Culture

• Stories from Ancient China: Returning Gold to its Owner Brought Yang Zhan and His Offspring Good Fortune for Generations

  2006-03-30
  Traditional Chinese culture is about cultivating kindness and promoting morality. Ancient Chinese people believed that it is a treasure to be free of greed. It was an ancient Chinese motto shared among not only the elite stratum of the learned men, but also among common merchants. In fact, there is a common saying in China, "A man of virtue obtains wealth by honest and moral means."
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• Stories from Ancient China: The Origin of the Chinese Saying, "Predestined Beyond Three Lives"

  2006-03-29
  Monk Yuanze said, "It sounds like you do not believe me. I will reach nirvana tonight. After three days, come to this lady's house, because she must give birth to a chubby boy. If that baby smiles at you, then that must be me smiling at you." Monk Yuanze also told Li Yuanshan, "You are a good friend, and I want to be friends with you in my next life. Let us have a plan that after 13 years, on the Mid-Fall Festival, I will wait for you at Tiantu Temple in Hangzhou City, where we will meet again!"
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• Confucianism and Daoism Are of the Same Origin – the Guodianchu Scroll Is the Discovery of the Millennium

  2006-03-25
  During the “International Guodianchu Scroll Academia Discussion Conference,” the experts pointed out that the scroll was the discovery of the millennium. Only the Book of Jizhongzhu, which was found 1,700 years ago, could be compared with it. Through the scroll, one can clarify the changes and modifications that Confucianism and Daoism underwent through history, and it gives traditional culture its proper identity. Some of its core thinking and values are still applicable for people today.
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• Stories from Ancient China: The Court Official Who Was at Ease Being Poor

  2006-03-22
  Confucius said: "A gentleman should be at ease being poor." This means that a gentleman should be at peace with being poor and not lose his good character. Gao Yun, from the North Wei Dynasty, was a "Zhongshuling," a title for a high officer in the Imperial Court. He was such a gentleman, one who was at peace with being poor.
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• Stories from Ancient China: The Virtuous Emperor Jia Wang

  2006-03-17
  Everyone complained about the hardships they went through. The guards who escorted the criminals were also utterly exhausted. Jia Wang looked at them and could not bear to see their sufferings anymore. He called them together and said," You deserved the punishment because you offended the law of the country. But these people who have escorted you are innocent. They suffer the same hardships as you. Don't you feel ashamed? "
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• Stories from Ancient China: Honest, Kind and Willing to Help Others

  2006-03-11
  Wang Zhaosu had a donkey, which many people came to borrow. Whenever Wang Zhaosu needed to go out, he always asked his servants if anybody wanted to borrow the donkey. Only when they told him, "Nobody asked to borrow the donkey" would Wang Zhaosu leave home. He was afraid that someone who needed the donkey would not be able to find him if he left. He was so kind and eager to help others.
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• Stories from Ancient China: Getting Rid of Jealousy and Transforming Misfortune into Happiness

  2006-03-10
  Jealousy makes people feel resentful. What's worse, it makes people do bad deeds and offend the heavens. Jealousy is the manifestation of being self-centred and selfish. In the beginning, Jiang Yuan was very jealous and had no compassion at all. Because of that, he met with retribution. After he genuinely mended his errors, misfortune turned into happiness. This is exactly like the old saying: "Families that accumulate good deeds are bound to have blessings while families that accumulate bad deeds are bound to have retribution."
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• Stories from Ancient China: Inspiration from a Story of a Blind Child Who Built a Bridge

  2006-03-09
  But one day people found that the handicapped boy was piling up stones on the riverside. They asked him and he replied that he wanted to build a stone bridge so that villagers could cross the river more easily. People didn't take him seriously. Many laughed at him, thinking him to be crazy. But months and years passed and the pile of stones had become a little hill. The villagers began to change their opinions and were moved by the child's persistence. They began to join him to collect stones.
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• Stories from Ancient China: An Emperor Humbly Takes Good Advice and Corrects His Mistakes

  2006-03-07
  Once, he was mad at someone and wanted to kill him. His highest official, Mr. Su Wei (Duzhishangshu) tried to persuade him not to, but he was too mad to listen, and went ahead with his plans, trying to kill that person by his own hand. Mr. Su Wei bravely blocked him several times, causing Yang Jian return to his palace in anger. After a while, when he was no longer so angry, he asked Su Wei to visit him, and expressed his apology. He said sincerely to Su Wei, "Since I have a helper like you, nothing can worry me now."
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• Stories from Ancient China: Leisure Is Worse Than Poisoned Wine

  2006-03-05
  Mr. Tao Kan had very little to do in Guangzhou, but he never lowered his standards or enjoyed the pursuit of leisure. Every morning, he would carry one hundred bricks from his study to the yard, and then carry the same bricks back to his study in the evening. People were curious about his behaviour, and asked him why he did this.
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• Stories from Ancient China: Refusing a Gift of Gold at Midnight

  2006-02-26
  Later, Yang Zhen was in charge of Zhuo County. He was very fair and just, and his whole family lived a simple life. They always walked when going out. His friends tried to persuade him to leave some property to his offspring. He replied with a smile, "I am leaving my reputation of being an uncorrupted official as inheritance to my children, isn't that riches enough?"
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• Stories from Ancient China: Maintaining Virtue Brings Future Generations Good Fortune

  2006-02-23
  Yang pointed at the flowerpot and said to him, "This is the money that your father left with me before his death. Now please take them with you." The businessman's son was very astonished. He didn't know about the money and dared not accept it. Yang Zhang said, "This is your family's money. Please do not decline it." He told the son about the background story of the gold coins. The son was deeply moved. He knelt before Yang Zhang to thank him formally and then left with the gold.
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• Stories from Ancient China: Transformation of People's Minds by an Act of Kindness

  2006-02-21
  Many people fell ill during one summer. Xin Gongji set up sick beds in the main hall of his home and took in all ill people. Hundreds of people filled the main hall and the passageway. He used his own money to buy medicine and hire doctors. He helped care for the patients day and night. Soon the patients recovered one by one. He then ordered their family members to take them home. He told them, "You all can see for yourselves. How can the diseases be contagious? Am I not quite well?"
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• Stories from Ancient China: General Liu Died a Violent Death After Defying Divine Beings

  2006-02-20
  General Liu, went to the Tai Mountain to beg the divine beings for help, but received no response. He went to offer a sacrifice to the Dragon Pond, but the sun burned even more fiercely. General Liu became furious and ordered civilians to carry stones and soil to fill up the Dragon Pond. At night in his dream, there was a divine being telling him, "The extended period of drought has nothing to do with me. How dare I do things against the heaven's will and randomly start a rain? I hope you can understand this."
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• Stories from Ancient China: Zhou Chu of the Jin Dynasty Reforms Himself

  2006-02-17
  Not seeing him for three days, his countrymen thought Zhou Chu was dead. They started a celebration to cheer for the elimination of the three hazards. Right then Zhou Chu returned and saw the festivities. He realised just how much people hated him and felt ashamed. This incident made him even more determined to reform himself and to live a new life.
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