柔、堅|dELICATE, sTRONG

(pHOTO iD: iM180530a)

柔、堅|dELICATE, sTRONG

平衡,就是若剛能制柔,柔也能克剛。
BALANCE, that is, if the sTRONGNESS can rESTRAIN the sOFTNESS, then the sOFTNESS can also rESTRAIN the sTRONGNESS.

《道德經》—— 第七十六章:
“Tao Te Ching”*₁- Chapter 76 (original written in Classical Chinese):

人之生也[柔弱₁],其死也[堅強₂]。草木之生也[柔脆₃],其死也[枯槁₄]。故堅強者死之徒,柔弱者生之徒。是以[兵₅]強則[滅₆],[木₇]強則[折₈]。強大處[下₉],柔弱處[上₁₀]。
People are [sOFT and dELICATE₁] when born, and they become [hARD and sTIFF₂] after death. When the plants and trees are alive, they are also [sOFT and fRAGILE₃], once they are dead, they become [wITHERED and dRY₄]. So the hardness and stiffness are on the side of dEATH, while the softness and delicacy are on the side of lIFE. Therefore, the [sOLDIERS₅] will be [aNNIHILATED₆] as they are strong, the [tREES₇] will be [cUT dOWN₈] as they are strong. The sTRONG one will be in the [lOW₉] position, the dELICATE one will be in the [uP₁₀] position.

Continue reading

孝、欽|fILIAL , rESPECT

(pHOTO iD: iM171222b)

孝、欽|fILIAL , rESPECT

家教,就是家庭中的終身言行身教。
fAMILY eDUCATION is the whole lIFE teaching by pRECEPTS, bEHAVIORS and eXAMPLES in the family.

林逋(九六七年至一零二八年,北宋儒家詩人)-《省心錄》中一話:
Lin Bu (967-1028, Confucian poet of Northern Song Dynasty*₁) – A quote of “Record of self-reflection”:

[孝₁]於親則子孝,
[欽₂]於人則眾欽。
Be [fILIAL₁] to your parents, your children will also be fILIAL to you.
[rESPECT₂] others, others will also rESPECT you.

..,

Continue reading

死、生、養、歡|dEAD, bORN, dISTRESSED, hAPPY

(pHOTO iD: iM171025a)

死、生、養、歡|dEAD, bORN, dISTRESSED, hAPPY

百年之後,無是無非。
After a hundred years*₁, there’s no yES or nO.

莊子-《莊子》之《外篇》—— 第十一章《至樂》、段六:
Zhuangzi *₂ – “Outer chapters” of “Zhuangzi”, – Paragraph 6 of the Chapter 11 “The Greatest Happiness” (original written in Classical Chinese):

列子行,食于道從,見百歲髑髏,攓蓬而指之曰:
“唯予與汝知而未嘗[死₁]、未嘗[生₂]也。若果[養₃]乎?予果[歡₄]乎?”

Leizi*₃ ate on the roadside upon his journey, there he saw a hundred years old skull, he then plucked the grass surrounding and pointed to the skull, said:
“Only I and you know that you are nOT [dEAD₁], also nEVER [bORN₂]. Are you rEALLY [dISTRESSED₃]? And am I rEALLY [hAPPY₄]?”

Continue reading

感、雪|fEEL, sNOW

(相 pHOTO – 訴 雪|tELL sNOW : sPREE cORNER kREUZBERG bERLIN )

感、雪|fEEL, sNOW

雪,不只是凍,有時還會又苦又甜。
Snow, is not just cOLD, sometimes also bITTERSWEET.

羅隱(八三三年至九零九或九一零年,唐末詩人及文學家)-《雪》:
Luo Yin (833-909/910, Late Tang Dynasty’s poet and writer) – “Snow”:

×××
盡道豐年瑞,豐年事若何。
長安有貧者,爲瑞不宜多。
People all are talking that the gOOD snow is a good sign of the bumper hARVEST for the next year, sO wHAT?
Chang’an*₁ has pOOR people, the good snow still should not be mORE.
×××

Continue reading

福、到|gOOD fORTUNE, aRRIVES

福、到|gOOD fORTUNE, aRRIVES

福,倒了!
福,到了!
gOOD fORTUNE is uPSIDE dOWN!
gOOD fORTUNE aRRIVES!

猴年快樂!
恭喜發財!
hAPPY lUNAR nEW yEAR of mONKEY!
kUNG hEI fAT cHOI!

農曆新年雖是華夏文化裡最盛大的傳統節慶,惟各民族之間的習俗及禮儀未必盡是相同。
Although Lunar New Year is the biggest traditional festival in Great Chinese culture, the traditions and ceremonies may not be totally the same between the ethnicities.

Continue reading