Culture
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Confucius Asking Lao Zi about Etiquette
2008-05-19
For more than two thousand years, Confucius's teaching of taking the middle road and his emphasis on "kindness, justice, courtesy, wisdom and trust," and Lao Zi's philosophy of maintaining a tranquil mind and letting things take their natural course have served as the guiding principles of Chinese people. They were the moral standards for Chinese people, one governing their interaction with the outside world and the other governing the way that they handle things internally. The two played an important role in maintaining the stability of society and the harmony of the family. -
A Wise Ruler Fears Three Things
2008-05-04A wise ruler fears three things: Firstly, he is afraid of not knowing his mistakes because of his lofty position. Second, he fears arrogance and self-complacency when he succeeds. Third, he is afraid of not following wise advice. The ancient Chinese people advocated being modest, cautious, and vigilant -
Cultivating Speech and Not Talking About Others' Shortcomings
2008-05-02Divinely-inspired culture advocates that one has to be prudent about what one says. In the cultivating community, there is emphasis on the cultivation of speech, because a comment is capable of hurting others more than a sharp knife or gun could. Moreover, as soon as words are spoken, they can't be taken back, and they can create resentment and karma, thus bringing disaster to the speaker. -
Stories from Ancient China: Sima Guang's View on Talent and Virtue
2008-04-05Sima Guang classified individuals into four groups based on their virtue and talents: the sagacious - those who have both virtues and talents; the foolish - those who have neither virtue nor talents; the noble - those who have virtue but no talents; and the inferior - those who have talents but no virtues. When it was time to appoint an official, the first choice would be a sagacious person, then a noble person. If neither a sagacious person nor a noble person could be found, it would be better to use a foolish person rather than an inferior one. It was because individuals with talents but without virtue were most dangerous. They were worse than those who have neither talents nor virtue. -
Stories from Ancient China: Talented Officials More Valuable than Auspicious Omens
2008-03-29Taizhong said, "I often laughed at the Sui Emperor, who did not pay attention to talented officials but liked auspicious omens. As a result, his country perished. In my opinion, what is truly auspicious is having talented officials managing our country well, and having our people be happy and content. As for the rare birds and wonderful beasts, they are only slightly different from ordinary things. How can we celebrate this?" He then ordered the nest to be destroyed and the birds to be returned to the wild. -
Stories from Ancient China: Human Hearts Are as Clear as a Mirror
2008-02-28The mirror had a special function. When one looked at the mirror from the front, it reflected the image upside down. If the person rubbed his hand over the chest, then the internal organs of the person could also be clearly seen. More interestingly, it could also distinguish the loyal from the disloyal ministers in the imperial court, as well as foretell the rise and fall of a state... indeed it was a state treasure. -
Ancient Cultivation Stories: Princess Zhangzhao
2008-02-21Though the emperor took good care of her, she was very diligent in her practise and was not arrogant being a royal relative. Besides meditating, she often went to the mountain to collect herbs and treated patients. From the time she became a nun in the Mount Mian area, when there was a drought she burned incense and prayed for rain. It has been said that her prayers were always answered, bringing great delight to the surrounding residents. The princess was given a nickname "Living Guanyin (Bodhisattva)." -
Stories from Ancient China: Assist the Poor and Serve Those in Need
2008-02-18Diwu Lun was an official from the early Eastern Han Dynasty of ancient China. He lived in what is Shaanxi Province today. He was honest, unpretentious, and generous. No matter where he worked, he was always considerate of the people. -
Sculpture: Buddha
2008-02-08
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Stories from Ancient China: A Man of Virtue Knows that Time is as Precious as Gold
2008-02-04Life has shown us that time flies as quickly as a galloping horse. A man of virtue knows to treasure time for the precious gold that it is. There was once a historian named Liu Shu in the Northern Song Dynasty who was known for his lofty character and noble aspirations. He was diligent in learning throughout his life. He was also a man of great self-discipline. He made a reasonable plan for each day so that he would never waste his time. -
Stories from Ancient China: Refraining from Lust, Di Renjie Achieved a Great Career
2008-01-29Di Renjie said: "The old monk told me that from my looks I would be a highly placed eminent official and would become well known in the future. But I must always remember to forbid myself lust! Since the old monk pointed it out to me, how could I trade my future for a moment of desire?" -
Stories from Ancient China: Lu Yuqin, a Dynasty's Founding Member That Was Free of Self-Interest and Jealousy
2008-01-07In traditional Chinese culture, it is believed that every person has his own fate and his fortunes are predestined according to what he has done in previous lives. Such a belief is also prevalent in the world of cultivation practice. It is believed that a person who harms other people out of jealousy or feeling unjustly wronged will not change his situation. -
Stories from Ancient China: Some Things in Life are Worth More Gold
2007-12-15The woodsman threw his sickle to the ground, raised his eyebrows, and said angrily, "You are a noble, but why do you treat other people as if they are beneath you? You have a grand and heroic appearance, but why do you speak so rudely? I would rather wear feather-down in hot May while chopping firewood. Why should I pick up gold that someone else has lost?" -
Stories from Ancient China: A Mean Feng Shui Master
2007-12-03Ten years later, the geomancer once again found himself passing by this place. He thought of the old woman, and the burial site he had purposely chosen for her, which was actually a forbidding and ominous site. In other words, once the old woman was buried there, her surviving family would be doomed. The geomancer arrived at the location, and immediately noticed a tombstone erected on the very site he had chosen for the old woman's burial. -
A Culture Passed Down by the Ancients: Upholding Virtue and Having Selfless Compassion For Others in Need
2007-12-02In ancient China there was a saying "Whether rich or poor, do not be moved by self interest or gain, nor yield to power and force." During the Southern Song Dynasty of ancient China, besides Wen Tianxiang, there was another man who was known to have the same courage and righteousness as Su Wu from the Han dynasty. His name was Hong Hao.
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