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Chinatraditional cultureAn important concept in: Mindfulnessawe. (Image source: Adobe stock)
Taiwanese scholar Zeng Shiqiang has returned to the mainland many times to give lectures. Once, while he was talking, he shed tears. A student asked him: “Teacher, why are you crying?” Mr. Zeng replied: “The real reason is that we have such a good teacher.”culturebut don’t cherish it, and still doubt this and that. It’s okay if we don’t have a good culture. It’s because our ancestors are not living up to expectations, but our ancestors are so great and amazing! I have studied abroad and could talk about Western things, but I don’t because our culture is precious. Some people are born in blessings and don’t know how to be blessed. It makes me sad to think about this. ”
I deeply agree with what Mr. Zeng said. Chinese traditional culture has a long history, is extensive and profound, and is our inexhaustible source of life. Here, I will focus on an important concept in traditional Chinese culture: having a heart of awe.
Since Pangu created the world and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the present day, the ancestors of the Chinese nation have believed in and respected gods. People who believe in God and revere God believe that: Man was created by God, the heaven and earth and all things were created by God, and the celestial bodies in the universe were also created by God. Human birth, aging, illness, and death, as well as the creation, residence, destruction, and destruction of the universe, all operate according to God’s will.
The ancient Chinese often said that “miracles are vast” and “Buddha’s Dharma is boundless”, which means that gods and Buddhas are endowed with great wisdom, wisdom and compassion. The ancients also said that “whispers in the world are like thunder” and “a dark room hurts the heart, and the eyes of gods are like lightning”, which means Yes, gods and Buddhas have insight into every thought, word and deed of a person. In front of the gods and Buddhas who created heaven, earth, and humans, humans are very insignificant. The ancient sages believed that only by believing in God and respecting God can we receive divine blessing and help.
King Wen of Zhou respected the gods and performed “The Book of Changes”. He virtuously transformed all the people. He did not pick up things on the road and did not close his house at night. He was blessed with a hundred sons and died at the age of nearly a hundred years. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty respected Buddhism and Taoism, created the “Government of Zhenguan”, was revered as the “Khan of Heaven”, and established the great cause of “one emperor through the ages”. The famous historian Mr. Chen Yinke once said: “The culture of the Chinese nation has evolved over thousands of years and reached its peak in the Zhao and Song Dynasties.” Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin respected Buddhism and Taoism, promoted literature and restrained martial arts, and did not kill scholar-bureaucrats, which was the greatest achievement. Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty respected heaven and feared God, captured Obei with wisdom, flattened the three feudal lords, unified Taiwan, expelled Tsarist Russia, and conquered Mobei in the west. His literary, political and military achievements were unparalleled, laying the foundation for the “Kang and Qian Dynasties”.
Throughout history, there have been many lessons learned about those who did not respect gods and Buddhas, and their lives, families, and nations were destroyed. King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty disrespected the gods, indulged in licentiousness, resorted to militarism, severely punished and extorted harsh punishments, and refused to remonstrate to justify his wrongdoing. In the end, the people betrayed their relatives and abandoned their relatives, and the country was destroyed. Tuoba Tao, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, destroyed Buddhism and was killed by eunuchs at the age of 44. Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Yu Wenyong, threatened that he would not be afraid of going to hell and that Buddhism and Taoism would be destroyed. However, he died of a sudden illness at the age of 35. Li Yan, Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty, also died of a sudden illness when he destroyed Buddhism. He was only 32 years old.
If you have gods and Buddhas in your heart, you can stay upright and upright. (Image source: Adobe stock)
If you have gods and Buddhas in your heart, you can handle all important matters as Laozi said, “Fight with fear, as if you are facing an abyss, as if you are walking on thin ice.” You will be able to stay on the right path, and in the end, you will benefit the country, the people, and the world; on the contrary, you will not be afraid of heaven and earth. , Dare to do anything that is against the law, which is rebellion against nature, and will eventually harm others, yourself, and your descendants.
Revere heaven and earth
“The Book of Changes” says: “The great virtue of heaven and earth is life.”
“Book of Rites” says: “The way of heaven and earth is broad, thick, high, bright, long and long.”
“Compiled Essentials” says: “The east, west, south, north are called the four directions, the corners of the four directions are called the four dimensions, the four directions of the heaven and the earth are called the Liuhe, the heaven and the earth are called the two rituals, the ginseng is called the three talents, the four directions are called the universe, and in the past and present it is called the universe, or heaven and earth. For the universe. Born from the vitality of heaven and earth.”
Based on the ancient people’s views on heaven and earth: heaven is Qian and earth is Kun; all heaven and earth are born of vitality; the way of heaven and earth is broad, benevolent, noble, concise, long-lasting and eternal. All things in heaven and earth have the kindness to nourish people. Without sunlight, air and water, it would be difficult for people to survive in the world. Therefore, people should be respectful and grateful to all things in the world from the bottom of their hearts.
There is also a causal relationship between humans and nature in which good is rewarded with good and evil is rewarded with evil. If people respect heaven and earth and treat nature well, they will be protected by heaven and earth, and receive love and gifts from nature; on the contrary, they will be severely punished by natural disasters and man-made disasters. Therefore, Chinese Confucianism advocates “the unity of nature and man”, while Taoism advocates following the laws of nature, conforming to nature, and being in harmony with nature, so as to achieve the state of “the heaven and earth coexist with me, and all things are one with me”. Wang Yangming, a great Confucian of the Ming Dynasty, believed that people should not only be intolerant of the death of birds and animals, and the destruction of vegetation, but also cherish the destruction of rubble and stone. With such a heart that is kind to all things, all things will approach you with a smile, help you, and care for you.
“Man will definitely conquer heaven” is a heresy, man can never conquer heaven. “Fighting against heaven and earth” is also a heresy. In front of heaven and earth, people must always remain humble.
Revere morality
The “Tao Te Ching” written by the famous ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi talks about two words: one is “Tao” and the other is “De”. What is “Tao”? “Tao” is the objective law of the occurrence, development, change and destruction of all things in the universe; what is “morality”? “Virtue” is the criterion for doing things according to the objective laws of the universe.
The teachings of Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, are, in the final analysis, teaching people how to behave morally, which can be summed up in five words: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. Mencius said: “Without a heart of compassion, you are not a human being; without a heart of shame and disgust, you are not a human being; without a heart of resignation, you are not a human being; without a heart of right and wrong, you are not a human being.” This means that there is no compassion and compassion for suffering. If you don’t have a heart of shame, you are not a human being; if you don’t have a sense of shame towards evil, you are not a human being; if you don’t know how to decline and be humble, you are not a human being; if you can’t distinguish right from wrong, you are not a human being. These “four hearts” are the morals that a human being must have.
If a person’s words and deeds conform to moral standards, he is a good person and will be blessed. He will have wealth, wisdom, health, happiness and a series of beautiful life states, and will be affirmed and praised. People who deviate from moral standards are bad people and are often called If you are immoral or harm your virtue, your blessings will be reduced and you will be condemned and punished.
Qian Mu, a master of Chinese studies, said: “We should know that knowledge and virtue are actually the same thing. The attainment of knowledge must be based on the cultivation of virtue, and it is also limited by the cultivation of virtue. If you neglect virtue, it will be difficult to deepen your knowledge.” A person’s virtue always comes first. Without virtue, it is impossible to have true talent and learning. Only if a person continuously strengthens his moral character, no matter how complex the environment is, he will not lose his way, and at the same time, he will continue to grow in knowledge. But there is no evil in the teachings, and one can stand among tigers and wolves. If you have great virtues, you must have great talents. If you don’t value virtue and learn a few superficial things, you will become arrogant, complacent, and selfish. In the end, you may be “smart but misunderstood”, and one mistake will lead to eternal hatred!
In mainland China, the phenomenon of missing a few pounds or two when buying things often occurs, but it is relatively rare in Taiwan. Taiwan still uses the old scale, which consists of the Big Dipper, the Southern Dipper, and the three stars of fortune, fortune, and longevity, forming a scale of sixteen taels. Why is the lucky star, lucky star, and longevity star at the end? This is a warning to people doing business to respect morality and strictly abide by rules. Otherwise, if you are short of one tael, you will not be blessed; if you are short of two taels, you will lose your salary; if you are short of three taels, you will lose your life. If these blessings, wealth, and longevity are gone, what are people still doing?
Ancient Chinese man-made words all have deep connotations. Merit, merit, without virtue, where can the merit come from? Mighty virtue, mighty virtue, without virtue, where can the power come from? Only with high morals can we be respected; with high morals can we have laws; only with high morals can we cultivate ourselves, manage our families, govern the country, and bring peace to the world! Without virtue, how are we any different from animals?
Revere ancestors
“People have their own metabolism, and the exchanges become the past and the present.” The past, present and future are an organic whole. The Chinese nation is the only great country in the world with a history of five thousand years. Respecting ancestors is also a fine tradition of our Chinese nation.
New Year’s Eve, Qingming Festival, Double Ninth Festival and Hungry Ghost Festival are the four major ancestor worship festivals in traditional Chinese festivals. The purpose is to remind future generations that ancestors are the origin of human beings. Only by not forgetting our ancestors and knowing our origins can we live forever. “Shangshu Shun Dian” records: “On the first day of the first month of the month, Shun was in line with Wenzu.” Emperor Shun would go to the ancestral temple to worship his ancestors on the first day of the month. “Benevolence, justice” and “filial piety” are the core of the traditional morals of the Chinese nation. In memorials and memorials, they nurture the gratitude and sense of responsibility of future generations. “The Analects of Confucius: Xueer” records: “If you pursue your goals with caution, the people’s morality will be strong.”
The saints in Confucius’ mind include Yao, Shun, Yu, King Wen of Zhou, King Wu of Zhou, Duke Zhou, etc. “The Analects of Confucius” tells that Confucius praised Emperor Yao and said: “How great Yao is as a king! So towering, only the sky is great, and only Yao rules it. The people are so swaying that they have no name. It is so towering that it has success and glory.” “It has articles!” It means: Great! A king like Yao. How sublime! Only Heaven is the highest, and only Yao could imitate Heaven’s greatness. How vast his kindness is, the people really don’t know what words to use to praise him! How noble is his achievement in governing the world! What a wonderful system of etiquette he instituted!
Zhu Xi’s “Zhu Zi Lei Yu” says: “If heaven did not give birth to Zhong Ni (Confucius), eternity would be like a long night.” The French Enlightenment thinker Voltaire believed that Confucius’ “Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you” can be called the highest moral principle and should become everyone’s motto. In the second half of the 19th century, Russian Sinology emerged, and its founder was Bhikkhu Lin, the head of the religious mission who came to Beijing at that time. After an in-depth study of Chinese culture, he exclaimed: “It seems that Christ is no better than Confucius.” Two great Russian writers in the 19th century both loved Chinese culture very much. The first is Pushkin, who promoted the “Three Character Classic”, and the last is Tolstoy, who personally translated the “Tao Te Ching”. Someone asked Tolstoy: “Who is the most influential cultural celebrity in the world?” He said: Confucius is very big, Laozi is huge!
The guqin was created by the late Emperor Fuxi and was made in the shape of a phoenix. Its length symbolizes the 365 days in a year. It originally had five strings, symbolizing the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and was later increased to seven strings. In 2006, Swedish writer Lin Xili spent 15 years of hard work writing the book “Guqin”, which was published in Sweden and won the August Literary Award, Sweden’s highest literary award that year. It set off a craze for Chinese culture and Guqin in Sweden. In April 2009, the Chinese version of “Guqin” was published in Taiwan and topped the bestseller list for two consecutive months. Lin Xili said: “I learned a lot in China, and I am very happy to use this book to repay China.”
A foreigner traveled thousands of miles from Northern Europe to come to China. He learned the Chinese quintessence that he has been dreaming about for a lifetime from the Chinese guqin master Guan Pinghu and others, and did his best to spread it overseas. As Chinese, what do we have? What’s the reason for not respecting the sages and forgetting about their ancestors?
Be a person who truly knows how to be in awe
What kind of person is a person who truly understands reverence? The answer given by the cultural master Li Shutong (also known as Master Hongyi after he became a monk) is: “Don’t have false thoughts in your heart, don’t move your body rashly, and don’t speak falsely in your mouth. A gentleman is sincere; he doesn’t deceive himself internally, he doesn’t deceive others externally, and he doesn’t deceive heaven above.” , A gentleman should be cautious about being alone; he should not be ashamed of his parents, his brothers and sisters, and his wife; he should live up to his family; he should live up to his country, his people, and what he has learned.
A gentleman who is “honest, prudent, independent, and practical” must be a person who fears gods and Buddhas, heaven and earth, morality, and ancestors, that is, a person who truly knows how to revere. It is difficult to become such a person, but if you are alive and have such yearnings and goals in your heart, by working hard every day and making small progress towards such a goal every day, over time and perseverance, you will be able to become a gentle and gentle person. Jade’s humble gentleman.
Being in awe, for oneself, is conducive to self-cultivation, sound personality, and growth of talents and learning; for the family, it is conducive to a loving father and filial piety, respectful brothers and sisters, a husband and wife who follow suit, and the prosperity of the family; for the country, it is conducive to the monarch and his ministers each fulfilling their duties and fulfilling their duties. Harmony with the heart of heaven, harmony with the will of the people below, peace of the country and people, and conducive to the uprightness of the king’s heart, upright body, upright left and right, upright court, and upright world.
Editor in charge: Wen Li
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