Tag: Chinese Tutor

Buddhism and Chinese Language

Published on by Zhi-Juan Guo

It is an ambitious title, and with only the commonest knowledge in both, I could no more than attempt to just touch the very surface of it.

In China today, you could not see, as you would in Thailand, barefoot monks in orange or red robes walking in a line at dawn going around the neighborhood to accept almsgiving. Nor you could see, as in North India, holy temples dot the lower ranges of Himalayas, and in almost every household, there is a statue of Buddha, people there typically start their day by offering fresh flowers to Buddha and saying their morning prayers.

Once mother, when I touched upon this topic, said “I am a Buddhist myself”. I bluntly told her that by going to the temple once a year (often not even), burning some incense and asking Buddha to solve whatever problems she happens to have in life does not make her a Buddhist. ( We also call this “临时抱拂脚” in Chinese).

Yet, in one respect she is not wrong: merely by being a Chinese, she is a little bit of a Buddist. For it is on your tongue, in the language you speak, it is in the way you think, it is in your blood.

It’s said Buddhism came to China around 67A.D., so it has existed in China for nearly two thousand years, and with such a long history as that, it has time enough to weave and merge in every aspect of Chinese people’s daily life. And it has already, through these long years, ingrained in Chinese language and mind and has become a main part of China’s own culture.

Indeed, one of the Four Great Classical Novels(四大名著 sì dà míngzhù)–the four best-known Chinese classic works–Journey to the West(西游记 xīyóujì) is about a legendary pilgrimage made by five well-known characters: 唐僧, 孙悟空，猪八戒，沙和尚，白龙马 ( Monk Tang, Monkey King, Zhu bajie, Monk Sha, Dragon Prince), to the west region (西域 xīyù, modern day India) to obtain the Buddhist sacred text (佛经 fójīng).

It would be safe to say that no Chinese, children and adults alike, do not know these five persons, and for many a Chinese children, one of the pleasures in the long summer afternoon is to watch Journey to the West, and almost every Chinese little boy and little girl, has at one time or another, dreamed of being 孙悟空 the “Monkey King”.

It’s said there are about thirty-five thousand Chinese words come from Buddhism, and here are only a very few examples:

缘分 yuánfèn, lot or luck by which people are brought together, is a Buddhism concept deeply believed by Chinese, or Asian people.

慈悲 cíbēi, merciful, or to give others happiness, rescue others from suffering.

如意 rúyì, it’s originally a claw stick in ancient India–they still have it today–for scratching the back and relieving itching, coming to China, the word took up an auspicious meaning: satisfaction, good luck. 祝你万事如意, we still say it today “May all go well with you”.

善有善报，恶有恶报 Shàn yǒu shàn bào, è yǒu è bào, good deeds beget good deeds, bad deeds beget bad deeds, is a Buddhism concept, though in English, you also say “what goes around comes around”.

Also, some of the naming of the most common things are influenced by Buddhism. In China, especially in the north we also call our father 父亲 fùqīn, 爹 diē, this word is from some Buddism text when it was first introduced in China.

We call our fourth finger, the ringfinger 无名指 (Wúmíngzhǐ) no-name finger, is partially because in India they call this finger the same way.

世界 Shìjiè, the world, in ancient China before the Buddhism was there, they call it “天下tiānxià” sky-under: under the sky; the world. 世 means three times lines: past, present, future, and 界 means the ten boundaries, or directions: east, south, west, north, southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest, up, down (东, 南, 西, 北, 东南，西南，东北，西北, 上, 下).

Even the word for wisdom in Chinese “智慧Zhìhuì” is from Buddhism.

Our mind is shaped by Buddhism: 境由心造 Jìng yóu xīn zào, or “circumstances/conditions are created by the heart”, or to translate is roughly, your attitude towards life determines how you live it, do you smell Buddhism in it?

It is in our poems: 出淤泥而不染 Chū yūní ér bù rǎn: out of the mud but not stained–it is a praise for the symbol of Buddhism: the lotus flower.

It is in our idioms: 盲人摸象 Mángrénmōxiàng, blind man touching the elephant, means only knowing part of a whole picture, 空中楼阁 Kōngzhōnglóugé castle in the air.

So when a Chinese, any Chinese, says that he is a Buddhist, he is not, actually, far wrong.

Sketches of San Francisco

Published on by Zhi-Juan Guo

California yoga is no joke.

You would think New York has the best of everything and the yoga people there are pretty impressive until you come to the studios in San Francisco. They seem to give it another layer of skillfulness, a seriousness, and devotion that only a calm and tranquil life could bring.

Indeed, as you get to know this city more–the highest income per capita and the bluest city in the U.S–you understand that there is solid ground for the general well being of the people in this city. With a salary that could compete with New York, it has only one tenth of New York’s population, which means you could walk un-harrassed on a clean street with lots of plants to look at.

Everywhere you look there is a public tennis court, a, probably world-class, public golf course, and lush California plants and flowers. It’s said San Francisco is more or less a square of seven miles by seven miles. So no matter where you live in this city, you are never very far from the ocean, and there is Golden Gate Park, no worse than Central Park, for you to stroll or bike in.

Admitted that no other museum could compete with the Met in New York. But the ones here–California Academy of Science, Exploratorium among others–offer you a refreshing view of what modern museums could do. Never did I gain so much self-knowledge in a museum setting: examine yourself, your fellow human beings, your surroundings and the universe you yourself–who are actually made of stars (not only a romantic but a scientific view)–are part of, the museums say.

Mini walking trips within the city, biking among lofty pine trees and next to the Pacific Ocean, the weather is never so hush, the crowd never so demanding that it inspires the savage survival instincts that makes New York fierce and aggressive and lively and so interesting and draining.

I love being greeted by a smiling stranger on a walk. It now fits the articles and books I read about this city: it says you are either moderate Democrat or progressive Democrat and you grant everyone his right to live and earn his bread.

And I’m discovering books, literature written by Chinese who came before me living here in California. New York is so strong that it sweeps you along and everyone in it has to be a New Yorker. Here in this new front, the new world of the New World, there is space enough for you to be yourself and I’m learning.

I’m kneely and a little embarrassingly aware that I’m not one of them–highest income per capita. I’m not that capita and I’m not earning my keep. And yet, and yet, every single day that I’m granted here, I’m going to make a moment out of it and I’m determined to make my mark. I’m determined to be happy in this city.