Chinese Thought and Culture

jiǎmíng 假名 Prajñapti / Designation 赋予虚妄现象的名称。佛教的一些派别主张，事物不实在，但之所以呈现出种种差别，是因为对它们进行概念指称后，将名称所指误当作真实存在的对象。而事实上，一切事物由各种条件和合而成，在概念思维的观察作用下才得其名称，其名并无实可当，故谓假名。 “Designation” is the provisional naming that refers to things that lack any intrinsic nature. In Buddhism, some schools argue that nothing in the universe exists. The reason why things appear to be different from each other is that as soon as they are designated by different names, what the names […]

jìlǐ 祭礼 Sacrificial Ceremony 祭祀之礼，是人伦生活中的一项重要礼仪。依据古礼的规定，祭祀的对象包括天地、日月、山川以及逝去的先人等。人们通过“祭礼”表达对受祭对象的敬重或畏惧，并希望受祭对象认可自身的言行，从而获得其护佑并享有其赐予的福禄。“祭礼”对祭祀者及相应仪节的规定，也彰显着祭祀者在人伦生活中的身份与地位。当代社会仍然保留着一些祭祀活动，但其仪式与意义都发生了显著的变化。 The sacrificial ceremony is one of the major rituals in the life of the Chinese. In ancient times, sacrificial ceremonies were held to show reverence for heaven, earth, the sun, the moon, mountains, rivers, or ancestors. By holding a sacrificial ceremony for such things or ancestors, people showed their respect

huǎnghū 恍惚 Intangible Existence 若有若无，难以捉摸。又作“惚恍”。在《老子》书中，“恍惚”被用以描述“道”的状态。老子认为，“道”是无形的，不能用任何有形事物的属性加以描述。同时，“道”又不是完全的虚空，“道”对于万物发挥着实在的影响。“道”所具有的这样一种若有若无的状态即是“恍惚”。 The term refers to a state of existence which is hard to see and ascertain. It is used in Laozi to describe the existential characteristics of Dao. According to Laozi, Dao is shapeless, nebulous, and beyond characterization by anything physical or material. At the same time, it is not completely void,

huángdì 皇帝 Emperor 中国帝制时代最高统治者之称号。源于上古传说中的“三皇五帝”。“三皇”说法很多，或说伏羲氏、神农氏、燧人氏，或说伏羲氏、神农氏、女娲；“五帝”通常指黄帝、颛顼（zhuānxū）、帝喾（kù）、唐尧、虞舜。其实他们只是远古部落或部落联盟的首领，只是因为他们都有超凡的功绩（如伏羲教人渔猎，创制八卦）而被尊称为“皇”或“帝”（从字源上说，“皇”有美大之义，“帝”有明察精审之义）。秦王嬴政（前259—前210）统一中国后，认为自己的功德超过了三皇五帝，于是创“皇帝”称号，自称“始皇帝”。从此，“皇帝”一词成为传统中国最高统治者的称呼。 The supreme ruler of imperial China was called huangdi, meaning “emperor.” The origin of this word is a legend of ancient sovereigns known as the three huang (皇 sovereigns) and five di (帝 emperors). It is said that the three huang were Fuxi, Shennong and Suiren, while others identify them as Fuxi, Shennong and

héxié 和谐 Harmony 相互协调，彼此融洽得当。“和”即协调和睦；“谐”即融洽，适宜得当。“和谐”首先指不同声音之间的配合得当，构成音乐的整体协调；后指良好的社会关系和治理状态，在尊重差异性、多样性的基础上，达成结合共生的关系，从而形成社会的有机整体。在这个整体中，人们各得其所，各安其位，和睦相处，相得益彰，井然有序，生活安康。它是儒家处理人际关系的重要伦理原则和社会政治理想，至今仍被视为核心价值之一。它可泛指人与人之间、团体与团体之间、国家与国家之间和睦、和平、融洽的关系状态。它体现了中华民族反对暴力冲突、崇尚和平秩序的“文”的精神。 This term implies mutual coordination and friendship. The Chinese term hexie (和谐) originally referred to the simultaneous combination of different tones that gave rise to a musical work. Later it came to mean a state of governance in which there are good social relations of coexistence based on respect for differences and

ɡuānxiànɡ 观象 Observing Images 观察物象或卦象。“象”是指可见而不具有固定形体的物象。“象”的自然呈现，如天象、气象等，体现着人和事物内在的特质及其变化的规则。古人也人为创造了各种“象”的系统，来描摹自然的物象，如卦象等。“观象”即是通过对“象”的观察，来把握自然与社会运行发展的规则。 This term means to observe images of phenomena or those of hexagrams. “Images” refer to the appearance of phenomena that can be seen, but have no fixed form. Images of nature, such as the sky or weather, represent the inherent features of humans and events and the laws governing their

guàyáocí 卦爻辞 Hexagram Texts 附在每卦、每爻之下的文辞。“卦爻辞”来自于占筮的记录，后来经过编者的编纂而附于六十四卦每卦、每爻之下。“卦爻辞”大体包括两类内容，一是判定吉凶之辞，二是叙事之辞。这些文辞记录了古代社会生活多方面的情形，同时也反映了古人对于天帝、神灵以及生活世界的某些认识。 These are written statements appended to each hexagram and each line within hexagrams. “Hexagram texts,” which came from divination records, were later compiled and attached individually to each of the 64 hexagrams and each line within the hexagrams. The texts generally fall into two categories: one indicating auspicious or inauspicious

gōng yù shàn qí shì, bì xiān lì qí qì 工欲善其事，必先利其器 A Craftsman Must Sharpen His Tools to Do His Job. 工匠想要很好地完成工作，必须先把工具弄得锋利好用。这是《论语·卫灵公》中记载的孔子（前551—479）的话。孔子本意是说，上层社会中有才能、有仁德的人是实现仁德理想的“利器”，为他们做事，和他们结为朋友，才能得到实现仁德理想的机会，有利于国家和社会。后来多用于比喻要做好一件事，准备工作与工作的手段、方法是很重要的。其中隐含的道理是：目的决定手段的选择，手段决定目的的实现。 This saying by Confucius (551-479 BC) is recorded in The Analects. By this Confucius originally meant that talented and virtuous people in the upper class were “tools” for realizing the ideals of benevolence.

fú huò xiāng yǐ 福祸相倚 Fortune and Misfortune Are Intertwined. 福与祸是相互依存的。“福祸”本义是福庆与灾祸，泛指吉凶、利弊、得失、好坏等对立的两个方面。中国古人认为，两个方面的对立关系是相对的，其间也有同一性，它们辩证地统一于事物的过程中，并随着事物的演变、条件的变化而相互转化，坏事可以引出好的结果，好事也可以引出坏的结果。这一辩证法提示人们，在好的形势下要防止坏的事情发生；在坏的形势下也要看到光明，并适时促其向好的方面转化。“物极必反”“居安思危”“塞翁失马，焉知非福”等思想与此辩证法不无关联。 Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. The term “fortune and misfortune” refers broadly to opposing aspects such as the auspicious and inauspicious, advantages and disadvantages, gains and losses, good and bad. The ancient Chinese believed that such opposing aspects are relative, and that they also

fóxìng 佛性 Buddhadhātu / Buddha-nature 指众生觉悟的可能性。佛教经典一般承认，一切众生都有觉悟成佛的可能性，此即佛性。从词义上说，佛性指佛的基本因子。而正由于这种基本条件的存在，凡夫才能通过累世累劫的修炼，达到完全觉悟的目标。常见的另一个概念“如来藏”（tathāgatagarbha），在解脱论的意义上与“佛性”几乎等同，只是侧重点有别，它特别指出众生自性本来清净、有待彰显的本质特性。 Buddha-nature is a latent seed or potentiality inherent to the sentient beings that may, once matured, result in the achievement of buddhahood. Buddhanature, or buddha element, is universally present in all sentient beings, thanks to which, those who can withstand the difficult engagement of (Buddhist) practice throughout their lives in