Largely forgotten except by students of history is one of the most unusual mass movements of all time
Revolutions are commonly remembered only when they are successful. The American Revolution looms large in history books of the United States and receives scant attention in those of Great Britain. The Taiping Rebellion of China in the mid-nineteenth century failed and is forgotten by all except students of modern Chinese history. Nevertheless, the Taiping uprising must be considered one of the most remarkable mass movements of all time and with points of resemblance to Islam's rise in the Middle East of the seventh century.
At its outset, the rebellion was uniquely the creation of a mystic named Hung Hsiu-ch'uan (1813-1864), the son of a Hakka peasant family living near Canton. Seemingly bright, Hung was educated beyond his socio-economic level by a family hopeful that he could pass the provincial civil service examination. He failed repeatedly. In 1835 he heard a Christian missionary preach and read some tracts. After another examination failure in 1836, he seems to have had a nervous breakdown.
The 24-year-old Hung had a series of visions during his illness. A fatherly old man told him that men were serving demons instead of God the Heavenly Father. Confucius was scolded and repented. Hung was instructed in the slaying of demons and came to believe that Jesus Christ, his Elder Brother, had designated him, the Young Brother, to eradicate the demons. Even at this time the members of Hung's family regarded these imaginings as something more than the product of a fevered brain.
Seven years went by before Hung began to look into Christian teachings more closely. In the interim he had been teaching in village schools. On several occasions he joined in idol-breaking expeditions that were frowned upon by the authorities and the residents of the countryside. He spent two months in Canton listening to the Rev. Issachar J. Roberts, an American fundamentalist missionary. The Kwangtung environment was unfriendly and Hung and some of his embryo followers tried their luck among the Hakkas of Kwangsi. His group became known as the God Worshipers and was calling itself to the unfavorable attention of the authorities by the late 1840s.
Hung identified the Ch'ing dynasty with the bad guys and he was born at a time that gave point to the argument. China's defeat at the hands of Britain in the Opium War was followed by famine and depression. Remote areas were on the edge of anarchy as the imperial influence declined. Family and other closely knit groups afforded the best hope of survival in a troubled society. The God Worshipers had a tight organization and sense of purpose.
In self-defense, Hung and his followers turned to a military-style organization. Private property was to be deposited in the "Sacred Treasury." Rites were mandatory. Discipline was rigid. Thanks to preparation and indoctrination, the God Worshipers withstood assault by Manchu troops in December of 1850. At the start of a new year, Hung proclaimed the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace and assumed the title of Heavenly King. Other leaders became lesser kings or princes.
Taiping, meaning "Great Peace" and going back to belief in a period of perfection in cyclical history, was to be a Kingdom of Heaven ruled over by the True God. Such a theocracy was not new to the Chinese political tradition; it was especially well adapted to a period of chaos. There was a strong appeal to nationalist, anti-Manchu sentiment. The basis was the family-members called each other "brothers" and "sisters." Economic reforms promised relief for rich and poor alike.
Although the Taiping Rebellion resembled some of the uprisings of China's past, it had a unique religious fervor. Acceptance of the Taiping beliefs was mandatory. Those who wanted to reform the Ch'ing dymisty without embracing the Taiping faith were rejected. Taiping armies were made up of zealots and true believers, and much of their success was due to rigid discipline and a willingness to march forward even if that meant certain death.
Military success was swift and decisive at first. The Taipings moved through Hunan to the Yangtze valley and then to Nanking, which they occupied in March, 1853, renaming it T'ien-ching, the "Heavenly Capital." They did not, however, make any effort to organize and consolidate as they moved through the countryside. When local opposition developed, the Taipings interpreted this as a sign of God that they should move onward. Yang Hsiu-ch'ing, the chief military commander, claimed that his strategies were revelations of the Heavenly Father.
An expedition sent against Peking made initial gains but finally was isolated and defeated. There was enlargement of the Taiping-controlled area to the west. In general, however, the Taipings were confined to the lower Yangtze valley and compelled to fight almost ceaselessly against improving armies led by regional commanders loyal to the Manchus.
At first the Western nations were favorable to the Taipings, largely because of the sizable content of Christianity but also because of the movement's discipline and seeming morality. But when Westerners made contact with Taiping leaders, they found them to be ignorant and fanatical. The Taiping made no exception of Westerners in their demands that everyone bow down to their divinely inspired rule. When the movement made gestures in the direction of Shanghai, the Western nations lined up with the Manchus and joined in physical resistance to the rebels.
Taiping rulers had no experience in civil administration. Public servants trained in the Confucian tradition refused to work for the movement. They were not wanted, anyway. Once settled down in Nanking, Hung Hsiu-ch'uan surrendered to the pleasures of the flesh and slowly gave up pretense of the mystic powers that had raised him to kingship. Yang Hsiu-ch'ing, the Eastern King, aspired to the imperial throne and plotted to overthrow the other leaders. He lost his life but the conspiracies did not end. Hung came to depend almost entirely on family members in the administration of Taiping affairs.
The beginning of the end came at Nanking in June of 1864. Hung had been advised by his chief remaining loyal general, Li Hsiu-ch'eng, to flee to the south, but the Heavenly Ruler said God would protect him. He took poison and his body, dressed in imperial yellow, was found in a sewer under the palace. Remaining Taiping followers held out for another month and finally expired in an Alamo-like last stand against overwhelming Manchu forces. Tseng Kuo-fan, who led the Ch'ing armies, attested that there were no Taiping surrenders. Two other military leaders in the anti-Taiping forces were foreigners: Frederick T. Ward, an American, and Charles George ("Chinese") Gordon, a Briton. First Ward and then Gordon led the "evervictorious army."
Some historians maintain that the Taiping Rebellion was a principal contributing factor in the downfall of the Ch'ing dynasty. Without question, the ripples of Taiping influence continued long after the movement had been wiped out. One of these was monotheism, which had never caught on so widely before. Hung's God was not only accessible but active In the political affairs of men. This was both a Taiping advantage and handicap. What led one man to piety led another to delusions of grandeur because of the certainty that God stood on his side.
Taipings adopted the seven-day week and observed the sabbath. They opposed polygamy, adultery, slavery, foot-binding (the Hakkas never bound the feet of their women), gambling, liquor and smoking. They were seemingly hostile to Confucianism but in the end had to accept many of its practices. Confucianism was too deeply engraved in the Chinese people to be pulled out like a tooth.
The Taiping Book of Heavenly Commandments (T'ien-t'iao shu) was promulgated in 1852, although it probably had been written several years before. It sets forth the basic creed and details the manner of observance. This is a selection:
"Who in this mortal world has not offended against the Heavenly Commandments? If one was not aware of his offense in former times, he can still be excused. Now, however, as the Lord God has already issued a generous proclamation, henceforth whoever knows how to repent of his sins in the presence of the Lord God, not to worship false spirits, not to practice perverse things, and not to transgress the Heavenly Commandments, shall be permitted to ascend to Heaven and to enjoy happiness, and for thousands and myriads of years to enjoy dignity and honor without end. Whoever does not know how to repent of his sins ... will most certainly be punished by being sent down to hell to suffer bitterness, and for thousands and myriads of years to suffer sorrow and pain without end. Which is gain and which is loss, we ask you to think over. Our brothers and sisters throughout the mortal world, ought not all of you to awaken from your lethurgy? If, however, you continue unroused, then are you truly baseborn, truly deluded by the devil and truly is there bliss which you do not know how to enjoy.
"Now, those whose minds have been deluded by the demons always say that only the monarch can worship the Lord God. However, the Lord God is the universal Father of all in the mortal world. Monarchs are his able children, the good his filial children, the commoners his ignorant children and the violent and oppressive his disobedient children. If you say that monarchs alone can worship the Lord God, we beg to ask you, as for the parents of a family, is it only the eldest son who can be filial and obedient to his parents?
"Again, it has been falsely said that to worship the Great God is to follow barbarians' ways. They do not know that in the ancient world monarchs and subjects alike all worshiped the Lord God. As for the great Way of worshiping the Lord God, from the very beginning, when the Lord God created in six days Heaven and earth, mountains and seas, man and things, both China and the barbarian nations walked together in the Great Way; however, the various barbarian countries of the West have continued to the end in the great Way. China also walked in the great Way, but within the most recent one or two thousand years, China has erroneously followed the devil's path, thus being captured by the demon of hell. Now, therefore, the Lord God, out of compassion for mankind, has extended his capable hand to save the people of the world, deliver them from the devil's grasp and lead them out to walk again in the original great Way."
A Form to Be Observed in Repenting Sins
"Let the suppliant kneel down in the sight of Heaven and pray to the Lord God to forgive his sins. He may use a written form of prayer, and when the prayer is over, he may either take a basin of water and wash his whole body clean, or he may perform his ablutions in the river, 'which will be still better. After repenting his sins, let him morning and evening worship the Lord God, beseeching that the Lord God look after him and grant him His Holy Spirit to transform his heart. When taking his meals, he should give thanks to God and every seventh-day worship and praise God for His grace and virtue. Let him also constantly obey the Ten Heavenly Commandments. Do not on any account let him worship all the false spirits that are in the world, still less let him do any of the corrupt things of the world. In this manner, the people may become the sons and daughters of the Lord God. While in the world the Lord God will look after them and after ascending to Heaven, the Lord God will graciously love them. In high Heaven, they will eternally enjoy bliss."
The Ten Heavenly Commandments
"1. Honor and worship the Lord God ...
"2. Do not worship false gods ...
"3. Do not take the name of the Lord God in vain ...
"4. On the seventh day, worship and praise the Lord God for his grace ...
"5. Be filial and obedient to thy Father and Mother ...
"6. Do not kill or injure men ...
"7. Do not indulge in wickedness and lewdness.
In the world there are many men, all brothers. In the world there are many women, all sisters. For the sons and daughters of Heaven, the men have men's quarters and the women have women's quarters; they are not allowed to intermix. Men or women who commit adultery or who are licentious are considered monsters; this is the greatest possible transgression of the Heavenly Commandments. The casting of amorous glances, the harboring of lustful imaginings about others, the smoking of opium and the singing of libidinous songs are all offenses against the Heavenly Commandments.
"8. Do not steal or rob. Poverty and riches are granted by the Lord God, and whosoever steals or plunders the property of others transgresses the Heavenly Commandments.
"9. Do not tell falsehoods. All those who speak wildly, falsely or treacherously and those who use coarse and vile language transgress against the Heavenly Commandments.
"10. Do not think covetous thoughts. When a man looks upon the beauty of another's wife or daughter and then covets that man's wife or daughter, when a man looks upon the richness of another man's possessions and then covets that man's possessions, or when a man engages in gambling and buys lottery tickets and bets on names (to succeed in the civil service examinations), all these are transgressions of the Heavenly Commandments. "
Published in 1851 was A Primer in Verse (Yu-hsueh shih) to set forth Taiping fundamentals in simple, easy-to-remember form. These are selections:
Praising God
The Lord God-on-High, the divine Being,
Is respectfully worshiped in all countries.
Men and women throughout the world,
Pay homage to Him morning and evening.
All that we see, above and below,
Basks in the Lord's favor.
In the beginning it took only six days
For the creation of all things to be completed.
Is there anyone, circumcised or uncircumcised,
Not created by God?
Give thanks to Him for the Heavenly favor
That you may obtain everlasting glory.
Praising Jesus Christ
Jesus was a Crown Prince
Whom God sent to earth in ancient times
He sacrificed His life for the sins of men,
Being the first to offer meritorious service.
It was hard to bear the Cross;
Grieving clouds darkened the sun.
The noble Prince from Heaven,
Died for you-men and women.
Having returned to Heaven after His resurrection,
In His glory, He holds all power.
Upon Him we are to rely-
Be saved and enter Paradise!
Praising Parents
Just as the storing up of grain provides against starvation,
So the raising up of children provides against old age.
He who is filial to his parents will have filial sons.
Thus, mysteriously, is recompense made.
You should ask yourself,
How were you able to grow up.
Respect the teaching of the Fifth Heavenly Commandment;
Honor and wealth will shower down on you from the Heavenly Court.
The Imperial Court
The imperial court is an awesome place.
With fear and trembling heed the imperial authority as if it reached into your very presence.
The power of life and death belongs to the Son-of-Heaven.
Among the officials none should oppose Him.
The Way of A King
If one man, aloft, upholds the Right,
The myriad states all enjoy repose.
Let the king alone hold power;
And all slander and depravity will disappear forever.
The Way of A Subject
The more virtuous the Master, the more honest will be His subjects.
Wise kings produce good officials
I (Yin) and (Duke) Chou have set the example.
Upholding justice, they maintained discipline at court.
The Way of the Family
Kinfolk within the household,
Be cheerful and happy!
Be harmonious and united as one body,
Blessings will shower down upon you from Heaven.
Paradise
Whether to be noble or mean is for you to choose.
To be a real man you must make an effort to improve yourself.
Follow the teachings of the Ten Commandments;
You will enjoy the blessings of Paradise.
Although the Taipings never enforced their land reform program and economic system, these no doubt had influence with the peasants. In a sense, Taiping authoritarian ideas went back to the well-field system that was so often idealized by early Chinese philosophers. Confucianists of the 19th century were outraged. Tseng Kuo-fan said of the Taiping scheme: "The farmer cannot till his own land and pay taxes on it; the land is all considered to be the land of the Heavenly King (who owns the entirety of the produce). The merchant cannot engage in trade for himself and profit thereby; all goods are considered to be the goods of the Heavenly King."
This is from The Land System of the Heavenly Kingdom (T'ien-ch'ao t'ien-mu chih-tu):
"All officials who have rendered meritorious service are to receive hereditary stipends from the court. For the later adherents to the Taiping cause, every family in each military district is to provide one man for service in the militia. During an emergency they are to fight under the command of their officers to destroy the enemy and suppress bandits. In peacetime they are to engage in agriculture under the direction of their officers, tilling the land and providing support for their superiors.
"All land is to be classified into nine grades. Land that produces 1,200 catties of grain per mu during the two harvest seasons of the year is to be classified as A-A land. That which produces 1,100 per mu during the same periods is to be classified as A-B land; that which produces 1,000 catties is to be classified as A-C land, 900 catties as B-A land, 800 as B-B land, 700 as B-C land, 600 as C-A land, 500 as C-B land and 400 as C-C land. One mu of A-A land is equal to 1.1 mu of A-B land, 1.2 mu of A-C land, 1.35 mu of B-A land, 1.5 mu of B-B land, 1.75 mu of B-C land, 2 mu of C-A land, 2.4 mu of C-B land or 3 mu of the C-C land.
"The distribution of all land is to be based on the number of persons in each family, regardless of sex. A large family is entitled to more land, a small one to less. The land distributed should not be all of one grade but mixed. Thus for a family of six, for instance, three are to have fertile land and three barren land - half and half of each.
"All the land of the country is to be cultivated by the whole population together. If there is an insufficiency in this place, move some people to another place. If there is an insufficiency in another place, move them to this one. All the lands in the country are also to be mutually supporting with respect to abundance and scarcity. If this place has a drought, then draw upon the abundant harvest elsewhere in order to relieve the distress here. If there is a drought there, draw upon the abundant harvest here in order to relieve the distress there. Thus all the people of the country may enjoy the great blessings of the Heavenly Father, Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High. The land is for all to till, the food for all to eat, the clothes for all to wear and money for all to spend. Inequality shall exist nowhere; none shall suffer from hunger or cold.
"Every person 16 or over, whether male or female, is entitled to a share of land; those 15 or under should receive half the share of an adult. For instance, a person under that age can only receive half of that amount, namely, 0.50 mu of land of the same class. Or if a person 16 or over is given 3 mu of C-C land, then a person 15 or under would receive half of that, or 1.5 mu of C-C land.
"Mulberry trees are to be planted along the walls (of villages) throughout the country. All women are required to grow silkworms, to do weaving and to make clothes. Every family of the country is required to raise five hens and two hogs in keeping with the proper breeding seasons.
"During the harvest season, the Group Officer should direct grain collection by the sergeants. Deducting the amount needed to feed the 25 families until the next harvest season, he should collect the rest of the produce for storage in state granaries. The same method of collection is applicable to other kinds of products, such as barley, beans, ramie fiber, cotton clothes, silk, domestic animals, silver and copper cash, etc., for all people under Heaven are of one family belonging to the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler, the Lord God-on-High. Nobody should be private property. All things should be presented to the Supreme Ruler, so that He will be enabled to make use of them and distribute them equally to all members of his great world family. Thus all will be sufficiently fed and clothed. That is the will of the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler, The Lord God-on-High, who has dispatched the True Ruler of Great Peace to save the men of the world.
"The Group Officer must keep a record of the amount of grain and cash he has collected and report them to the Treasurers and Receiving and Disbursing Tellers. A state treasury and a church are to be established among every 25 families, under the direct administration of the Group Officer. All expenditures of the 25 families for weddings, births or other festival occasions are to be paid for out of the state treasury. But there is to be a fixed limit; not a penny is to be spent beyond that. For each festival occasion, such as a wedding or the birth of a child, a family is to be allowed 1,000 copper cash and 100 catties of grain, so that there will be a uniform rule throughout the country. In sum, nothing should be wasted, in order that there will be provision against any exigency of war or drought. Thus, throughout the land in the contracting of marriages, wealth need be no consideration.
"In the 25 family units, pottery making, metal working, carpentry, masonry and other such skilled work should be performed by the sergeants and militiamen in the off seasons from farming and military service.
"In conducting the different kinds of festival ceremonies for the 25 families under his administration, the Group Officer should hold religious services to pray to the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High. All the bad customs of the past must be completely abolished.
The Principles of the Heavenly Nature (T'ien 'Ch'ing tao-li shu) dates to 1854 after establishment of the Taiping capital at Nanking and at a time when discipline was relaxing. The purpose was to rekindle the qualities of dedication and loyalty that had made the movement successful. Another purpose wa5 to exalt the Taiping leadership and especially the Eastern King, Yang Hsiu-ch'ing, at whose behest the document was written. These are selections:
"With regard to human life, reverence for Heaven and support of the Sovereign begin with loyalty and uprightness; to cast off the devil's garb and become true men-this must come about through an awakening. Now, the Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Elder Brother have displayed the heavenly favor and specially commanded our Heavenly King to descend into the world; they have also sent the Eastern King to assist in court policy, to save the starving, to redeem the sick and, together with the Western and Northern Kings ... and the Assistant King, to take part in the prosperous rule and assist in the grand design. As a result, the mortal world witnesses the blessings of resurrection and our bright future is the symbol of renewal.
"We marquises and chancellors hold that our brothers and sisters have been blessed by the Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Elder Brother, who saved the ensnared and drowning and awakened the deluded; they have cast off worldly sentiments and now follow the true Way. They cross mountains and wade rivers, not even 10,000 li being too far for them to come, to uphold together the true Sovereign. Armed and bearing shield and spear, they carry righteous banners that rise colorfully. Husband and wife, men and women, express common indignation and lead the advance. It can be said that they are determined to uphold Heaven to requite the nation with loyalty.
"You younger brothers and sisters have now experienced the heavenly days of Great Peace (Taiping), and have basked in the glory of the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High. You must be aware of the grace and virtue of the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High is alone the one true God. Aside from the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High, there is no other god. Moreover, there is nothing which can usurp the merits of the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High. In the 10,000 nations of the world, everyone is given life, nourished, protected and blessed by the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High. Thus the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on High is the universal father of man in all the 10,000 nations of the world. There is no man who should not be grateful, there is no man who should not reverently worship Him. Have you not seen the Heavenly King's Ode on the Origin of Virtue and the Saving of the World', which reads: 'The true God who created Heaven and earth is none but God; all, whether noble or mean, must worship Him piously'? This is precisely our meaning...
"However, worldly customs daily degenerated. There were even those who likened themselves to rulers and, being deluded in heart and nature, arrogant yet at fault, and falsely self-exalted, forbade the prime minister and those below to sacrifice to Heaven. Then these men competed in establishing false gods and worshiping them, thus opening up the ways of the devilish demons. The people of the world all followed in like fashion and this became firmly fixed in their minds. There upon, after a considerable time, they did not know their own errors. Hence the Heavenly Father, the Lord God, in view of mortal man's serious crime of disobedience, at his first anger, sent down 40 days and 40 nights of heavy rain, the vast waters spreading in all directions and drowning mortal man. Only Noah and his family had unceasingly worshiped the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and the Lord God-on-High; therefore, relying on the heavenly grace, they were fortunate and they alone were preserved. In this, the first instance of the Heavenly Father's great anger was the great proof of his great powers displayed.
"After the Flood, the devilish king of Egypt, whose ambition was mediocrity and who was possessed by the demons, envied the Israelites in their worship of God and bitterly persecuted them. Therefore, the Heavenly Father in his great anger led the Israelites out of Egypt. In this, the second instance of the Heavenly Father's great anger was the great proof of his great powers displayed.
"However, the rulers and people of that time still had not completely forgotten the heavenly grace. But since the emergence of Taoism in the Ch'in dynasty and the welcoming of Buddhism in the Han dynasty, the delusion of man by the demons has day by day increased and all men have forgotten the grace and virtue of the Heavenly Father. The Heavenly Father's merits were falsely recognized as the merits of demons. Therefore, the Heavenly Father, observing this from above, saw that the people of the mortal world followed demons and were being transformed into demons; strange and peculiar, they were no longer men. The Heavenly Father once again became greatly angered; yet, if he were to annihilate them completely, he could not bear it in his heart; if he were to tolerate them, it would not be consonant with righteousness. At that time, the elder son of the Heavenly Father, the Heavenly Elder Brother Jesus, shouldered the great burden and willingly offered to sacrifice his life to redeem the sins of the men of the world. The Heavenly Father, the Supreme Ruler and Lord God-on-High, sincere in his pity for the world and profound in his love for man, spared not his eldest son, but sent him down to be born in Judea and to redeem our sins in order to propagate the true Way. At the time of his redemption of our sins, he was falsely accused and nailed upon the cross, so that mortal man could rely upon his precious blood and be cleansed of all sin. Thereby did he make complete the grace of the Heavenly Father, who had sent him down to be sacrificed for the world.
"Let us ask your elder and younger brothers: formerly the people sacrificed only to the demons; they worshiped the demons and appealed to the demons only because they desired the demons to protect them. Yet how could they think that the demons could really protect them? Let us consider one example. During a drought, no man failed to worship the demons and to pray for rain. Certainly they did not realize that this is all within the power of the Heavenly Father; when He decrees a drought, a drought follows; when He decrees rain, rain follows. If the Heavenly Father did not decree sweet rain, then even though they worshiped the demons of the mortal world, one and all, still the drought would continue as before. A popular saying has it, 'If beating a drum can bring rain, then mountain peaks can be opened to cultivation; if the burning of incense can bring protection, then a smoking kiln can satisfy opium smokers; if a vegetarian diet can bring immortality, then bulls can ascend to heaven; if taking opium can satiate hunger, then a fart can fertilize a field'. Another popular saying goes, 'The bean curd is only water, the king of hell is only a demon.' In view of this, it can be seen that the demons are not responsive and are unable to protect men. The people pray for rain, yet they cannot send down rain. To worship them is of no avail. However, the men of the world sank even deeper, not knowing how to awaken themselves. Therefore, the Heavenly Father again became angry.
"In the ting-yu year (1837), our Heavenly Father displayed the heavenly grace and dispatched angels to summon the Heavenly King up to Heaven. There he clearly pointed out the demons' perversities and their deluding of the world. He also invested the Heavenly King with a seal and a sword; He ordered the Savior, the Heavenly Elder Brother, Jesus, to take command of the heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals and to aid the Heavenly King, and to attack and conquer from Heaven earthward, layer by layer, the innumerable demons. After their victory they returned to Heaven and the Heavenly Father, greatly pleased, sent the Heavenly King down upon earth to become the true Taiping Sovereign of the 10,000 nations of the world and to save the people of the world. He also bade him not to be fearful and to effect these matters courageously, for whenever difficulties appeared, the Heavenly Father would assume direction and the Heavenly Elder Brother would shoulder the burden ...
"In the jen-tzu year (1852), at Yung-an-chou, our food supplies were almost exhausted, nor was there even any red powder (gunpowder). The demons, several hundred thousand in number, rank upon rank, encircled the city from all directions. There was no avenue of escape. By this time the devilish demons knew of our situation and became unusually fierce, all believing their plans would succeed. In the third month, the Heavenly Father greatly displayed his powers and ordered us younger brothers and sisters, one and all, to uphold the true Sovereign and attack Kuei-lin. We then moved the camps and broke through the encirclement; and because the Heavenly Father had changed our hearts, we one and all with utmost energy and disregard for our persons struck through the iron passes and copper barriers, killing innumerable dwelling demons, and directly arrived at the Kwangsi provincial capital. Thereupon Kuei-lin was encircled. Later, because the people of the city came out and spoke to the Eastern King, reporting that the city granaries were empty and that provisions were deficient, the Eastern King, seeing that their strength was exhausted, showed great mercy and immediately ordered a temporary lifting of the siege until another good plan of attack could be contrived.
"You all should know of the Heavenly Father's power, his omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. Why was it that the one city of Kuei-lin alone could not be attacked and secured? This was because our Heavenly Father secretly made it so - something not easily understood by man.
"Thereafter, from Kuei-lin we moved on to capture Hsing-an, Ch'uan-chou, Tao-chou, Ch'en-chou and other moated cities. Wherever the Heavenly· Army went, battles were won and objectives taken; wherever it went the enemy scattered, our strength being as a knife splitting bamboo. We moved from Ch'en-chou to Ch'ang-sha; the latter city was attacked several times, and again we rushed by the city; this also was the result of the Heavenly Father's having secretly willed it so. lf the army had entered Ch'ang-sha and had been stationed there long, then the boatmen at I-yang and other places along the river, being unable to avoid the trickery and intimidation of the demons, would have had to flee to distant localities. How then could we have obtained boats for a million brave soldiers, that we might float downstream to capture Wu-ch'ang? From this we can see that our Heavenly Father's power secretly made it so.
"From Wu-ch'ang to Chin-ling (Nanking) the land extends as far as a thousand li; how strategic and important are the passes and river crossings, and how strong and firm are the cities and moats! To attack and capture the cities seemed difficult; even if victory could have been secured, it appeared that it would take a very long time. Yet in not more than one month's time, we had followed the stream eastward from Wu ch'ang, passing Kiangsi, crossing Anhwei and pushing direcl1y up to Chin-ling, without the least resistance. After reaching this provincial capital, we found the height and thickness of the city walls and the vastness of the land to be indeed twice that of other provincial cities; to attack it seemed far more difficult. Who would have known that within 10 days one single effort would bring success? Chin-ling was captured with our hands hanging at our sides. Had it not been for our Heavenly father's power, how could things have been so quick and easy? From this we can again see the Heavenly Father's power to predetermine things ...
"Even the Eastern King in his holiness and the several Kings in their eminence had to undergo cleansing and polishing and repeatedly demonstrate great fortitude before they could enjoy true happiness. How much more must we elder and younger brothers preserve our fortitude in order that we may seek abundant blessings? Do we not see the Heavenly King's edict, which says, 'All things are predetermined by the Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Elder Brother; the ten thousand hardships are all the Heavenly Father's and Heavenly Elder Brother's means of testing our hearts; thus each of us must be true-hearted, firm and patient; we must cleave to the Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Elder Brother'? The Heavenly King has also said, 'How can it be easy to ascend to Heaven? The first prerequisite is patience of mind and will. You will certainly ascend to Heaven if you are resolute at heart.'
"Recollecting the past, from the righteous uprisings in Chin-t'ien to the capture of Chin-ling, we have received great mercy from our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Elder Brother; we have established our Heavenly Capital and in a few years we have been able to enjoy the great happiness of our Heavenly Father. All this has been due to the work of our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Elder Brother, who alone can bring such speedy results. If with additional efforts toward improvement and perfection, we, with united hearts, combine our strength for the immediate extermination of the demons, our Heavenly Father will display his great powers and instantaneously the seas and lands will be cleared and the hills and rivers united under one command. Then our younger brothers and sisters will be reunited with their families and blood relations will be together again. How fortunate that will be! ...
"We brothers and sisters, enjoying today the greatest mercy of our Heavenly Father, have become as one family and are able to enjoy true blessings; each of us must always be thankful. Speaking in terms of our ordinary human feelings, it is true that each has his own parents and there must be a distinction in family names; it is also true that as each has his own household, there must be a distinction between this boundary and that boundary. Yet we must know that the 10,000 names derive from the one name and the one name from one ancestor. Thus our origins are not different. Since our Heavenly Father gave us birth and nourishment, we are of one form though of separate bodies, and we breath the same air though in different places. This is why we say, 'All are brothers within the four seas.' Now, basking in the profound mercy of Heaven, we are of one family. Brothers and sisters are all of the same parentage; as all are born of one Spiritual Father, why should there be the distinctions of 'you and I' or 'others and ourselves'? When someone is ill, others should ask a doctor to treat him and take care of his medicine. We must treat parentless boys and girls and persons of advanced age with more care, bathing them and washing and changing their clothes. Thus we will not lose the idea of sharing joys and sorrows, as well as mutual concern over pain and illness. Safety for the old, sympathy for the young and compassion for the orphaned all emerge from the Eastern King's understanding of our Heavenly Father's love for the living and from the Heavenly King's treating all as brothers and fellow beings.
"As for keeping our brothers' peace in camps, everyone must be kind, industrious, and careful. When the skies are clear the soldiers should be drilled, and when it rains the heavenly books should be read, clearly expounded and mutually discussed, so that everybody will know the nature of Heaven and forever abide by the true Way. If the demons advance, at the first beat of the signal drums, everyone must hurriedly arm himself with gun, sword or spear and hasten to the palace to receive orders. In charging forward, each must strive to be in the front, fearing to be left behind, and none must shirk responsibilities. Thus will we be of one virtue and of one heart. Even if there are a million demons, they will not be hard to exterminate instantly.
"We brothers, our minds having been awakened by our Heavenly Father, joined the camp in the earlier days to support our Sovereign, many bringing parents, wives, uncles, brothers and whole families. It is a matter of course that we should attend to our parents and look after our wives and children, but when one first creates a new rule, the state must come first and the family last, public interests first and private interests last. Moreover, as it is advisable to avoid suspicion (of improper conduct) between the inner (female) and outer (male) and to distinguish between male and female, so men must have male quarters and women must have female quarters; only thus can we be dignified and avoid confusion. There must be no common mixing of the male and female groups, which would cause debauchery and violation of Heaven's commandments. Although to pay respects to parents and visit wives and children occasionally are in keeping with human nature and not prohibited, yet it is only proper to converse before the door, stand a few steps apart and speak in a loud voice; one must not enter the sisters' camp or permit the mixing of men and women. Only thus, by complying with rules and commands, can we become sons and daughters of Heaven.
"At the present time, the remaining demons have not yet been completely exterminated and the time for the reunion of fan1ilies has not yet arrived. We younger brothers and sisters must be firm and patient to the end, and with united strength and a single heart must uphold God's principles and wipe out the demons immediately. With peace and unity achieved, then our Heavenly Father, displaying his mercy, will reward us according to our merits. Wealth, nobility and renown will then enable us brothers to celebrate the reunion of our families and enjoy the harmonious relations of husband and wife. Oh, how wonderful that will be! The task of a thousand times ten thousand years also lies in this; the happiness and emoluments of a thousand times ten thousand years also lie in this; we certainly must not abandon it in one day."