Red classics

Author: Liang Heng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: What is a classic? Often mentioned becomes scripture, often counted becomes canon. The greatest advantage of a classic is its ability to withstand repetition. It is frequently recalled and never forgotten. Many people dream of their works or careers becoming classics so that history will remember them and achieve eternity. But this eternal dream is always shattered by the terrifying hand of repetition. Instead, many unintentional sayings and works, like willows growing from unplanted branches, become classics unintentionally. "United front, armed struggle, leadership of the party" are the three magic weapons of the Chinese revolution and the classic of the Communist Party of China winning the world. In 1939, a group of students from North Shaanxi Public College graduated and were about to go to the front. Mao Zedong went to give a speech and said, "In Fengshen Yanyi, Jiang Ziya descended the mountain, and Yuanshi Tianzun gave him three magic weapons: the divine whip, the apricot-yellow flag, and the four. Today, I also give you three magic weapons: united front, armed struggle, and leadership of the party." The words Mao Zedong spoke unintentionally became a red classic. Classics never need deliberate creation; they cannot be manufactured. They are a hallmark of an era. They withstand repetition for three reasons: first, they reach an unprecedented height; second, they have a unique and lasting impact; third, they rise to a level of rationality, with long-term guiding significance. Every time people repeat it, they can derive useful things from it, like a piece of candy that remains sweet after being chewed repeatedly—this is the difference between a classic and the ordinary. A clod of earth shatters when hit by rain, while a diamond becomes even brighter with the passage of time. What is a classic? Often mentioned becomes scripture, often counted becomes canon. The greatest advantage of a classic is its ability to withstand repetition. It is frequently recalled and never forgotten. Many people dream of their works or careers becoming classics so that history will remember them and achieve eternity. But this eternal dream is always shattered by the terrifying hand of repetition. Instead, many unintentional sayings and works, like willows growing from unplanted branches, become classics unintentionally. "United front, armed struggle, leadership of the party" are the three magic weapons of the Chinese revolution and the classic of the Communist Party of China winning the world. In 1939, a group of students from North Shaanxi Public College graduated and were about to go to the front. Mao Zedong went to give a speech and said, "In Fengshen Yanyi, Jiang Ziya descended the mountain, and Yuanshi Tianzun gave him three magic weapons: the divine whip, the apricot-yellow flag, and the four. Today, I also give you three magic weapons: united front, armed struggle, and leadership of the party." The words Mao Zedong spoke unintentionally became a red classic. Classics never need deliberate creation; they cannot be manufactured. They are a hallmark of an era. They withstand repetition for three reasons: first, they reach an unprecedented height; second, they have a unique and lasting impact; third, they rise to a level of rationality, with long-term guiding significance. Every time people repeat it, they can derive useful things from it, like a piece of candy that remains sweet after being chewed repeatedly—this is the difference between a classic and the ordinary. A clod of earth shatters when hit by rain, while a diamond becomes even brighter with the passage of time.