Chinese Music the Ancestor of Chinese Medicine

By Mu Jie, The Epoch Times, Via Divineshows.com-

Pleasant music works to cultivate one’s temperament, to purify one’s mind, and to deliver a sense of beauty. But has it ever occurred to you that the creation of music was originally intended as a medicine to cure?

The origin of music can be traced back to the creation of Chinese characters by Cangjie (2650 B.C.), a legendary figure in ancient China. The Chinese character “Yao,” which means medicine, is derived from the character “Yue,” which means music. The character Yao is composed of two parts: a radical, meaning grass or herb, and the character for music. In addition to carrying the meaning of medicine or cure, this character can stand for music itself, happiness, or enjoyment. Music is therefore the ancestor of medicine.

Cangjie, according to one legend, created the Chinese character Yue based on an historic event, in which Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) defeated Chi You (war deity). In ancient China, soldiers commonly beat war drums on the battlefields to inspire their bravery and gain the advantage.

After the fight between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You, the beating of the war drums knocked Chi You’s soldiers unconscious. To cure the defeated soldiers, the merciful Yellow Emperor created a metal object in the shape of a bell, which is now called a musical instrument.

The middle of the bell-type metal was made of bronze, tied to silk strings on both its sides; the metal object was placed on a wooden frame to play. Based on a shape of seal characters, an ancient style of Chinese calligraphy, the middle part of the character Yue is “Bai,” which means white and symbolizes metal— one of the five elements.

The ancient Chinese believed that everything in the universe, including the human body and even sound, was composed of the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. Of the five elements, metal corresponds to the color white. Cangjie invented the character Yue based on this bell-type metal. For what purpose was the metal object created? It was used to evoke a spirit from the dead, or to call back the souls of Chi You’s soldiers. According to legend, after the war, Chi You’s soldiers were lying on the ground, stunned by the war drums. Once their souls were healed, the soldiers came back to life.

Music, therefore, was used for healing. Later, herbs were found to contain healing effects, and one radical was thus placed on top of “Yue” to become “Yao.” As a result, the primary purpose of music in ancient China was to cure people of illness.

Researchers in the field of medicine have been conducting research into medical properties of music. While in his or her mother’s womb, a baby can develop a reaction to music. Of the five human senses, human’s ability to hear is the first one to “be enlightened.” Unborn babies in their mothers’ wombs can listen to the mothers’ heartbeats, breathing, and talking. That’s why modern parents give their babies prenatal education, such as exposing pregnant mothers to music. Clinically elegant and relaxing music helps reduce stress levels, ease breathing and nourish the organs.

One American scientist discovered that music is composed of waves of resonance, which can both influence one’s feelings and resonate with the human body. Meanwhile, music contains a variety of rhythms, while our body movements tend to follow musical rhythms. In consequence, changes of musical rhythms work to accelerate and regulate our biorhythms. Hence, some capable doctors would carefully select music of various rhythms to cure patients of various symptoms.

Ancient music was classified into Qingyue and Yayue (elegant music), which served the purpose of purifying one’s soul and mind. It was believed that good music had a beneficial effect on the human body. This was why ancient music was always of a slow tempo, for the purpose of letting people calm down. After listening to music, one is supposed to achieve spiritual tranquility instead of emotional excitement that seems to drive people out of their mind. Confucius once said that music should in fact be elegant.

Even in 1950s, people who were fond of music tended to be more easygoing. But now things have changed. There is something in modern music that provokes one’s demon nature. Some people even dance or twist their bodies crazily to the music, seemingly going wild or even lose consciousness with excitement. The demonic music can even cause people to display agitation, feel depressed or tend to lose their temper, which, in fact, brings great harm to health and achieves no healing effect.

The music in the Chinese New Year Spectacular (performed by The Divine Performing Arts, New York)   showcased in recent years is bright, pure, elegant and melodious with a definite classical slant. Listeners have said it touches their hearts— perhaps because it engenders kind thoughts and respect for our higher selves.

Many Spectacular performers have said that their practices are really a process of cultivating their hearts and minds. Positive feedback from audiences has been received—”After watching your performance, my illness is cured.” Perhaps we should credit part of this miracle to music.

- Divineshows.com

Traditional Chinese Music: Five Elements, Five Tones

By Dr. Zhiping Chen, Special to The EpochTimes-

Ancient Chinese music was based on the Five Elements. (Courtesy of NTDTV)

Chinese music is based on the ancient Chinese pentatonic, five-tone musical system. The five tones are classified as: Kung, Shang, Chiao, Chih and Yue.

According to the Chinese theory of the Five Elements, related to Chinese music, the tones are connected to a myriad of cosmological concepts, as well as the inner workings of man.

Chinese do not see it as coincidence that human beings have five internal organs: heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and spleen; and five sensory organs: mouth, nose, eyes, ears and tongue; and five fingers on each hand.

According to Chinese tradition, any of these five tones can affect a human being’s internal organs and might act as a regulatory mechanism. Music can increase metabolism, open thought processes, and regulate the heart. Because everyone’s makeup is different, one person’s internal organs are different to the next person’s, and the music touches people in different ways.

Elements	Metal	Wood	Water	Fire	Earth
Tones	Shang	Chueh	Yue	Chih	Keng
Directions	West	East	North	South	Center
Seasons	Autumn	Spring	Winter	Summer	Change of seasons
Planets	Venus	Jupiter	Mercury	Mars	Saturn
Emotions	Grief	Anger	Fear	Over-excitement	Anxiety

According to the five basic tones, one can detect different influences in the human body.

For instance, Kung-based melodies are classified as noble, Earth-related, and affect the spleen. Often listening to such music makes one tolerant and kind.

Shang melodies are heavy, like metal, unbending. This music affects the lungs; and frequent listening makes one righteous and friendly.

Chueh-based music heralds the arrival of spring and awakens all life anew. This kind of music affects the liver. Listening to it makes one kindhearted and conciliatory.

Chih music is highly emotional, like fire. It affects the heart. But listening to it makes one generous.

Yue-based tunes are melancholy, like placidly running water. They affect the kidneys. Listening to these tunes makes one mentally balanced and gentle, “sad but not hurt,” and “content but not to excess,” as the ancient Chinese saying goes. This is what the culture of Chinese music attempts to convey.

No matter which emotions the music expresses, taken to the extreme, it can harm the body and the flow of qi energy.

Dr. Chen has practiced traditional Chinese and alternative medicine and acupuncture in Seattle, Washington for more than ten years. She is originally from Taiwan and came across the connection between music and health when treating asthma patients. She has lectured on the connection between music and health since 2004.

- Source: The Epochtimes

Mysterious Chinese Characters (4): Yi — Justice, Honesty, Loyalty

Character- Yi

The symbol (義) has broad inner content, and includes values such as justice, honesty, loyalty and reliability. It is composed of 羊 (sheep) on top and 我 (I, myself) on the bottom. The sheep is obedient and kind, and mutton tastes good and is nutritious.

Given those characteristics, the sheep was considered to be a symbol for good luck and prosperity. “我” was originally developed from the oracle bone script where it denoted a fighting implement with a sharp tooth. 我 and 羊 going to together to make 義 can be interpreted literally to signify “I am a sheep.”

It means that it is possible to make sacrifices in the name of justice, similar to sacrificing a sheep to honor the gods. The Chinese character 義 reminds people how they should be conduct their lives, that is, selflessly. 義 belongs to a special category of ideograms, called huiyi characters (multiple meanings brought together); they are composed of ideograms with different meanings and their inner contents are a fusion of the several meanings.

- The Epochtimes

Mysterious Chinese Characters (2) — structure

Xu Shen, a researcher in the Dong Han Dynasty (25-220), analyzed the structure of the Chinese characters on the basis of the teachings of the I-Jing and the five elements, and documented his studies in the most important book on Chinese in history, called “Explaining Simple and Analyzing Compound Characters” (說文解字 shuōwén jiězì).

In his book Xu Shen divided the Chinese characters into six categories:

象形 Xiàngxíng, pictographs “depicting directly”: These display the meaning through directly depicting the appearance (for example: 山 for mountain, 人 for man, etc.);

指事 Zhǐshì, ideograms “pointing out the facts”: These are like conceptual pictographs, in that they represent an abstract idea through a picture. (for example: 一, 二, and 三 for “one”, “two”, and “three”; and 上 for “up”, 下 for “down”.)

會意 Huìyì, ideogrammic compounds “combination of meanings”: characters that consist of two or more characters with different meanings and whose contents are combined to create new characters (for example: 安 “peace” is a combination of “roof” 宀 and “woman” 女, meaning “all is peaceful with the woman at home”)

形聲 Xíngshēng, phono-semantic compounds “form and sound”: characters which consist of one sound component and one meaning component. (for example 媽 mā means “mother”, the right component 馬 is pronounced mǎ and means “horse”—it indicates the phonetic element—while the left component is 女 (nǚ, meaning “woman”), and this gives the meaning. The meaning component is often a “radical” (one of about 200 ‘building blocks’ of characters which make up the Chinese written language). About 90 percent of all Chinese characters fall in the Xíngshēng group.

假借 Jiǎjiè, phonetic-loans “under false name”: the reasoning behind these characters is slightly more complex, and relates to the historical development of written Chinese. In ancient China, one character would often be used for more than one meaning. But as the character was passed around, the more common character would end up “borrowing” the earlier one. For example, 來 was the pictogram for “wheat”, but it was also used for the verb “to come”. Eventually the more common “to come” became the default meaning of the character 來, and a new character for “wheat”, 麥, was established.

轉注 Zhuǎnzhù, reciprocal meaning “turn and pour”: this is a purely historic categorization, and refers to characters that have the same etymological root but which have diverged in pronunciation and meaning. 老lǎo “old” and 考kǎo “test” is a common example.

- The Epochtimes

Mysterious Chinese Characters (1) — Introduction

“Cang Jie invented the characters, thereby millet grains fell down from heaven and the evil

An example of an Oracle shell with inscriptions of the earliest Chinese characters. (Wikipedia)

spirits cried in the night.”

This is how Chinese have passed down the legendary tale of the invention of the Chinese characters by the ancient bureaucrat, Cang Jie, 4000 years ago.

Author and painter Zhang Yanyuan explained during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) the reasoning to above story as follows: “The heavens can no longer keep their secrets from human beings. Humans would, when learning the characters, recognize the secrets of the heavens. That is the same happy act of providence as millet grains falling down from the heavens.”

The evil spirits can now no longer hide, because human beings can now recognize, through the characters, the fundamentals and principles of the world. Therefore, it is no longer possible for these spirits to cheat and lie to people. The only consolation the spirits now have is to secretly cry during the night.

The Chinese characters are the treasure of treasures of the Chinese culture. The Chinese speak of “unity of heaven and humans,” which is also reflected in the Chinese characters. The Chinese characters contain the teachings of I-Jing, the five elements, and the Taoist Yin-Yang; they carry extensive information about heaven, earth, humans, events and objects, and these connections are all illustrated through the combination of the characters. That is also how in ancient China fortunetelling on the basis of characters came into being.

- The Epochtimes

The Essence of Classical Chinese Dance

By Zhang Tianliang, Special to The Epoch Times, Jul 26, 2007-Flash back to 1300 years ago. Emperor Zhong Zong ¹ of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) is hosting a feast on January 30, in the year 707, at the Kunming Pool. With all officials of the royal court present, he asks the officials and literary scholars to each write a poem about the occasion, and to present the best poem to him.

The Emperor had a colorful tower built, and invites Shangguan Wan’er, a beauty known for her literary accomplishments, to select the best poem. Two famous poets of the time, Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen, are both present.

Ms. Shangguan wore a phoenix-shaped hairpin and an embroidered dress in a light fabric. She sat on the tower and her long sleeves hung down. The court assistants presented the poems. Ms. Shangguan read them and made comments on each. Those that did not meet her standards were thrown to the ground.

The officials looked up at her. As each piece drifted down from the tower, it was picked up to see who the author was. Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen, however, did not retrieve any pages, as each believed that his was the best. Shen said, “You and I have been rivals for a long time. This time, whoever wins should be considered the better poet. That will settle our dispute once and for all.” Song smiled and agreed.

Soon, Ms. Shangguan let go of another poem. It was Shen’s. She wrote her comments after the poem, “It looks like Shen and Song’s poems were comparable. However, the last two lines of Shen’s poem showed that he was at his wit’s end, yet Song’s poem had new ideas, as though a flock of birds just took to the sky. That’s why I thought Song’s poem was better.”

The officials read the two poems. They were well-written, with exquisite phrasing. However, Shen’s poem ended with, “This humble servant employs failed material.” while Song’s last two lines read, “No need to worry that the bright moon will fade; the pearl of the night is soon to arrive.” They all agreed with Ms. Shangguan’s comments.

Chinese culture focuses on the atmosphere. This permeates the areas of calligraphy, painting, chess, music, poetry, martial arts, and dance. Shen’s poem compared himself with “failed material,” and ended on a sad note. Song’s poem, on the other hand, introduced a new element with the arrival of the “pearl” after the moon went down. This showed his superior ability to add a new, higher meaning.

The NTDTV International Chinese Classical Dance Competition held earlier this month included many talented people with outstanding techniques. But in terms of the inner meanings of their movements, Ren Fengwu (Michelle Ren) was clearly the best.

Ms. Ren’s dance was based on the concept of a pure lotus flower in the Buddha’s pond. Her clothing was also white, symbolizing the sacredness and purity of the lotus. Her dance not only showed the realm of lotus flowers, but also reminded us of the solemnity and holiness of the Buddha’s Paradise. As the lotus flower fluttered in the breeze, we could hear the music of a different world and almost smell its fragrance. It brought peace of mind to the audience and won their respect. On subject selection alone, Ren was one step above the others.

Her perfect forms demonstrated her deep understanding of the theme. Her movements were soft and fluid, yet every form was defined and refreshing. Strength was shown in the silkiness of her moves. The transitions between positions were natural and smooth. She held a very steady standing leg stretch (please refer to this link for the movement (please visit Youmaker.com to see video of this movement ), and then immediately executed a back flip with her hands supporting her on the ground.

This movement showed people sudden but inspiring change. When she danced, although the movements were dramatic, they made the audience feel calm. Her facial expression was peaceful and unaffected, as though she was not in a dance competition or pleasing the judges, but was only interpreting her understanding of lotus flowers through mature skills.

Even after she finished dancing, the energy and feelings from the dance were still in the air. The spirit of the dance was truly beyond the form.

Besides subject selection, Chinese culture also places importance on subtlety. Legend has it that Emperor Gao Zu ² of the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) initially didn’t have faith in Han Xin’s ³ ability to lead an army. The Emperor gave Han a very small piece of fabric and told him that he could lead as many soldiers as he could draw on the fabric. Instead of drawing soldiers, Han drew a running horse; the back half was hidden behind a wall, so only the first half was shown. One could see that the hands of the person riding the horse were holding a banner for a battle, even though the person himself could not be seen. Although Han had not drawn one complete person, the battle banner inferred that there were thousands of troops behind the rider.

During the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), Emperor Hui Zong ⁴ held an examination for the Royal Art Academy. The test was to draw an ancient temple hidden deep in a mountain. The top prize went to a painting that showed layers upon layers of mountains. A monk was at the foot of the mountain, drawing water from a creek. Although the artist did not actually show an ancient temple, everyone could tell that the temple would naturally be found deep in the mountains.

The same principle applies to Chinese Classical Dance. If the movements are too similar to martial arts, ballet, or gymnastics, if they are too hard or too soft, or if the transition between the quiet and dramatic was too obvious, then the dance lacks the required subtlety.

Chinese culture has always encompassed many areas. When a person handwrites a character, or even makes one move, others can obtain all kinds of important information about this person. This is of course even truer in a classical art form such as dance. A dancer will reach a plateau if she is able to improve technical skills but lacks a deep understanding of the Chinese culture. If a dancer lacks personal cultivation and understanding, she will be unable to successfully portray characters from the Heavens or those who have good moral qualities, such as loyalty and chastity.

Although techniques in dance are important, improvement in one’s morality is what truly resonates with the kind nature of those in the audience. The journey of moral improvement is endless. The Tao School believes that “everyone can become wise emperors,” and the Buddha School believes that everyone can cultivate to become a buddha. This means everyone has the potential to be enlightened, just as every dancer is able to reach that high realm. However, the process is one of arduous cultivation. This is the same process that established the essence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, the foundations of the 5,000-year culture of the Chinese nation.

The process is an endless road, one that must be traveled by those who seek the highest realm in Chinese Classical Dance.

[1] Emperor Zhongzong, Tang Dynasty
[2] Emperor Gaozu, Han Dynasty
[3] General Han Xin
[4] Emperor Huizong, Song Dynasty

- Original report from the Epochtimes 

24 Hours: Celebrating ancient China

By 24 HOURS NEWS SERVICES, Jan. 3, 2007-

It’s a snapshot of the millennia of artistic China, a global cross-cultural pageant of a concert that in the next three months will be seen by 100,000 people globally.

It is the Chinese New Year Spectacular, a highly-charged, vividly-coloured entertainment of dragons, drums, dance and costumes, plus vocals and instrumentalists. And, true to its multi-cultural mission, it also includes some ballet of the western variety.

In Vancouver for a second year, a matinee has been added to the one-day event at the 2,500-seat Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The aim of the show’s sponsor, New Tang Dynasty TV, is to expose society to traditional cultures, according to Patrick Dong, show coordinator and NTDTV executive director in Vancouver.

“It is a truly cross- cultural event suitable for all the family,” he added. Central to the show is the belief that China’s ancient culture was a gift from the heavens and so deserves its “land of the divine” accolade underscored by the themes of love, compassion and virtue in the triumph of good over evil.

The Chinese New Year Spectacular is at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre tonight with a 2 p.m. matinee and evening performance at 8.

Tickets, from $30, at 604-683-2202 and www.ticket.ntdtv.com/Vancouver.

( read from the 24 Hours Vancouver website )

Vancouver Sun: Year of Pig offers performance feast

Lloyd Dykk, Vancouver Sun, Tuesday, January 02, 2007-

CHINESE NEW YEAR SPECTACULAR

Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Wednesday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

$30 – $80

604-628-0303 (Chinese)

604-628-1620 (English) or 604-280-4444 (Ticketmaster)

- – -

According to the Chinese calendar it is the Year of the Pig coming up, which signifies good fortune, kindness, honesty and tolerance. And you may want to feast on the entertainment of the second annual Chinese New Year Spectacular when it comes to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for two shows Wednesday.

It sounds like the sort of extravaganza you’d normally see just a few blocks away at the Centre for Performing Arts in Vancouver: A celebration of what’s known as China’s golden age, the Tang Dynasty, a remarkable time in China’s 5,000-year history.

The three-century-long Tang, with present-day Xi’an as its then most populous city in the world, reached a high point of cosmopolitan culture and prosperity, largely the result of military exploits. From this show, purportedly based on the Tang, you can expect epic tales, dragons, drummers and beautiful dances from about 100 young performers in all, most of them overseas Chinese who live in New York. But it might be a good idea to try to see the Tang through a 21st-century filter.

In its four years of existence the show seems to have been a success, growing from appearances in five cities at its beginning to this year’s 28 cities across four continents, a run that will total 67 performances. (In Canada it goes to Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto after the Vancouver appearance.)

It’s put together in New York in a production by New Tang Dynasty Television, based in New York. It was ranked No. 7 in Billboard magazine’s top 10 shows in 2006, based on shows that ran last year at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. (… read more from Vancouver sun’s report )

Plum Blossoms, First of Four Noblemen, in Chinese Arts

By Tony Dai, to NTDTV-

Plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum were adored by the ancient Chinese literati and artisans, and referred to as the “Four Noblemen.” This was because they were used to portray noble characteristics, such as pureness, humbleness, and uprightness.

The first “nobleman” is plum blossom which begins blooming in the harshness of winter and continues into early spring.  It is seen as bringing vigor and vitality to the world.

The dance “Plum Blossom” in the 2006 Chinese New Year Global Gala truly brought the spirit of this flower to the stage.  The performance captured the essential nature of plum blossoms, “a fragrance coming from the bitterness and coldness they experience.”

The dance themes included: blossoming, braving snow, and heralding the arrival of the spring. Gracefully movements were used by the dancers to depict the peaceful blossoming of plum flowers in the cold winter. Suddenly, a thunderstorm appeared blowing fierce cold winds. The heart of the story is displayed as the dancers represented the inner strength and unyielding courage of plum blossoms. Then, the storm stopped and the sunshine finally burst forth.  After experiencing the ordeal, the plum blossoms became even more beautiful.

The beauty of plum blossoms are not just due to their color or that it is the only flower blossoming in the winter. It is also because each gentle petal has grown through the cruelty of the winter storm, and represents the essence of the process of growth.

In the traditional Chinese style of writing, the character for plum blossom was endowed with unique inner meanings and expressed the virtues of courage, strength, and taking fame and wealth lightly. It is said that an artist who creates a fine portrait of plum blossoms should have the noble characters of plum blossoms.  So, when painting this flower an artist strives to express their unyielding courage and noble character. Many painters in China love to draw plum blossoms, but not everyone of them does it well.

Shi Zhongren, a monk during the Song Dynasty, was well known for his plum blossoms paintings on thin silk using black ink. It is believed that the reason he painted plum blossom well was because he was a cultivator with a noble personality.

The master of painting this flower was Wang Mian, an artist in the Yuan Dynasty.  Wang stated that paintings were poems with no words, and poems were paintings with words. Different from Shi’s style with a few branches and plum flowers, Wang’s paintings contained many branches and plum flowers, expressing uprightness and enthusiasm.

Other artists in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were also famous for their paintings of plum blossoms. Their painting styles may vary considerably, but they shared one similarity  noble characters.

[- Author Tony Dai is an art collector, critic, and writer.]

China: “Shenzhou” – “The Divine Land”

Names tell a tale, they say.  Of the many names for China over the centuries, one stands out for all that it promises to tell: “Shenzhou” – “The Divine Land.”

Stretching across the canvas of Chinese history is a profound inclination, apparent in fields as diverse as urban planning and internal medicine, towards a world beyond, to a greater higher presence.

The very earliest works of Chinese art, drawn with remarkble care, depict godly figures and acts of veneration. In the earliest dynastic times, rulers considered heaven’s will fundamental to the well-being and integrity of the state.

The earliest extant Chinese writing, carved into tortoise shells, was solely devoted to discerning the will of a greater spiritual power. Entire cities were laid out so as to align with a higher, invisible order.

Chinese fiction and the novel, meanwhile, were born of Buddhist moral tales. Chinese metallurgy was interfused with, and often driven by, Daoist visions of alchemically transmuting the body into divine substance.

In almost every facet of China’s traditional culture can be found a wish to align human activity and thought with that of a greater spiritual presence or order, called variously “Dao” (the way), “Fa” (the law), “Tian” (heaven), “Shen” (god), or “Li” (principle).

This applied to carpentry and architecture, the martial arts, poetry and painting, astronomy, acupuncture, the festival calendar, and even military strategy, to name a few.

Hardly any aspect of China’s classical culture can be understood absent this. For this is the cultural legacy of “Shenzhou” – China – “The Divine Land.”

( From: NTDTV website,  The Divine Land )

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