Stories Ancient Chinese Stories With Music Book I

A Series of Ancient Chinese Stories set to contemporary music - celebrating 5,000 years of glorious Chinese traditional culture, which the Chinese Communist Party seek to destroy -- as well as persecuting the traditional tai chi like practice of Falun Gong -- where adherents only follow truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.(More info at: www.clearwisdom.net.) All links to the music and stories are found at the end of each story. The collection finishes with an essay on the great Chinese classic story Monkey King.

Foreward Nian - A Spring Celebration of Li Bai and His Poetry Li we explore the The ancient Chinese tale behind the saying Nan Yuan Bei Zhe as we try our best to Honour Heaven and Understand Ones Responsibility, Honour Follow the Dao That Guides Ones Behaviour, lest we Behaviour, be Reincarnated into a Horse to Pay Off a Debt of Karma. It is The Wisdom of Inclusiveness that inspires this project together with Thoughts on How Benevolence Begins With Oneself And Relates To The Cultivation Of Moral Character. Taking Delight In Character. er Having Ones Mistakes Pointed Out, lifes endless Out, teaching through Taoist Holy Days of Winter Solstice, Solstice, ad infinitum, as we giggle at the adventures of the infinitum, Monkey King. King. ~ Dafa Dizi

Nian - A Spring Celebration

The Spring Festival is the grandest festival for the Chinese. The Spring Festival is also called "Nian", but who knows the term, Nian, was once the name of a furious monster that lived on human beings in the ancient time. How the Festival has some relationship with the monster lies in a story about the origin and development of the Spring Festival. The legend says, long ago, there was a monster called Nian. It was born to be very ugly and ferocious, which looked like either dragons or unicorns. On the first and the 15th of each lunar month, the monster would come down from the mountains to hunt people. So people were very much afraid of it and locked their doors early before sunset on the days of its coming. There lived an old wise man in a village. He thought it was the panic in people that made the monster so bold and furious. Thus the old man asked people to organize together and to conquer the monster by means of beating drums and gongs, burning bamboo, and lighting fireworks in purpose of making large noises to threaten the hateful monster. When he told people about the idea, everybody agreed on it. At a moonless and freezing cold night, the monster, Nian, appeared again. The moment it opened its mouth at people, burst out the frightening noises and fire made by people, and wherever the monster went, it was forced to back off by the terrible noises. The monster couldn't stop running until he fell down with exhaustion. Then people jumped up and killed the evil monster. Savage as the monster was, he lost in the end under the efforts from the cooperation of people. Since then, people have kept the tradition by beating drums and gongs, and lighting fireworks at the coldest day in winter to drive the imagined monsters away and to celebrate the victory over it. Today, Nian refers to the New Year's day or the Spring Festival. People often say Guo Nian, which means 'live the festival.' Furthermore, Nian also means the year. For an example, the Chinese often greet each other by saying Xin Nian Hao, which means Happy New Year! Xin means new and Hao means good. Source: http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa010900a.htm

Download To Listen To Story, Download Here: http://www.mediafire.com/?5tqlrgk5wb4ddmr

oetry: Li Bai and His Poetry: Self Abandonment, a poem by Li Bai

Today I am in a more poetic mood and thought I would introduce you to Li Bai to those new to Chinese Poetry. Now Li Bai was and still is one of Chinas most famous poets from the Tang Dynasty. He is known for writing very Buddhist style Chinese poetry and did not really seem to enjoy Confucianism. It is said that Li Bai tried his hand at the civil service exams and failed, so he gave up and went on to write poetry based on the individual more so than the Confucian methods of poets like Dufu. He was considered the rogue poet of his time and also was a bit of an alcoholic which seems to hold some truth if you look at his poetry. With that said, todays Chinese Poem is titled Self-Abandonment; I will not be the one who translated this poem, but it is our excellent scholar Arthur Waleys translation.

I sat drinking and did not notice the dusk, Till falling petals filled the folds of my dress. Drunken I rose and walked to the moonlit stream; the Birds were gone, and men also few.

A note about drinking that I should mention in Chinese culture in those times: drinking was socially acceptable when you were with a group of people. In most of the Chinese poems written by Li Bai he drinks alone and that was considered very anti-social. the result being that this is why many say that Li Bai was the renegade poet of his time and an alcoholic; interestingly enough it is said he drank too much one night, passed out and fell into the lake

and drowned and some say he just drank himself to death, there are various ideas on how he died (no one is quite certain). Mind you however it is not really for certain known how this poet died. To this day his poetry is some the best known not only in China, but throughout the world. Till the next Ancient Chinese Story post everyone. Feel free to comment as always if you need the Ancient Chinese Story Owner Joseph Ahdoot. (from www.ancientchinesestories.com - Joseph Ahdoot)

Here: To Listen to Story, Download Here: http://www.mediafire.com/?733oavr0oc08a81 The ancient Chinese tale behind the saying Nan Yuan Bei Zhe
Ancient Chinese Stories: The ancient Chinese tale behind the saying 'Nan Yuan Bei Zhe' If someone goes to you in China and says, it means one is acting in a way that would defeat ones purpose even if you literally translate the Chinese meaning, it means "south shafts north rut." Yet this old saying has very old roots in Chinese culture. It is a story about a traveler and how he wanted to go where it was that he went. Once upon a time, there was a man who was riding in a horse drawn carriage and traveling to go take care of some affairs; and in the carriage there was also a very big suitcase. He told the driver to of the carriage to drive non-stop and the horse ran extremely fast. Along the road, there was an old man who saw them and asked, "Sir, you seem anxious, where do you need to go?" The man in the carriage then replied in a loud voice, "I need to go to the state of Chu." The old man heard and laughing he smiled and said, "You are going the wrong way. The state of Chu is in the south, how come you are going to to the north?" "Thats alright," The man in the carriage then said, "Can you not see? My horse runs very fast."

"Your horse is great, but youre path is incorrect." "Its no problem, my carriage is new, it was made just last month." "Your carriage is brand new, but this is not the road one takes to get to Chu." "Old Uncle, you dont know," and the man in the carriage pointed to the suitcase in the back and said, "In that suitcase theres alot of money. No matter how long the road is, I am not afraid." "You have lots of money, but do not forget, The direction which you are going is wrong. I can see, you should go back the direction which you came from." The man in the carriage heard this and irritated said, "I have already been traveling for ten days, how can you tell me to go back from where I came?" He then pointed at the carriage driver and said, "Take a look, he is very young, and the driver drives very well, you neednt worry. Goodbye!" After he said this he told the driver to drive forward, he drove and the horse ran even faster.

To Listen To This Story, Click Here: http://freedomforchinacast.podbean.com/2011/01/02/ancient-chinesehttp://freedomforchinacast.podbean.com/2011/01/02/ancient-chinesestories-the-ancient-chinese-tale-behind-the-saying-nan-yuan-beistories-the-ancient-chinese-tale-behind-the-saying-nan-yuan-bei-zhe/

Honour Heaven and Understand Ones Responsibility, Follow the Dao That Guides Ones Behaviour
(Clearwisdom.net) The ancient Chinese honored and respected heaven's will. They believed that when one is attuned to heaven's will one can understand human affairs and act righteously. The ancients observed, studied, and hypothesized about the movement, changes, and rules that govern the universe and nature. The findings allowed them to understand the ever-evolving human society and the rules that govern mankind's existence. Based on that,

they deduced that the principles of moral conduct should harmonize with heaven and e arth and prevent one from deviating from the righteous path. According to Shi Ji (Records of the Grand Historian), there lived a virtuous court official, Sima Jizhu, in the kingdom of Chu. He studied in Chang An, an ancient capital of China during the Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties and now called Xi'an. He was well versed in The Book of Changes and the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Lao Zi. Besides that, he was highly educated and had great foresight. One time, court officials Song Zhong and Jia Yi paid a visit to Sima Jizhu to ask his thoughts on human affairs. At the time, Sima Jizhu was having a discussion with three students. When they noticed Song Zhong and Jia Yi, they invited them to join the discussion. Song Zhong and Jia Yi responded that they only wished to listen. Sima Jizhu continued to talk about the movements of heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, and their relationship to benevolence and righteousness, as well as the good and the bad omens. Everything was explained in an organized and logical manner. Song Zhong and Jia Yi both listened attentively and with great respect. Sima Jizhu continued, "A gentleman is straightforward when offering good advice and does not expect to be repaid when giving praise. He kindly and honestly points out other's mistakes, keeping the nation's and people's well-being in mind. A genuinely virtuous person will not accept a government position if he does not think he can it perform well, nor will he take a salary that exceeds his efforts. He is not ecstatic when offered a position, nor is he worried about losing his job; the key is that he does things conscientiously. On the other hand, a wicked person who is hungry for power uses his authority to threaten others. He uses the law as a tool to force out the righteous person and exploits the common people. He will do anything for personal gain, and that is despicable. A wicked official does not enforce the law to prevent robberies, does not take care of and reform the neighboring tribes when they do not surrender, and doesn't stop other wicked ones from uprising and obstructing the path of the sages. All kinds of disasters occur as a result of degenerated moral values." Song Zhong and Jia Yi were impressed and humbled by Sima Jizhu's speech and commented, "It is true that good moral values lead to peace, whereas power and force lead to danger. One should learn and follow the laws of heaven in one's activities, and become a righteous instead of a wicked person who caters to the powerful." After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the Marquis of Dongling was relegated to the level of a common person. One day he visited Sima Jizhu to talk about his future. Sima Jizhu asked, "What do you want to know about your future?" Marquis of Dongling replied, "I've heard that when a bothersome smell becomes strong, it needs to be aired; when the temperature gets too hot, the wind will blow; and what is congested needs to be aired. From winter to spring, what is curled up will be extended. Things rise and fall, and they come and go. However, I still have doubts and would like to hear your advice." Sima Jizhu said, "You seem

to understand the principles, then why do you need me to talk about your future?" Marquis of Dongling replied, "I don't seem to thoroughly understand the profound meanings of what I have heard and hope you can guide me." Sima Jizhu responded, "Who does the heavenly law favor? It favors those who are virtuous. When a virtuous person conducts himself according to heavenly law and does things to benefit the common people, the gods will help him. From dusk till dawn, flowers wilt and bloom; winter leaves and spring arrives; all things wane and will be reborn. There is always a calm and deep pool at the end of the rapid river water. There must be a deep canyon underneath the high mountain ridge. There is cause and effect, and all matters are predestined. When a person cultivates to become virtuous, good manners and etiquette will follow." Ancient Chinese have believed and followed the principle of "man and heaven are one." They knew that there was a direct relationship between cosmic changes and changes in human affairs, and that good deeds will be rewarded and bad deeds will receive retribution. Therefore, they placed great importance on elevating their moral standards. However, the Chinese Communist Party has acted against heaven's will and done things that are against the laws of heaven and earth, morality, and the cosmic law, thus, creating countless tragedies. Their actions will not be tolerated by the heavenly principles. Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/6/12/202624.ht

Story, Here: To Listen To This Story, Click Here: http://freedomforchinacast.podbean.com/2010/11/17/honor-heaven-andhttp://freedomforchinacast.podbean.com/2010/11/17/honor-heaven-andunderstand-ones-responsibility-follow-the-dao-that-guides-onesunderstand-ones-responsibility-follow-the-dao-that-guides-ones-behavior/ Reincarnated into a Horse to Pay Off a Debt
(Clearwisdom.net) This is a story about Wei Hanchen, who is from a village in Linchengpu Village, Niutuo Township, Gu-an County, Hebei Province. When he was young, Wei Hanchen married a virtuous girl. According to local custom, his mother gave the girl a pair of gold-filled bracelets. It was the most expensive type of gift on a first meeting. Of course, the girl was very pleased and always wore them. After their marriage, they lived a happy life. One day Wei's wife was fixing food for their livestock. Her bracelets always rubbed against the pot rim. For fear of damaging her favorite bracelets, she took them off and put them on the kitchen table. She then returned to her busy cooking. Just

then, their next door neighbor, Ms. Hui, came to visit her. They chatted for a while, then Ms. Hui left. Done with her cooking, the wife washed her hands and went back to pick up her bracelets, but they were not there. She searched her surroundings again and again, but couldn't find them. She was very sad and cried. Seeing her crying on his return home, Wei Hanchen asked her what was wrong. He comforted her, saying, "I'll buy you a new pair later on." Afterwards, they led their lives as usual. Several years later, Ms. Hui died. In 1979, the day before the production team was dismissed, Wei Hanchen was feeding the animals at the production site when a little horse suddenly ran into the village. It seemed it was a weanling. For the entire afternoon, everyone tried to capture it but had no luck. Exhausted, everyone returned home to rest. Strangely enough, in the evening, the little horse wandered into the feeding shed. Wei Hanchen was preparing fodder for the livestock. The little horse unhurriedly entered the feeding shed, passed other animals, and stopped by the notch. Wei Hanchen picked up a rope close by and the little horse remained still, as if it was waiting to be tied up. Late that night, Wei Hanchen brought it home. About three weeks after the production team was dismissed, Wei Hanchen sold the little horse at a fair. The next day, he had a dream in which Ms. Hui appeared. She told him how she had stolen the bracelets. She said that, since she had owed him from her previous life, in this life she turned into a horse to re-pay the debt. Now the debt was settled. After she finished speaking, Ms. Hui left. Wei Hanchen hastily called after her, but he woke up. Wei Hanchen then counted the money he had earned from selling the little horse. It was just enough to buy a pair of gold-filled bracelets. For a long time, Wei Hanchen could not forget this experience, and he recounted it to everyone he met. "If one commits a bad deed, one might reincarnate into an ox or a horse to pay off the debt in the next life. But by doing good deeds, one reaps rewards instead." There are so many stories like this.

Story, To Listen To This Story, Click Here: http://freedomforchinacast.podbean.com/2010/11/13/reincarnated-into-ahttp://freedomforchinacast.podbean.com/2010/11/13/reincarnated-intohorse-to-pay-offhorse-to-pay-off-a-debt/ The Wisdom of Inclusiveness (by Zhizhen)
(Clearwisdom.net) Sages and men of virtue throughout China's history of numerous dynasties have honored the spirit of inclusiveness. There are good examples of it in traditional Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Lao Zi said that a person with great virtue is able to be all encompassing and is compatible with the "Great Way," whereas the models of great virtue are "Tao." Lao Zi also said that the reason why great rivers and oceans are broad and deep is that they seek the lowest level so as to take in all the water from streams and creeks. Confucius said, "If you are compassionate, you win people's hearts." There was a saying in the book of Shang, an ancient official book of history, "If there is a capacity, it's called great." "Great" land, "great" mountain, "great" river, and "great "ocean--the word "great" in these instances conveys a quality of extreme depth and compatibility. There are the following sayings in Buddhism: "One thought changes the atmosphere," "gratitude is always in the mind," "solving problems with compassion," and "the spirit of inclusiveness." To include everything, one must have a compassionate mind. The more broadminded one is, the greater the world one encompasses. To be all encompassing is a virtue. Humility is one aspect of it. Because of their different characters and personalities, people have different perspectives on things and judge things differently. Back in the old days, sages and men of virtue respected others' perspectives. They thought of others first when they encountered anything, leaving respected role models for later generations. Take the dynasty of Western Zhou, for instance. The Duke of Zhou, while assisting King Cheng of Western Zhou, exerted himself with vigorous effort to make the nation prosperous. Desperately seeking righteous intellectuals, many answered his call. He was so busy that he

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