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以武为植,以文为种 – Chinese philosophy and culture

yǐ wǔ wéi zhí, yǐ wén wéi zhǒng 以武为植,以文为种 Military Action Is like Planting; Good Rule Is like the Seed. 对战争而言,“武”只能作为辅助性手段,“文”才是统一和治理天下的根本方略。“武”指武力、军事手段,“文”主要指德治和教化。由战国军事家尉缭子提出。农作物的长势是否茂盛,首先取决于种子的好坏,而后才取决于农人的栽培和养护。尉缭子以此比喻德治和军事两者在统一和治理天下时的相互关系:军事只是辅助手段,能够让天下人主动归附及国家长治久安的根本方略必须靠德政和教化。这也是最早阐明政治与军事二者关系的命题:军事从属于政治,政治才是军事的本质内容。 When there are armed conflicts, military action is only supplementary to good rule, which is the basis for unity and governance. Wu (武) means armed force or military means, and wen (文) means benevolent rule and […]

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业 – Chinese philosophy and culture

yè 业 Karma 泛指众生一切能够引发后果的行为。“业”分为身、口、意三类,分别对应身体、言语、思想的行为,它们都能够产生好坏不等的结果,故从价值上可分为善业、恶业,以及不能招致善与不善的无记业。在佛教的轮回观念中,前世行为决定了后世的生存形态。因此,不论是否以解脱为目标,为了获得期欲的结果,对于身、口、意三业的掌控都是至关重要的。 This term generally indicates any behavior of beings that may bring about a subsequent effect. Such behavior is subdivided into three kinds: corporal, verbal, and mental. The subdivision corresponds with the behaviors of the body, of speech, and of thought. They can all produce results: good, bad, or something in between.

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言有物,行有恒 – Chinese philosophy and culture

yán yǒu wù, xíng yǒu héng 言有物,行有恒 Talk Substance; Act with Perseverance 说话要言之有物,做事要持之以恒。“言有物”即说话或写文章要有实际根据和内容,语言、文字要与实际情况相符,不能想当然,不能假大空;“行有恒”即做任何事情都应该有恒心、有原则,说到做到,专心一意,坚持到底,不朝三暮四或半途而废。此术语实际所包含的是一种务真求实的科学态度和专一持守的诚信精神。 What one talks or writes about should have a sound basis and substance; the language and words he uses should fit the actual context. Hyperbole, exaggeration or falsehood should be opposed. In doing anything, one must have perseverance and focus, stick to

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巽 – Chinese philosophy and culture

xùn 巽 Xun (Wind) “八卦”之一,画为“”。“巽”又为“六十四卦”之一,由两个三画的“巽”卦组成,画为“”。在“八卦”系统中,“巽”卦的基本象征意义是风,风吹拂万物,以柔和的方式影响万物,既有潜入之义,又有发散之义。“巽”卦由一个阴爻和两个阳爻组成,属于阴卦,在人伦领域象征女性。而且,“巽”卦中的阴爻居于下位,为阴卦之长,故象征家中的长女。 Xun (wind) is one of the eight trigrams, bundled together in the shape of . It is also one of the 64 hexagrams, composed of two trigrams like this . In the eight-trigram system, it symbolizes the wind. The wind blows and disperses gently and permeates everything. The term is composed of

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雄浑- Chinese philosophy and culture

xiónghún 雄浑 Powerfulness 指雄健有力、浑厚自然的艺术风格与审美气象。“雄”侧重作品的气力;“浑”兼有浑厚、浑融、浑然诸义,侧重作品的风格、气象。道家认为“道”具有浑然天成的特点,“雄浑”即渊源于此。雄浑的形成,并非出于人为的故意安排,而是以作品蓄积的内在气力为基础,由内向外、自然生发的浑融雄阔的艺术风格。雄浑不能勉强得来,它与作者自身的修养、气质密切相关。就作品而言,语言的组织、词汇的选择、意象的呈现等诸多要素趋向于崇高宏伟,与阔大雄奇的思想意识浑融无间,从总体上表现为雄浑的审美风貌。 This term, which literally means power and splendor, refers to a natural and powerful artistic style and aesthetic taste. In Daoist terms, the Way features the great and vast power of nature, hence the term. Powerfulness is not deliberately created by the author. Rather, it is a majestic, forceful style of

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兴利除害 – Chinese philosophy and culture

xīnglì-chúhài 兴利除害 Promote the Beneficial; Eliminate the Harmful 兴办对民众有利的事情,消除对民众有害的事情。作为执政者,应将百姓利益放在首位,多做利于天下百姓的事,除去为害百姓的事。中国古人,无论儒家、墨家、法家,都认为这是治国理政者的基本职责,也是治国理政者获得民众拥护的根本前提,因而也是权力正当性的依据所在。今之所谓“执政为民”,与此不无渊源。 Promote what is beneficial to the people; eliminate what is not. Those in power should place the interests of the public at the forefront of their concerns, focusing on what is beneficial and eliminating what is harmful. In ancient China, Confucians, Mohists, and Legalists all held

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兴 – Chinese philosophy and culture

xīng 兴 Evocation 主要指由外物触发内心情感而产生的审美感受和心理状态。作为美学范畴的“兴”接受了“兴观群怨”之“兴(xīnɡ)”与“赋比兴”之“兴(xìnɡ)”的双重影响而兼有两者的含义。从欣赏的角度来看,孔子所提出的“兴观群怨”之“兴”,注重读诗而引发的心理感受和教育功能,并非纯粹的文学理论;从创作的角度来看,“兴”是《诗经》“六义”(风、雅、颂、赋、比、兴)之一,一般说来,前三者为《诗经》的内容与体裁分类,后三者为《诗经》的创作手法。“兴”的基本特征为:由相类似的事物引发开来,运用想象与联想,达成譬喻,由此及彼,将所要表达的意义蕴含在形象中,使诗歌的韵味更加含蓄、深邃。“兴”将诗歌的发端与联想完整地融为一体,使人在鉴赏中回味无穷,是中国古代诗歌创作的特有手法。“兴”起初与“比”结合紧密,魏晋南北朝时它的蕴含和审美特征逐渐获得独立的发展,成为与“比兴”分立的诗学范畴,“兴”更注重外物对内心的感发触动。 This term refers to the state of mind in which external things evoke one’s inner feelings, thus creating aesthetic appreciation. As an aesthetic term, evocation means both stimulation and association. In artistic appreciation, Confucius used evocation to refer to the psychological effect and educational function of reading poetry, and it was

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消息 – Chinese philosophy and culture

xiāoxī 消息 Wax and Wane 事物的消减、衰亡与增长、生成,是事物的两种变化方式。这两种变化方式相互对立,但也会相互交替转化。事物增长到一定的限度就会开始消减,消减到一定程度也会转而增长。天地万物始终处在“消息”的变化之中,并遵循着内在的法则。人需要把握万物“消息”的规律,顺应“消息”的变化。 Waxing and waning are two ways in which things change. These two ways are opposites, but they also alternate with each other. When something has grown to a certain point, it will begin to decline, and having declined to a certain degree it will begin to grow again. All

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五德终始 – Chinese philosophy and culture

wǔdé zhōngshǐ 五德终始 The Cycle of Five Elements 用五行生克、循环往复交替作用的原理比附并解释历史上王朝兴替和制度变迁的一种学说。由战国思想家邹衍(前324?—前250)提出。“五德”即金、木、水、火、土“五行”或五种“德性”;“终始”即循环运转,周而复始。邹衍认为,人类历史的变化与天地万物一样,也受金、木、水、火、土五种物质元素的支配,每一王朝的出现都体现了五行中某一行的德性,历史上改朝换代、制度变迁的内在机理实际上就是五行相生相克、循环变化所作用的结果。这种源于阴阳五行思想的“德性”政治论和循环历史观,自诞生之日起在中国传统语境中就一直发挥着重要影响。 The cycle of five elements that repeatedly follow each other in fixed succession is a belief that interpreted the rise and fall of dynasties and political changes. It was propounded by Zou Yan (324?-250 BC), a thinker of the Warring States Period. The five elements are

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无我 – Chinese philosophy and culture

wúwǒ 无我 Anātman / Egolessness 没有真实存在的自我。佛教认为所谓的轮回主体并不真实存在,故称“无我”。无我的理念最初针对主流的婆罗门教思想,该教派认为在变幻复杂的个体经验之下,有一个恒常不变的自我。佛教则提出,所谓的“我”仅仅是诸多心理、物理现象的聚合。这种观念后来拓展到生命个体以外的范畴,说人、法皆无我,即任何事物都没有持久不变的核心本质或实在自体。 This notion means that there is no really existing self. Buddhism holds that a so-called subject in the reincarnation does not exist at all. That is why it is called “egolessness.” This idea was originally directed against the thinking of the then-popular Brahmanism. This religion assumes that in the

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