Can the Sunset Bagua reflect the national spirit of the Chinese nation?

New Interpretation of Tai Chi Diagram Returns the Glory of Tai Chi Philosophy

——Ming Dynasty Gift to the East

The history of human civilization is mainly marked by the emergence of writing. So, what kind of confusing land is prehistory before the emergence of writing to modern people? What kind of slash-and-burn farming did our ancestors engage in? How did human civilization develop and emerge over the long years? Here, exploring Tai Chi Tu and its influence on China and the world will make us feel that the scenery of five thousand years ago is coming towards us.

The Tai Chi diagram is broad, profound, mysterious and profound, just like a wordless heavenly book. It is primitive and modern; it is mysterious and scientific; it is Chinese and global. Since the day it was born, wise men and women of all generations have worked hard to study its secrets and explain it from generation to generation, and finally it has become the source of wisdom of the Chinese nation - Tai Chi philosophy. There is no doubt that the rich philosophy contained in Tai Chi philosophy has had a profound impact on both the Chinese nation and the entire world, and has become a symbol of human civilization and culture. The question is, does China and the world still need Tai Chi philosophy today? Can Tai Chi philosophy still arouse great excitement in China and the world today? To answer this question, we need to explain and summarize the philosophical implications, historical status and role of Tai Chi Tu, as well as its practical significance.

1. The relationship between Tai Chi Diagram and the origin of Chinese philosophy, world philosophy and Chinese civilization

Tai Chi Diagram is composed of two symmetrical fish-shaped patterns in black and white that interact with each other and contain each other. The circular pattern is commonly known as the yin and yang fish picture. It is said that it was made by Fuxi. The author studied a large amount of archaeological data and found that a large number of ancient Tai Chi graphics existed on vessels from five to seven thousand years ago (see Figure 1), which shows that Tai Chi diagrams were produced in the middle and late Neolithic Age. As an ancient totem, Tai Chi records and expresses the Chinese ancestors' understanding and thinking about the mysterious nature in graphic language. This is the germ of Chinese philosophy. As the representative of Chinese ancestors during this period, Fuxi also became the well-deserved originator of Chinese philosophy. With the advancement of the use of symbols, the idea of ​​yin and yang contained in the Tai Chi Diagram has been fully expressed in oracle bones and other cultural relics from the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties and even earlier. Not only that, during the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, as symbols evolved into single characters, and the single characters gradually formed systematic characters, a book explaining Tai Chi, Yin Yang, and Bagua appeared - the "Book of Changes". The "Book of Changes" naturally became the first book of Chinese philosophy and the first book of Chinese semiotics. King Wen of Zhou who wrote the "Book of Changes" naturally became the father of Chinese philosophy. The emergence of writing greatly promoted social civilization and progress, and formed the highest peak of Chinese culture - the contention of a hundred schools of thought. At the same time, two major thinkers in Chinese history - Confucius and Laozi - were born. At the same time, Tai Chi diagram was more widely promoted and applied, and eventually became the source of wisdom of the Chinese nation - Tai Chi philosophy. Under the nurturing of Tai Chi philosophy, the Chinese nation has created a long and splendid five thousand years of civilization. This indisputable fact has to make us reflect on this theoretical proposition: Which came first, philosophy or civilization?

As early as six to seven thousand years before writing appeared, our ancestors used graphic language to summarize the origin and changes of all things in the universe through the dialectical contradiction of yin and yang. This is better than the ancient Greeks 2,600 years ago. The origin of philosophy is at least two to three thousand years earlier, which fully demonstrates that Tai Chi Tu is not only the origin of Chinese philosophy, but also the origin of world philosophy. The origin of Chinese philosophy is one or two thousand years earlier than the five thousand years of Chinese civilization. Based on this, we can draw the conclusion that "philosophy came first, and then civilization came. It was Chinese philosophy that gave birth to five thousand years of Chinese civilization."

The great Tai Chi thought born in the Neolithic Age has supported the development of Chinese science and technology, and together with the science and technology of the Neolithic Age has given birth to the five thousand years of Chinese civilization. Therefore, we have reason to say that the "father" that gave birth to the five thousand years of Chinese civilization is the technology of the Neolithic Age, and the "mother" is Tai Chi culture. This fully proves that Tai Chi is the root of Chinese culture and the mother of Chinese civilization! This conclusion also solves the problem about the origin of civilization in the project of exploring the origin of Chinese civilization.

2. The Tai Chi Diagram is a graphic expression of the law of the unity of opposites

The law of the unity of opposites is the fundamental law of philosophy and the fundamental law of the universe, and the Tai Chi Diagram is a symbol of the Chinese ancestors in the Neolithic Age. The diagram of the law of unity of opposites expressed in graphic language is the earliest graphic dialectics in the world.

As a symbol and a pronoun, the Tai Chi circle actually represents the existence relationship and the laws of operation of all things in the universe: the Tai Chi circle is divided into two parts by yin and yang, and this "yin and yang" is a contradiction; yin and yang only exist in the Tai Chi circle. Among them, it expresses the relationship between yin and yang that is both opposite and unified; the symmetry and balance of the yin and yang graphics reveal the truth of "Tai Chi Harmony" that things pursue balance in a contradictory body and pursue harmony among many contradictory balance bodies. , just like many spices blended into delicious food, and many musical instruments blended into beautiful music, all things in the universe and human society develop and change in balance, with "harmony" as their fundamental purpose of development. To a certain extent, the balance theory of yin and yang in the Tai Chi diagram is more scientific and reasonable than the law of the unity of opposites in modern philosophy. The philosophy of Tai Chi has the distinct purpose of "pursuing the balance of yin and yang". However, in modern philosophy, the "end-means" relationship of the law of unity of opposites is unclear, which leads to the emergence of "struggle theory". "Struggle theory" believes that struggle is eternal and the development of things depends on struggle. Typical examples are Hitler's statement in "Mein Kampf" that "all life is engaged in an eternal struggle" and used this as a guiding ideology to create the brutal World War II; China's "Cultural Revolution" ", also based on the "struggle theory" as the theoretical basis, that is, "taking stage struggle as the key link", led to China's 10-year catastrophe...

3. Keywords in Tai Chi philosophy and their logical relationships

Wuji, Tai Chi, Yin and Yang, Bagua, Five Elements, and Feng Shui are the key words of Tai Chi philosophy, while Yin and Yang are the core of Tai Chi philosophy.

Wuji means no limit. What is the universe in the big picture? Speaking from a small perspective, what else is there in Kwakri? The philosophical significance of Wuji is to encourage us to think endlessly.

Tai Chi means limit. The maximum can refer to the vast universe, and the minimum can refer to quarks. The philosophical significance of Tai Chi is that it covers the entire universe and its changes, both extremely and extremely small.

Yin and Yang, when ancient Chinese thinkers introduced the category of yin and yang to look at the generation and movement of all things in the universe, philosophy was born. The essence of Yin and Yang is the Chinese theory of contradiction. The philosophical significance of Yin and Yang is to reveal the true meaning of philosophy, that is, everything is contradictory. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Laozi explained 48 pairs of yin and yang dialectical contradictory relationships in the Tao Te Ching, making the Tao Te Ching the first book of profound philosophy and the ancestor of Taoism and Taoism. Lao Tzu became one of the highest gods in Taoism. ——Moral God.

Bagua is a symbol representing Yin and Yang. "—" means Yang; "- -" means Yin. Each line segment is called a Yao, and three Yao overlap to form Bagua. The great significance of Bagua is that as early as three to four thousand years ago, Chinese ancestors divided the eight natural elements between heaven and earth into four pairs of yin and yang dialectical contradictions: "heaven-earth, water-fire, wind-thunder, mountain-ze" to explain the world. Organically combine natural elements with philosophical analysis. After entering the era of writing, the Bagua symbols were added with text annotations to form the Book of Changes. The philosophical significance of the "Book of Changes" is to interpret the world through the combination of Yin and Yang Bagua symbols that represent the natural elements of heaven and earth. The mystery and magic of the "Book of Changes" lies in the fact that it uses the fewest words to give a high-level summary of the world: Yi means change (change, movement); Yin and Yang means contradiction and balance (result). The three words "Yi" and "Yin and Yang" express that the world is "contradictory, changing, moving and balanced", which is the core of dialectics. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius wrote an interpretation of the Book of Changes, namely "Ten Wings". The spirit of "continuous self-improvement" mentioned by Confucius in the "Heaven Gua" and the thought of "loyalty and virtue" mentioned in the "Di Gua" have now become the essence of the Chinese national spirit. Confucius's "Ten Wings" and King Wen's "Book of Changes" have become the ancestors of Yi studies and the classics of Confucianism. Abroad, especially in Southeast Asia, people follow Confucian philosophy and believe in Confucianism as a "philosophy" - Confucianism.

The Five Elements is a dialectical theory of the "production-determination" of matter. The Five Elements Theory believes that nature is composed of five elements, synonymous with metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The significance of the Five Elements is to reveal the relationship between "promotion of life" and "restriction of restraint" among all things in the universe, so as to achieve the balance of yin and yang, which is the theory of balance of the Five Elements.

Feng Shui comes from the observations and summaries of nature that our ancestors have made over millions of years in order to adapt to the natural environment and overcome natural disasters, and to choose a suitable environment for survival and living. The term Feng Shui comes from the combination of two natural elements in Bagua, wind ( ) and water ( ), which were created four thousand years ago. The significance of Feng Shui lies in how people seek the best living environment. According to Feng Shui master Guo Pu, “Qi will disperse if it rides on the wind, and it will stop if it is bounded by water.

The ancients said that when people gather together, they will not disperse, and when they move, they will stop. This is called Feng Shui. It is the earliest written expression of Feng Shui.

The logical relationship between the six key words of Tai Chi philosophy is: Wuji produces Tai Chi, Tai Chi contains yin and yang, yin and yang interpret the Bagua and the Five Elements; the Bagua explains Feng Shui, and the Five Elements solve the balance of material life and restraint. The hierarchical relationship between these six keywords is: Wuji-Tai Chi, which reflects the dialectical relationship of making something out of nothing; Tai Chi-Yin and Yang, which reflects that everything is yin and yang ( The philosophical core of contradiction); Bagua-Five Elements, which belongs to the further display of Yin and Yang; Feng Shui belongs to the application level. They are interlocked with each other and fully and systematically demonstrate the Chinese Tai Chi philosophy. With the application of Tai Chi philosophy, Tai Chi, Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements. It has gradually developed into the core theory of Chinese martial arts, medicine, health science, Kanyuology, etc.

4. New Interpretation of Tai Chi Diagram

Philosophy is the key to deciphering Tai Chi Diagram, and the diagram is explained through philosophy. , we can analyze the ten major philosophical theories of Tai Chi Diagram:

The monism of the unity of the universe: The Tai Chi circle represents the original round unity of the universe, and everything in the world starts from this "one". The Big Bang theory of the universe originating from a "singularity" in science is the best explanation.

The dualism of splitting into two: using two fish shapes, S-curves or other methods to make the Tai Chi circle into one. Divided into two, and distinguished by yin and yang.

The theory of change that encompasses all things: the Tai Chi diagram changes to the infinite and the smallest, revealing the laws of change in the universe.

The concept of endless movement: The lively pursuit of Pisces shows that everything in the universe is in eternal motion.

The core theory of the black and white fish-eye Yin and Yang seal: The black and white fish eyes in Tai Chi diagram represent the opposite sides. Each has a core. For example, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu in the Chu-Han War are "fish eyes".

The contradictory identity of opposites: the opposites of yin and yang are contained in the Tai Chi circle. Contradictions are the same. This law tells us that tolerance is the prerequisite for survival, and only tolerance can survive, and the Chinese culture of tolerance has become a virtue of the Chinese nation.

The law of negation of the ups and downs of waves: The S-curve of the Tai Chi Diagram represents a pair of waves in the ups and downs of the waves, thus embodying the negation and negation laws of the twists and turns, ups and downs and contradictions of the development of things.

The negation law of the negation is connected end to end. The view of reincarnation: The yin and yang fish in the Tai Chi diagram are connected head to tail, reflecting the ultimate ideal of life: comprehensiveness can lead to perfection, and this comprehensiveness reveals the ideal pursuit of mankind.

The "Tai Chi Harmony" concept of symmetrical balance: In the form of graphics of equal size and symmetry, it reveals the distinct purpose of pursuing the balance of yin and yang in a contradictory opposition and pursuing harmony among many contradictory balanced bodies, that is, the "Tai Chi Harmony" concept.

The outstanding contribution of the ten major philosophies of Tai Chi is that it proposes three theoretical categories: yin and yang (contradiction), dividing into two (unity of opposites), and inclusive harmony (purpose).

5. The relationship between Chinese culture and Yi, Confucianism and Taoism, and the balance between Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism

When it comes to Chinese culture, the first thing people think of is Confucianism, Taoism, Yi Xue and Zhuzi Xue. If we treat the above-mentioned cultures as sub-cultural elements, we draw a large circle and include each sub-cultural element. This circle is the Chinese culture. According to the first and second mentioned above, this big culture is Tai Chi culture. In other words, Tai Chi culture is the great culture and source culture of China

Tracing back to the source culture of Tai Chi, it is not difficult for us to understand why Confucianism and Taoism can win out in the contention of a hundred schools of thought and become the main culture of Chinese culture? Later, why could Confucianism and Taoism form a three-religion unity with the foreign Buddhist culture? This is because the three schools of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have absorbed the essence of the complementary yin and yang of Tai Chi origin culture and pursued a harmonious realm of balance between Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism: Confucianism teaches people to be knowledgeable and polite, to be positive, to pursue career peaks, to represent the theory of rising, to adapt to For middle-aged, young and young people; Taoism teaches people to govern by doing nothing and return to nature, which represents the downward (return) theory and is suitable for middle-aged, strong and old people. This one up and down, one old and one young, constitute the two major ideological systems of Confucianism and Taoism yin and yang balance. However, Confucianism and Taoism focus on reality and do not touch on issues such as birth, old age, illness, death, and pain. Buddhism just makes up for this shortcoming: Buddhism focuses on the afterlife and focuses on solving the pain problems in life. Buddhism believes that people are struggling in the sea of ​​suffering, advocates tolerance and tolerance, and believes that practice is the way to escape the sea of ​​suffering and reach the other shore, and obtain the paradise of paradise. In this way, Confucianism and Taoism talk about reality, and Buddhism talks about the afterlife. Confucianism and Taoism do not involve pain, and Buddhism relieves pain, forming a complementary relationship of yin and yang balance.

6. "Harmony" - the eternal theme of world culture

The theory of "Tai Chi Harmony" tells us that the fundamental purpose of human progress and social development is to seek "harmony". This fundamental purpose determines that the eternal theme of Chinese culture is "harmony." In the same way, the eternal theme of world culture is also "harmony" - peace, harmony, harmony, harmony, harmony, that is, world peace, social harmony, national harmony, family harmony, and everyone's harmony...

At this point, we can explain that the reasons for the "contention of a hundred schools of thought" in Chinese culture, the "turmoil and disputes" in world culture, and the formation of the "universal world" pattern are due to "harmony without uniformity". The so-called "harmony" means "Tai Chi harmony". Regardless of "contention" or "dispute", the fundamental purpose of pursuing "harmony" is the same. "World unity" refers to this fundamental identity of purpose. The so-called "differences" refer to the differences in class, angle, direction, and habits that the fundamental goal of "harmony" represents, as well as the differences in the means used to pursue "harmony."

Chinese culture is "the culture of harmony" and "the culture of tolerance". It is precisely because of the "culture of harmony" and "culture of tolerance" that China's 56 ethnic groups can live in harmony and harmony. Although all ethnic groups and cultures in the world have the same ultimate goal of "harmony", they have different degrees of tolerance for "difference", which has led to disputes, disputes, accusations, and even wars! At this point, we can summarize the three major reasons for the chaos and strife in the world. The first is the theoretical basis of the "struggle theory" in the law of the unity of opposites; the second is the insufficient tolerance of certain ethnic groups and cultures; the third is the greatest weakness of human nature - -The expansion of greed caused by "selfishness". The theory of "Tai Chi Harmony" tells us: force and power can never unify the world, only "harmony" can unify the world. Peace is the eternal pursuit of mankind. The greatest contribution of the Chinese nation to the world lies in the theory of "Tai Chi Harmony". The Chinese nation, infiltrated by the thought of "Tai Chi Harmony", will surely become the backbone of world peace.

7. The theory of world balance - the great basic law of science

The essence of science and technology is to explore, discover, research and solve contradictory problems in its own field. The theory of yin and yang balance is the core theory of Tai Chi philosophy, and it also reveals the great basic law of science - "the world is balanced." Balance is a relative concept, referring to a range of balance, just like galaxies exploding in the universe at all times, but it does not affect the balance of the universe. "World Balance Theory", as a great basic law of science, governs the basic laws of various scientific fields: from an astronomical point of view, "the universe is balanced", and the existence of living things on earth is the result of the earth being at the best balance point in the universe; From a geographical point of view, the "earth balance movement" has created the reasonable distribution of the six major plates of the earth, sea, land, mountains, etc.; from a biological point of view, there are "ecological balance", "male and female balance", "physiological balance", etc.; in physics On the book, from "universal gravity" to "balance of motion", from "conservation of mass" to "conservation of energy", including "action force equals reaction force" and "complementarity principle", etc., the principle of balance is fully demonstrated; from a psychological point of view , including "balance of mind", "balance of gains and losses", etc.; scientific and technological industries such as traditional Chinese medicine, health preservation, Tai Chi, Kanyu, aesthetics, music, film and television, architecture, etc. all take "balance" as the basic criterion; and in sociology, It also takes the pursuit of "stable development", "environmental friendliness (for heaven, earth and people)", "social harmony", "world peace" and "world harmony" as its fundamental theories and principles.

8. Chinese totems going global and China’s take-off

The national flag and national emblem are symbols of the country and nation; scientific and cultural emblems are the symbols of this science and this culture. The Tai Chi totem is widely used in the national flag and national emblem, as well as in the fields of science and culture. China has two totems that go global, one is the "sacred picture" dragon totem. The dragon totem symbolizes divine power, auspiciousness, rapid advancement, might and strength. The Chinese nation worships it very much and has become a symbol of the Chinese nation. In 1888, the Qing Dynasty adopted the dragon totem as its national flag. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese team used the Chinese dragon as its clothing pattern, symbolizing that the Chinese nation is the descendant of the dragon. The dragon totem has also gone global and become the national flag pattern of Bhutan; the other is the "Zhe Tu" Tai Chi totem. Tai Chi totem symbolizes thought and wisdom, and expresses the ideal and desire to pursue "harmony".

The Tai Chi totem has a far-reaching impact on the world. It is the most commonly used graphic in the world as national flags, national emblems, technological and cultural emblems: on the national flags and national emblems of South Korea and Mongolia; on the emblem of the United Nations Commission on Racial Discrimination; in Singapore, On the aircraft emblem of the Angolan Air Force; on the emblems of the Olympic Games in South Korea and Germany, and the Asian Games in South Korea; on the medal of Bohr, the Danish physicist who won the Nobel Prize; on the trademark of the world's first computer developed by the United States... on many The shadow of Tai Chi totem can be found everywhere in the emblems of culture (such as Yixue, Taoism, Taoism...) and science and technology (Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, health science, Kanyuology, physics...).

The dragon culture derived from the dragon totem is the temperament of the Chinese nation, focusing on form; while the Tai Chi culture contained in the Tai Chi totem is the essence of Chinese civilization, focusing on thought. For thousands of years, the Chinese dragon totem and Tai Chi totem have become sacred symbols of the Chinese nation's ups and downs, endless life, and throughout human history. The Chinese nation is a thoughtful "Chinese dragon". As long as we don't mess around, then when the Chinese dragon takes off, it will be when China takes off and the prosperous age of China will come.

At this point, we can get the answer to why China will never decline among the four major ancient civilizations in the world, and why we have shortened the huge gap with the world since the late Qing Dynasty in just thirty years of reform and opening up. . And this answer is precisely because we have Tai Chi thought and the spirit of the dragon, and we have 1.3 billion Chinese people who are hard-working and tolerant. Today, we have achieved world-renowned achievements in the thirty years of reform and opening up, which has opened the prelude to China's prosperous age; tomorrow, in another 40 years, we will realize modernization, enter the forest of developed countries, and complete Deng Xiaoping's proposal my country's "three-step" strategic goal; in the next 50 years, China will enter the prosperous period of China, and by the end of this century, it will become a world power: the world's most populous country, the world's cultural power, the world's economic power, the ninth world, the Tai Chi Tu New The solution and the proposal of ten new propositions

The Tai Chi diagram has been evident throughout the ages. The profound philosophical thoughts and rich cultural connotations it contains have a profound impact on the process of human civilization. So, what historical and practical significance does Tai Chi Tu have to mankind and the world? Based on the above description, combined with my experience in studying Tai Chi culture and my concern and research on the civilization exploration project, I put forward the following ten new propositions that should attract social attention for everyone to discuss:

1. Tai Chi Diagram is a graphic expression of the law of unity of opposites, which is more scientific and reasonable than the law of unity of opposites in modern philosophy

2. Tai Chi culture is the mother of five thousand years of Chinese civilization

3. Tai Chi culture is the root culture and great culture of China

4. Tai Chi philosophy is the origin of world philosophy

5. Tai Chi "harmony" culture is the eternal theme of world culture and is the Chinese nation's response to the world. The greatest contribution

6. "Tai Chi Harmony" is the only way to resolve world turmoil and disputes, and China will become the backbone of world peace

7. "World Balance Theory" is great Basic laws of science

8. The 21st century is the era of China's take-off, and reform and opening up have kicked off China's prosperous age

9. Totem research and symbol research fill the gaps in prehistory< /p>

10. Tai Chi Diagram is the world’s intangible cultural heritage

10. Actively carry out the Tai Chi Diagram’s application for World Heritage and restore the glory of Tai Chi Diagram

After thousands of years of vicissitudes, the ancient pictures have New understanding will shine tomorrow. Because Tai Chi is so mysterious and profound that it has been used by witchcraft in the past dynasties, and is influenced by the ultra-leftist ideological trends in modern times, the great Tai Chi is still dismissed as a "superstitious" symbol and a cultural alien in the eyes of many modern people. This current situation is heartbreaking for those knowledgeable people who love traditional Chinese culture; it is a great pity for the Chinese nation, which has the most tolerant character. As descendants of the Chinese nation, we have the responsibility to change this situation, protect our "mother" culture, and restore the glory of Tai Chi philosophy.

Today, when we are vigorously promoting cultural revitalization, we must hold high the banner of protecting Tai Chi culture, inherit, study and popularize Tai Chi culture in a down-to-earth manner, so that the world, especially young people, know that the Chinese nation not only has Confucianism and Taoism that have been spread around the world ( Taoism), as well as the Tai Chi diagram and the great Tai Chi culture spread all over the world! To this end, the author calls for an immediate action to apply for the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Tai Chi to avoid the recurrence of the "Dragon Boat Incident"; to establish "Tai Chi Studies" and actively carry out systematic research on Tai Chi culture; to set up a totem research institution to cultivate totem and Semiotics research experts in order to better inherit Tai Chi culture, promote Tai Chi philosophy, and retain the unique roots of human culture.

We firmly believe that in the 21st century with economic development and cultural renaissance, the brilliance of Tai Chi philosophy will shine on China’s development and world peace.

Become a major scientific and technological country in the world and become the backbone of world peace