"Heaven generates one, one generates water, and water generates ten thousand matters. (Debbie and Tad/Flickr)
Welcome to Ancient Tales of Wisdom, my name is Grace Mann, and it is my privilege to bring you another classical Chinese story: Knowing the Shape by Watching Water
Our human eyes have the ability to observe a myriad of things, but they always look from the outside. There is no way for them to see an object’s true form or true existence. For example, if you want to look at yourself, you have to use a mirror. If you do not have such a tool, you can only see other people’s appearances. So how do we correctly see both our own appearance and the current state of our country (China)? To do that, we can borrow wisdom from the ancient people of China.
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Bodhisattva Guan Yin
This is corinne malaske with an allegory for you. As some may know, but others not. An allegory is an artform whose parts or components symbolize meanings. This can be done in a symbolic type of a story, painting, emblem or sculpture. A dove is a symbol or emblem for peace; while a cupid or heart symbolizes love. All of us can think of many more examples, but I offer this Allegory to ponder. I first read it a few years ago and several times since. Upon reading it again recently, I found my understandings had changed from before. What will you understand from this story?
An Allegory of Cultivation: A Stubborn Water Bottle
Once upon a time, there was a water bottle in paradise. Guan Yin used the waterbottle to contain the elixir and a willow twig. The water bottle had accompanied Guan Yin in paradise for thousands of years and always thought that it was very important to Guan Yin. However, one day Guan Yin suddenly picked up the water bottle and said, “Water bottle, you have become filthy and may no longer stay in this realm. You must now leave for a different realm appropriate to your level.” The water bottle said anxiously, “Guan Yin, I am not filthy! I am as clean and shiny as ever! I am not filthy or tarnished at all!” Guan Yin explained with a smile, “Yes, your appearance is as shiny and clean as ever, but your nature has deteriorated. You no longer meet the standard of this realm!” The water bottle started to beg, “Guan Yin, I have been staying beside you for such a long time. Could you make an exception for the old time’s sake?” Guan Yin smiled again and said, “Water bottle, think about what you have just said and try to compare you with yourself thousands of years [click to continue…]
The colourful peach blossoms danced and swirled in the wind (steven.y/Flickr)
Hello and welcome, my name is Grace Mann, and it is again my privilege to bring you another Ancient Tale of Wisdom: The Paradise beyond Peach Blossoms
Myths and legends keep alive the hope that a perfect world is somewhere beyond the next mountain peak, across the ocean or through a narrow crevice. Plato described the mythic continent of Atlantis as if it had actually existed. In modern times, James Hilton wrote “Shangri-La” based on a mystical city of Tibetan Buddhism. And as C.S. Lewis said, we’d all like to think there was a magical wardrobe in our house
A 1st century poet from China also wrote about an amazing place that some believe actually existed. Tao Yuanming from Wuling near Dongting Lake in south China during the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty (376-396) – told this story of a fisherman who discovers a wonderful place by travelling to the end of a river.
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Your life will change at the moment when you start to learn how to disengage. (tinou bao/Flickr)
Hello and welcome, my name is Grace Mann, and it is my privilege to bring you another Ancient Tale of Wisdom: THE MOMENT WHEN YOU DISENGAGE.
In August of this year, brother Huang came to visit me. He told me that he was planning to sell the plant that he had inherited from uncle Huang. I was very surprised and asked why he had made such a sudden decision. He said that he was very tired and wanted to have a good rest. I kidded him: “You are only forty-three years old and you want to retire? Isn’t that too early? He answered: “It almost drives me crazy every day facing all the matters in the company. Also, I want to finish my first travelling work overseas.” After this, I shared his happiness and longings and then wished him good luck.
Yesterday brother Huang asked me out for dinner and told me that he had sold the plant. I congratulated him and asked him: “When are going to go? Do you need me to do anything for you?”
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A portrayal of family respect and harmony between two generations. (Photo source: sssuzun/Flickr)
Hello again, my name is Grace Mann, and it is my privilege to bring you another Ancient Tale of Wisdom – HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP STARTS WITH ONESELF.
There was a businessman named Ma Wenan who lived in Xinghua County, Jiangsu Province in ancient China. Mr. Ma was well educated and had good manners. His wife, Ms. Wu, was smart, pretty, and good at doing housework, but she was a little arrogant and critical of others.
Ms. Wu didn’t get along well with her mother-in-law. Every time Ma Wenan returned home from a business trip both his wife and mother would blame each other for all their troubles and refused to listen to each other. This made Mr. Ma very uneasy. He knew that his wife did not respect his mother, and he wanted to change that. One day he came up with a plan to help his wife gain insight into her conflict with his mother.
The next time when Ms. Wu started to complain about her mother-in-law, Ma Wenan said, “I know my mother is too talkative, and I have thought about moving out. However, our relatives and friends don’t know how difficult my mother is. If we move out so suddenly people will say that we have failed to fulfil our duty to our elders and that we are cruel and heartless. So you’ll have to tolerate her for a month or two. Before we move out, if you can take care of my mother wholeheartedly, everyone will know of your great filial piety and how unreasonable my mother is. Then, no one will be able to criticize us.”
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Dawn of Time (Narrated by Corinne Malaske)
Dawn of Time
A time will come, prophesized the soothsayers of old,
when man will battle with his brothers and sisters,
when the Gods are no longer pure and pristine,
when everything will need to be replaced.
A time will come, prophesized the soothsayers of old,
when breath-taking events will unfold,
in the human world, the heavens and all of creation,
in places beyond the reach of the most seeking eyes.
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Hello, my name is Grace Mann, and it is my privilege to bring you the story; NUWA MENDING THE SKY – A picture story of Divine creation and salvation for children of all ages.
The legend of “Nuwa mending the sky” occurred in ancient times far far away. The beautiful and merciful Goddess, Nuwa, came to the eastern land. Her arrival filled all the plants and animals in the human world with vitality.
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Welcome, this is Corinne Malaske with an Ancient tale of Wisdom to share, that of ‘The Golden Buddha’. It has touched my heart and I hope it will touch yours.Since time began, Humans have always sought divine enlightenment. This story is about the purity of this desire to cultivate or raise ourselves up.
A butcher came upon two people cultivating the state of enlightenment or Buddha hood. They told the butcher they were going West to see the Buddha and asked him to come with them. The butcher said, “I’m just too filthy and not worthy enough. Please, take my sincere heart with you.” So saying, the butcher took out his own heart, entrusting it to these two people. They agreed to take his heart into the West to the Buddha.
They did indeed find the Buddha. The Buddha pointed to a giant pot full of boiling water and asked them to jump into the pot. They both felt a lot of hesitation and uncertainty. They decided to throw the butcher’s heart into [click to continue…]
The virtues and principals that bridged Bing Ji's Heavenly rewards of honour and good fortune. (Photo DanieVDM/Flickr)
My name is Grace Mann, and it is my privilege to bring you the story; Selflessly Fulfilling One’s Duty.
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Bing Ji, a man from the West Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) was very forgiving and morally respectable. He did a lot of great things in a low-keyed manner and never showed off.
Emperor Xuan of Han (91- 49 B.C.) was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty from 74 B.C. to 49 B.C. His life story was a riches-to-rags-to-riches story. Emperor Xuan’s birth name was Liu Bingyi. He was born in 91 B.C. to Liu Jin, the son of then-Crown Prince Liu Ju, and his wife Consort Wang. Emperor Xuan was the great grandson of Emperor Wu (140 – 87 B.C.)
Late in Emperor Wu’s reign, conspirators accused Crown Prince Ju of using witchcraft against his father, Emperor Wu. Prince Ju was forced into a rebellion which was defeated. Prince Ju committed suicide, and his two uncles died with him. Empress Wei also committed suicide. Prince Ju’s concubine Consort Shi and Emperor Xuan’s parents also died in the incident in the capital. Emperor Xuan (then baby Bingyi) was but a few months old at the time. Bingyi was spared, although he was imprisoned and overseen by the Ministry of Vassal Affairs. He was put into the custody of the warden Bing Ji. Bing knew that Prince Ju was actually not guilty of using witchcraft and took pity on the child, and selected two kind female prisoners, Hu Zu and Guo Zhengqing, to serve as his wet nurses and caretakers. Bing visited them each day to see how the child was doing. Bing Ji reported to Emperor Wu several times, telling him that there was not enough evidence to support the witchcraft accusation, but each time he was reproached by Emperor Wu.
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Lao Zi - said to be one of the most famous philosophers in Chinese history. Also known as the Father of Taoism
Hello and welcome to Ancient Tales of Wisdom proudly brought you by SOH Radio Network. My name is Grace Mann, and it is my privelege to bring you the story; One Benefits from Modesty and is Ruined by Complacence.
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There is an ancient Chinese saying, “One benefits from modesty and is ruined by complacence.” The famous Chinese Taoist Lao Zi said, “A man is able to tell right from wrong when he does not think of himself as a know-it-all. A man will be recognized for his achievements when he does not brag. A man is capable of great accomplishments if he is not proud.”
A tolerant person is bound to have good fortune. An intolerant person is bound to have bad fortune. Being humble or being proud determines one’s fortune. A humble man of lofty character will become increasingly moral. Hence, modesty is a virtue a moral person must maintain.
During the Spring and Autumn Period in ancient China, Zi Lu, a disciple of Confucius, once asked Confucius “Why does a degenerated person tend to be conceited?” Confucius replied, “At its origin in Wen Mountain, the Yangtze River is unable to even float a cup. But when the Yangtze River goes down to the next port, multiple boats can line up in a row on the river.” Zi Lu asked again, “What do you mean, teacher?” Confucius explained, “The Yangtze River is the longest river in China, but it is no more than a small brook at its origin. It becomes bigger and wider as it keeps receiving water from many different brooks and rivers. A man who thinks twice before he speaks does not boast or make empty promises. A man who thinks twice before he acts does not hug all the credit. A true gentleman is wise and kind. A true gentleman respects, tolerates and forgives others and is a man of his word. A degenerated man thinks little of virtue and that is the reason why he is not the man he appears to be on the outside and is conceited.”
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A party of visitors had been seeing the sights at Hsi Ling. They had just passed down the Holy Way between the huge stone animals when Bamboo, a little boy of twelve, son of a keeper, rushed out from his father’s house to see the mandarins go by. Such a parade of great men he had never seen before, even on the feast days. There were ten sedan chairs, with bearers dressed in flaming colours, ten long-handled, red umbrellas, each carried far in front of its proud owner, and a long line of horsemen. [click to continue…]
Once upon a time in China there lived a certain king who had three daughters. The fairest and best of these was Kwan-yin, the youngest. The old king was justly proud of this daughter, for of all the women who had ever lived in the palace she was by far the most attractive. It did not take him long, therefore, to decide that she should be the heir to his throne, and her husband ruler of his kingdom. But, strange to say, Kwan-yin was not pleased at this good fortune. She cared little for the pomp and splendour of court life. She foresaw no pleasure for herself in ruling as a queen, but even feared that in so high a station she might feel out of place and unhappy. [click to continue…]
Zhou Chu Got Rid of the Three Terrors
Welcome to another Tales of Wisdom, today our story is about a young man who discovered that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Zhou Chu lived during the Jin Dynasty (1115 – 1234), in a place now called Yixing, in Jiangsu province. Lacking proper parental guidance during his childhood, Zhou developed into a rough and unrestrained menace, with a temperament that was rude, fierce, and unscrupulous. He became the village terror, and villagers were extremely fearful of him, avoiding him like the plague.
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