








































Education, Society and Human Studies 
ISSN 2690-3679 (Print) ISSN 2690-3687 (Online) 

Vol. 3, No. 4, 2022 
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1 

Original Paper 

Interpretation and Reflection on Goodness in Sakya Legshad 

and Bacon Essays 

Shen Qunying1* 
1 Pre-College Education School, Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding, Sichuan, China 
* Shen Qunying, Pre-College Education School, Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding, Sichuan, China 

 

Received: October 14, 2022    Accepted: October 24, 2021     Online Published: November 4, 2022 

doi:10.22158/eshs.v3n4p1                       URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/eshs.v3n4p1 

 

Abstract 

In the 21st century of the in-depth globalization, various problems have emerged such as regional 

conflicts, epidemics, the environmental deterioration, climate warming, earthquake and other 

uncertainty. Seeking some common and desirable values is not only the basic needs of harmonious 

society, but also the inevitable result of human civilization evolution. Sakya legshad, the 1st collection 

of Chinese aphorisms, and Bacon’s Essays, the Britain prose collection, are the world-wide treasures of 

wisdom, many chapters of which talk about the concept and practice of goodness. It is of immeasurable 

importance to reread these classics for interpretations of goodness so that their excellent traditional 

culture can continue to nourish and enlighten today’s moral education, promote the construction of the 

common views on the good and the evil, awaken people a moral consciousness, and enlighten them to 

hold good will and do good deeds for sustainable social harmony and world peace. 

Keywords 

Sakya Legshad, Bacon Essays, goodness, human nature 
 

1. Introduction 

“The existence of human literature and art has its profound humanistic basis, and it is committed to the 

overall improvement of human’s true, good and beautiful dimensions”. (Jiang, 2014, p. 7) The problem 

of good and evil has always been the moral cultivation explored by Chinese and foreign scholars in 

literary works. Sakya Legshad written by a Chinese scholar Saban Gonggajianzan (hereinafter referred 

to as Saban) is a treasure of wisdom passed down from generation to generation; Bacon Essays written 

by a British literary giant of Francis Bacon (hereinafter referred to as Bacon) is a classic works. Many 

chapters in these works talk about the concept and practice of goodness, which represent a kind of 

universal and normative value and significance within a certain time and space. This value and 



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significance is always a collection of multiple interpretations in cultural inheritance (Simon, 2012, p. 

75). With the in-depth development of globalization, more often diversified intercultural exchanges and 

the emergence of various problems on the good and the evil, it is necessary to make the reflections and 

interpretations of the goodness in the two works so that their excellent traditional culture can continue 

to nourish and enlighten today’s moral education, guide people to enhance their moral judgment and 

pass on the values of goodness, and encourage people to accumulate virtue and achieve lofty 

personality. All under heaven are one family and it is of more immeasurable importance to form a 

common view and a universal standard of the good and evil to standardize human behavior to 

effectively promote social harmony and peaceful world. 

 

2. Goodness’ Theoretical Construction 

2.1 Goodness’ Innateness and Acquisitions 

Being good is human natural instinct. People are born with goodness and people are sympathetic, thus 

they can follow their own internal good nature to make self-requirements and self-discipline in thought 

and behavior. Bacon (2018, p. 46) calls goodness the habit of the affecting of the weal of men and 

goodness of nature the inclination to goodness, and he illustrated the inclination imprinted so deeply in 

the nature of man that it will take onto other living creatures if it doesn’t issue towards men. He (2018, 

p. 37) gave a further insight into the inclination, “there is in man’s nature, a secret inclination and 

motion towards love of others, and if the inclination is not spent upon some one or a few, it does 

naturally spread itself towards many, and makes men become humane and charitable”. But Saban 

believed that people are good and bad in nature, just as he said: “try as one might to reform bad people, 

they simply do not become good-natured (2009, p. 94); as long as coarse people remain helpless, they 

maintain a good disposition (2009, p. 80)”. Delightedly Saban (1985, pp. 3-12) attached more 

importance to people’s goodness of nature as follows: Even in danger, the sage will not abandon his 

good nature; just as the real gold will not change its original color no matter how the real gold is 

smelted; and scholars will not follow the path of the evil no matter what difficulties they are in, just as 

swallows will not drink dirty water on the ground no matter how thirsty they are; even if the upright 

man is poor, he is noble in his moral character; just as the torch’s flame is still burning upward although 

the torch is down. 

On the one hand, Saban and Bacon’s observation suggest they believe that people are inherently good 

and evil, but they cling to goodness of nature since people tend to naturally show sympathy for people 

or things in danger or difficulties, and even make good behavioral responses by instinct, which is 

completely based on the most natural consciousness of people as living beings. On the other hand, 

Saban and Bacon believe that goodness of nature is acquired and improved, since people know to think 

independently, to be strict with themselves, to be cautious in words and deeds, to constantly water their 

own innate good nature, and to realize human value and dignity. 



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2.1.1 Goodness’ Possibility Rather Than Inevitability 

In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, physiological needs are the most fundamental one of human 

beings as natural creatures. Naturally, human beings are busy with the improvement of their living 

environment and the pursuit of material source guarantee, as Saban (1985, p. 89) pointed out: People 

driven by survival are always rushing for money and materials. Obviously, it is natural and necessary 

for human beings to have certain desires such as solving cold, thirst and hunger. As long as people have 

enough material base for survival, they can be good and do good based on their good nature, just as the 

ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus once said: “All the good originates from the pleasure of the mouth, 

and even wisdom and culture must be derived from it (Russell, 1963, p. 300)”. As for individuals, they 

should hold the good nature, abide by the laws of life, nature and society development, act to realize 

their own real survival closer to nature on the premise of not harming or hindering the realization of 

others’ survival. 

Goodness of human nature is not inevitable but possible. Although people are in nature faithful and 

sincere, plain and direct, and not crafty (Bacon, 2018, p. 82), the desire of a better life in excess causes 

the angels to degenerate. For instance, some people desire to have extravagant clothes and feasts, which 

is natural but unnecessary; and some people do their best to pursue fame, power and profit excessively, 

which is unnatural and unnecessary. If various desires of human beings are constantly growing and 

even flooding, they may also be evil-doers, just as Bacon (2018, p. 15) revealed, “There is no man doth 

a wrong for the wrong’s sake, but thereby to purchase himself profit or pleasure or honour or the like”. 

To some extent, desires ruin one’s sense of shame. Saban also attacked greed, “Although it is believed 

that desires bring happiness, acting on such impulses brings only misery (2009, p. 141). The man, who 

are greedy for riches, are ruined by their property as their butcher, just as the fish that are greedy for 

bait are immediately killed by the fisherman (1985, p. 319)”. If people let their desires overgrow and 

overflow, they will inevitably cause interference and harm to their own and others’ lives, since “as a 

rule, people are harmed by others of their own kind (Saban, 2009, p. 112)”. Bacon (2018, p. 93) pointed 

out those who love nobody but themselves are many times unfortunate. Similarly, Saban found that the 

insatiable greed suffer a lot of pain like spring rain (1985, p. 86); when those who happen to have some 

wealth fail to use it or give it away, they are either stricken with disease or appearing as pretas (2009, p. 

143). Bacon and Saban reveal that the excessive expansion of people’s desires result in social chaos, 

people’s pain and misfortune. It can be seen that there is possibility in reality for people to do good and 

evil though the latter is a curse. 

2.1.2 Goodness’ Cultivation and Strengthening 

How do we make the goodness from the natural possibility to the acquired reality? 

Bacon and Saban emphasize that people should be nurtured by learning to keep the good heart and 

nourish the good nature to serve others. Saban said: “Even if one is to die the next morning, today one 

must study, and knowledge is safely deposited for future lives (2009, p. 5); wisdom is what achieves 



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happiness in both this and future lives (2009, p. 10)”. Similarly Bacon (2018, pp. 154-155) believed 

that men’s discourse and speeches are much according to their learning and infused opinion, but their 

deeds are after as they have been accustomed; there is no trusting to the force of nature nor to the 

bravery of words, except it is corroborated by custom which is called education. Although goodness of 

heart and nature are endowed by heaven, “there is in human nature generally more of the fool than of 

the wise, and therefore those faculties by which the foolish part of men’s minds are taken are most 

potent (Bacon, 2018, p. 43)”. People need educating to make goodness flourish into a towering tree and 

the tendency of human nature to be good come true from a congenital possibility to an acquired reality. 

What’s more, being educated has a subtle impact on people’s temperament, character, talent and 

intelligence, just as Saban said: “Carefully cultivated by the wise, the fool will become noble (1985, p. 

67); whether people have knowledge depends on whether they can distinguish the right from the wrong; 

whether their knowledge is profound or not, they are capable persons as long as they can be good at 

choosing what to do and what not to do (1985, p. 2)”. Bacon (2018, p. 194) confirmed that studies 

perfect nature, which is like natural plants that need cutting; since a man’s nature runs either to herbs or 

weeds, let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other (Bacon, 2018, p. 153). It is clear that 

human nature is like water, which can either carry a boat or overturn a boat. If properly guided, men 

can reach the supreme good like water and shoulder great responsibilities.  

All above demonstrates the natural and actual effect of acquired education in recovering and perfecting 

human original goodness. It is obvious that Saban and Bacon have similar views in advocating 

goodness education. Moral education of goodness can help people listen to good words carefully, learn 

from good people and their good deeds, and have complete and accurate knowledge of goodness 

recognized, remembered, and internalized in their hearts with good will. It can promote goodness 

knowledge deposited and externalized in their deeds together with conscious behavior and intelligent 

practice of good deeds.  

2.2 Goodness’s Altruism 

Saban and Bacon share goodness’ altruism. Bacon defined goodness as the habit of affecting the weal 

of men (2018, p. 46). And in his opinion, there is a secret inclination and motion towards love of others 

in man’s nature, if it is not spent upon some one or a few, it does naturally spread itself towards many, 

and makes men become humane and charitable (2018, p. 37). Saban also held the view that “To benefit 

others is to be good”: Noble people, even when living far away, care for their friends by helping from 

afar (2009, p. 21). Bacon (2018, p. 48) enumerated many parts and signs of goodness: A man is 

thankful for small benefits; a person is gracious and courteous to strangers; a person is compassionate 

towards the afflictions of others; a person easily pardons and remits offence. Similarly Saban outlined 

the good people, who willingly accept contempt from the mean-spirited, who don’t forget even small 

bestowed favors, who give alms without expecting return (2009, p. 23), who are not displeased by 

criticism (2009, p. 29), who are able to behave harmoniously with other beings (2009, p. 14), who do 



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not belittle others (2009, p. 57), who gently care for themselves and others as a fruit-laden tree shelters 

itself and others (2009, p. 60). Men are social people with affective sympathy and all are in the same 

universe with the dependent relationship of mutual achievement and common growth, therefore the 

altruism of goodness stems from not only the originally good intention in mind and fellow cherish, but 

also the sense of social responsibility. 

2.2.1 Rational Goodness 

Bacon and Saban encourage people to conduct charitably. In Saban’s views, the supreme wealth results 

from generosity, and the supreme happiness comes from a good mind (2009, p. 133); those who delight 

in always being charitable have reputations that rise like the wind ( 2009, p. 22); if the rich want to 

increase their wealth, its best guarantee is to give it away (2009, p. 135); even foes gather for charity, 

but without it, even friends stay away (2009, p. 123). Likewise, Bacon(2018, p. 110) advocates that 

riches are for spending and spending is for honour and good actions, just as he claims, “Of great riches 

there is no real use, except it is in the distribution; the rest is but conceit. The purpose of accumulating 

wealth urgently is not to satisfy greed, but to seek a kind of capital to do good. (2018, pp. 136-137)” It 

is known that philanthropic actions are the most straightforward good deeds in shouldering social 

responsibility. As the Chinese saying goes, you should first learn to give, then you can come to gain. 

Goodness is seen in offering and acceptance.  

Everyone wants to function the altruism of goodness appropriately, but errors indeed in this virtue of 

goodness or charity may be committed (Bacon, 2018, p. 47). Bacon (2018, p. 47) warned people never 

to give others Aesop’s cock a gem, who would be better pleased and happier if they had had a 

barley-corn, which hints people to supply a timely desideratum to the needy, and do good deeds as 

peculiar benefits with choices. People ought to follow in good deeds Confucius’ advice that they should 

not do onto others what they would not have others do onto them (Jiao, 1987, p. 994). In addition, 

Bacon (2018, p. 47) warned people not to sell what they have and give it to the poor except they have a 

vocation wherein they may do as much good with little means as with great, for otherwise in feeding 

the streams they dry the fountain; therefore Bacon (2018, p. 40) guided people to measure not their 

donations by quantity, but frame them by measure. Similarly, Saban persuaded people to avoid the 

following incidents: The ignorant are seen to destroy their allies and then take good care of strangers, 

just as docking a peacock’s head tuft to grace its tail is ludicrous, who but a madman would do such a 

thing (2009, p. 86); what’s more, some people of little shame use others’ wealth for favors to show off 

their good virtue; the unscrupulous people demonstrate their respect to the guests by displaying their 

friend’s clothes as a cushion for visitors to sit on (2009, p. 83).  

Although there is a tendency towards goodness in human nature, there is a habit of goodness directed 

by right reason (Bacon, 2018, p. 48). Bacon told people to seek the good of other men, but be not in 

bondage to their faces or fancies, for that is but facility or softness, which takes an honest mind 

prisoner (2018, p. 47), since one can never satisfy evil people even by helping them in a hundred 



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excellent ways (Saban, 2009, p. 93), and some recipients, who must always be helped by others 

someday, will certainly land in trouble (Saban, 2009, p. 50). Bacon pointed out some people are so 

good that they are good for nothing (2018, p. 47), just as Saban reminded people when love is lavished 

excessively, that in itself generates hostility (2009, p. 118), and when too good in the wrong situation, 

one is taken advantage of by all (2009, p. 159). Obviously, doing good deeds should be rational to 

clarify the objects of charity and their specific desires, just as Saban (2009, p. 92) said: “Until someone 

has been carefully examined, they should not be trusted nor spoken to candidly. From carelessness 

arises trouble; conversation often creates enemies”. 

2.2.2 Perfect Goodness 

Since there are attribute of egoism and altruism in human nature, perfect goodness is the mutual benefit 

of individual and collective ideals. On the one hand, one wants to meet the basic physiological and 

spiritual needs of his own natural person; On the other hand, he has to play the role of a social person to 

influence and change the life of others and the society, just as Bacon (2018, p. 39) said, “Merit and 

good works is the end of man’s motion, and conscience of the same is the accomplishment of man’s 

rest”, so Saban (2009, p. 21) was firmly under the belief that one’s reputation brings pleasure while one 

is alive, and merit brings happiness in future lives. 

If taking Bacon’s advice to divide with reason between self-love and society (Bacon, 2018, p. 92), 

people have three choices and representations between selfishness and unselfishness in dealing with the 

same issue. One is always to think much about themselves, never of others and the public. This will 

inevitably lead to the evil of excessive selfish desires, avarice nature, and benefiting oneself at the 

expense of others; and it is likely to result in such vices of extreme self-lovers as corruption, bribery, 

malpractices for selfish ends. Saban criticized the self-centered that always ignoring the interests of 

others is to behave in the same way as cattle, and if they aspire only to a full stomach, they are nothing 

but hairless pigs (Saban, 2009, p. 37), and even those absorbed in talk of food and riches are referred to 

as two-legged cow(2009, p. 45). Another is always to think much about others and the public, seldom 

or never of themselves such as serving the public and profiting others at the price of their own personal 

interests, and even their lives to respect and safeguard the interests of others and the public. The third is 

to give consideration to the interests of themselves, others and the public. It is a perfect goodness either 

to benefit others without harming oneself or to benefit oneself without harming others and the public. 

Saban (2009, p. 124) illustrated this ideal: The rich give generously, and the profound learned are 

gentle and elegant, and the great love their subordinates, all of which are beneficial to others and 

themselves. Bacon (2018, p. 92) warned people to be so true to themselves as be not false to others, 

specially to their king and country, just as Saban (2009, pp. 225-226) said, “If one strongly wants to 

achieve private aims, one must first work for the interests of others; by working solely for personal 

concerns, it will be impossible to achieve them; those who work mainly for the welfare of others are 

like clever people furthering their own interests; but those who work only for their own interests are 



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like honest people working to help others get ahead”. Bacon and Saban show benefiting others and 

benefiting oneself are connected inextricably, and they hope one gives consideration to both public and 

private interests and achieve win-win results in the relation balance between a person’s life activities 

and the human community. 

 

3. Conclusion 

Sakya Legshad and Bacon Essays tell the meanings and practices of goodness as well as the relative 

value standards of human goodness in different times, nations and countries. Saban and Bacon 

constantly enrich and improve goodness’ theoretical construction goodness as follows: Goodness is 

innate and acquired in human nature, so being good is possible more than inevitable and goodness can 

result from the enrichment and strengthening of moral education in societies well ordained and 

disciplined (Bacon, 2018, p. 156); although goodness has the characteristic of altruism, practice of 

goodness needs rationality and appropriateness rather than errors committed in the virtue of goodness. 

Saban and Bacon finally attribute goodness to meeting the social public will including self-desires, that 

is to say, a person’s shaping of his own life conforms to the ideal of individual perfection while 

promoting the happiness of others (Paulsen, 1988, p. 212). The meanings and practices of goodness in 

these two works will continue to nourish people’s spiritual world to hold goodness concept, enlighten 

today’s moral education, let people examine and reflect themselves to do good deeds, and promote the 

perfect goodness of the mutual benefit, mutual achievement, and harmonious coexistence between 

oneself and others. In the new era of improving people’s well-being and building a community with a 

shared future for mankind, it has profound significance for many scholars to do multiple interpretations 

of classics in cultural inheritance to help the shaping of a social mentality with mutual respect, 

rationality, peace, kindness and fraternity. 

 

References 

Bacon, F. (2018). Bacon’s Essays, Notes and Guide (Shen Yiwen, inter.). Beijing: China Aerospace 

Press. 

Jiang Wenzhen. (2014). What Is Literature For: A Comparative Study of Chinese And Western 

Traditional Literary Values. Beijing: People’s Publishing House. 

Jiao Xun. (1987). Mencius’ Rectified Interpretation. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company. 

Paulsen, F. (1988). Ethics System. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press. 

Russell, B. (1963). A History of Western Philosophy (I) (Z. W. He, & J. Needham, trans.). Beijing: The 

Commercial Press. 

Saban, G. (1985). Sakya Aphorism (Zidandoji, trans.). Lhasa: People’s Press.  

Saban, G. (2009). Sakya Legshad (Trilingual Version, English Translated by J. T. Davenport, Chinese 

Translated by Renzengcairang & Caigongtai). Lhasa: China Press. 



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Simon, G. ( 2012). History And Cultural Theory (J. Han, trans.). Beijing: Peking University Press. 


