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法者,所以禁暴而率善人也- Chinese philosophy and culture

fǎ zhě, suǒyǐ jìn bào ér shuài shànrén yě 法者,所以禁暴而率善人也 Law Is for Stopping Violence and Encouraging Good Behavior. 法是禁止横暴凶恶、引导民众向善的手段。它揭示了法与道德教化的一致性:法的目的在于惩恶扬善,具有道德性;法的实施具有示范性、导向性,即教育意义。这种关于法的观念具有普世意义。 Law is enacted to stop violence and evil and to encourage good behavior. This means law enforcement and moral education should go hand in hand. The purpose of the law is to punish evil and […]

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发纤秾于简古,寄至味于淡泊 – Chinese philosophy and culture

fā xiānnónɡ yú jiǎnɡǔ, jì zhìwèi yú dànbó 发纤秾于简古,寄至味于淡泊 Intricacy Within Plainness, and Intensity Beneath Quietude 在质朴高古中蕴含着细腻丰厚,在平静雅淡中蕴含着无穷的韵味。这是北宋文学家苏轼(1037—1101)用来评价唐代诗人韦应物(737?—791)、柳宗元(773—819)诗歌风格的话。这种以质朴、淡泊为至高境界的理念,既代表了苏轼的诗学观,也代表了中国古代的重要美学观念。老子在《道德经》中提出“大音希声,大象无形”,推崇简淡自然之美,是苏轼美学观念的源头。 “Richness dwells in vintage simplicity and nuanced profundity in serene composure.” This is how the Northern Song writer Su Shi (1037-1101) praised the poetic style of Wei Yingwu (737?-791) and Liu Zongyuan (773-819). Such insistence on the supremacy

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发乎情,止乎礼义 – Chinese philosophy and culture

fā hū qíng, zhǐ hū lǐyì 发乎情,止乎礼义 Start with Feelings and Control with Propriety 诗歌由情感生发,但是情感的抒发不能超过限度,应该用礼义去节制。其目的是达到委婉讽谏的效果。“发乎情,止乎礼义”由最初批评《诗经》的理论发展成为普遍的文学创作原则,既承认人的本能欲望以及抒发描写本能欲望的需要,同时又强调要用儒家的道德规范来约束指导,不能流于纯自然的宣泄,不能超越社会政治、伦理的规范。因此,诗歌中所表达的情感,既具有个体性,又具有社会性。 Poems and lyrics arise from genuine feelings, which, however, should not be excessive but be controlled by ritual propriety and righteousness, so as to be tactfully persuasive. This term was first used when commenting on The Book of Songs and then

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读万卷书,行万里路 – Chinese philosophy and culture

dú wàn juàn shū, xíng wàn lǐ lù 读万卷书,行万里路 Read Ten Thousand Books and Travel Ten Thousand Li 多读书,多走路。比喻要努力读书,尽可能多地丰富书本知识,掌握间接经验;同时要尽可能多地接触实际,丰富自己的亲身体验,开阔眼界,增进见识。理论与实际相结合,间接经验与直接经验相结合,既有真才实学,又能学以致用。 This means one should acquire as much knowledge as possible from books to gain the experience of others. At the same time, one should also have as much direct contact with the world as possible to

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大医精诚 – Chinese philosophy and culture

dà yī jīngchéng 大医精诚 A Master Physician Must Have Superb Skill and Sincerity. 伟大的医者既有精湛的医术又有一心济世的情怀。这是唐朝著名医学家孙思邈(581-682)在《千金方》中阐述的医者理念。“大医”即超乎平常的、伟大的、令人尊崇的医者;“精”即医术高超,精益求精;“诚”即一心一意救死扶伤的情怀。它从业务和道德两方面概括出了中华医学精神,是科学精神和人道精神的有机统一。它和“医者仁心”(医者要有爱人之心)、“悬壶济世”(行医救助世人)一样,为历代医者所尊崇,至今仍有现实意义。 A master physician must have both superb medical skills and a desire to help the world. This is how Sun Simiao (581-682), a famous Tang Dynasty physician, described a doctor in his work Essential Formulas for Emergencies. A “master physician” is

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大国者下流 – Chinese philosophy and culture

dà guó zhě xià liú 大国者下流 A Great State Should Assume a Low Posture. 大国要把自己放在低下的位置上,就像大江大河能够容纳百川一样。这是中国古代哲学家老子提出的处理国与国关系的重要思想,其核心理念在于“谦下”(屈己待人)之德。在老子看来,国与国之间能否和平相处,关键在于大国能否做到不以大欺小,不恃强凌弱。大国应该放低姿态,谦和地对待小国,展现容纳天下百川的胸怀,从而赢得小国的信赖,使他们归向自己,就像百川都流向大江大河一样。大国接纳、包容小国,小国尊重、依附大国,和谐共生,各得其所。当今“人类命运共同体”的理念与此不无渊源。 A great state should assume a low posture, just as great rivers absorb the waters from countless tributaries. This was an important concept on handling relations between states, propounded by the ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi. Its core idea is that

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慈 – Chinese philosophy and culture

cí 慈 Kindness 慈爱,古人倡导的一种美德。儒家在强调子女孝亲的同时,也提倡为人父母者应关爱、呵护自己的子女,也即是“慈”。慈爱之心的培养,还使得为政者能够在施行政事时,像对待自己子女一样关爱、呵护治下的百姓。在道家的思想中,“慈”往往专指统治者对待百姓的慈爱。 Kindness is a virtue espoused by ancient Chinese. While emphasizing the importance of filial piety, the Confucian School also encouraged parental care and love for their children, which was referred to as kindness. Cultivation of one’s kindness would enable a ruler to treat his people as his own children when exercising

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纯素 – Chinese philosophy and culture

chúnsù 纯素 Pure and Unadorned 纯粹而素朴,指纯然素朴、不加人工雕饰的本色之美。“纯”即纯然、纯粹,不含任何杂质;“素”本指未经染色的生丝,引申指白色、本色、素朴、不加修饰等义。以老、庄为代表的道家认为“道”是万物之美的总根源,“道”自然无为,最是素朴无华,因此道家美学将自然本色、素朴无华作为审美的最高境界。在古人看来,“纯素”是一种不与物相杂的本真状态,即使混迹于事物之中,它也保持着自然天成的本质,其内在的神气没有一丝亏损。这一思想广泛影响了中国古代文学艺术的创作风格与审美追求。中国古代诗歌崇尚素淡冲远,绘画崇尚平淡天真,都体现了“纯素”的审美追求。 This term refers to natural, unadorned beauty. “Pure” means untainted, unadulterated or containing no impurity. Su (素) originally means “undyed raw silk.” Later it came to mean “the quality of being white, authentic, unspoiled or undecorated.” Daoist thought, represented by Laozi and Zhuangzi (369?-286 BC), held that Dao is the

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丑 – Chinese philosophy and culture

chǒu 丑 Ugliness / Chou 字本作“醜”,本义指人的样貌难看,引申指丑陋、不好、可恶等义。主要含义有二:其一,作为思想文化术语,它与“美”相对,除了指丑恶、丑陋,还包括芜杂、不修饰、不和谐、不合乎事理等含义。“丑”有时也被看成是有违当下的审美规范、不被大众标准认可的美。对“丑”的认识与接纳,相当于对“美”的范围的突破与延展。其二,传统戏曲中的行当名称,鼻梁上涂抹白粉,饰演相貌丑陋而举止可笑的喜剧人物或反面人物。 The original Chinese character chou (醜) literally means “ghastly-looking like a drunkard.” It can then be extended to refer to people and things which are ugly, bad or despicable. This term contains two meanings. First, as a concept in Chinese thought and culture, it stands in contrast to “beauty,” indicating

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痴 – Chinese philosophy and culture

chī 痴 Obsessiveness / Ignorance / Perplexity 痴本义为愚笨、呆傻、疯癫等,引申为痴迷、执著及为人处事上的怪诞、成癖、不通世务等。与世俗的精明算计相比,痴人一往情深,不计代价,形同呆傻,亦往往不追求功名利禄,不慕荣华富贵,与正统教条观念相违背。痴可用于痴情、痴言、痴行等,侧重于一派天真自然,纯任性情,特立独行,不惧世俗眼光。“痴”又为佛教术语,义同“无明”,谓愚昧无知,不明万法事理。佛教将贪、嗔、痴列为“三毒”,认为它们是诸恶产生的根源。 This term originally means stupidity, foolishness or madness, and by extension it becomes closely associated with fascination, persistence, weirdness in dealing with people and things. Compared with shrewd, calculating worldly people, people with obsessions tend to be utterly devoted and passionate to the degree of being like

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