Chinese Thought and Culture

By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values.

道 – Dao (Way) – Chinese philosophy

拼音 标题 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. dào 道 Dao (Way) 本义指人所行之路,引申而有三重含义:其一,指不同领域的事物所遵循的法则,如日月星辰运行的规律称为天道,人事活动所遵循的规律称为人道;其二,指万事万物所遵循的普遍法则;其三,指事物的本原或本体,超越于有形的具体事物,是万物生成的基始,又是万物存在和人类行为的根据。儒家、道家、佛教等都谈论道,其内涵差异甚大。儒家之道以仁义礼乐为基本内容,佛教和道家之道偏重“空”“无”方面的意义。 In its original meaning, dao (道) is the way or path […]

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Translation of “大同” in English – Universal Harmony

dàtóng 关键词 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. dàtóng 大同 Universal Harmony 儒家理想中的天下一家、人人平等、友爱互助的太平盛世(与“小康”相对)。儒家认为它是人类社会发展的最高阶段,类似于西方的乌托邦。其主要特征是:权力和财富归社会公有;社会平等,安居乐业;人人能得到社会的关爱;货尽其用,人尽其力。清末民初,“大同”又被用来指称西方传来的社会主义、共产主义、世界主义等概念。 This term refers to the time of peace and prosperity

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Translation of “诚” in English – Sincerity

chéng 诚 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. chéng 诚 Sincerity “诚”是儒家思想的核心概念之一,其基本含义是真实无妄。儒家认为,“诚”是“天道”或“天理”的本质,是万物得以存在的根据。同时,“诚”也是道德的本原和基础,一切道德的行为必须建立在内心真实无妄之上,否则便是虚妄,《中庸》称之为“不诚无物”。圣人以“诚”为本性,其言行自然与“天道”“天理”相合;君子则以“诚”作为道德修养的目标以及达于“天道”“天理”的途径。 Sincerity is among the core concepts of the Confucian school of

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Translation of “般若” in English – Buddhist Wisdom

bōrě 般若 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. bōrě 般若 Buddhist Wisdom 梵文prajñā的音译(或译为“波若”)。意为“智慧”,指能洞见一切事物本性、认识万物真相的最高的智慧。佛教认为,“般若”是超越一切世俗认识的特殊智慧,是觉悟得道、修成佛或菩萨的所有修行方法的指南或根本。然而,这种智慧本身无形无相,不可言说,仅能依赖各种方便法门而有所领悟。 The term is the transliteration of the Sanskrit word prajñā,

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Translation of “本末” in English – (The Fundamental and the Incidental)

běnmò 本末 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. běnmò 本末 Ben and Mo (The Fundamental and the Incidental) 本义指草木的根和梢,引申而为中国哲学的重要概念。其含义可以概括为三个方面:其一,指具有不同价值和重要性的事物,根本的、主要的事物为“本”,非根本的、次要的事物为“末”;其二,世界的本体或本原为“本”,具体的事物或现象为“末”;其三,在道家的政治哲学中,无为之治下的自然状态为“本”,各种具体的道德、纲常为“末”。在“本末”对待的关系中,“本”具有根本性、主导性的作用和意义,“末”由“本”而生,依赖“本”而存在,但“本”的作用的发挥仍需以“末”为载体。二者既相互区别,又相互依赖。 The two characters literally

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Translation of “悲慨” in English – Melancholy and Resentment

bēikǎi  悲慨 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. Melancholy and Resentment 悲伤愤慨。慨,感慨,愤慨。是晚唐诗人司空图所概括的诗歌的二十四种风格之一。主要指诗作中所表现出的悲剧性情结。当诗人命途多舛或身处困境,或面对壮阔景观或大的事件而自觉力量渺小,会产生忧愁、悲哀、感伤、激愤的情绪,投射到诗歌创作中则形成“悲慨”风格。这一术语看似近于西方文学理论的“悲剧”范畴,实质上受道家思想影响较大,而最后往往趋于无奈或趋于旷达。 Melancholy and resentment, which here refers to a sense of helplessness

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