"The Integration of the Three Teachings" Shapes Spiritual Character and Perspectives on the Outstanding Characteristics of Chinese Civilization | "Starry Stars" Gather into the Dawn of Civilization | Chinese Civilization | Inclusion | Civilization

The Chinese civilization encompasses all corners of the world and encompasses a hundred rivers. It is the only ancient civilization in the world that has been flourishing and enduring for a long time. The outstanding inclusiveness can be said to be the mystery and spiritual core of the long-term renewal and development of Chinese civilization.

The starry sky hits its end——

Exploring the origin of Chinese civilization and early national origins involves two major topics in the Chinese civilization exploration project: the internal mechanism and external trajectory of the continuous 5000 year Chinese civilization, and the formation of a unified multi-ethnic country in China.

The beginning of Chinese civilization was not a situation where early cultures shone alone like people imagined, but rather the result of the scattered development of various cultures in the Neolithic Age, presenting a situation of "starry sky".

Su Bingqi, an archeological magnate, once put forward the theory of the type of early Chinese cultural flora, and divided the densely populated areas in the Pre Qin period into six relatively stable cultural flora: the north with the northern and southern Great Wall of Yanshan as the center, the east with Shandong as the center, the Central Plains with Guanzhong, Jinnan and western Henan as the center, the southeast with the the Taihu Lake Lake area as the center, the southwest with the Dongting Lake and Sichuan Basin as the center, and the south with Poyang Lake the Pearl River Delta as the central axis.

Various prehistoric cultures have distinct characteristics, intersecting, infiltrating, and influencing each other. Among them, the North is represented by the Hongshan culture, the East is represented by the Beixin Dawenkou Longshan culture, the Central Plains is represented by the Yangshao culture, the Southeast is represented by the Liangzhu culture, the Southwest is represented by the Daxi culture, and the South is represented by the Shixia culture.

The breadth of space at the beginning of Chinese civilization and the diversity of the development paths that emerged from it confirm the million year human history, 10000 year cultural history, and 5000 year civilization history of China. The dawn of Chinese civilization, formed by the convergence of stars in the sky, surged and formed a new trend centered on the middle reaches of the Yellow River during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, laying the foundation for the ultimate pattern of diversified integration of Chinese civilization.

Cultivate its roots through diversity and integration——

The Book of Documents, Yu Gong, records that "Yu bid farewell to the nine provinces.". Today, the land of Kyushu and the land of Shenzhou have become very familiar Chinese nicknames.

In fact, besides Yu's "Little Nine Provinces", there were also geographical concepts at different levels such as "Middle Nine Provinces" and "Great Nine Provinces". They connect the Central Plains, China, the world, and even the universe with a simple and intuitive imagination, not only reflecting the diverse and integrated characteristics of Chinese civilization at its roots, but also serving as the precursor to the unity of human civilization and the community with a shared future for mankind.

The outstanding inclusiveness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the historical orientation of cultural exchange and integration among various regions and ethnic groups in China.

In November 1982, the mysterious veil of the Liangzhu Culture Fuquan Mountain Gaotai Cemetery, which is currently the only major archaeological site in Shanghai, was unveiled. The Liangzhu culture, located in the southeast and mainly distributed in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai regions, and the Hongshan culture, located in the north and mainly distributed in the Inner Mongolia and Liaoning regions, are connected to the "Eastern Pyramid" tombs due to their exquisite jade craftsmanship.

It is not difficult to imagine that the land of China before the early origins of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties was a cultural melting pot. Various cultures continue to undergo fission, interweaving, merging and absorbing with each other, continuously nourishing through the two mother rivers of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, ultimately giving birth to a diverse and integrated Chinese civilization.

Inclusive and shaping its form——

The Chinese civilization was established in the Central Plains. During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, a hundred schools of thought were contending and a hundred flowers were blooming, and Confucianism, represented by Confucius, gradually became mainstream. During this period, Chinese civilization and major core civilizations around the world joined hands and entered the "Axis Era".

Confucianism is not closed. Important academic trends throughout the dynasties, such as pre Qin Confucianism, Wei Jin Xuanxue, Han Confucian classics, Sui Tang Buddhism, Song Ming Neo Confucianism, and Qing Dynasty Puxue, are mostly closely related to Confucianism's response to other heterogeneous ideas and even foreign cultures.

For example, the demeanor of the Wei and Jin dynasties marked the beginning of the complementarity between Confucianism and Taoism, while the Neo Confucianism of the Song and Ming dynasties was a reactionary response to the stimulation of Han and Tang classics and Buddhist doctrine. The coexistence and integration of the three ideologies of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, which are unique to Chinese civilization, have shaped the spiritual character of the Chinese people. As a result, the integration of the three religions has become a significant aspect of inclusiveness in Chinese civilization.

In recent years, the new discovery of Sanxingdui culture has shocked the world. Its unique features may be the result of absorbing the essence of local cultures, or Sanxingdui culture is a diversified and complex culture.

Based on existing archaeological achievements, two points can be confirmed: firstly, the Sanxingdui culture has a close relationship with the Xia and Shang dynasties located in the Central Plains; Secondly, there is a connection between the Sanxingdui culture and the ancient culture of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

In addition, the most representative and unique bronze utensils in Sanxingdui, such as bronze standing portraits, grouped bronze human heads, bronze masks, bronze divine trees, and scepter wrapped in gold foil, seem to have a certain cultural borrowing relationship with the West Asian and Near Eastern civilizations.

We may infer that there was once a Silk Road connecting Egypt, the two river basins, India, and the ancient Shu region, and the Sanxingdui culture was an important transportation hub on this road.

As is well known, the Silk Road is not only a trade route, but also a path of cultural inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations. The bronze making techniques and customs of worshipping deities from the West Asian and Near Eastern regions were introduced to the ancient Shu region, and after being digested and absorbed by the local people, they merged with other cultures to create a unique Sanxingdui culture, which became an important component of Chinese civilization.

Double directional convection casting its soul——

It is generally believed that Buddhism was officially introduced to China during the Han Dynasty, and one of the symbols is the Luoyang White Horse Temple, which was built in the 11th year of the Yongping reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty and is revered as the "Ancestral Court" and "Shiyuan".

Similarly, through the Silk Road, the introduction of Nestorianism to China began in the ninth year of the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan reign, when the Persian monk Aroben, who had traveled a long distance to offer his teachings to the capital, was marked by the completion of a stone carving in Chang'an, known as the "Kunlun of Chinese Christianity", and the "Monument to the Popularity of Nestorianism in China in the Great Qin Dynasty.".

Unlike civilizations in history often accompanied by wars and violence, foreign religions represented by Han Tang Buddhism and Ming Qing Catholicism have adopted strategic approaches such as Ge Yi and Kuang Yi to actively adapt to traditional Chinese thought and customs, forming a peaceful model of cross-cultural exchange.

It can be said that the inclusiveness and diversity of Chinese civilization determine the harmonious pattern of diverse coexistence of various religious beliefs in China, and shape the open mind of Chinese culture to embrace world civilization.

Let's take a look at a concept with original significance in Chinese civilization: heaven.

Chinese traditional culture emphasizes the unity of heaven, earth, and humans, and conforms to nature. It regards heaven, earth, and humans as the "three talents" and demands respect for the ancestors of heaven, earth, and virtues. The transition from "heaven" to "ritual" reveals China's classical education system, which can be seen as a double-layer structure:

The first layer is to shape the body and mind of the Chinese people through the texts of the Six Classics, which is the doctrine of the mean of "seeking knowledge from things", known as "culture and education"; On the other hand, there is a rise in worship and music education, such as the worship of the Heavenly Ancestor and other rituals, leading to the establishment of "divine teachings", which is called "divine religion".

From "culture and education" to "theology", "god" is included in "culture". These "gods" all carry a common "culture", which is the traditional Chinese value system protected by Confucianism as the main force. Therefore, compared to the religious color of the West, traditional Chinese society embodies distinct humanistic characteristics.

It is precisely because "there are rituals and music, ghosts and gods, and the Holy King is the reason for teaching, and at the beginning, it is not ignorant of its existence." Therefore, this educational system not only emphasizes the leading and controlling role of "culture and education" on "religion," but also attaches importance to the basic driving role of "religion," and thus constructs the "two-way convection" characteristics of Chinese civilization.

When monotheism constantly triggers racial discrimination, endless conflicts, and even wars due to its exclusivity, and when the demonized and secularized "religious fever" of the Christian world returns, the prominent inclusiveness and "two-way convection" characteristics of Chinese civilization become important cornerstones for cross-cultural dialogue and diversified development.

In short, the inclusive characteristics of Chinese civilization have evolved and evolved, like a towering tree with deep roots, lush leaves, and a vast expanse of space. Stars are scattered throughout the sky, nurturing its roots through diversity and unity; Like a square shaped spiritual treasure with both soul and immortal longevity, it incorporates and shapes its shape, and molds its soul through bidirectional convection. The Chinese civilization, with its rich, inclusive, and harmonious characteristics, will undoubtedly make greater contributions to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, based on a solid foundation of forging a sense of community among the Chinese nation and promoting exchanges, exchanges, and integration among all ethnic groups.