Traditional values of the Chinese
Every country, race or people have their own traditional values and unique moral code. These values bring about its cultural and social progress and development. It is the very foundation of people behaviour. Knowledge of cultural values will make one understand, and help build better relationship.
Traditional values of every race or nation have similarities as well as differences. The composition of the values and its various priority give an indication of its unique direction as well as orientation of its people.
The Chinese traditional values are based on the complex product of three systems of thought: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, without an overdominating influence of any of the three.
The Chinese are known to value harmony so much, that makes it very difficult for them to say no to others. This is because Generally personal dignity is held in high esteem (face). Some of these behaviors sourced from the underlying values showing what is desirable in contrast to what is considered negative. Among the most prominent basic values characterizing Chinese society are the following: face, indirect action, trust, and centrality.
* The worst thing that can happen to a Chinese is to lose face, to feel humiliated. To lose one's credit, respectability is equivalent to "losing one's eyes, nose, and mouth"
* Indirect action is a means to preserve harmony. Social harmony is to be attained, through moral conduct, controlling emotions, avoiding conflict, even competition.
* Trust is a value that needs to be built, as competition in the Chinese society is reckless, tough, merciless, and at every step suspicious is the norm.
* Centrality applies to all issues; be it personal, social, cultural, economical, and political.
Everything is assessed from a sino-centric point of view.
Confucianism is part of the ancient tradition from which Chinese culture is derived. There are four basic virtues considered as the cornerstones of this philosophy and they focus on loyalty; respect for parents and elders; benevolence, and righteousness .
TRADITIONAL VALUES
Patriotic Sentiments. This is the profound feeling towards one’s motherland, its culture, language and customs. This includes the love for the homeland, the respect for the kins, common ethnic Language and celebration of the festival. It is believed that the responsibility of the nation, its fate and dignity is the duty of each and every citizen.
It is well known that hundreds of Chinese who were born in India return home to Kolkata every Lunar Chinese New Year.
Advocating of Integrity. Upholding of truth, honesty, faithfulness, righteousness not being coerced by any threats are some of the values held dear. Since ancient time, the Chinese have always held personal dignity and independence more precious than life. Those who have shown such nobleness have been honoured throughout the ages. This act of heroism is proof of a great and respectable race.
Diligence and Frugality. The Chinese firmly believe the simple truth of diligence and frugality will bring prosperity not only to individual but also to the family, society and the whole nation.
One of the reasons our forefathers came to Kolkata was to earn the gold that covered the streets of the city through hard work and diligence.
Another famous dictum is“ Thrift nourishes virtues”. This implies that hardworking people are the creator of social wealth. Those who value moderation will enjoy the fruits of labour. Those who waste recklessly will not prosper.
Diligence and Eagerness to study. Another value held in highly esteem in life of a Chinese is to be able to show one’s talent and to do well in life. They are encouraged to do whatever it takes and not to look for returns.
“If you don’t work hard when you are young, it is useless to regret when you are old.”
Old people are constantly reminded that mentally they are in better condition to learn new things as they have vast experience. Thus“ Never too old to learn ‘ is a reminder to all about the important of learning, The only treasure one can take with him is knowledge because “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere”
Modesty, Courtesy and Considerate behaviour.
These consist of :
· Knowing one’s strength, weakness, capability and ability will help one to assess himself accurately. This will also leave no room for complacency.
· To discover other’s virtues or stronger points and the weaknesses, in order to be respectful and tolerant towards all.
· To treat others according to their personal interest, and give proper precedence to everyone. This will amount to giving credit to others who deserve them and not to scramble for fame and success and gain. This is one of the important elements of being a gentleman. Thus is it is said “Complacency spells loss, and modesty brings benefit.”
Honesty and Trustworthiness.
· To be faithful and upright, think and act in the same way and always practice what one says.
· To keep one’s word and not to be hypocritical and deceitful. “ Once a word is spoken not even a team of four horses can overtake it.”
Be Glad to give to Charities
This means, “doing a good deed’ or “doing a righteous deed”. It is an expression of sympathy, justice, kindness and human warm-heartedness. The kind deed does not make distinction between people; that is whether they are friend or foe; relative or stranger; old or young, It require no repayment and will eventually bring about a sense of obligation to help others, promote and experience satisfaction to his whole being.
Honour Teachers and Stress on Education.
“It takes a year to grow crops, ten years to grow trees but a hundred years to rear people” is the monograph on education for more than 2,600 years. 3,000 years ago the government established schools at different levels and the teachers were part-timer drawn from different levels of administrative division and officials.
People are reminded that education is for any and everybody, and the teachers are like their own elders so it is very important to honour them as the saying goes “ A tutor or a teacher for a day is a father for lifetime ”.
The stress on Education is the root that manifests itself in Chinese by the way of sacrificing their leisure for the gain in their career.
Respect the Aged and Care for the Young.
In Chinese culture, the relationship of parents and children are more than that of intimate human relationship. It is raised to divine, for the children’s relationship to their parents are that of filial piety.
It is a social responsibility and behavioural norm to respect the aged during their lives and to worship them when they passed to next world.
It is only proper to treat persons who have done so much for the good of the young, besides having sacrificed themselves in favour of those who they look after and spent their time to bring up. Till date, a Chinese, who does not show proper respect and take care of the aged will not only be criticized by society but also punished by law. It is said that even a young goat kneels down to drink milk from the mother. We all know that kneeling is an action for showing respect at the highest degree.
It is moral duty and has sentimental value to treat one’s offspring with special affection.
Educate one with kindness and strictness beyond human relation so that it will embody a strong sense of moral responsibility for life. "
Ancestor Worship is the original basic Chinese religion
Every country, race or people have their own traditional values and unique moral code. These values bring about its cultural and social progress and development. It is the very foundation of people behaviour. Knowledge of cultural values will make one understand, and help build better relationship.
Traditional values of every race or nation have similarities as well as differences. The composition of the values and its various priority give an indication of its unique direction as well as orientation of its people.
The Chinese traditional values are based on the complex product of three systems of thought: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, without an overdominating influence of any of the three.
The Chinese are known to value harmony so much, that makes it very difficult for them to say no to others. This is because Generally personal dignity is held in high esteem (face). Some of these behaviors sourced from the underlying values showing what is desirable in contrast to what is considered negative. Among the most prominent basic values characterizing Chinese society are the following: face, indirect action, trust, and centrality.
* The worst thing that can happen to a Chinese is to lose face, to feel humiliated. To lose one's credit, respectability is equivalent to "losing one's eyes, nose, and mouth"
* Indirect action is a means to preserve harmony. Social harmony is to be attained, through moral conduct, controlling emotions, avoiding conflict, even competition.
* Trust is a value that needs to be built, as competition in the Chinese society is reckless, tough, merciless, and at every step suspicious is the norm.
* Centrality applies to all issues; be it personal, social, cultural, economical, and political.
Everything is assessed from a sino-centric point of view.
Confucianism is part of the ancient tradition from which Chinese culture is derived. There are four basic virtues considered as the cornerstones of this philosophy and they focus on loyalty; respect for parents and elders; benevolence, and righteousness .
TRADITIONAL VALUES
Patriotic Sentiments. This is the profound feeling towards one’s motherland, its culture, language and customs. This includes the love for the homeland, the respect for the kins, common ethnic Language and celebration of the festival. It is believed that the responsibility of the nation, its fate and dignity is the duty of each and every citizen.
It is well known that hundreds of Chinese who were born in India return home to Kolkata every Lunar Chinese New Year.
Advocating of Integrity. Upholding of truth, honesty, faithfulness, righteousness not being coerced by any threats are some of the values held dear. Since ancient time, the Chinese have always held personal dignity and independence more precious than life. Those who have shown such nobleness have been honoured throughout the ages. This act of heroism is proof of a great and respectable race.
Diligence and Frugality. The Chinese firmly believe the simple truth of diligence and frugality will bring prosperity not only to individual but also to the family, society and the whole nation.
One of the reasons our forefathers came to Kolkata was to earn the gold that covered the streets of the city through hard work and diligence.
Another famous dictum is“ Thrift nourishes virtues”. This implies that hardworking people are the creator of social wealth. Those who value moderation will enjoy the fruits of labour. Those who waste recklessly will not prosper.
Diligence and Eagerness to study. Another value held in highly esteem in life of a Chinese is to be able to show one’s talent and to do well in life. They are encouraged to do whatever it takes and not to look for returns.
“If you don’t work hard when you are young, it is useless to regret when you are old.”
Old people are constantly reminded that mentally they are in better condition to learn new things as they have vast experience. Thus“ Never too old to learn ‘ is a reminder to all about the important of learning, The only treasure one can take with him is knowledge because “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere”
Modesty, Courtesy and Considerate behaviour.
These consist of :
· Knowing one’s strength, weakness, capability and ability will help one to assess himself accurately. This will also leave no room for complacency.
· To discover other’s virtues or stronger points and the weaknesses, in order to be respectful and tolerant towards all.
· To treat others according to their personal interest, and give proper precedence to everyone. This will amount to giving credit to others who deserve them and not to scramble for fame and success and gain. This is one of the important elements of being a gentleman. Thus is it is said “Complacency spells loss, and modesty brings benefit.”
Honesty and Trustworthiness.
· To be faithful and upright, think and act in the same way and always practice what one says.
· To keep one’s word and not to be hypocritical and deceitful. “ Once a word is spoken not even a team of four horses can overtake it.”
Be Glad to give to Charities
This means, “doing a good deed’ or “doing a righteous deed”. It is an expression of sympathy, justice, kindness and human warm-heartedness. The kind deed does not make distinction between people; that is whether they are friend or foe; relative or stranger; old or young, It require no repayment and will eventually bring about a sense of obligation to help others, promote and experience satisfaction to his whole being.
Honour Teachers and Stress on Education.
“It takes a year to grow crops, ten years to grow trees but a hundred years to rear people” is the monograph on education for more than 2,600 years. 3,000 years ago the government established schools at different levels and the teachers were part-timer drawn from different levels of administrative division and officials.
People are reminded that education is for any and everybody, and the teachers are like their own elders so it is very important to honour them as the saying goes “ A tutor or a teacher for a day is a father for lifetime ”.
The stress on Education is the root that manifests itself in Chinese by the way of sacrificing their leisure for the gain in their career.
Respect the Aged and Care for the Young.
In Chinese culture, the relationship of parents and children are more than that of intimate human relationship. It is raised to divine, for the children’s relationship to their parents are that of filial piety.
It is a social responsibility and behavioural norm to respect the aged during their lives and to worship them when they passed to next world.
It is only proper to treat persons who have done so much for the good of the young, besides having sacrificed themselves in favour of those who they look after and spent their time to bring up. Till date, a Chinese, who does not show proper respect and take care of the aged will not only be criticized by society but also punished by law. It is said that even a young goat kneels down to drink milk from the mother. We all know that kneeling is an action for showing respect at the highest degree.
It is moral duty and has sentimental value to treat one’s offspring with special affection.
Educate one with kindness and strictness beyond human relation so that it will embody a strong sense of moral responsibility for life. "
Ancestor Worship is the original basic Chinese religion
The ancient Chinese believed in a dual soul. The lower soul of the senses disappears with death, but the rational soul (hun) survives death and is the object of ancestor worship.
The ancient Chinese too, believed in gods of nature - in mountains, rivers, forests, trees and rocks. (Why do you think gods were associated with nature in the past? Hint: Consider how the occupation of most of the people in the past. How did they obtain their food?) They also worshipped the souls of dead rulers for protection and blessings. One common type of Chinese deity is the "place god"土 地 or T'u-ti (Pinyin: Tudi). The primary characteristic of a place god is the limitation of his jurisdiction to a specific location, like a bridge, home, street, or field. A T'u-ti is often a deified historical person who had assisted a specific community during his lifetime. It is believed that if the person is deified and sacrificed to, he will be moved to continue his assistance from the spirit world. If misfortunes occur in a location dedicated to a T'u-ti, the T'u-ti is believed to have lost interest and a new patron is chosen.
Chinese still pray to the souls of the dead, especially to their ancestors for the same reasons as in the past: protection and blessing.
Most Chinese still pray to certain gods of nature such as the earth god and Chu Jung, god of fire. In addition, the Chinese believe in other gods too, such as the god of wealth, the goddess of mercy and the god of war. The god of wealth is an important god to the present-day Chinese, especially to Chinese merchants and businessmen, as they believe that praying to the god of wealth would enable their businesses to prosper and their wealth to increase
Buddhist deities are especially (in some cases, exclusively) popular in China:
· Kuan-Yin - Chinese and female form of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara
· Jade Maiden – Acolyte of Kuan Yin
· Golden Youth – Acolyte of Kuan Yin
· Kuan-Ti (Sangharama) - Protector of Buddhism
· Wei-To (Skanda) - Protector of the Dharma
The Lohans' Place in Buddhism
Lohans are well-known for their great wisdom, courage and supernatural power. Due to their abilities to ward off the evil, Lohans have became guardian angels of the Chinese Buddhist temple and there in the main hall standing guard are the ever-present, indomitable-looking 18 Lohan figures, sometimes accompanied by 500 or more lesser Lohans.
The celestial Buddha named Hotei or Pu-Tai is best known as the jolly Laughing Buddha. In China, he is known as the Loving or Friendly One. He is based on an eccentric Chinese Ch'an (Zen) monk who lived over 1,000 years ago.
His large protruding stomach and jolly smile have given him the common designation "Laughing Buddha" always seen carrying a cloth or linen sack (that which never empties) which is filled with many precious items, including rice plants (indicating wealth), candy for children, food, or the woes of the world. He is patron of the weak, poor and children.
According to legend, if one rubs the Laughing Buddha's great belly, it brings forth wealth, good luck, and prosperity. Hotei is also referred to as the patron saint of restaurateurs, fortunetellers and bartenders. When one overeats or over drinks, friends jokingly attribute it to the Laughing Buddha's influence.
The Lords of Death, the ten rulers of the underworld. They dress alike in royal robes and only the wisest can tell them apart. Each ruler presides over one court of law. In the first court a soul is judged according to his sins in life and sentenced to one of the eight courts of punishment. Punishment is fitted to the offense. Misers are made to drink molten gold; liars' tongues are cut out. In the second court are incompetent doctors and dishonest agents; in the third, forgers, liars, gossips, and corrupt government officials; in the fifth, murderers, sex offenders and atheists; in the sixth, the sacrilegious and blasphemers; in the eighth, those guilty of filial disrespect; in the ninth, arsonists and accident victims. In the tenth is the Wheel of Transmigration where souls are released to be reincarnated again after their punishment is completed. Before souls are released, they are given a brew of oblivion, which makes them forget their former lives.
YEN-LO-WANG ;Yan Wang ( 阎王; 閻王; also called Yanluo ( 阎罗/: 閻羅) is the god of death and the ruler of Di Yu ( 地獄 "hell" or the underworld). In both ancient and modern times, Yanluo is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a crown on his head that usually bears the kanji 王, which stands for "king."
Yanluo is not only the ruler but also the judge of the underworld and passes judgment on all the dead. He always appears in a male form, and his minions include a judge who holds in his hands a brush and a book listing every soul and the allotted death date for every life. Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the fearsome guardians of hell, bring the newly dead, one by one, before Yanluo for judgement. Men or women with merit will be rewarded good future lives, or even revival in their previous life. Men or women who committed misdeeds will be sentenced to torture and/or miserable future lives. Yanluo divided Diyu into ten levels or courts each ruled by a Yama King, such as Chu Jiang who ruled the court reserved for thieves and murderers.
The spirits of the dead, on being judged by Yanluo, are supposed to either pass through a term of enjoyment in a region midway between the earth and the heaven of the gods, or to undergo their measure of punishment in the nether world, situated somewhere in the southern region. After this time they may return to Earth in new bodies.
Yanluo is considered to be an office or bureaucratic post, rather than an individual god. There were said to be cases in which an honest mortal was rewarded the post of Yanluo, and served as the judge and ruler of the underworld.
In his capacity as judge, Yanluo is normally depicted wearing a Chinese judge's cap in Chinese art.".
