Tongfang Academy
Micro-Party Class, Issue 260
Integrate life discipline into daily routines and make it a regular practice.
“Theoretical cultivation is the core of the comprehensive quality of Party members and cadres. Theoretical maturity is the foundation for political maturity, and political steadfastness stems from theoretical clarity.” For Party members and cadres, fostering a fine academic style and strengthening theoretical education are both fundamental requirements for cultivating Party spirit and an inescapable political responsibility.
Tongfang Law Firm provides all its lawyers with learning opportunities in the form of micro-party classes, thereby enhancing their ideological and political awareness as well as their spirit of learning and inquiry. By establishing a long-term educational mechanism, the firm has created a new platform for self-education and self-improvement.
Life discipline refers to the norms of conduct that Party members and cadres must observe in their daily lives and social interactions outside of working hours. It encompasses various aspects, including personal integrity, family virtues, and social ethics, and is closely linked to the Party’s style and image. As one of the Party’s six major disciplines, life discipline primarily sets forth restrictive and prohibitive provisions regarding Party members and cadres’ behavior in areas such as material life, interpersonal relationships between the sexes, family traditions and education, and social interactions. Chapters 11, Articles 150 through 154 of the "Regulations on Disciplinary Actions of the Communist Party of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") clearly stipulate the disciplinary measures for violations of life discipline, thereby explicitly indicating to Party members and cadres which behaviors are permissible and which are prohibited in their daily lives.
Party members and cadres must first uphold the discipline of daily life by embracing frugality and shunning extravagance, and by maintaining a simple and modest lifestyle. Cultivating a mindset of simplicity and frugality in material life—and developing habits of diligence and thrift—is not only crucial for one’s personal physical and mental well-being, but also an essential condition for fostering a sound Party ethos, government conduct, public morale, and social atmosphere. Comrade Mao Zedong himself was a paragon of simplicity and frugality: the clothes and shoes he wore were often patched again and again; there was even a pair of pajamas he wore for over 20 years, with a total of 73 patches both inside and out. The hearts of Party members and cadres are like a “battlefield”—if the spirit of simplicity and frugality does not firmly occupy this terrain, hedonism and extravagance will seize the opportunity to infiltrate. Party members and cadres who indulge in pleasure-seeking, vanity, competitive displays of wealth, and who become ensnared in lavish banquets and nightlife often find themselves unable to resist temptation and testing. They abuse their official positions to accept bribes and embezzle public funds, using ill-gotten gains to finance their extravagant lifestyles, and ultimately slide step by step into the abyss of illegal and criminal behavior. According to Article 150 of the Regulations, those who lead a life of luxury, engage in wasteful spending, pursue pleasure at all costs, or indulge in lowbrow pleasures, thereby causing negative impacts, shall be subject to disciplinary action under Party rules. “Looking back at the histories of past sages, we see that nations and families prosper through diligence and frugality, yet fall into ruin through extravagance.” Party members and cadres must consistently place the discipline of daily life at the forefront and implement it thoroughly in every aspect of their lives. They should promptly identify their own shortcomings by benchmarking against advanced role models and exemplary figures around them, strive to align their work with high standards and their daily lives with lower ones, and always maintain a simple, healthy, and uplifting lifestyle. They must resolutely resist hedonism and extravagance.
Intimate relationships between men and women are not only crucial in marriage and family life but also a key area of focus for maintaining discipline and norms in daily living. In everyday life, such relationships serve as a litmus test for Party members and cadres, revealing their views on love, marriage, and family. For Party members and cadres, lawful and healthy intimate relationships are protected by Party discipline and national laws. However, relationships involving power-for-sex exchanges, money-for-sex deals, extramarital affairs, and other immoral sexual liaisons that corrupt social mores and damage the Party’s image are strictly prohibited by Party discipline. Article 151 of the Regulations stipulates that those who engage in improper sexual relations with others and thereby cause negative impacts shall be subject to Party disciplinary action; in severe cases, they may even face expulsion from the Party. Moreover, those who exploit their official positions, mentorship relationships, subordinate status, or other similar relationships to engage in sexual relations with others shall receive even heavier penalties. “Those who seek fame will surely fail because of their lust for beauty; those who pursue profit will inevitably lose it because of their lust for beauty; those who run households will see their families fall into ruin because of their lust for beauty; and those who hold official posts will see their careers plummet because of their lust for beauty.” The character “color” (se) carries the blade of a sword above it. Among Party members and cadres who have been investigated and punished, it is not uncommon to find individuals whose lust for beauty led them astray—resulting in moral downfall, broken families, and imprisonment. Therefore, Party members and cadres must constantly cultivate virtue in governance, always maintain self-discipline, deeply reflect on the harm caused by greed, and consciously resist improper thoughts. They must strictly confine intimate relationships within the bounds of morality, marriage, and family, manage themselves well, and firmly uphold the bottom lines of ethics, law, and discipline.
The family is the fundamental unit of social life, and family ethos refers to the moral and cultural atmosphere that family members develop over a long period of time through their daily production and living activities. The quality of family ethos profoundly affects not only family members but also society as a whole. For Party members and cadres, their family ethos is not merely a personal or private matter; rather, it serves as an important reflection of their own conduct and style. As revealed by typical cases of disciplinary violations and illegal activities investigated in various regions in recent years, an improper family ethos can breed numerous corrupt practices. Some Party members and cadres fail to properly supervise and educate those around them, thereby condoning or tacitly approving these individuals’ exploitation of their official positions for personal gain—and ultimately find themselves dragged down by those very people. Others engage in “inbreeding” and “cronyism,” giving rise to “family-based corruption,” which eventually leads to relatives being put on trial together. According to Article 152 of the Regulations, if Party member leading cadres fail to attach sufficient importance to the building of family ethos and neglect to supervise and educate their spouses, children, and their spouses, causing adverse effects or serious consequences, they shall be subject to Party disciplinary action; in severe cases, they may even face removal from their Party positions. “A family that accumulates good deeds will surely enjoy lasting blessings; a family that accumulates bad deeds will surely suffer lasting misfortunes.” Party members and cadres must carry forward and promote the red family ethos inherited from revolutionary predecessors, take negative examples as warnings, regularly compare themselves against standards of lifestyle discipline, strictly manage their family members and children, and guide them to live honestly and uprightly, thus successfully navigating the challenges of family and亲情 relationships.
The “off-duty” life of Party members and cadres is an extension of their work during “eight hours.” Just because they’ve left the office or stepped out of the workplace doesn’t mean they can ignore or disregard their identity or lower their standards. The identity, duties, and disciplinary standards of Communist Party members do not change with time or place; it’s simply impossible for them to transform into “ordinary citizens” as soon as they enter a public space, become “keyboard warriors” once they go online, or even turn into online “trolls.” Article 153 of the Regulations stipulates that those who violate social public order and good customs and engage in inappropriate conduct in public places or cyberspace, thereby causing negative impacts, shall be subject to Party disciplinary action; in cases of serious violations, they may even face expulsion from the Party. The “off-duty” period is by no means outside the scope of Party discipline, and public spaces and cyberspace are certainly not exempt from Party discipline either. Therefore, Party members and cadres must always hold themselves strictly accountable in their daily lives, speak and act with caution, and maintain consistent behavior whether on or off duty, online or offline, setting a good example for fostering a healthy public opinion environment.
A proper lifestyle is no small matter, and lifestyle discipline must not be taken lightly. Party members and cadres should take the opportunity of carrying out Party discipline education throughout the Party to deeply understand the importance of strictly observing lifestyle discipline, fully grasp its inherent requirements, and consistently integrate lifestyle discipline into daily life and make it a regular practice. They should nip problems in the bud, continuously strengthen their political resolve, disciplinary resolve, moral resolve, and resistance to corruption, and always remain honest and upright in both character and conduct.
Source | People's Daily Online, Official Website for Party History Study and Education
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