Some Chinese symbolism - Virtues

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Those who possess high virtues do not need virtue.

Those who possess mundane virtues have to force themselves to be

virtuous.

Those who argue about virtues do not know virtue.

 

COMMENTARY:

 

High virtues come from Earlier Heaven. In Earlier Heaven all

five virtues are complete. Confucianism teaches uprightness,

sacrifice, propriety, intelligence, and trust, as virtues and

regards dedication and forgiveness as moral actions. Buddhism

views abstinence from killing, robbery, sexual perversity,

madness and drunkenness as virtues and regards kindness and

compassion as moral actions. In Taoism, virtue is the cultivation

of the five elements (gold- or metal, wood, water, fire, earth)

and moral action is intuitive understanding. The highest virtues

are untainted because they have not been touched by Later Heaven.

Therefore, there is no need to improve on the high virtues. They

are originally in us and there is no need to improve on the high

virtues. They are originally in us and there is no need to look

for them elsewhere.

Those who possess mundane virtues need to make an effort to

be virtuous. This is because their virtues are influenced by

Later Heaven and are no longer pristine. The essence of the five

high virtues is lost. If these people do not make an effort to be

virtuous then it will be very difficult for them to return to

Earlier Heaven. They need to know what is wrong and then make an

effort to correct it. They must stop killing and recover

uprightness; stop unscrupulous actions and recover selflessness;

stop sexual perversity and recover propriety; stop drunkenness

and regain intelligence; stop rash actions and regain trust.

Uprightness, selflessness, propriety, intelligence, and trust

need to be achieved by conscious effort.

Those who argue about virtue do not know what is true virtue.

They see people refrain from killing and criticize them for

placing too much value on animal life at the expense of their

health. They see people being kind to the poor and criticize them

for emptying their pockets to pay another person’s debts. They

see people refrain from sexual perversity and criticize them for

repressing their desire. They see others refrain from drunkenness

and say that meaty and wine are for eating and drinking. They see

others not speak rashly and say that if the intentions are good,

it should not matter what is said. They argue about everything

and understand nothing.

They do not know what uprightness, selflessness, propriety,

intelligence, and trust mean in Confucianism. They do not know

what is meant by cultivating gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.

They do not know what is meant by abstinence from killing,

robbery, perversities, madness, and drunkenness.

If you do not refrain from killing, then you are not upright.

The element Wood will be missing. In heaven, the ruling star of

the year will not be at rest. On earth, there will be disasters

in the east. In the body, the liver and the gall bladder will be

injured. If you do not refrain from stealing, then you do not

have the virtue of selflessness. The element Metal will be

missing. In heaven, the star T’ai-pa (the White Tiger) will not

be at peace. On earth, there will be disasters in the west. In

the body, the lungs and the large intestine will be injured. If

you indulge in sexual pursuits, in heaven, the star Yin-h’ua will

not be at rest. On earth there will be disasters in the south. In

the body, the heart and small intestine will be injured. If you

do not refrain from drunkenness, then your intelligence is lost.

The element Water will be missing. In heaven, the Morning Star

will not be at peace. On earth, there will be disasters in the

north. In the body, the kidneys and the bladder will be injured.

If you do not refrain from madness and rash actions, then the

virtue of trust will be lost. The element Earth will be missing.

In heaven, the Guardian Star will not be at rest. On earth, there

will be disasters at the center,. In the body, the spleen and the

stomach will be injured.

 

The sages say:

 

The virtues of Earlier Heaven are of pure Yang,

If you are willing to cultivate them they will be strong,

If the five virtues, the five centers, and the Three Treasures

are complete,

Then what need is there to work hard to hang onto the virtues?

 

The Three religions(Confucianism, Taoism Buddhism) come from the

same origin,

Why is there the need to distinguish east and west,

They are in the Three Flowers, the Three Treasures and the Three

Refuges,

They are in the five virtues, the five elements, and the five

abstinences.

 

The completion of the virtues is a most mysterious thing,

It relies on the foundations of the five abstinences.

You who are stubborn and hold your heads high,

Do not wait until you are in the realm of the dead to regret,

For then it will be too late.

 

Cultivating Stllness – A Taoist Manual for Transforming

Body and Mind.

From the Taoist Canon, attributed to T’ai Shang Lao-chun(a title

of Lao-Tzu)

Written in the Six-Dinasties era (220-589 c.e.).

Translated by Eva Wong

Shambhala Publications.

 

--- victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon escreveu:

 

> This is some basic help for understanding some of the symbolism

> that

> finds its way into TCM names of medical conditions, formulas,

> and

> books on TCM. It also provides a basic for understanding 5

> Element

> terminology and symbolism as well as Feng Shui and some of the

> symbolism in the I Ching.

>

> Overall, the dragon is the symbol of Heaven, and the tiger of

> earth.

>

> In 5 Elements, the blue-green dragon is associated with the

> Element

> Wood, the direction East, and the Wood Organs Liver (Yin Wood)

> and

> Gall Bladder (Yin Wood).

>

> The red bird (sometimes called a Phoenix) is associated with

> the

> Fire Element, the direction South, and the Fire Organs Heart

> (Yin

> Fire) and Small Intestine (Yang Fire).

>

> The white tiger is associated with the Metal Element, the

> direction

> West, and the Metal Organs Lungs (Yin Metal) and Large

> Intestine

> (Yang Metal).

>

> The black tortoise is associated with the Water Element, the

> direction North, and the Water Organs Kidneys (Yin Water) and

> Bladder (Yang Water).

>

> The Earth Element is located between these 4, and its color is

> yellow. The Spleen is Yin Earth, and the Stomach is Yang Earth.

> When

> you see the Pinyin word " huang " (with a small / over the a) in

> the

> name of an herb, it very often means " yellow " . Later on you'll

> be

> learning about the importance TCM pays to the color of herbs.

> This

> isn't as far-fetched as some Western readers may think.

> Chemical and

> healing properties are often associated with color. For example

>

> yellow fruits and vegetables are loaded with beta-carotine, the

>

> precussor to vitamin A. It's what gives them their yellow

> color. TCM

> doesn't look at vitamins and other Western-defined chemicals,

> but it

> has over many centuries noticed that certain colors often have

> certain properties and an affinity for certain Elements and

> Organs.

> The correspondences aren't 100% in the case of herbs and

> Organs,

> but a general guide. For example, yellow herbs often do help

> the

> Spleen and Stomach. (Not a 100% correlation.) Black sesame

> seeds are

> particularly good for the Kidneys. Etc.

>

> The word " huang " (with a small / over the a) doesn't always

> mean " yellow " . Chinese has a number of words that are

> pronounced

> the same, but written differently. Like to, too, and two in

> English. But, chances are if you see the pinyin word " huang "

> (with a

> small / over the a) in the name of an herb, it means " yellow " .

> (Chinese doesn't use an alphabet. Instead words and concepts

> are

> represented by pictograms. Pinyin is the use of a Western

> alphabet

> to represent Chinese words. There are several words in Chinese

> that

> are pronounced " huang " (with a small / tonal mark over the a),

> but

> the way the words are written in Chinese are all different.

>

> Chinese maps are the opposite of Western maps. Chinese maps

> put

> South at the top, and North at the bottom. East is on the left

>

> instead of the right, and West is on the right instead of the

> left.

> This is one of those little differences that can be confusing

> to

> Westerners when they first began to study things having to do

> with

> China.

>

> The Yin Organs are " solid " - Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and

> Kidneys. The Yang Organs are hollow - Gall Bladder, Small

> Intestine,

> Stomach, Large Intestine, and Bladder. The hollow Organs are

> referred to as " bowels " , but for simplicity's sake all often

> are

> referred to as Organs in English. The names of TCM Organs are

> capitalized because TCM Organs are not equivalent to the

> anatomical

> organs. TCM Organs are collections of functions. What that

> means

> will become clearer as those new to TCM learn more.

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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