TAternUT
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 10-2005
Location: a flower bed after the thaw
Posts: 75
Karma: 5 (+5/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Yin & Yang
Yin & Yang back when they were on friendlier terms
---
my name is Milk, buddy!
|
|
1/30/2006, 22:01
|
Send Email to TAternUT
Send PM to TAternUT
Blog
|
TAternUT
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 10-2005
Location: a flower bed after the thaw
Posts: 75
Karma: 5 (+5/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Yin & Yang
Dragon Culture
For millennia, the dragon has been a vital part of Chinese culture, and the people themselves have long been known as the "descendants of the dragon". However, nobody really knows where the dragon comes from. Many believe that the dragon originated with the Yellow Emperor, who reigned in the years 2696 - 2598 BC and is considered the ancestor of all the Chinese people.
For the Chinese people, dragons were described visually as a composite of parts from nine animals: the horns of a deer; the head of a camel; the eyes of a devil; the neck of a snake; the abdomen of a large ****le; the scales of a carp; the claws of an eagle; the paws of a tiger; and the ears of an ox.
Chinese culture includes twelve zodiac signs. Dragon is one of them. Since he also represents royalty, if someone is born under the sign of the dragon, he or she is apt to be regal, possess strong leadership qualities, has a large ego, and can be somewhat tyrannical. The dragon stands as a symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom. In mythology, it was a messenger between humans and gods and a bearer of blessings from heaven to earth. The dragon was endowed with magical abilities to control the wind and rain, to fly through the air and live beneath the sea. Eventually, it became a symbol of the country's seat of power: the imperial throne. Chinese emperors think they are the real dragons and the sons of the heaven. Thus the beds they sleep on are called the dragon beds, the throne called the dragon seat, and the emperor's ceremonial dresses called the dragon robes. Also dragons can be seen on the buildings in the imperial palace.
Traditionally, the dragon was credited with having great powers that allowed them to make rain and to control floods by striking the river with its tail, causing it to open and thus divert the floodwaters. The kings of the water dragons live in the dragon palaces under the oceans.
The dragon plays an important part in Chinese festivals. We see this splendid creature in pictures, posters, paintings, and on the streets during Chinese festivals. In Chinese culture the number nine is lucky. If you look closely at a Chinese dragon picture, you will notice that there are generally attributes that number nine or a multiple or divisor of the number. The dragon dance has a long history, which was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty. The Dragon Boat Festival is almost purely dragon-related festival, which becomes popular international events now.
There are many Chinese stories about the dragon. There is even a very famous Chinese idiom, "Lord Ye's Love of Dragons", which means professed love of what one really fears. Here is the story behind the idiom. Lord Ye loved dragons deeply. He had dragons everywhere and he was thinking about dragons all the time. His love of dragons moved a real dragon, so the dragon came to visit him one day. When he saw the real dragon, he was frightened to death.
In ancient China, nobody had any doubts about the existence of dragons. People showed great respect for any dragon depicted in pictures, carvings and writings, and as a result the dragon became the symbol of Chinese nation. All the people in China, including the emperor, prostrated themselves before the image of a dragon with reverence and awe. Thus, this unreal animal became the spiritual sustenance, from the totem of a tribe to the symbol of the nation. Eventually it became the sign on the national flag of the last feudal dynasty, the Qing Dynasty.
RELATED
Dog Year
Dragon Boat Festival
Rooster Year
Last edited by TAternUT, 6/7/2006, 18:01
---
my name is Milk, buddy!
|
|
6/7/2006, 18:00
|
Send Email to TAternUT
Send PM to TAternUT
Blog
|
TAternUT
Registered user
Global user
Registered: 10-2005
Location: a flower bed after the thaw
Posts: 75
Karma: 5 (+5/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Yin & Yang
Dog Year
Today begins the Dog Year, a time of fairness and equality. Integrity and honesty are the values that lead to success under Dog's watchful and just influence.
According to the Chinese astrology, people born in the Dog Year possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people's confidence because they know how to keep secrets.
My wife is a Dog, born in a Dog Year. She is a giving, compassionate personality and a "PHT" (push husband through). Honest and trustworthy, she makes excellent friends and never hesitates to make sacrifices for the people she loves and the causes she believes in. She offers kind words, support and advice to friends and family. She is a listener, always available to lend an ear or a shoulder to a friend in need. Direct and frank, she does not pay much attention to superficial details and has little patience for frivolity. She prefers to react to rather than plan for a situation. To play a combined role of a career woman and a housewife, she is always under pressure and worries a lot. She is more concerned with the welfare of the family and friends and does whatever it takes to help them out of a tight squeeze or a rough spot. As I see it, she is a great philanthropist, a great shopper and a great diplomat! She likes clean residences. Not only straightened-up, but also deep cleaned. Changing sheets, washing clothes, dusting blinds and wiping down mirrors are only a few of her weekly chores, though we have a maid to help for cleaning every Sunday morning. She makes our home well organized. She enjoys a vacation with the entire family more than a romantic trip...
Well, let me write something else about the Dog Year. Many Chinese companies showed illegal hiring biases, even according to such factors as height and blood type. I was surprised to see that workplace discrimination has reached this ridiculous level. While some Chinese companies looking for new recruits had deliberately passed over candidates born as Dogs to ward off the bad luck expected for people in years of their same sign, a company in northern China, in a new twist on the phrase "working like a dog" said it would only hire candidates born in the Dog Year, as the company craves loyalty, honesty and efficiency - qualities associated with people born in the Dog Year to match their "corporate culture".
Another funny fact is that a baby boom is expected in the Dog Year and two young ladies in my office are expecting! The expected baby boom is the result of an ancient Chinese superstition. Many people believe animal signs can affect a child's personality, so they prefer to have children in the Years of the Tiger, Monkey and Dog. Babies born in the Dog Year are believed to be honest, loyal and independent. Lots of couples would wait till a "good year" to have babies.
RELATED
Chinese Superstitions
Dragon Culture
Family Responsibility
Marriage and Career
Rooster Year
---
my name is Milk, buddy!
|
|
6/7/2006, 18:04
|
Send Email to TAternUT
Send PM to TAternUT
Blog
|
ggoddogg
Head Administrator
Global user
Registered: 01-2006
Location: Cryptic, Alabama
Posts: 74
Karma: 1 (+2/-1)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Yin & Yang
All hail the Dog!
---
if dogs could think, I'd be omniscient,
as it is... I don't know
|
|
6/8/2006, 15:22
|
Send Email to ggoddogg
Send PM to ggoddogg
Blog
|
Add a reply
Powered by AkBBS 0.9.5b - Link to us
- Blogs
- Hall of Honour
- Chat
Click here to get your own free message board
|
You are not logged in (login)
Board's time is: 11/25/2009, 16:21
|
|
|
