Our Land, Our People - Bookstore Where to Return

Author: Lu Xun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The nature of water determines human nature, and the nature of earth determines human nature. This is not only a fundamental belief in Chinese folk culture but also one of the core concepts of China's "high-end" thinkers. The Water and Earth section of the Guanzi states: "The earth is the origin of all things, the root garden of all life, from which arise beauty and ugliness, virtue and lack of virtue, wisdom and foolishness. Water is the blood and qi of the earth, like the flowing of veins and arteries, hence it is said that water possesses material." This explains the principle. The Analects, in the Yong Ye chapter, states: "The wise delight in water, the benevolent delight in mountains," which also conveys this principle. The Water and Earth section of the Guanzi believes that the nature of water determines human nature: The water of Qi is "forceful and restless," so its people are "greedy and brave"; the water of Chu is "muddy and weak but clear," so its people are "frivolous and treacherous"; the water of Yue is "dirty and heavy," so its people are "foolish and dirty"; the water of Qin is "scattered and stagnant," so its people are "greedy, cruel, and fond of trouble"; the water of Qi and Jin is "dry and stagnant," so their people are "flattering, cunning, and greedy for profit"; the water of Yan is "low and weak," so its people are "foolish and honest, light-minded and easily die." The Xunzi, in the You Zuo chapter, considers water a symbol of virtue: "Water is vast and pervasive, nurturing all life without effort, resembling virtue; its flow is low and steady, always following its principles, resembling righteousness; its flow is endless, resembling the Dao; if it breaks through, its response is swift like sound, its plunge into a thousand-foot valley is fearless, resembling courage; it measures and balances, resembling law; it overflows without seeking to measure, resembling justice; it is subtle yet reaches, resembling insight; it emerges and enters, achieving freshness and purity, resembling benevolent transformation; its countless twists are always eastward, resembling purpose. Therefore, a nobleman must observe great water." The Rites of the Confucians, in the Confucius Family Records, believes that the quality of earth determines personality: "People born in firm earth are tough, those born in weak earth are gentle, those born in waste earth are large, those born in sandy earth are fine, and those born in fertile earth are beautiful." In the Meng An's Random Notes, a Ming Dynasty scholar Li Xu states: "Woodly qi makes people brave, metallic qi makes people tough, fiery qi makes people strong and dry, earthy qi makes people wise and broad-minded, watery qi makes people urgent and treacherous." In the Micro-Analysis by Southern Song Dynasty scholar Cai Yuanding, "earth" and "stone" are considered the "flesh" and "bones" of the human body: "Earth is the flesh of the human body, hence it is slightly soft; stone is the bones of the human body, hence it is slightly tough. Combining water, fire, earth, and stone forms the earth, just as combining blood, qi, bones, and flesh forms a person. Taking inspiration from the body nearby and from objects far away, there is no different principle." The sinologist Sarah Allan considers "water" the "primary metaphor" of Chinese philosophy: "From contemplation of this common and ever-changing natural phenomenon, the Chinese found an understanding of the fundamental principles of life, a principle that not only manifests in the material world but also applies to human society. Thus, water became a primary metaphor at the base of abstract concepts, forming the foundation of social and ethical value systems." The Rites of the Confucians, in the Confucius Family Records, believes that the quality of earth determines personality: "People born in firm earth are tough, those born in weak earth are gentle, those born in waste earth are large, those born in sandy earth are fine, and those born in fertile earth are beautiful." In the Meng An's Random Notes, a Ming Dynasty scholar Li Xu states: "Woodly qi makes people brave, metallic qi makes people tough, fiery qi makes people strong and dry, earthy qi makes people wise and broad-minded, watery qi makes people urgent and treacherous." The nature of water determines human nature, and the nature of earth determines human nature. This is not only a fundamental belief in Chinese folk culture but also one of the core concepts of China's "high-end" thinkers. The Water and Earth section of the Guanzi states: "The earth is the origin of all things, the root garden of all life, from which arise beauty and ugliness, virtue and lack of virtue, wisdom and foolishness. Water is the blood and qi of the earth, like the flowing of veins and arteries, hence it is said that water possesses material." This explains the principle. The Analects, in the Yong Ye chapter, states: "The wise delight in water, the benevolent delight in mountains," which also conveys this principle. The Water and Earth section of the Guanzi believes that the nature of water determines human nature: The water of Qi is "forceful and restless," so its people are "greedy and brave"; the water of Chu is "muddy and weak but clear," so its people are "frivolous and treacherous"; the water of Yue is "dirty and heavy," so its people are "foolish and dirty"; the water of Qin is "scattered and stagnant," so its people are "greedy, cruel, and fond of trouble"; the water of Qi and Jin is "dry and stagnant," so their people are "flattering, cunning, and greedy for profit"; the water of Yan is "low and weak," so its people are "foolish and honest, light-minded and easily die." The Xunzi, in the You Zuo chapter, considers water a symbol of virtue: "Water is vast and pervasive, nurturing all life without effort, resembling virtue; its flow is low and steady, always following its principles, resembling righteousness; its flow is endless, resembling the Dao; if it breaks through, its response is swift like sound, its plunge into a thousand-foot valley is fearless, resembling courage; it measures and balances, resembling law; it overflows without seeking to measure, resembling justice; it is subtle yet reaches, resembling insight; it emerges and enters, achieving freshness and purity, resembling benevolent transformation; its countless twists are always eastward, resembling purpose. Therefore, a nobleman must observe great water." The Rites of the Confucians, in the Confucius Family Records, believes that the quality of earth determines personality: "People born in firm earth are tough, those born in weak earth are gentle, those born in waste earth are large, those born in sandy earth are fine, and those born in fertile earth are beautiful." In the Meng An's Random Notes, a Ming Dynasty scholar Li Xu states: "Woodly qi makes people brave, metallic qi makes people tough, fiery qi makes people strong and dry, earthy qi makes people wise and broad-minded, watery qi makes people urgent and treacherous."