Although the attitude of the West towards the values of ancient Chinese culture has improved in the last half century, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding. There are several reasons for this. Apart from the West’s initial perception of other cultures as less valuable, in the study of ancient China we encounter two objective problems.
The first is the language barrier. Standard Chinese uses four tones that determine the meaning of words, making it difficult for Westerners to recognize subtle tonal differences, which makes it very difficult to properly pronounce and write Chinese words in any Western language. When we look at historical interpretations, we see that almost none of the names and terms for Chinese names on any Western language are completely accurate. However, the problem becomes even more complex when we encounter the complexity and exceptional richness of meaning in Chinese characters, where a significant part of that richness is often lost in translation from Chinese. Just looking at a few different translations of the same book is enough to realize this.
Another reason is the different paradigms and stereotypes, as our worldviews are greatly diverse. As a result, we focus on different things, what is important to us may not be important to them, and vice versa, which often leads to misunderstandings and unclear communication. Therefore, if we want to better understand Chinese culture, we should try to comprehend the Chinese way of observing the world.
Tai Chi (Tàijí) is an ancient Chinese concept that almost everyone has heard of, but the question is how familiar we are with its meaning. We usually associate it with therapeutic forms of exercise, known as Tai Chi Chuan, which promote a healthy lifestyle, and have now become increasingly popular as a form of relaxation in the West. Some also connect it with the vital life force or energy Chi (Qi or Ki), which is often encountered in Chinese terms for various disciplines, from from martial arts to scientific or even artistic. Those more knowledgeable know that it has connections with the creation of the world and that the symbol popularly known as Yin-Yang actually refers to Tai Chi. In fact, all of the above is connected to this concept, as it is a key concept in the Chinese worldview.
Tao – the unknowable cosmic cause from which all existing things have originated.
Chinese cosmology
The Chinese understanding of the world has never been strictly material, meaning that the invisible has always been more important than the visible. According to Chinese cosmology, at the root of the world lies the cosmic cause called Tao (Dào), which cannot be grasped or explained as it transcends everything that exists. Although usually translated as the Way, such a definition is far from encompassing all its meanings. The Chinese saying “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao” is actually a more accurate explanation. In the book Tao Te Ching, we read: “The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth.” The mother of all things has been named. (…) Those two are the same in origin, but different in expression. What makes them the same is the Secret. The Secret above all secrets, the gate of all secrets. According to this inscription, Tao is the incomprehensible cosmic cause from which everything existing has emerged. At the same time, it is also the goal to which everything returns. In this context, Tao is the Path that all beings follow towards the realization of themselves. Yin Hsi, the magistrate of the border region who convinced Lao Tzu to write the book Tao Te Ching, wrote in his book Guan Yi: It is not possible to master Tao. What can be mastered is not Tao, but Te.
The first manifestation that arose from Tao is Te (Dé). The oldest ideogram depicts Te as an eye from which a vertical line, the plant’s seedling, emerges. Below the eye is the heart. The heart represents an important point in the Chinese understanding of the world. For example, the Chinese say that speech comes from the mouth, written words from paper, but both originate from the heart. The heart is the source, the place where the invisible current becomes visible. It symbolizes the gate between worlds, what connects them.
Chi is the energy that flows through everything and maintains the balance between opposites. It is the vital force that drives all living things and enables changes and transformations in the cosmos. Through Chi, Tao manifests and realizes itself in different forms and realities, like a thread in the cosmic fabric. The oldest ideogram of the concept of Chi consists of three horizontal lines, which interpreters claim represent vapor or breath.
By connecting Tao and Chia through the nature of Te and the principles of Li, Tai Chi is formed – the manifested universe (cosmos, ordered world) – with all its visible and invisible levels of existence. From non-being, being is born, as written in the Tao Te Ching. This being, Tai Chi, unlike the non-being of Tao, is what can be named. As such, it is the mother of all things or Absolute Being, the universal principle, the essence from which everything originates and in which everything is contained. A literal translation of this term would be All-world, perhaps with the same meaning as in Croatian language. The Chinese also refer to it as the ocean of Chia.
By connecting Tao and Chia through the nature of Te and the principles of Li, Tai Chi is formed – the manifested universe (cosmos, ordered world) with all its visible and invisible levels of existence.
Yin and Yang
Tai Chi contains within itself two fundamental properties or modalities. This is a translation from Croatian to English:
eta: Yin (darkness) and Yang (light) (yīnyáng). Yin is receptive, passive, while Yang is active, active aspect of Tai Chi. Yin and Yang complement and permeate each other, that is, they are inseparable from each other. Tai Chi, with its two basic modalities, Yin and Yang, activates the life of the cosmos through stillness and movement, which gradually becomes more complex. The transformations of Yin and Yang give rise to the five forces, phases or agents – wuxing. In the West, they are usually referred to as the five elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal, but this does not refer to substances. Wuxing literally means a star in motion and originally refers to the five planets: Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and Venus, which, according to Chinese understanding, project five dimensions in which human life manifests. The five forces are means of change that can support or weaken each other, thereby promoting development or destruction. By their actions, they enable the connection between Heaven and Earth, which leads to the emergence of ten thousand things (a Chinese term for everything that exists). what exists in the universe).
According to Chinese perception, this world is connected by innumerable internal and external bonds that arise from the nature of Tai Chi, the living cosmic ether that permeates everything and causes change. Everything is causally connected, everything is in constant flow, everything affects each other, in a similar way to how a stone thrown into water creates waves that spread and return to their source. Metaphorically speaking, the ancient Chinese imagined themselves living in an ocean of Chi energy, where all their thoughts, emotions, and actions are like stones thrown into water. They generate countless waves that have a positive or negative impact on them and their environment.
Observation
ng the text.
Of consequential relationships and connections, not only physical but, more importantly, those psychological and spiritual, and striving to apply them correctly in order to achieve harmonious life, in ancient China it was the fundamental endeavor of every learned person. The key to understanding these connections the learned Chinese saw in what they called observation. Observation for them is not the same as simply seeing with the sense of sight. It is a deeper process that largely takes place in the mind, and which signifies a comprehensive perception of a specific event in time and space. Chinese philosophers explain that this means following the external in order to see the internal.
I, reflections, internal dialogue, and contemplation enable a deeper insight into the nature of things, beings, and phenomena. From observation comes the ability to predict the course of Chia and, if necessary, take appropriate actions to properly direct the flow of energy.
To understand the nature of causal relationships and connections, not only physical but, more importantly, psychological and spiritual ones, and strive to apply them correctly in order to achieve a harmonious life, was the fundamental endeavor of every learned person in ancient China.
The concept of Feng-Shui, literally Wind-Water, signifies the states of the cosmic ether Chi that can be observed and influenced at the right moment. Although today it is most commonly associated with geomancy, this concept had immense importance in the life of ancient China. Feng-Shui should never be equated with wind and water in their literal sense. The winds and waters that we can see with our eyes in various manifestations, from a gentle breeze to a powerful hurricane, from strong rainfalls to calm streams, are just some of the visible manifestations of the invisible forces that affect our lives. Fresh air, calm lakes, these are just some aspects of the energy being discussed here. Feng is the active aspect, while Shui is the receptive aspect of the flow of energy from the Chia Ocean.
In the country of Lu, Confucius writes: By listening to the sound of his voice, you will understand his feng. By understanding his feng, you will understand his aspirations. By observing his aspirations, you will understand his Te. Those who are in their prime and those who are heading towards decline, the wise and those who do not resemble them, the noble and the insignificant, all embody themselves in music that cannot be denied or hidden. That is why it is said: Oh, how deep is the observation of music!
The magic square with eight trigrams and a central heart – symbol of Tai Chi, which represents the cosmic movement of Yin and Yang forces in the form of two waves or two fish.
According to the interpretation of Fu Hsi and other wise men who have observed, all interactions within and between ten thousand things can be symbolically reduced to interactions between eight symbols, which is the literal meaning of the word Pakua. Thus, the trigrams heaven (Qian), earth (Kun), thunder (Zhen), wood (Xun), abyss (Kan), fire (Li), mountain (Gen), and lake (Dui) represent qualities, strengths, stages, and processes contained within that. Everything that exists goes through a certain process. These are the fundamental principles of existence, whose comprehensive functioning can be seen in the annual cycle of Earth’s journey, as well as in the life cycle of living beings, but also within the human community. Because of this, the Central Kingdom, ZhongGuo (Chinese name for China), was symbolically represented by a magical square with nine fields, where the central field represents the heart of the kingdom, i.e., the emperor, and the eight trigrams arranged around represent the image of the imperial court with halls associated with the seasons.
The emperor, as the one who connects the visible and invisible world, was considered a key figure through which the action of cosmic forces manifested itself. Therefore, it was very important that his actions were in harmony with the flow of Feng Shui. Based on this, the emperor had to adhere to strict regulations regarding everything he did, as we can see in the book Li-Ki, where the chapter “Monthly Instructions” provides a detailed description of the duties of the emperor and his closest associates for each day in the year. Age.
As observation was of national interest, numerous government officials were engaged in various aspects of it. Many rules, customs, arts, and sciences of ancient Chinese society emerged from observation and were based on the previously described worldview.
One of the most important activities based on Feng Shui observation in relation to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun was the creation of an annual lunar calendar, which contained all the essential regulations and instructions for state and other activities of the empire. Furthermore, modes of behavior and communication were determined by clearly defined rules of etiquette based on Feng Shui, for five prescribed types of interpersonal relationships: the relationship between ruler and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger brother, and friend and friend. Spatial organization was under the control of a geomancy master and implemented according to Feng Shui rules. Predicting certain events and acting in changeable circumstances was an essential part of government affairs.
To master any of these traditional skills required years, even a lifetime, of formation based on received teachings, as well as prolonged personal effort, work, and experience.
Although modern China, in its turn towards the values of Western society, is no longer as conditioned by this old worldview, that image is not only present but still holds significant importance for the Chinese people today. The calendar, folk customs, etiquette, medicine, and numerous other values of this worldview are deeply ingrained in every aspect of Chinese society. The living Chinese terms mentioned in the article are already established names for those terms in the Croatian language. In parentheses are the names in Pinyin, the official Chinese romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese.