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Conduct (law/rule) only cleans the outside. But if the inside is still dirty, it will spill over anyway. It is natural for the inner dirtiness to come outward, because that is the direction the heart flows. So if by conduct, it cannot find it's natural expression, it will find another, unnattural expression, and will taint it's mode of expression in the process. Once only punching for justice and defense, if I punch in anger, the activity of punching becomes tainted, and now both fresh and salt water flow from the same spring. It also becomes more likely that anger will be expressed in through this new channel. It may end up that the only way to defend myself is to get angry. But anger is a poison. And now to save myself, I must harm myself.

But if the inside is clean the outside will be clean, if only unformed. Inner good flows into outer good, and only needs to be taught the proper form of expression. A grateful heart leads to expressions of gratitude and needs only to be instructed into the proper form of saying "Thank you." Moulding the form is easy. It is going with the grain.

The issue is how to cleans the inside.