Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Chinese traditional Culture (Part 5) - Catastrophe and Renaissance

By Danchen 

a) Chinese traditional culture is deeply rooted in people’s hearts
In China, there is an old saying that things will turn around after reaching the extreme point, and good luck will come after bad luck has gone to the extreme. So after having reached its “extreme,” the totalitarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will inevitably collapse. While the Party culture faces its demise, traditional Chinese culture is on the rebound.
Despite the CCP’s effort to alienate and destroy traditional culture, it is still deeply rooted in Chinese people’s minds. It clings tenaciously even though much has been eliminated by the Communist regime. The farmers still follow the Solar Terms [There are 24 Solar Terms in one Chinese lunar year] for spring ploughing and autumn harvesting. Doctors following traditional Chinese practices still use three fingers to diagnose illness, measuring the pulse at the wrist. People still choose auspicious dates based on age-old practices for marriages and burials. People still have the fengshui checked when building houses. In the 1970s and 1980s, the popularity of Qigong played a significant role in reviving Chinese traditional culture.
Why are people still interested in these “superstitions” [as they are labelled by the CCP]? It seems that for most, perhaps they seek consolation for their souls in Chinese traditional culture. One should not underestimate this point, because the warped Party culture has brought people just a vacuity of mind. No matter what crafty means the CCP has resorted to and no matter how enticing its words are, people’s inborn nature still does not side with the its ideology. As the sayings go, just like the desert of the mind requires moisture from the spring rain and the withering seedling of the mind requires the sunlight of faith, Chinese traditional culture quietly continues to nourish the soul.
b) Chinese traditional culture’s forgiving and historic influence
The customs, etiquette, religions, cuisines, and clothes of the countries surrounding China have been heavily influenced by Chinese culture throughout history. These countries’ cultures today are closely related to their current prosperity and stability. Countries ruled by communist regimes and poisoned by Communist Party culture are all poor, backward, and unstable. Many people outside China have drawn their sustenance and inspiration from Chinese traditional culture.
c) Falun Dafa leads the renaissance of Chinese traditional culture
Falun Gong has become a focal point for the world. Practitioners have shocked the world by exposing the CCP’s crimes. Practitioners’ websites, newspapers, radios, and televisions like Clearwisdom.net, Epoch Times newspaper, New Tang Dynasty Television, and Sound of Hope Radio have been established. Falun Gong practitioners have accomplished all this from nothing. During these years, they have dared to face the persecution and expose it although the CCP has spread lies all over the world, and although the world’s big media and even foreign governments, under great pressure from the Communist regime, have not dared to speak out about the truth of the persecution.
In the meantime, Falun Gong practitioners have won the admiration of the world’s people through their truthful, compassionate and beautiful behaviour. They have participated in parades and other celebrations around the world. People have seen the richness of Chinese traditional culture through practitioners’ writings, arts, music, television programs, and films.
The Divine Performing Arts (SHEN YUN), which has toured many places around the world, is comprised solely of Falun Gong practitioners. Their performances have won accolades from people from all walks of life, and from all corners of the world. Their extraordinary performances awaken the true goodness, what might be called the “Buddha nature,” that lies deeply hidden in people’s hearts. The Divine Performing Arts demonstrate pure heavenly-imparted Chinese culture, revealing the ultimate meaning of life and the ultimate nature of humanity. The essence of many Chinese legends and historical stories have been richly expressed through practitioners’ involvement. Chinese people’s values, the unity of heaven and mankind, the coming of the Lord of all kings to the human world to save people, and the descent of numerous gods to the human world to assist Master in Fa rectification have opened people’s memory of their true nature. What practitioners have been doing reflects the real purpose of civilisation’s history.
Practitioners have withstood the CCP’s unprecedented persecution and exhibited the greatness of Falun Dafa. They have also laid the foundation for the renaissance of the Chinese traditional culture and made special contributions to the revival of the Chinese traditional culture.

2013年神韵 SHENYUN