethical thought: profoundness and closeness to people, which are closely linked to the essence of his philosophical wisdom and amiability. Throughout his whole life in the 16^th Century, Nguyen Binh Khiem witnessed and reflected on lot of things. He was often known as a poet and profound thinker. His philosophy was reflected in his ethical thoughts. He wanted to generalize and systemize all knowledge founded in folk literature and then return it to the real life of common masses. Therefore, his ethical advices and counsels were simple yet profound. It seemed that people living in the villages nearby were in need of his counsels in the time full of turbulences and topsy-turvy values. He advised people to learn how to have a good manner of speaking and honor their commitments.

Nguyen Binh Khiem’s ethical thoughts reflect his close relation to people. His affection and thought were originated from people’s everyday life, many his ethical thoughts were loved and became their reasons for living. Nguyen Binh Khiem’s ethical thoughts are peace-oriented. He understood very well that the desire for peace is the most earnest hope of the people living in that epoch as well as of the whole nation of Vietnam in general. In the context of anguish caused by war and hunger, when people lost their love ones, when families were separated, Nguyen Binh Khiem dreamt of a peaceful time of Yao’s and Shun’s (堯?,舜) warm closing and sufficient food. He knew that this time would not be ease to achieve when the country was divided and polarized by irreconcilable forces and rival factions. However, motivating by his patriotism he wanted to contribute his ‘talentless old age’ for doing something to help the country avoid war disaster.

 His ethical thoughts were based on the ideas that the state is to serve the people and rely on the people.  Stabilizing country and reassuring people are its primary concerns. He hope was to build a society in which the king is to be virtuous and subjects are to be loyal. Thus he advised people to obey three moral bounds and five constant virtues as well as pay honor to the king. The time he lived was the time in which the whole nation was in a serious crisis with a wide gap between the rich and the poor, traditional moral values turned topsy-turvy. He bitterly denounced that ‘in this world benevolence is like pure gold’. At that time he knew that by cultivating and obeying moral virtues people could restore the social order and achieve the peace the nation desperately needed. This hope was a dream but it reflected a dream shared by millions of poor peasants. He asked kings and nobilities to think about people and their situation but the request was in vain.

Humanism in Nguyen Binh Khiem’s ethical thought expresses in his literature works. Humanism means to go against all that cause harm to human beings. His humanism was a new development step of the humanist tradition in the history of national culture of Vietnam. It was a wide and profound step forward. Nguyen Binh Khiem was able to create a new philosophy of humanism:  that of denouncement and belief. In his famous essay “the way of the world” Nguyen Binh Khiem accused the way people treat one other “while there is money, there still are disciples. No money, no disciples”. However, he still believed that good and sincere men could still be found in the society.  He condemned the insidious and perfidious as well as brutality and money-oriented attitude but on the other hand, he believed in the strength of the common masses to change existing situations. Though Nguyen Binh Khiem only wanted to restore the social order, in which people could be the main factor of national unity and stability. This desire was a new ethical ideal, not only of people of his time but also the whole people of Vietnam. Therefore, his ethical thoughts were closely linked with patriotism and national spirit.

Perhaps, Nguyen Binh Khiem understood that the dialectic of ethics consists not only in denouncement but also, more than that, in action and struggle for building a well-off and peaceful society. In the time of unrest he advised people to take care of themselves and rely on themselves. Self-cultivation and self-striving are among important elements of this ethical thought.  

Nguyen Binh Khiem’s ethical thoughts relate not only to social life but also to natural life. According to him, human beings can have close relationships with nature only through labor and practical striving. He always prayed for favorable weather, abundant harvests. He hoped people to have a well-off and peaceful life, the country to be united, people to enjoy happiness and prosperity. In order to establish a harmonious relation between men and nature, everyone must strive his best for mastery. He praised highly man’s attachment to nature but criticized the parasitic way of life relying passively on nature. He spoke highly of labor and encouraged people to come to nature, where everyone become equal, simple and treat each other with respect and kindness. Nature is the communality shared and beloved by everyone. It is the spirit of the country. Thus Nguyen Binh Khiem’s ethical thoughts were originated from Taoism. The love to nature makes people feel united

Many thought that Nguyen Binh Khiem escaped to nature, hid himself in nature or practiced a disengaged philosophy in nature. It is true that in his literature works, Nguyen Binh Khiem wrote much on disengagement and idleness (idleness is a fairyland on earth). But no Nguyen Binh Khiem’s scholars can feel that he led a disengaged life. He worked enthusiastically and lived a life full of passion and concern.  His preoccupations with the life of ordinary people and country’s destiny were manifested in his works: thousands of essays and poems left in Bach Van am thi tap (White Cloud hermitage Poems) and Bach Van Quoc ngu thi (White Cloud Poems in the National Language) are clear evidences. His philosophy was sent to the spirit of nature and embedded deeply in social consciousness. Thus how could one say that Nguyen Binh Khiem was idle?. Dinh The Trung in his funeral oration to Ngyen Binh Khiem’s death wrote that Nguyen Binh Khiem “will never die, his ideas will illuminate for ever …he is a Great Mountain, his Teaching will last for ever”. It is true that Nguyen Binh Khiem’s idea of idleness (disengagement) is a ethically tolerant thought. He devoted his whole life to serve the people and the country without asking for any acknowledgement. According to him, man should live in harmony with nature and cultivate benevolence and righteousness. 

Nguyen Binh Khiem’s idea of idleness is closely related to his idea of tolerance. Eastern great poets and renowned thinkers often use the metaphor of nature to express their lofty affection, deliberate manner and tranquil style. Taoism and Confucianism advise people to keep pure mind and the good to unify with nature. The philosophy of Taoism is attached to ideas of tolerance, simplicity and tranquility. To unify with nature means to unify with the Earth and Heaven, with sacred spirit of the land and people aspiration. Nguyen Binh Khiem was the follower of the Taoist view of pureness of infant’s mind as well of Confucian idea of expressing the will through poetry. Nguyen Binh Khiem clearly expressed that idea in the foreword to his Bach Van am thi tap (White Cloud hermitage Poems). He loved the natural beauty of landscape, enjoyed the charm of flowers and ivory bamboos and wanted to use nature to express his feelings. The fondness of natural beauty, the attachment of the virtues of gentlemen (noble men) to cypress and fir-trees are common ideas on the good and the beautiful. These ideas are the foundation for boundless tolerance and humanism

Nguyen Binh Khiem’s character, his thoughts and his works express a wide and profound humanism. The dialectic of his ethical thoughts is expressed in the connecting and directing snatching contradictions to the dialogue of values. The country was divided into several factions but all of them purportedly sought his advices in their pursuit of power. The same did the working masses and poor peasants. Apart from talent or wide and profound learning, one also needs boundless compassion, sympathy and tolerance in order to be able to give advice for everyone. Nguyen Binh Khiem’s humanistic activities were the foundation for gathering diverse ethical currents in Vietnam in the 16^th Century.

Nguyen Binh Khiem gained a reputation as someone who could foretell the future. People recall some of his concise and persuasive ethical advices on the fate of a regime.  His prophecies have been ethically significant and circulated orally in the folk tradition of Vietnam for centuries.

Why have some of his important thoughts retained their prolonged vitality in the social life of Vietnam? First, his ethical thoughts were profound and his understanding of the highest knowledge of Eastern thought in the 16^th Century was comprehensive. Further, his world view was dynamic: the world, as he understood, was changing constantly. Together with his observation of movements and developments in their interconnections, sharp intellect and sensibility Nguyen Binh Khiem was able to discover the logic of the development of things. The idea of the good and the evil served as the main axis on which his prophecies of sustainable ethics have based and developed.

Nguyen Binh Khiem viewed the world with compassion. He believed that the good ought to be the ultimate aim of all developments. The necessary law is that once a thing or phenomenon reaches its fullness it will transform itself into a new form. The good will triumph over the evil because ‘the Tao of Heaven is never goes wrong’. The idea that the good will gain a victory over the evil is a lofty humanistic idea. All Eastern great thinkers, despite their various styles and outlooks, have strived for the good and the beautiful. It is the shared inspiration for all humanity, the destination for people worldwide to meet and understand each other. If every one lives a good life and all creative activities are directed to the good, society will be full of compassion and light, the world will enjoy peace. 

Relying on the cosmic principles of impermanence (or becoming-being complementary), conditioned causality as well as numerology and geomancy, Nguyen Binh Khiem was able to catch the rhythm of social developments and see through the struggle between the good and the evil. As a result, he pointed out the shape and position of Vietnam (with special reference to relationships between heaven and earth) as well as the dialectic of long-lasting peace. 

Amazingly, Nguyen Binh Khiem expressed his optimism in his ethical thoughts. Despite the fact that he lived in a time full of unrest and his life was full of concerns, he remained optimistic. He enjoyed life, and showed his compassion and love to his disciples, his nationhood village, the country and the people. Phan Huy Chu, in the Lich trieu hien chuong (Annals of the Laws and Institutions of Successive Dynasties), wrote that ‘Nguyen Binh Khiem’s mind is always preoccupied with life”. Nguyen Binh Khiem himself expressed his passionate love to life.

Nguyen Binh Khiem enjoyed life but he did not remained unconcerned. He felt the sufferings in life but not complained about his lot. We can find in him love and anguish. He was full of confidence. Because he convinced that the good will triumph over the evil, there was no pessimism in his anguish: “ a morning soul is bright like a torch” and “Human Tao (Way) is always fresh”.

Above all, the significance of Nguyen Binh Khiem’s ethical thoughts in the national history of Vietnam consists in the fact that he attached optimism to young generations. The Nguyen Binh Khiem lived his whole life in the 16^th Century, he witnessed many upheavals and painful events but he remained optimistic. He wrote ‘ a spring is rather late at age ninety/ when it [that spring] passes away, a fresh one will come”. Nguyen Binh Khiem’s thought on a [kind of] everlasting spring of all generations is a great ethical thought that is closely attached to the whole ethical aspiration of the nation of Vietnam. He did not think that the continuation of generations is similar to the change of seasons or the replacement of an old bamboo by a young sprout. He convinced that a new generation continues the present one like a fresh spring follows closely a late [existing] spring. His devoted his whole life for this idea. He believed that young talents will flourish. He passionately strived to hand down to young generations all knowledge and inspiration for life. And the young did not betray him: his famous disciples like Nguyen Dzu, Nguyen Quyen, Phung Khac Khoang succeeded successfully his great cause and contributed greatly to triumphing of the good and the beautiful over the evil and the bad.r

(Translated by Tran Tuan Phong)