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Straw Dog
Straw dogs or grass dogs (), figures of dogs made out of straw, were used as ceremonial objects in ancient China, as a substitute for the sacrifice of living dogs. has been used figuratively to refer to anything discarded after use. Use as a metaphor ''Tao Te Ching'' Chapter 5 of the ''Tao Te Ching'' makes use of the phrase () to compare living beings to straw dogs. This metaphor is used to explain the non-humanity ( ) of Heaven and Earth: However, some translators prefer to interpret this phrase as two separate words, "straw" () ''and'' "dogs" (), rather than together, as "straw dogs" (). This verse is usually interpreted as an expression of the Taoist rejection of the principle of (), one of the Five Constant Virtues in Confucianism, variously translated as "humanity", "benevolence", "partiality", or "kind acts". Su Zhe's commentary on the verse explains: "Heaven and Earth are not partial. They do not kill living things out of cruelty or give them birth out of kindness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Straw
Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry wikt:stalk, stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the crop yield, yield by weight of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has a number of different uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and basket making. Straw is usually gathered and stored in a straw bale, which is a wikt:bale, bale, or bundle, of straw tightly bound with twine, wire, or string. Straw bales may be square, rectangular, star shaped or round, and can be very large, depending on the type of baler used. Uses Current and historic uses of straw include: Animal feed Straw may be fed as part of the roughage component of the diet to cattle or horses that are on a near maintenance level of energy requirement. It has a low digestible energy and nutrient content (as opposed to hay, which is much more nutritious). The heat generated when microorganisms in a h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dogs In Ancient China
Dogs (''Canis lupus familiaris''), known in Classical Chinese as ''quan'' (), played an important role in ancient Chinese society. Domestication Remains of dogs and pigs have been found in the oldest Neolithic settlements of the Yangshao (circa 4000 BC) and Hemudu (circa 5000 BC) cultures. Canine remains similar to the Dingo have been found in some early graves excavated in northern China. Tests on neolithic dog bones show similarities between dogs from this era and modern-day Japanese dogs, especially the shiba inu. Dogs as ceremonial sacrifice According to Bruno Schindler, the origin of using dogs as sacrificial animals dates back to a primitive cult in honour of a dog-shaped god of vegetation whose worship later became amalgamated with that of Shang Di, the reigning deity of the Shang pantheon. Systematic excavation of Shang tombs around Anyang since 1928 have revealed a large number of animal and human sacrifices. There was hardly a tomb or a building consecrated wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tao Te Ching
The ''Tao Te Ching'' () or ''Laozi'' is a Chinese classic text and foundational work of Taoism traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship and date of composition and compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion dates to the late 4th century BC. The ''Tao Te Ching'' is central to both philosophical and religious Taoism, and has been highly influential to Chinese philosophy and Religion in China, religious practice in general. It is generally taken as preceding the ''Zhuangzi (book), Zhuangzi'', the other core Taoist text.. Terminology originating within the text has been reinterpreted and elaborated upon by Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Legalist thinkers, Confucianists, and particularly Chinese Buddhists, introduced to China significantly after the initial solidification of Taoist thought. One of the most translated texts in world literature, the text is well known in the West.. Title In English, the title is commonly rendered ''Tao ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baixing
Baixing () or lao baixing () is a traditional Chinese term, meaning "the people" or "commoners." The word "lao" () is often added as a prefix before "baixing". A confederation of tribes living along the Yellow River were the ancestors of what later became the Han ethnic group in China. Several large tribes, including the Huangdi tribes (), Yandi tribes (), and the Yi tribes, formed an alliance that consisted of roughly 100 tribes. This alliance is the origin of the Baixing, or the "hundred surnames." Around 2,000 Han Chinese surnames are currently in use, but 19 of these surnames are used by about half of the Han Chinese people. About 87% of the population share 100 surnames. Chinese family names Chinese family names are patrilineal, meaning derived from father to children. After marriage, Chinese women typically retain their maiden name. Two distinct types of Chinese surnames existed in ancient China: Namely xing () or ancestral clan names, and shi () or branch lineage ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taoism
Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', 'path', or 'technique', generally understood in the Taoist sense as an enigmatic process of transformation Ultimate reality, ultimately underlying reality. Taoist thought has informed the development of various practices within the Taoist tradition and beyond, including forms of Taoist meditation, meditation, Chinese astrology, astrology, qigong, feng shui, and Neidan, internal alchemy. A common goal of Taoist practice is self-cultivation, a deeper appreciation of the Tao, and more harmonious existence. Taoist ethics vary, but generally emphasize such virtues as ''wu wei, effortless action'', ziran, ''naturalness'', ''pu (Taoism), simplicity'', and the Three Treasures (Taoism), three treasures of compassion, frugality, and humility. The co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ren (Confucianism)
(, meaning "co-humanity" or "humaneness") is the highest Confucianism, Confucian virtue meaning humanity (virtue), the good quality of a virtuous human when reaching for Morality, higher ideals or when being altruistic. According to Confucius, ''Ren'' does not have a singular definition; it encompasses benevolence, trustworthiness, courage, compassion, empathy, and reciprocity. It is expressed through interpersonal relationships and can be cultivated through the observance of proper ritual (''li''). ''Ren'' is also a central principle in Confucian political theory: a ruler with the Mandate of Heaven is one of great virtue, who leads by moral example and prioritizes the well-being of the people. Etymology The single Hanzi, logogram for is a composite of two distinct common hanzi, (people or a person) and (two), with assuming its common form inside another character, to which various interpretations have been assigned. Internally can mean "to look up" meaning "to aspire to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Three Fundamental Bonds And Five Constant Virtues
In Confucianism, the Sangang Wuchang ( zh, c=三綱五常, p=Sāngāng Wǔcháng), sometimes translated as the Three Fundamental Bonds and Five Constant Virtues or the Three Guiding Principles and Five Constant Regulations, or more simply "bonds and virtues" ( ), are the three most important human relationships and the five most important virtues. They are considered the moral and political requirements of Confucianism as well as the eternal unchanging "essence of life and bonds of society." History The expression of is no older than the Han dynasty, when it was first articulated by Dong Zhongshu (179–104 BCE), and was not commonly used until the 10th century CE. From the 11th century onward, Neo-Confucianism heavily emphasized the three bonds and five virtues, believing that humans could become sages through perfecting these relationships and virtues. Meaning Three Bonds The three bonds are between father and son, lord and retainer, and husband and wife and they consti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius in the Hundred Schools of Thought era (c. 500 BCE), Confucianism integrates philosophy, ethics, and social governance, with a core focus on virtue, Harmonious Society, social harmony, and Filial piety, familial responsibility. Confucianism emphasizes virtue through self-cultivation and communal effort. Key virtues include ''Ren (philosophy), ren'' (benevolence), ''Yi (philosophy), yi'' (righteousness), ''Li (Confucianism), li'' (propriety), ''Wisdom, zhi'' (wisdom), and ''Xin (virtue), xin'' (sincerity). These values, deeply tied to the notion of ''tian'' (heaven), present a worldview where human relationships and social order are manifestations of sacred moral principles.. While Confucianism does not emphasize an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Su Zhe
Su Zhe (; 1039–1112), or Su Che, courtesy names Ziyou and Tongshu , was a Chinese essayist, historian, poet, and politician from Meishan, located in modern-day Sichuan Province, China. Su was highly honored as a politician and essayist in the Song dynasty, together with his father Su Xun and his elder brother Su Shi. They were collectively recognized among " The Eight Great Men of Letters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". The Sansu temple, where the Su families resided, was rebuilt into the Sansu Museum in 1984, and has since become one of the most famous cultural attractions. Su Zhe left behind a substantial body of fine works. He died in 1112 at the age of 73. Life Su Zhe was born on 20 February 1039 in Meishan, which now belongs to Sichuan Province. At the age of 18, he and his brother Su Shi passed the highest level civil service examination to attain the degree of jinshi, a prerequisite of high government office. In 1070, Su Zhe wrote a letter to the emperor to point o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhuangzi (book)
The ''Zhuangzi'' (historically romanized ) is an ancient Chinese text that is one of the two foundational texts of Taoism, alongside the ''Tao Te Ching''. It was written during the late Warring States period (476–221 BC) and is named for its traditional author, Zhuang Zhou, who is customarily known as "Zhuangzi" ("Master Zhuang"). The ''Zhuangzi'' consists of stories and maxims that exemplify the nature of the ideal Taoist sage. It recounts many anecdotes, allegories, parables, and fables, often expressed with irreverence or humor. Recurring themes include embracing spontaneity and achieving freedom from the human world and its conventions. The text aims to illustrate the arbitrariness and false dichotomy, ultimate falsity of dichotomies normally embraced by human societies, such as those between good and bad, large and small, life and death, or human and nature. In contrast with the focus on good morals and personal duty expressed by many Chinese philosophers of the per ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Confucius
Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the philosophy and teachings of Confucius. His philosophical teachings, called Confucianism, emphasized personal and governmental morality, harmonious social relationships, righteousness, kindness, sincerity, and a ruler's responsibilities to lead by virtue. Confucius considered himself a transmitter for the values of Ancient China, earlier periods which he claimed had been abandoned in his time. He advocated for filial piety, endorsing strong family loyalty, Ancestor veneration in China, ancestor veneration, the respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives. Confucius recommended a robust family unit as the cornerstone for an ideal government. He championed the Silver Rule, or a negative form of the Golden Rule, advising, "Do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
