On one occasion, a group of Chinese representatives
participated in the reception of a delegation composed of European aristocrats.
Most of the Europeans had kinship with some royal
family, very knowledgeable and cultivated, treat people polite, but hidden
behind their pretence of high culture was some in-born arrogance. On the last
day of dinner, these aristocrats drank more and began to speak freely.
During the banquet, a German aristocrat stood up
and said:
"You Chinese people use the common animals
like pig, dog, mouse as zodiac signs! Unlike us, we take after the stars like
Taurus, Leo, Virgo ... ... I do not know how your ancestors think!"
Everyone among the Europeans had listened and then
laughed, but they also toasted each other, as their earlier elegance
dissapated. It stands to reason, when others insult your ancestors, and even if
you cannot refute, at least you should topple the table!
However, all those Chinese guests did not say
anything at first, perhaps they were unable to respond.
Then one of the Chinese stood up and said in a
peaceful tone, "Yes, the ancestors of the Chinese people are down to earth
in choosing common animals, and our 12 zodiac animals are paired in duality,
reflecting the six realms of reincarnation, and is a reflection of our
ancestors' expectations and demands on us."
At this time, the atmosphere slowly settled down,
but some of the nobles looked arrogant & indifferent.
The Chinese man then said:
"The first pairing comprises rats and cattle.
Mice represents wisdom and cattle, hard work. Wisdom and hard work must be
coupled together. With wisdom alone, and absence of hard work, it becomes
valueless wit; and hard work solely, without the use of the brains, denotes a
simpleton. The two strengths must be combined. This is the ancestor's
expectations and requirements on the first and the most important group."
"The second group is tigers and rabbits. The
tiger represents bravery, while the
rabbit manifests caution. Courage and prudence must be coupled together to be
bold and cautious. Being brave alone without caution, one becomes reckless;
without courage, one becomes timid. This group is also very important"
... so the Chinese guest look at these aristocrats,
smiled politely and remarked: "When we Chinese people show restraint,
please do not think that the Chinese people are not courageous."
Seeing that everyone was in deep thought, the
Chinese continue:
"The third group is the dragon and snake - the
dragon represents ferocity, while the snake represents flexibility. We all know
that hard cast iron is not malleable and can be broken easily; however being
flexible alone makes one easy to lose one's assertiveness. So the message from
the ancients to us, is to balance both of these qualities."
"Next is the horse and sheep, Horses
represents the courage to go forward, the sheep depict their natural docile
nature of going with the flow. If a person only set his sights on his own
targets without regard for the surrounding environment, without taking the
landmarks into consideration, he will inevitably continue to bounce around randomly,
and may not even be able to achieve the goals eventually. Therefore, the mettle
of courage to step forward and lead, which must be coupled with the ability to
work in harmony with the crowd. Both characteristics must be married tightly
together...this is our ancestors expectations on the fourth group."
"Then there are monkeys and roosters. Monkeys
represent adaptability, while all roosters crow regularly on time, representing
consistency. Adaptability and constancy must be binded tightly and strategically
together. If you are constantly changing goals and objectives, no matter how
good the policy, the benefits cannot be reaped. On the one hand, stability,
harmony and order are needed to maintain on course, but on the other hand one
needs to change and adapt to circumstances in order to remain relevant and advance further ahead. This is the most
fundamental concept of how to thrust forward for the future."
"Finally, dogs and pigs. Dogs represent fierce
loyalty, pigs represent the easy-going nature. If a person is too loyal, and
does not know how to be easy-going, the tendency would be to exclude others. In
turn, a person who is too easy-going, has no loyalty, and this person will lose
his principles & ideals. Whether it is a nation's loyalty, or loyalty to
their ideals, both ideas must be closely combined, so it is easy to keep the
balance of the heart."
"In the end, I would like to know the
significance and qualities behind your constellations of Aquarius, Sagittarius,
Capricorn and other stars, and how do these reflect the hope and expectations
of your ancestors on you," the Chinese diplomat asked.
These European nobles, for a long time, did not
speak, ...the audience remained silent.
The young man who spoke then was Mr. Zhou Enlai,
the former Chinese premier. OR NI TOR
FOR.
…………….
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