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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
 Posted - 04/05/2009 : 21:02:25
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Dr. Tan,
Well said. It appeared we shared the same concern that our rich heritage might be lost in the pursuit of education, ignoring what education really meant for our younger generation.
What Confucius wrote about "xue" (learning)is worthy of learning and reflecting. Infact, the chinese script on Xue,the pictograph showed both hands with accompanying sound, attempting to approach or "open" what's beneath the skull of the children by their educators. And, if you repeat the whole stanza, you would listen to the varying pitch of the sound of language. Besides music of the language, the semantics are equally interesting.
This is one of the reasons that I start with script first before discussing Confucianism and Taoism. Both Confucius and Lee Er were born around the time of the Buddha. Indeed the Chinese had no religion, but it did not imply they were not spiritual or even superstitious. Both these teachings could accomodate every religion or philosophing teaching - the Great Harmony. And, if we could hardly understand huuman lives on earth, it would be fruitless to speculate on future lives, which are based on mere faith.
Well, time to go home. |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2009 : 12:59:32
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CHINESE SCRIPT II (WEN)
The Chinese script is the only ancient ideographic script that is still in use today by all Chinese over the world. The great advantage is it is a "common language" among all Chinese (irrespective of their dialects and ethnic origins).It is not unusual to guess the approximate meaning or implication of the word just by looking at the character. The disadvantage is the four pitches (phonology) are not always easy to produce correctly, and understood fully. The Chinese script also possess the following characteristics:
1. depicting shapes i.e. pictures of concrete or abstract things could be guessed;
2. depicting situations i.e. the addition of a character with a dot or stroke to indicate that it is a part of it, or relate to it;
3.depicting meaning (huiyi or xiangxi) that is, combined image and sound to provide an abstract image;
4.Other characteristics eg. xingsheng , harmonising shape with sound;
false borrowing (jiajie)
Chinese script probably started in the Shang Dynasty (13 century BC), with Jiaguwen (Oracle bone). Jia refer to the shell of tortoise; gu refereed the shoulder blade of animals, such as the buffaloes. Wen was the patterned script sculptured on these bones. Evidence of Jiaguwen was discovered late in 1899 , where it was regarded as "dragon bones" with medicinal values (renal tonic!). The word "mandarin" was used by the Portugese to refer to the official script in the late 19th century.
Throughout Chinese history we see the gradual development and evolution of the script by successive dynasties. We have jinwen (bronze script; Chinese refereed bronze then as jin (gold)), where the pictograph was carved into bronze. Then came the Great Seal script or Zhou Shu where the script was sculptured into stone or metal surfaces. However, at the end of the Warring States, the Brush (bi) was invented by General Meng Tian. The Chinese word , bi, depicts on the upper character it's bamboo origin, and the hand holding the instrument on the lower ideogram. Chinese script was then written with the brush on bamboo stripes invented by Cheng Miao or on silk. During the Qin Dynasty (221B.C.), the Chinese script was standardised and simplified by Lee Si, hence the evolution of Small Seal Script (Xiaozhouanti). Paper (zhi) was invented in the Han dynasty (25 - 220 AD), using composite of mulbery bark, and later paper was made of rice straw.
With new writing materials and instruments, the script was further evolved into Chancellery Script (Li Shu) in the Han Dysnasty. then came the appearance of Zhangshu or Xing Shu(writing script), where the script was more cursive.; Caoshu (Grass Script), and finally to the present day Kai Shu or Zheng Shu. This was the pattern script invented by Wang Xizhi during the Song dynasty. Then the Chinese Communist regime developed the Simplified Script (Jiantizi).The Chinese script was then under threat of being Romanised (and became extinct) to keep up with the times then. Fortunately, with the advent of computers, this ancient script was saved and it was the traditional "complicated" script (fantizi), initially mainly in Taiwan and Hong Kong, that was currently recommended. There were ornamental scripts used mainly for calligraphic art.
http://www.art-virtue.com/styles/zuan/
Do not forget to click HOME at the end, if you are interested to watch You-tubes on Chinese calligraphy.
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 18/05/2009 : 13:06:26
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SHI JING (The Book Of Songs 0r Poem 300) I
Shi Jing is canonised as one of the six Chinese Classic, and is acknowledged as the "fountain head of Chinese literature". It is not an easy read. The difficulties are not insurmontable, if you have the passion and interest to learn Chinese culture.
Shi Jing dated from the 11th Century BC to the 6th Century BC, i.e. from the late Shang Dynasty to the Zhou Dynasty. In other words, it is more than 3000 years from now. The Book was banned and burnt in the 3rd Century, but the oral text and hidden manuscript survived partially today. It was alleged that Confucius edited 305 poems out of 3000 available during the Spring & Autumn Period. Others disputed this, for it was unlikely that the sage could have deleted the rest.
The Book was divided into 4 parts:
1. Geufeng (Literally Airs of the State; feng also implied lessons).
It consists of 160 folk songs, with love and romantic theme;
2. Minor Odes (Xiao Ya; Ya meaning to rectify, correct, orthodoxy
or elegance). These are 74 minor festal songs with some social
criticism;
3. Major Odes (Da Ya). There are 31 major festal songs, sung in
praise of royalty of Zhou dynasty;
4. Hymns or Eulogies (Song, meaning to beautify) There are 40 ritual
songs, again in praise of Zhou and Shang Dynasties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shijing
There are three major literary skills in appraising these poems.
1. Narrative (fu)
2. Explicit Comparisons (bi)
3. Implicit Comparisons (xing)
Using these three principles, one begins the reading of its first most popular poem:
http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Shijing&no=1
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 18/05/2009 : 20:42:16
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I have read the above single poem (Guan Ju) many times, and once you overcome the language difficulties, you learn to love it. Then I take a look at the various translations available in text and the web, and I must confess that I do not like them. Then I learn to appraise the poem, using the literary skills suggested, by first understanding the narrative, followed by the explicit and implicit comparisons.
Here is my own translations:
Guan Ju (Wooing Ospreys)
"Guan, guan" the ospreys woo to their mate
That coo on the river ait.
Fair and gracious maiden
Match well for their gentlemen.
Water cress of varying height
Adrift on both left and right.
Fair and gracious lass
Are sought day and night, no less.
In vain they court
For days and nights they hold the ladies in their thought.
Their hearts are saddened with ache
As they toss around in bed.
Water cress of varying height
Pick and chose from either left or right.
Fair and gracious lady
Tuning their harps and lutes in melody.
Water cress of varying height
Selecting from either left or right.
Fair and gracious lady
Nuptial bells (and drums) ringing with gaity.
Hope my translation assist in understanding the poem better. Please note how repetition were used. The water scenaries, with birds calling for mating, and the options, choices and final selection.
Though the poem is over 3000 years, there's still the universal theme of love. Men woo, women lure with dance and music, and God knows who trap whom, but it's the game that is sung ....
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 23/05/2009 : 12:23:32
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We were at the Kopitian, sipping my local brewed, when a few beautiful lass appeared. I recited, "Yau Tiao Shu Nu, Jun Zi Hao Qiu". My Chinese educated friend retorted, " You have no standard."
My English educated friend was perplexed at my recitation, and despite one of my them read my posting, it was Greek to him. He had no interest in English poetry, what more to say about ancient chinese Shi Jing. Even the young lasses I knew have heard of the recitation in Gungfu movie  , and could only guess the meaning partially.
"What do you mean I have no standard?" seeeking his clarification.
"Well, those girls you saw might be "Yau Tiao", but not "Shu Nu".
"You need to qualify your statements", we continusing the usual gossiping during our break. "Didn't you see that they all smoke!"
So smoking to him was not "Shu Nu" (lady behaviour). I supposed the same criterion did not apply to the Gentlemen who smoked. Different rules for different sexes. "But my friend, there was no smoke or smoking during the Zhou Dynasty." I added, "Thou I do not smoke, and dislike being in the presence of smokers, but at my age, I can't afford to be too fussy over little things."
My Chinese educated friend also criticised my English translation. He thought I could not have done justice to its original Chinese text. Well, it's true, but we have to translate for our ang mow friend or anglopile to understand, don't we? Somehow he could not offer a better translation. "So what do we understand by "yao tiao", and "shu nu"? He thought a "shu nu" must be a virgin. Good Lord, he knew that with the clothes on. "During the Ming/Ching Dynasty, the court honoured some outstanding mothers with a third hierrachy (san pin) shu nu, which showed it's more about virtue than being virgin, grace and chaste rather than chastity. This "shu nu" did not refer to the aristocractic or royal ladies alone, they refereed to ordinary lasses who worked in the fields, hard working fair maidens, who could played the harps and lutes. Pictographically, shu, has a water next to a phonetic sound , implying virtue as clear as water.
http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Classics/shijing.html
"How about the meaning of yao tiao?" It means beautiful to him. Pictographically, it was a "hole" on top of a phonetic sound, yu, meaning young. It implies elegance, and agility of body and mind, and, of course, young. Such agility was seen in the way the lasses danced in both directions to pick, select and chose their water cress. And, if one has watched a young birdie sway in grace while walking passed, one whistles or making eye contact, instead of making the bird call of yester years!
It was a lyric poem or a lyric song, depicting courtship of the era. The opening narrative started with the osprey or some long legged water birds, white crested, feeding, playing in the river aid, and wooing and mooing, to set the stage for the sound of music. Fair and gracious ladies are always the matching targets for the gents, irespective of the times. The beauty of Juliet rendered the Romeos restless days and nights, constantly yearning for them and thinking of them, with heart aching moments when their courtship appeared vain transiently, but they ultimately succedded in the end. And that's the ache and fun of the game. The water cress or duck grasses were a sort of medicinal herb of the region, and must have some healing properties for the gents' pursue. They drift and must be ultimately pick and pluck. So there was a beautiful beginning and a good ending in all good stories. |
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loonshin
Friendly member
Malaysia
249 Posts |
Posted - 24/05/2009 : 09:56:28
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quote:
Originally posted by k.h.
I recited, "Yau Tiao Shu Nu, Jun Zi Hao Qiu".
Interesting musings from a young at heart  |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 24/05/2009 : 12:53:06
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Loon Shin,
There is a "Cultural Unconsciousness" in a community and also in the individual. These are all "imprinted" in us since birth. And even in the game of Courtship, one must learn to decipher and break the "Culture Code". There is a book on this topic by Clotaire Rapaille.
These days, the young went straight to bed without the fuss and recitation of poetry! This is what is desired ultimately, so why waste time in all these literature? And, if they are not happy with one another, get a quick divorce ! |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 25/05/2009 : 12:49:49
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SHI JING II
I hope some of you have enjoyed the lovely romantic lyric selected above. Here is another selection, reflecting different emotions, mood and thoughts. The poet here was in an entirely different mood -
lonely, melancholic, frustrations, full of hurt and feeling of injustices done. It might partially echoed how we felt today in this country, esp for chinese intellectuals. The sun has lost its heat and weakened, and is replaced by the moon. In the river of time and turmoil, can one have the vision and energy to stay afloat and adrift, with the heart aloft liked the defying, unsinkable cypress boat? Perhaps you might like to share your feelings and thoughts in this Forum.
http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Shijing&s=1&c=3&no=26
Please read the English translation in the above, and compare it with the one quoted below by the same person, James Legge, in "An anthology of Translations: Classical Chinese Literature Vol I" Edited by John Minford & Joseph Lau. You will find it's more fiery.
B0 ZHOU (THAT BOAT OF CYPRESS WOOD)
It floats about, that boat of cypress wood.
Now here, now there, as by the current borne.
Nor rest nor sleep comes in my troubled mood;
I suffer as when painful wound has torn
The shrinking body. Thus I dwell forlorn,
And aimless muse, my thoughts of sorrow full.
I might with wine refresh my spirits worn;
I might go forth, and, sauntering try to cool
The fever of my heart; but grief holds sullen rule.
My mind resembles not a mirror plate,
Reflecting all the impressions it receives.
The good I love, the bad regard with hate;
I only cherish whom my heart believes,
Colleagues I have, but yet my spirit grieves,
That on their honor I cannot depend.
I speak, but my complaint no influence leaves
Upon their hearts; with mine no feelings blend;
With me in anger they, and fierce disdain contend.
My mind is fixed, and cannot, like a stone,
Be turned at will indifferently about;
And what I think, to that, and that alone,
I utterance give, alike within, without;
Nor can like mat be rolled and carried out.
With dignity in presence of them all,
My conduct marked, my goodness who shall scout?
My foes I bodly challenge, great and small,
If there be aught in me they can in question call.
How full of trouble is my anxious heart!
Will hate the blatant herd of creatures mean
Ceaseless pursue. Of their attacks the smart
Keeps my mind in distress. Their venomed spleen
Aye vents itself; and with insulting mien
They vex my soul; and no one on my side
A word will speak. Silent, alone, unseen,
I think of my sad case; then opening wide
My eyes, as if from sleep, I beat my breast, sore-tired.
Thy disc, O sun, should ever be complete,
While thine, O changing moon, doth wax and wane,
But now our sun hath wanned, weak and effete,
And moons are ever full. My heart with pain
Is firmly bound, and held in sorrow's chain,
As to the body, cleaves an unwashed dress.
Silent I think of my sad case; in vain
I try to find relief from my distress.
Would I had wings to fly where ills no longer press!
P/s I am sorry for the typing error in the last few lines.
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Edited by - k.h. on 05/06/2009 16:25:40 |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 29/05/2009 : 11:13:49
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SHI JING III
There are eight stanzas of four verses each. Each verse is itself composed of eight characters, divided in two hemistiches. Again there are four different pitches. So these lyrics poems were sung in ancient times. It is called a narrative, "because one reveals things inorder and their succession is linked together as a cord."
If you have read the two different translations of the poem, Bo Zhou, by the same translator, James Legge, you will have different interpretations of the text. That's the reason they are called "open poems" i.e. open to different interpretations. Of the four divisions of Shi Jing, the Guofeng (Airs of the State), was the most open, compared with the Eulogy or Odes.
When I initially read this poem, I thought it was written by a male (Chauvinistic thinking) poet, perhaps a frustrated scholarly official, unhappy with the political or familial in fighting of the times. He was alone, aloft despite all the disappointment and frustrations. However, to my surprise commentatos wrote that it was a female poet, fighting against an arranged marriage.
So Shi jing is endowed with hermeneutic openness that allows readers of different times to used different aspects of it for different purposes. Shi Jing offers moral and ethical lessons across time, besdies providing asthetic and literary values. It offers insight in harmonious or strained human relations, and demands good governance.
Any reader who has read "Guanju" will be puzzled why such a short poem received so high appraisal from Confucius himself. Unfortunately, I have yet to read the detail comment, if any.
What kind of avian was "Ju Jiu"? It was translated as Ospreys, others as hawk or mandarin duck. Either Ju Jiu had become extinct or the ancients called it differently. Different birds would result in different interpretations. Or did they represent the Duke and his consort of Zhou? Again the sound "Quan, Quan" (onomatopoeia): were they wooing of the male bird for harmony or mating or were they the warning sounds or distress call of some impending danger by the Duke to his consort harlem? Is "guan guan" the giggling voice of the metaphor of Ju Jiu? The traditional view was to accept the ancient poem as an epithalamium (song of courtship, love and wedding); others even suggested as "wife snatching by force"!
Ming **** Gu, in his book on "Chinese Theories of Reading and Writing: A route to Hermeneutics and Open Poetics" wrote that apart from being open, it "involes the effort to see how these different and divergent readings come about." He further commented that "the special textuality consists of many aporias" (An aporia is a Greek word meaning puzzle, or questions for discussion.) Shi jing is thus a text full of aporias, where in philosophy, it meant an "impasse consisting of equal validity of contrary arguments."
The words "yao tiaw" is also an aporia by its texuality. Philogically, the upper portion of yao, is a shelter or rather a "xue" (cave), the lower radicle is "yu" (young); so together it implies a boudoir (a secluded place for young ladies) or is it harem in the palace? The arguments could be endless regarding what consitutes a "shu nu or jin zi". In the characters "hao qiu", the word "hao alone comprises of a man and a woman toghether tom imply goodness.
If you are still not confused and interest is still there, then I can proceed further.
In a modern sense, we have to look at culture and the sociology of Sexuality in three ways: (Quoted from Journal of Culture & Sexuality)
1. There's an economic and idealogical assumption about sex. People court or barter for satisfaction;
2.We transmit sexual schemas as "cultural objects";
3. We internalise sexual schemas in multiple ways in which sexual meaning shape and are shaped in the public realm.
In our exploration of MOL, we explored work, sex, leissure and pleasure separately, and not together. So what is the meaning of sex, money and power in social hierrachy? |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 22/06/2009 : 11:01:19
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Yi Jing (I CHING, ZHOUYI), OR BOOK OF CHANGE I
A reader might probably asked, "Why an English educated, western trained medical practitioner, be interested in Yi Jing at all?" Infact, decades ago, I came across the title in the shelves of book shops and libraries, flipped and browsed through them occasionally, and could not made sense out of it. It was to me then a Chinese voodoo book, or at best a book on divination, best reserved for commercial fortune tellers, and would be wise to avoid reading it, esp by men of science. The prejudices was strong due to ignorance. In my education, I have lost my cultural roots .....
Fortunately, I have always been an avid reader. In my young MO days, I could not exactly recalled how I got into frency reading Jin Yong's Kungfu stories. From there I came to learn about about the chinese language and the Chinese Classics. The interest gradually developed into a passion, but it was a very difficult process of learning. The Chinese Classic were simply too difficult to read, even for Chinese graduates. Progress was very slowed until more and more English translations, Introductiry texts and commentatires (bilingual at times) became available in the shops, libraries and in the world wide web. I am relating all these in details because, if I can do it, you can do better, for you are much younger.
In my exploration of MOL, I began to search and explore Chinese Belief System. Though I hardly read Classical Philosophy, I read widely in Psychology, Family Ethics and Social-Psychology. And these wide based reading really helped to make sense out of these difficult ancient texts.
Richard J smith, Professor of History at Rice University in Journal of Chinese Philosophy 2006 wrote, ""For those who take the Changes seriously, and approach it with intellectual depth and psychological insight, the text proves to be profoundly stimulating and endlessly provocative." He proceeded to quote a chinese proverb, "The shallow man see Yi Jing's shallowness, while the deep man sees its depth."
He wrote further, "Not surprisingly, Confucians found Confucian meanings in it; Daoists found Daoist meanings in it, and Buddhists found Buddhists meanings in it. .... people in different periods of Chinese history quite naturally used the Yi Jing for different purposes and in different ways, in accordance with the times." Yi Jing has touched many realms of Western culture, from the psychology of Carl Jung to the architecture of I. M. Pei, to composers as Joseph Hauer, John Cage ..., to the art of Eric Morris et al, and in the writings of many westerns in all disciplines.
Yi in Chinese means Change, or Simple, or Transformation. The character has a composite picture of a day and a moon, which implied about the Yang and the Ying or the unity of Duality (or polar opposites). Jing refereed to the string of sutras or texts linked together. It is a bi semiotic system, consisting of two sections:
1. Jing: the core or basic text. This again is sub divided into two unequal chapters, the upper volumn consisted of 30 Qua ; and the second volumn of 34 Qua, thus a total of 64 Qua.
This basic text, extremely ancient, diverse in origins, appeared unsystematic and complicated, is basically used for divination, and appeared in most earlier text and translations. I think it is best to read the second section first, esp the Philosophical Guide, before one ventures into this section.
2. This section consisted of "Ten Wings" (Zhuan) or Commentaries, consisted of seven sub-sections. In the middle is the Philosophical Guide, or Ci Zi meaning attached verbalization. It was alleged to be written by Confucius himself. The rest, e.g. Shuogua (Explaining the Trigams) are commentaries or appendixes, explaining each trigram (yao) or hexagram (qua, or double trigram), either in its sequence, origin etc.
Throught Chinese history many commentaries were added into Yi Jing, at times enriching it, and at times, complicating it. Early chinese feudal history and philosophical thoughts could be assessed through Yi Jing. "At the heart of Ji Jing intepretation is correlative thinking." It has been termed by Professor Cheng, as "onto-hermeneutical" text, with the "purpose of helping us to understand the world both phenomenologically and ontologically at the same time." Its symbolic nature were not designed for mere intellectualisation, but more for apprehending the nature of reality, understanding, practice and action as one.
I hope you have not been sedated.
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loonshin
Friendly member
Malaysia
249 Posts |
Posted - 22/06/2009 : 11:30:08
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| I'm much enlightened and it's NOT for the esoteric |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 23/06/2009 : 09:26:56
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"Post Follows:
易经. Test test. 本然不敬, 何来敬者?"
----------------------------------------------------------------
A friend posted the above message, and perhaps deleted it, but somehow it appeared in my e-mail.
Frankly, I do not what he wishes to "test".
The literal translation is:
Originally, it is not worthy of respect, where 's the persons showing respect?
I do not know which passage the above quotation comes from Yi Jing.
If there is no personality or test, "who" is doing the testing then?
p/s The Chinese words did not appeared in the Forum. Probably that was the reason for the deletion. Strangely, the web stood your test! |
Edited by - k.h. on 23/06/2009 09:32:27 |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 24/06/2009 : 19:52:30
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YI JING II
There are three different versions of Yi Jing, viz. Liangshan, Guicang and Zhouyi. The latter is the current popular version. These three versions existed at different period of history, from pre Hsia, to late Zhou dynasty more than five thousand years ago. They differ in the sequence of the hexagram, and also in the method of deriving a hexagram. They also used different basic qua (hexagram) for style expression. For instance, Liangshan ased Gen , hexagram 52 as reference point, Guisang used Kun , hexagram 2; and Zhouyi used Gian, hexagram 1 .
http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/text.pl?node=25006&if=en
http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Yijing&no=0
http://zhouyi.sdu.edu.cn/english0/newsxitong/selectedPapers/200863182522.asp
Yi Jing is not written by any single person, or in any single historical period or dynasty. It evolved from the initial eight hexagram into 64 hexagram in late zhou dynasty. During the subsequent Spring-Austumn period and The Warring States, Confucius and his disiples edited its philosophical Guide, Xi Ci.
Semiotic is a study of signs and symbols before (even and after )language development. One need to be acquainted with the its basic, and be able to read and recognise them, the trigram, hexagram etc.
In Zhou Yi (Literally meaning Change in the Zhou historical period), Gian (heaven) and Kun (earth) are its two main doors. These two hexagrams are its basic, forming part of the trinity, heaven, earth and man himself. Each hexagram is composed of two trigram stacked together. Each trigram is composed of three yao; each yao is either a straight line or an interrupted line. The straight line represented Yang, male, with its phallic symbol; the Yin , female, with a "river" in between the "shores"! The changes in the yao, trigram and hexagram represent the laws of transformation and change.
64 hexagram therefore consisted of 384 yao. They interact and interconnect, nourishes and block one another in ceaseless activities. When Yi is improverished, it undergo changes; when appropriate changes occur, flow then become smooth; when flow smoothen, it last (it has its own duration too) ... the cycle of change repeats its cycle repeately in dynamic and revoluntary ways.
You need to remember eight "mother" (dominant) hexagram, which respresent natural phenomenon. The natural qua are: heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, mountain, fire, lake. They are also eight "dependent" (secondary) hexagram, which represent psycho-social, interpersonal and intrapsychic changes. The dependent are qua 11, 12, 31, 32, 40, 41, 63, 64.
I think I shall stop here to avoid confusion. |
Edited by - k.h. on 24/06/2009 20:04:32 |
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 30/06/2009 : 11:16:47
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YI JING III
Please do not think Semiosis is Chinese hoo-haa. If you have the same thoughts about Ji Jing, you have lost some of your ancient roots. Your traffic code, body language etc are part of semiosis:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem01.html
You do not have to read all, except this selection:
"Semiotics is important because it can help us not to take 'reality' for granted as something having a purely objective existence which is independent of human interpretation. It teaches us that reality is a system of signs. Studying semiotics can assist us to become more aware of reality as a construction and of the roles played by ourselves and others in constructing it. It can help us to realize that information or meaning is not 'contained' in the world or in books, computers or audio-visual media. Meaning is not 'transmitted' to us - we actively create it according to a complex interplay of codes or conventions of which we are normally unaware. Becoming aware of such codes is both inherently fascinating and intellectually empowering. We learn from semiotics that we live in a world of signs and we have no way of understanding anything except through signs and the codes into which they are organized. "
Please look at the Korean flag, it contains Tajitu, surrounded by four of the eight trigram. Simlarly the Vietnamese flag also depicts the Li trigram (meaning sun, or fire). No wonder the vietnamese government is full of fire towards the Chinese. Due to national pride, it is difficult for these Asian nations to acknowledge their cultural heritage. The chinese has no problem in acknowledging Buddhism from India, which is almost extinct in the country of origin.
To read a map you have to be familiar with all the signs and symbols etc. Similarly to read Ji Jing, you have to understand the basics.
The character yao is written with two crosses on top of one another. It represents in our cosmological and socio-psychological encounters etc (in a time-space continuum), we are always facing "Crossroads" in all our interactions, options and choices. We have studied that Yao is coded either as an solid (male) or interrupted (female) line.
Three lines stacked together to form a trigram; two trigrams together to form a hexagram. A hexagram, quo, represented a cosmological phenomena or image that human encounters. Interestingly quo consists of eight (pa) strokes in the Chinese character, and therefore represents eight types of possible changes, or mathematically 2 to power of three. The pictogram quo (called quo image) is written with guei (two muds stcked on top of each other; used by ancient to mark time), and a bu (a horizontal pole with a smaller hanging stick, again to mark the shadow of time; meaning prognostication or prediction). Visit Wikipedia to appreciate how the symbols are written.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching
Each hexagram consists of two of six lines, the upper two represents heaven, lower two represents earth, and the middle two represents human being. Each Baquo also consists of outer and upper representation, and each was assigned a number. Hence Ji Jing has two main sects: the numerical-imago group (more on divination); and the philosophical-ethical group .
I think there is enough complication today.
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k.h.
Verbose member
Malaysia
1761 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2009 : 12:21:58
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Yi Jing IV
We have stated that Ji jing is a grand semiotic system made up of two different but related sub-semiotic systems. It is not my interest to encourage you to become a fortune teller or feng sui (geomancy) master and to make money out of innocent and ignorant people, but to share interest with you in Chinese history, language development, philosophy and ethics etc over the years.
1. Jing or text proper is divided into two sub sections: the upper sub text consists of 30 qua (hexagram), and the lower sub text consists of 34 hexagram. These 64 hexagram are derived from eight "mother" trigram, just different juxtaposition of trigrams.
An easier way to remember is: qian has three uninterrupted lines
(double it to make a hexagram, qua), which represents heaven above, plus south direction. In this sub group, there is Li (an interrupted line sandwiched between two uninteruppted lines), which depits the sun or fire. Li also represents the east direction where the sun rises. Then followed by zhen (two interrupted lines or yao above the lower an interrupted), which means thunder. The forth of this sub-section is tui (a broken line on top of two unbroken lines), which represents the ocean. there in this sub-sections we have heaven, sun, thunder and the ocean.
The other sub-sections is kun, with three broken yao, which represents earth, and north. Under this sub-section, we have kan (a straight line sandwiched between two interrupted lines), which represents the moon or time for rest, or west direction. The follow by Xun for wind, and Gen for mountain.
Enough confusion? |
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Learning Chinese Culture Together: Lay To Lay
