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On Chinese Traditional Culture
"Culture" The foundation and core is philosophy, and each culture is reflected in its specific values, value orientation and way of thinking. And each value concept and way of thinking is reflected in the lifestyle of each nation. Therefore, some scholars define "culture" as a way of life. Chinese culture can also be said to be a way of life for the Chinese people. "Traditional culture" simply means the culture that was produced on the basis of agricultural society; so Chinese traditional culture is the culture that was produced on the basis of China's agricultural society.
Today I will mainly talk about the following three issues: First, the status and role of Chinese traditional culture in world civilization. Second, the current situation of Chinese traditional culture. Third, briefly introduce the three most important parts of Chinese traditional culture—Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
1
Chinese culture has a long history and was once called "a civilization born in the Axial Age" by Jaspers. The so-called "Axial Age" refers to the 6th century BC to the 2nd century BC. Pre-Qin Confucianism emerged in this Axial Age. At the same time, the world has also produced such civilizations, such as ancient Greek civilization, Indian civilization, and Babylonian civilization. These civilizations have played a major role in the development of the world. However, the historical destinies of these four major civilizations are very different. With the demise of the ancient Roman Empire, Greek civilization was temporarily annihilated in Europe, and its culture was preserved in Arab countries. The Babylonian civilization also flourished for a while and eventually died out. Buddhism, the main symbol of Indian civilization, was founded by Sakyamuni in ancient India in the 6th century BC, but its growth and development took place in China. Buddhism was introduced into my country during the Han Dynasty. With the opposition, conflict, and integration between Buddhism and local culture (mainly Confucianism and Taoism), Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties finally emerged. After the emergence of Chinese civilization, it has never ceased on the land of China. The pre-Qin people studied Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism, and Legalism. Except for the Mohist school that was discontinued for a period of time after the Han Dynasty, it has always had a profound impact on China's politics, education, literature, as well as the nation's deep psychological structure, lifestyle and other aspects.
II
But it is regrettable that Chinese traditional culture has been in a state of "no children and no grandchildren" in the real society. A culture and a philosophy are the most important spiritual food for people to settle down and live their lives. When people lose their spiritual home and their place of residence, they will experience anxiety, hesitation, and uneasiness. This is a "nowhere state" in which "the sky is not above, the earth is not below, the people are not outside, and the self is not inside" - that is, it does not know the ultimate pursuit and care; it has no realistic concerns; it regards itself as a completely independent insulator. An individual; a state of loss of self and truth-seeking. Being in this "nowhere state" is the scariest thing. Hebrew culture produced many religious and theological thoughts due to its awe of God; Greek culture showed human nature and gained freedom through the exploration of nature and primitive deeds of the world; Chinese culture, especially Confucian culture, originated from The worry about life is not based on the worry and worry about the pain of life, but the worry about "not cultivating virtue, not learning, and not correcting the bad things you see." Zhang Hengqu once said: Establish a mind for the heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the livelihood of the people, carry on the unique knowledge for the saints, and create peace for all generations. "The most critical one is "to carry forward the unique learning of the past saints." We contemporary intellectuals should have a passionate pursuit and love for culture and morality, and should inherit the unique learning of the past saints.
三
The most important thing in traditional Chinese culture is Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. "If you don't know Confucianism, you can't join the world", which means "managing the world" and "helping the world", which highlights a promising spirit. , embodying the characteristics of "reality". Therefore, the characteristics of Confucianism are "being in the world, being proactive, and being realistic", that is, paying attention to life and society. This is the biggest feature of Chinese philosophy, Confucius said. : "If you don't know life, how can you know death?"; it emphasizes people and despises ghosts and gods, "If you can't serve people, how can you serve ghosts?" The spiritual realm of Confucianism is reflected in the "Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement; the terrain is strong." Kun, a gentleman carries his wealth with kindness. "The revelation of the level of life is just like what Mencius said: "compassion, shame, resignation, and a sense of right and wrong."
Confucianism's realistic concern lies in its accurate explanation of the level of human life. Human's There are two ways of life: survival and living. The way of survival is people's natural material needs; the way of life is people's pursuit of the world of meaning and value. Mencius once said, "How are humans different from animals?" "Why were the ancients so worried? It's because people will throw away what makes them human if they are not careful, and they will become almost like animals. In fact, everyone has two "channels": the right channel controls the way of survival; the left channel controls the way of survival; But modern people turn on their right channel all day long, and rarely turn on the left channel. Some people never know that there is a bright side to life.
Another important characteristic of Confucianism. It is: the pursuit of "harmonious" relationships between people, society, and nature. Confucius said: "A benevolent person loves others." How to love? "Madam, if you want to establish yourself, you can help others. "Being able to draw close examples can be said to be the way of benevolence." The ancient Chinese called it the Golden Rule, which includes two meanings: "continuous self-improvement" and "being a good mother", that is, "improving yourself and becoming a person." This is the essence of Confucianism.
At the same time, Confucianism also stipulates the most basic principle "Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you", that is, "forgiveness", which is "a word that can be deeded". In 1992, the World Conference of Religions held in Chicago, USA, stated this principle. It serves as the golden rule of global ethics. Because the Confucian "forgiveness" has its own unique sentiments: "the harmony between people and things," "the unity of nature and man," and "the unity of man and nature."
Confucianism emphasizes vigor and determination and struggle. But people will encounter setbacks in the process of struggle, and wisdom is needed at this time. This wisdom is Taoist culture. The ancients said: If you don't know your home, you can't be born. It highlights the Taoist spirit of "inaction" and embodies the "surreal" characteristics. Taoist thought also lies in a distinct critical spirit: criticism of the loss of human nature in the process of social civilization, that is, the "antinomy of historical development" - civilization has progressed and productivity has increased, but the cost is also heavy. "Laozi" believes: "The reason why the people are hungry is because of the large amount of food taxes on them. The reason why the people are hungry is because of the large amount of food taxes on them. The reason why the people are hungry is because there is something to do about it." "Food tax", "Youwei - "The formulation of rules and regulations" is all done by force and chaos, which is against human nature. "Zhuangzi" criticizes rulers who "go on pilgrimage, have no fields left, carry sharp swords, hate food and drink, and have more than enough money. This is the way, but it is not the way." A civilized society should be "the way of heaven makes up for the excess when it damages the excess"; but in reality However, the human nature of China "makes up more than it loses". This is a great injustice, so Taoists must vigorously criticize it.
Taoism believes that human beings are not free because of "material slavery", "emotional exhaustion", "heart stagnation" and "intentional contamination" - enslaved by external material desires; burdened by emotions; the entire consciousness is pollute. These are the things that Taoists despise most.
Taoism also has a very profound understanding of the life and death of Chinese people. Human beings are part of nature. They come from nature and go to nature. This is the magnification of nature. Taoism believes that there are three realms of life and death: "rebirth and death";
Taoist "nature" is also very important. Lao Tzu's "nature" does not refer to the natural world in which "the sun, moon, stars, and stars rotate, the yin and yang are in harmony, and the wind and rain are flowing", but refers to the original state of "nature is created by nature." Both humans and nature are created by nature. .
Characteristics of "Buddhism": "empty", that is, unreal existence or false existence. Sakyamuni proposed the "harmony of causes and conditions" - everything in the world is composed of many causes and conditions. This "harmony of causes and conditions" refers to internal causes and external conditions, which are called conditions. Everything in the world is composed of many criss-crossing causes, and there is no independent existence without causes and conditions. Therefore, Buddhism derives three major laws from this: all forms are impermanent, all dharmas are selfless, and Nirvana is peaceful. The conditions for its formation change all the time, so it must be impermanent. "All dharmas have no self" means that there is no insulated entity. All things in the world, including God and Gods, are created by other conditions and are the result of the combination of causes and conditions. But people don't understand this truth, so they have a lot of troubles.
There are eight most common worries: birth, old age, illness, death, love and separation, resentment and resentment, not getting what you want, and not getting what you want. This is not to say that Buddhism is negative and pessimistic. The original intention of the Buddha is to "find happiness through suffering." How to "find happiness through suffering"? Buddhism proposes many laws, such as the "Three Learnings", the "Five Precepts" and the "Six Perfections". The "three studies" are: precepts, concentration, and wisdom. The "precepts" of Buddhism are prescriptions for the most common mistakes in life. There are three major problems in life: First, it is easy to do wrong things. Therefore, Buddhism has formulated many precepts, such as the five precepts - no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no drinking, and no lying. These precepts have universal ethical significance. The second problem is that people's minds are scattered and unable to concentrate, so Buddhism proposes "meditation". The third problem in life is people's "namelessness", so Buddhism must propose "wisdom of prajna". "Prajna wisdom" is "undifferentiated wisdom", such as the non-dual method, equality, and patience. The "six perfections" refer to: the ten precepts, meditation, prajna, generosity, patience, and diligence. The "giving" of Buddhism is not the "giving of wealth", but the "giving of Dharma" - spreading principles and ideas to everyone unconditionally and without any benefit, so that everyone can clearly understand their own nature; the highest is "giving without doing anything" ——Give you courage. "Patience" is the endurance of shame. "Exercise" means specialization and progress. Here we can see that Buddhism requires people to ascend to a higher realm.
The so-called "Buddha" is a kind of existence that transcends human nature and is undifferentiated and perfect. How to become a Buddha? "It is now" - understand the principle of "the harmony of causes and conditions", and you can become a Buddha; as long as you know your mind, you are the Buddha. The Buddha is not in a distant country or the other shore, but in your heart, and there is nowhere to turn to outside your heart.
The three cultures of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have had a significant impact on the lives and lifestyles of Chinese people from their own aspects. The ultimate goal is to seek the most essential existence that is consistent with human nature. People who live according to this culture are meaningful and valuable beings.
Finally, I use the language of Buddhism to end today’s speech - "The state of mind arises from the heart." "Situation" refers to the external environment, which is transformed by people's hearts, thoughts, and subjectivity. This close connection between subjectivity and subject is the existence of meaning and value; this world of meaning and value is created and manifested by the human heart. If a person is correct, then the world of value and meaning is also correct. But in the same situation, the same situation, people with different qualities, and people with different moods have completely different understandings. As Confucius said: A gentleman is known as righteousness, and a villain is known as benefit. It can be seen that "state of mind" is very important, so we must continue to follow the holy teachings, improve our spiritual realm, and sublimate the level of life.
Chinese traditional culture contains three ideas of peace
Cai Degui wrote an article in "Academic Weekly" that China has a civilization history of more than 6,000 years, and China's peace culture has a long history. British philosopher Russell has long pointed out: "(Chinese people) have a much weaker desire to rule others than white people. If there is a nation in the world that is 'too proud to fight', then this nation is China. The Chinese people's innate attitude It means being tolerant and friendly, treating others with courtesy and hoping to get something in return." Coincidentally, when asked where the European people should find new moral strength to replace militarism, Gu Hongming, a famous figure in modern China, said: "I believe that the European people will find a new source of moral strength in China. Find it in Chinese civilization. Since the time of Confucius 2,500 years ago, we Chinese have not had the kind of militarism we see in Europe today. In China, war is an accident, but in Europe. , war is a necessity.” The article believes that Chinese traditional culture has rich cultural resources for peace. Three major schools of peace theory emerged in Chinese history: the peace theory of order - Confucianism, the peace theory of action - Mohism, and the peace theory of following nature - Taoism. Their thoughts have become the mainstream of Chinese thought and culture and have continued China's peace culture.
An introduction to the essence and dregs of Chinese traditional culture
The essence and dregs of Chinese traditional culture is a very big topic. Before discussing, it is necessary to make some agreements on the connotations of the words used. The definition of "culture" in this article refers to the way of survival and the joy of survival of human beings beyond animals. "Traditional culture" refers to the human way of life and the joy of life that have existed, happened, and are remembered today in the history of civilization, as well as the above-mentioned way of life and the joy of life that are still used or have been modified and developed today. . The "China" and "culture" in "Chinese traditional culture" not only refer to China in today's national geographical territory, but also include historical China (the territory has changed), as well as other regions and other ethnic groups influenced by Chinese culture; Relevant regional and national cultures before the emergence of China and the formation of the Chinese nation.
Essence and dross are a pair of conceptual phrases that contrast with each other, and there is a gray area or neutral zone between them. The judgment of the essence and the dross involves both subjective intention and objective standards, and there are often overlapping areas of space and time between the two. The above factors will inevitably lead to ambiguity in the judgment of the essence and the dross.
In view of this, when discussing the essence and dross of traditional Chinese culture, the author suggests approaching the topic from the following aspects:
1. The right to judge. In terms of time, it involves the judgment rights of previous generations, the judgment rights of contemporary people, and the judgment rights of future generations. From a spatial perspective, it involves the government’s (official) right to judge, the people’s (private) right to judge, scholars’ right to judge, and the parties’ right to judge. Here, the absence of final judgment is acceptable.
2. Basis for judgment. Different people may have different judgments on whether a certain culture or cultural phenomenon is the essence, the dross, or gray and neutral. The basis that the author recommends includes: 1. Is this culture beneficial to the survival and development of the parties involved? 2. Does this culture bring survival joy to the person concerned? 3. Does this culture lead to degradation or sublimation of the soul of the person concerned? 4. Does this culture harm other people’s survival and enjoyment?
3. Diversity of cultural effects. Culture not only has the functions pursued by users, but also has a wide range of effects on users and other people. These effects can be both good and bad; in other words, they can be both good and bad. The problem here is that the ability to identify and appreciate a certain culture, as well as the mentality of coping, may lead to different effects. At the same time, changes in the living conditions of the parties may also lead to different evaluations of the same culture. If people generally have a higher level of education and good cultivation, they can be more tolerant of different cultural forms, and they may also absorb more of the beneficial aspects of a certain culture.
4. Cultural form is actually closely related to living conditions and ways of living. It can be said that the cultural expressions of hygiene customs between people in water-scarce areas in northern China and people in water-rich areas in southern China are mainly a matter of objective conditions rather than differences in human nature. What needs to be emphasized here is that information carriers play a powerful role in cultural forms. China’s square Chinese characters not only contributed to the advanced formation of China’s unified country (compared to Europe), but also contributed to the unique poetry and couplets in Chinese culture. , word puzzles and other cultural forms.
5. Any traditional culture is the survival mark or imprint of the nation and the country. From this perspective, any traditional culture has its historical value. We people today can judge it, but we should not deny it completely or laugh at it superficially. Instead, we should seal up its memory or choose one of them. Inherit and develop the ingredients that are beneficial to today. For example, the author once said that Peking Opera is the "sound of national subjugation". The reason is that the dignitaries of the Qing Dynasty were intoxicated with it, spent a lot of time, and lost the research, study and reference of emerging Western science and technology and innovative social management. interests and opportunities, and thus suffered a disastrous defeat in the invasion of Western powers; obviously, this is a judgment from the perspective of the social functions of culture and art, rather than from a comprehensive historical perspective.
From today's perspective, Peking Opera has actually become a rich legacy in Chinese traditional culture.
6. The culture of disadvantaged groups or special groups, as well as the culture of minorities and individuals. For the cultural behavior of these people, the standards for judging should be different from those of popular culture and mainstream culture. For example, the weird, eccentric, and unique behaviors of certain groups or individuals may be induced by special physiological, pathological, or psychological factors, or they may be an advanced social behavior.
7. Use the label "feudal superstition" with caution. "Superstition" refers to the person's belief in something that does not exist. This behavior is widespread in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad, and is not unique to feudal society. In addition, what many people today call “feudal superstition” does not always have only negative social functions and effects. For example, the folk custom of worshiping the Kitchen God in our country contains the benign social function of "punishing evil and promoting good". For another example, the Taoist "Five Poison Elimination Talisman" also contains the connotation of popular science. It is responsible for popularizing knowledge about common poisonous animals (toads, snakes, scorpions, spiders, and centipedes) to the public.
8. The judgment of essence and dross is contemporary and realistic. The essence of culture that the ancients talked about may not be so essential today, and may even become dross. For the evaluation of the cultures of different countries and different ethnic groups, there are often realistic political factors, national sentimental factors, and economic interest factors. In this context, "purely academic" cultural judgments may be foolish or nerdy.
Based on the above considerations, the author believes that there are a lot of essences in traditional Chinese culture, including the desire for endless life, the interpretation of the joy of survival, responsibility for society, affinity for nature, and love for nature. The pursuit of friendship, the attachment to family ties, the persistence of morality, the integration of nationalities, the sublimation of the soul, the solution to the unknown world, the use of information and cultural means, the respect for wisdom and knowledge, etc.
At the same time, from today's perspective, there are also many dross or outdated elements in China's traditional culture. In the author's opinion, the more prominent dross is the culture of servility. The essence of slavish culture is personal dependence. It is an ignoble existence at the expense of the development and publicity of personality. Slavery culture exists not only in the state management system, but also in social groups, schools and families. In front of superiors, subordinates often lose their dignity; in front of teachers, students often lose their own opinions; in front of parents, children often have no right to speak.
The social cost of servile culture is mainly the autocratic social management method and the atrophy or even obliteration of the national innovative spirit. This is because another term for servile culture is actually power culture, and power culture is a culture that ignores the rule of law and does not respect human rights. It is also an unfair culture. In this case, the intelligence of most members of society is suppressed, and at the same time the overall long-lasting vitality of the nation is suppressed.
In fact, discussing the essence and dross of Chinese traditional culture abstractly or purely academically does not have much meaning and value. For today's Chinese people, what we really need is not to judge which traditional culture is the essence or which is the dross, but to explore which traditional culture is outdated or out of date. For outdated traditional culture, the important thing is not to criticize it, but to seal it (leave it unused) or transform it. Transforming traditional culture includes mental transformation and practical transformation; the so-called mental transformation means reducing the degree of belief in the culture and its value recognition; the so-called practical transformation means transforming its outdated elements and adding new ones. cultural components. For example, dragon dancing was originally a religious ritual to pray for rain, but today it has evolved into an entertainment activity. Another example is that the cultural concept of having more children and being blessed is today replaced by the cultural concept of eugenics and eugenics. If we want to govern the country with virtue, we should first transform and abandon the outdated traditional culture.
At the same time, for a country and a nation, it must not only inherit excellent traditional culture, but also constantly create new culture. The new culture created by the Chinese is the continuation of traditional Chinese culture, because the Chinese people’s blood and souls contain the nutrients and ingredients of traditional Chinese culture.