We must also break down superstitions when it comes to studying Marxism—the belief that only foreigners can learn it well, that all Westerners are extraordinary. Do Chinese people count as foreigners? Do we call ourselves immortals? I’ve asked many people, and they all say no. Immortals live on other planets; we call ourselves mortals. But from the perspective of beings on other planets, wouldn’t they see us as immortals too? This is a kind of superstition. The Chinese people have grown accustomed to being enslaved; they look down on themselves, thinking that others are always better and that we ourselves are incapable.

△ Why can’t rural areas have universities? In fifteen years, we will universalize education; in fifteen more, we will raise its level. In thirty years, everyone will be a university graduate, with one university in every township. The first secretary of the Party committee should serve as a university professor.

△ Every province must adopt the method of inspection, organizing inspection teams to go down and check whether measures are reliable. (Anhui’s inspection results showed that 20 percent were false.) The provincial Party committee’s first secretary should serve as team leader, and the governor as deputy team leader. Democratic parties should also send people down.

△ “Build water conservancy, eat rice”—this gets straight to the essence. The people see a future; with so many people working on it, there is always hope.

Do not prematurely publicize the achievement of full water conservancy; otherwise, next year will be difficult to manage. Leave some room for maneuver. Work hard for three years to fundamentally change the landscape. After that, the struggle will not end. As I put forward in *On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People*, it is not three years but decades of arduous struggle that hold hope.

△ In this world, everything has both truth and falsehood. If everything were entirely true, that would be unimaginable.

(When discussing the issue of leading cadres participating in labor) Is it better for the central and provincial levels to set an example, or not? The provincial Party committee should set the example first.

We must break down superstitions about scientists. Toward their science and technology, we should be both believing and skeptical. Since ancient times, sons have been more capable than fathers, students better than teachers, and the young stronger than the old. Of course, there are also sons who fall short of their fathers and students who fall short of their teachers, but generally, the former is the case. Audiences are more discerning than performers. Generally speaking, improvements in theater mainly rely on the audience.

△ What does it mean to change the landscape? It means achieving a turnaround in grain, oil crops, and cotton. From now on, we must vigorously develop oil crops, using every possible means and doing everything we can to grow peanuts, sesame, soybeans, and to raise pigs and chickens. Over the past few years, we have mainly focused on grain; now we must elevate oil crops to the same status as grain. After returning, make plans, carry them out with thunderous speed and resolute action, and secure some oil for the cooks to use in preparing dishes.

Every province should develop folk songs. At the next meeting, each province must submit at least one hundred songs. Mobilize university, middle school, and primary school students to write them. Give each person three sheets of paper; make it no mandatory task. The military must also write, collecting works from the soldiers.

△ Genuine afforestation means seeing a stretch of green when viewed from an airplane. Does simply planting saplings count as afforestation? Many places are still yellow; that can only be called “yellowification.”

The *People’s Daily* should not casually announce the fulfillment of some “-ization.” People will later ask: “You spent several years on ‘-ization,’ so why does it still need to be done?” The saplings were planted, sparse and not yet alive, yet afforestation was proclaimed. The term “-ized” has been overused and degraded; people announce “-ization” at the drop of a hat.

△ Newspaper propaganda should not dwell solely on plans; it must promote thorough, meticulous, and down-to-earth work. Current propaganda emphasizes “more and faster” but pays insufficient attention to “better and more economical.” If things are not better and more economical, how can the landscape be fundamentally changed? There is no need for empty boasts. A desire for grand achievements is necessary, but flashiness without substance is harmful; then the pursuit of grand achievements becomes no achievement at all. It’s not delight in grandeur but delight in pettiness, resulting in a return with no accomplishment.

The Monkey King, Sun Wukong, defied all laws and rules. Why doesn’t everyone learn from him? The monkey was anti-dogmatist; once the golden headband was placed on him, he was only half of what he had been. Zhu Bajie was a lifelong liberalist, somewhat revisionist, always wanting to quit the party at the drop of a hat. But that party wasn’t a good party—it was the Second International—so quitting that party was the right thing to do. Tripitaka was a Bernsteinite.

△ Why does a high tide arise? There are historical reasons for this: (1) There was a previous high tide (1955 to the second half of 1956), providing experience. (2) From the second half of 1956 to 1957, an “opposing rash advance” campaign was launched, making people uncomfortable. This setback was highly beneficial; it educated people. There was comparison, negative education, because losses were suffered. It was a saddle-shaped curve—two high tides and one “opposing rash advance.” (3) Why did it surge again? Because the lesson was drawn that “opposing rash advance” was no good.

△ The current worry is whether there will be another “opposing rash advance.” With such tremendous momentum now, if we fail to secure a bumper harvest this year, the masses will lose heart, which will inevitably affect the superstructure, and those voices (“My way was right all along”) will resurface. Quite a few democratic personages, well-to-do middle peasants, and democratic personages within the Party are just waiting there to see us collapse. Another storm will brew. Within the Party, these are the center-rightists, the tide-watchers, “Gazing from the tower upon the moon over the vast sea, the door facing the tide of the Zhejiang River.” At this time, we must clearly explain to the local and county Party secretaries: If the harvest is poor and the various “-izations” cannot be accomplished, what shall we do?

△ First, called fondness for grand achievements and great merit. Beating Chiang Kai-shek, opposing rightists, eliminating the bourgeoisie, Five-Year Plans—these are all fondness for grand achievements and great merit. Should we instead be fond of petty achievements and celebrate defeat? Second, called eagerness for quick success and instant benefits. Yu the Great cherished every inch of time; we of this generation cherish every minute. Liu Kun and Zu Ti rose to practice swordplay upon hearing the rooster crow at dawn. Zhuge Liang declared, “I pledge not to return until the Central Plains are pacified.” Were these not forms of eagerness for quick success and instant benefits? Ancient examples abound. What about the current three contracts, fixed quotas, and piece-rate wages—are they not eagerness for quick success and instant benefits? Third, called disdain for the past. We must indeed hold the past in contempt. Shouldn’t we hold in contempt the imperialism, feudalism, bureaucratic capitalism of the past, and the slave system in Tibet? As Chen Boda said: Value the present over the past. Fourth, called blind faith in the future. What is the point of struggling bitterly for so many years if there is no future?

△ Attention must be paid to storing grain. Even if this year’s harvest is bumper, we will maintain last year’s grain ration levels. Five hundred jin in the south, three hundred sixty jin in the north. The state will only purchase this much (87.5 billion jin). Store the surplus in the cooperatives so that the peasants can see the grain. One, it does not ascend to heaven; two, it does not bore into the earth; three, it does not go abroad. Struggle bitterly for three years, yet the ration remains 500 jin and 360 jin.

△ Do a stretch of work, then rest for a day. Combine exertion with rest, proceed rhythmically, advancing in waves—this is very necessary. When commanding the labor army, rest is needed between two campaigns; continuous operations are composed of multiple campaigns.

Work for a period, then take a dedicated rest, leisurely and at ease. The Chengdu Conference resolved this problem.

The technological revolution was forced into being. Everything in the world is forced into being. Wasn’t the Rectification Movement, wasn’t the toppling of imperialism, forced into being? Zhuge Liang’s wooden oxen and mechanical horses were also forced into being. An antithesis, when it presses you, forces creation into being.

△ Through free airing of views, the cadre mentality of “I will coerce you into submission” or “I will force understanding upon you” underwent a fundamental change in worldview. In the past, people were like bipedal pigs, and relations were those between slave-owner and slave. They were called “the people” only in flattering words; in fact, to varying degrees, that’s how it was. Anyone who becomes an official puts on a bit of bureaucratic airs.

Since ancient times, one should not listen to individual words but to the prevailing mood. When Stalin was alive, it seemed everything was good; once he died, everything became bad.

Wherever unrest is fierce, the problem is close to resolution. Let them make trouble; let them have their fill of it. You people are always unreceptive to this, first by refusing to let them make trouble, and second by refusing to let them make enough trouble.

△ When major disasters occur, we must explain things to the masses. Marxism currently has no solution for these.

Should we persuade the masses or coerce them? Ever since the Red Army days, we’ve always aimed for persuasion for decades. Do not coerce. Why, since liberation, has a sudden gust of wind arisen insisting only on coercion, not persuasion? We only spoke of coercing landlords, never of coercing the masses. The Kuomintang used coercion; if we also use coercion, what then distinguishes us from the Kuomintang? Even Chiang Kai-shek, in his anti-communist campaigns, spoke of 70 percent politics and 30 percent military force; why shouldn’t we stress politics?

△ Concealing output by peasants can be forgiven; they haven’t seen the future clearly, but it cannot be encouraged. If things proceed as they are now, increasing production by 70 to 100 billion jin, and our state’s annual procurement is just over 80 billion jin, that would essentially eliminate the need for procurement. Why would they need to conceal output anymore then? By that time, the national total grain output would be over 400 billion jin; even if we purchased a bit more, they wouldn’t feel aggrieved. The main reasons for concealing output are cadres taking the lead and insufficient grain. From now on, we must tell the peasants the bottom line, tell them the national total account: even if they increase production further, the state only needs this much. Hereafter, the surplus grain after procurement will also be stored in the townships and cooperatives.

In worldly affairs, where there is truth, there must be falsehood; where there is benefit, there must be drawback. One must neither completely disbelieve nor completely believe. To believe 100 percent is to be deceived; to disbelieve entirely is to lose confidence. We must carefully inspect and verify all kinds of work and models (fake doctors, fake professors, fake confessions of inner thoughts, fake high yields, fake great leaps forward, fake reports).

Perspectives must command the materials; do not let the materials drown the perspectives. Learn to use politics to guide professional work. First discuss the political landscape (perspectives, ideology), then discuss the work landscape. It cannot be a downpour; it must be a fine drizzle (some people talk for two or three days, at minimum three hours). Do not attempt to put forward all perspectives at once; people cannot absorb them all. Presenting people with several perspectives at one time is called propaganda; giving them one perspective at a time is called agitation. Some say their political level is very high, but their talk consists entirely of statistics and figures. Without discussing politics, where is the political level when there’s no politics at all? Politics and statistics have a relationship like commander and soldier; politics is the supreme commander.

The relationship between cadres and masses, and the free airing of views, are issues that no socialist country in the world dares to acknowledge, except our country in implementing them. Not fearing to mobilize the masses is a genuinely Leninist stance. Lenin specifically went to the villages and factories, drawing close to the masses, mobilizing them, and was particularly fierce in lashing out against bureaucrats. Rectification cannot be done well without a pincer attack from both inside and outside.

After going through free airing of views, it appears that politically, roots have been firmly planted. Following this “Double-Anti” campaign and free airing of views, cadres and masses not only dare to speak out, but do so healthily. Both cadres and the people now have experience, knowing what should be opposed, what should be supported, what constitutes contradictions among the people, what constitutes antagonistic contradictions between the enemy and ourselves, and what attitude to adopt toward different people.

The so-called “safe and reliable” approach results in something that is neither safe nor reliable. For a country as large as ours, pursuing such “stability” would lead to great calamity. Regarding the stability faction, there is a method: at a certain point, introduce new slogans, making it impossible for them to remain stable. This faction perhaps has a relatively large number of people who want to wait and see. If a famine strikes, they will still shout: “Go ahead, leap if you dare!” “Rash advance” is the slogan the stability faction uses to oppose the Great Leap Forward.

△ Chairman Mao instructed: Rectification is the guiding principle; rectification takes command. Production is the central task, driving forward all other work.

△ (When a Hunan comrade reported on “changes among the masses,” mentioning the great transformation in social atmosphere and that peasants now feel at ease staying in the countryside) Chairman Mao said: This is extremely important. For a country as large as ours, if many people remained long unsettled in the countryside, it would lead to national ruin. This is an excellent new phenomenon, and deserves great attention.

△ (When Hunan reported that cadres generally cultivate experimental plots) Chairman Mao said: “This is a widespread phenomenon across the country. In the face of the Great Leap Forward, not only must we have drive, but we must also increase practical measures. The atmosphere must be charged with intensity. Organizing large-scale inspections of work measures—this is an excellent working method. Provincial, prefectural, and county Party committees should all organize inspection teams to go to the grassroots level and inspect. This year is an extraordinary year. Observe well for one year, and your courage will grow afterwards. Therefore, large-scale inspections must be well organized. Every locality should conduct inspections several times; inspections are very good. Those who haven’t conducted inspections must make up for this missed lesson.”

△ (When various localities reported on measures concerning water, fertilizer, and soil) Chairman Mao said: “This issue still needs study. The provinces have undertaken considerable water conservancy work, especially Anhui, which has formulated water conservancy plans and created water networks.

Exactly what kind of fertilizer is it (human/animal waste, composted soil fertilizer, heap compost, green manure)? What proportion does each type represent? If it’s mainly just soil, that’s problematic. Even so, it’s far more than in the past, which is also good.

Deep plowing is very important and deserves the attention of all provinces. Turning over the soil thoroughly once can greatly increase yields; this experience is well worth promoting.”

△ (When it was reported that amidst the production upsurge, a significant number of cadres emphasize stability and walk the middle path, neither ahead nor behind) Chairman Mao said: “These are the stability faction within the Party, essentially representing backwardness. This kind of person must be dealt with. The method is to continuously propose new tasks and new slogans, so they can never catch up. This pushes them forward, so they stop being backward.”