Affichage des articles dont le libellé est religion. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est religion. Afficher tous les articles

jeudi, décembre 28, 2006

THE sourcing catalogue...(28/12)


This is a catalogue of the sourcing information for the rich...at that time, it was the religion that gathered most of the treasure and wealth in the society. As a propaganda as well as a worship to the belief of the people, the resource serves as a very in-time contribution to the decoration and finishing inside the church, the centre of the community and lieu. A simplier and more practical way to maintain a goldening background is to source perhaps. Goldsmiths and buyers may be a core member of the church community. All the act is a touch to beautify the meeting between human and god. Unlike the works of Michelangelo at Saint Peter's Basilica was this another means to primitively practise the capitalistic exchange of power and aesthetics. Human history repeats.

vendredi, décembre 01, 2006

Doppelgänger left or right...(1/12)


It is a question of polarisation. It is a question under the school of dualism. A symbol of historical recording is also an appreciation of art form. Why is there a left and a right? When the Saints and characters were figured out in various forms of eternity, they carry an element of left and right...this is a perspective, or is this just a habit? The fabrication of a sculpture for instance, the head of the character possesses a long lasting gesture in the direction of left or right. It was perhaps a glance of an unfinished business, a capture of the repatriated past...a direction, and this is a drive to indicate the way to heaven or hell, simply the eterinity.

The gesture, be it ever been a realistic dimension or simply an extension of an imagination, provides to an audience a perspective of focus and elongated dotted lines...further from the stand of the now, think about it. It was perhaps the artist or the carpenter who adopted a way of presentation to others, be it a left or a right. Under the crosses of Saints, there may not be actually a real matter of left or right. The study of human brain defines a left and a right, the two different parts of sensible functionality of reciprocals. Using a left or a right to receive an external substance would weigh varied images and senses. There is no relevancy to yet an analytical research of the leftward and the rightward inclined faces and gestures inside the churches and museums, but it was simply also a habit to the way of preparation in receiving new communicative signal from the outer world.
There was an exhibition about melancholy last year in Paris - a same phenonmenon about the directional contemplation. Who would care now?
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The exhibition at Chateau d'eau in Toulouse at the moment was not an excellent but inspiring one. Named 'double je', it is an attempt of photographing the double identities and perspectives from people. Like the doppelgänger, the mirrored world is filled up with up and down, left or right - a simplified understanding about the being in terms of polar x and polar y. The photographer mentioned two basic activites on photos (or other art form like painting or sculpture): contemplation and consumption. True. This is a concept of diptych development under photo films.

samedi, octobre 14, 2006

Images of notre dame, bayeux...(14/10)


Bayeux has a very impressive cathedral at the centre. The Notre Dame possesses all the features I can find in other grand cathedrals or Notre Dames...then, the high rise construction has a harmonised use of sunlight inside the church. There are light-welcoming windows and openings at the top end of the embracing facades, and this allows the hope of outside world to spiritually reach the inner heart of the religious belief in the form of rays and projections. The building is more humane, and deviated from the traditional divine nature of churches in Europe, it offers a reachable dignity for believers and visitors. It is bright and pure. Perhaps this is what a feeling of home is. Religious believes are at present challenged by the post modern school of value to be, and a kind of civil education and reinforcement would be a need to maintain a solid ground for fabulous buildings like this. An approachable step one would simply be a cultivation of relationship between the god and the people: a game of respect and exchange.

I worship the existence of handy digital photo screen every photographer possesses. Simply allow the followers to worship and love the churches with photo taking. This should work. When the red spots hit onto the iridescent stain glasses with shades and dreams, there is a connection between the eyesight and the figurine stories of hearsay. The intimate communication is reinforced when the digital screen replays the scenery annotated with personalised sensation and deja-vu. The sculptures inside the Notre Dame are meditated. The facial expression of these picturesque icons is a source of contemplation. The maintenance of the building is excellent, and outside the spiritual stage, yellowing trees and greenfield outside the construction bridge the community but the buffering effect creates an optimal distance between the realm and the imagination. It is a spiritualised idea. Of course, the chamber music magnifies the extension of Babylon generations.

dimanche, août 20, 2006

鬱單越洲...(20/8)


Extracted from <<起世經卷>>, there has been a detailed description about this '鬱單越洲'. Since the debut of human civilisations, there are always paradises like this where people would be very much willing to go...the Eden of purity, the Greek's myth of Zeus' world, our Confucianism about the perfect society or Sir Thomas More's imaginative Utopia. The perfectionism exists somewhere perhaps. I thought about the hypotheses when I was touring in Switzerland. The piece of land seems to have separated from the rest of the world, where wars and conflicts happen every moment, should all the telecommunication and media channels be cut away. Reading the paragraphs about the perfect life in 鬱單越洲, the continent is in fact further and further away from our habitat. There is a strong disconnection about the place and our reality in modern life. The justification of many long-life religious doctrines appear to be less convincing in the post-era of decadence at present, and the more you imagine about the idealism, the less you may be able to get satisfied. What a pity.
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起世經鬱單越洲:

諸比丘。鬱單越洲有無量山。彼諸山中。有種種樹。其樹鬱茂。出種種香。其香普熏。遍彼洲處。生種種草。皆紺青色。右旋宛轉。如孔雀毛。香氣猶如婆師迦華。觸之柔軟。如迦旃連提迦衣。長齊四指。下足則偃。舉足還復。別有種種雜色果樹。樹有種種莖葉華果。出種種香。其香普熏。種種諸鳥。各各自鳴。其聲和雅。其音微妙。彼諸山中。有種種河。百道流散。平順向下。漸漸安行。不緩不急。無有波浪。其岸不深。平淺易涉。其水清澄。眾華覆上。闊半由旬。水流遍滿。諸河兩岸。有種種林。隨水而生。枝葉映覆。種種香華。種種雜果。青草彌布。眾鳥和鳴。又彼河岸。有諸妙船。雜色莊嚴。殊妙可愛。並是金銀琉璃頗梨赤珠車磲瑪瑙等七寶所成。

諸比丘。鬱單越洲。其地平正。無諸荊棘。深邃稠林。坑坎屏廁。糞穢不淨。礓石瓦礫。純是金銀。不寒不熱。時節調和。地常潤澤。青草彌覆。諸雜林樹。枝葉恒榮。華果成就。諸比丘。鬱單越洲。復有樹林。名曰安住。其樹皆高六拘盧奢(一拘盧奢五里)。葉密重布。次第相接。如草覆屋。雨滴不漏。彼諸人等。樹下居住。有諸香樹。亦高六拘盧奢。或復有高五拘盧奢。四三二一拘盧奢者。其最小樹。高半拘盧奢。悉有種種枝葉華果。此諸樹上。隨心流出種種香氣。復有劫波娑樹。亦高六拘盧奢。乃至五四三二一拘盧奢。如是最小。半拘盧奢。悉有種種枝葉華果。從其果邊自然而出種種雜衣。懸置樹間。復有種種瓔珞之樹。其樹亦高六拘盧奢。乃至五四三二一拘盧奢者。如是最小。半拘盧奢。悉有種種枝葉華果。從其果邊。隨心流出種種瓔珞。懸垂而住。復有鬘樹。其樹亦高六拘盧奢。乃至五四三二一拘盧奢者。如是最小半拘盧奢。亦有種種枝葉華果。從其果邊。隨心而出種種鬘形。懸著於樹。復有器樹。其樹亦高六拘盧奢。乃至五四三二一拘盧奢者。如是最小半拘盧奢。亦有種種枝葉華果。從其果邊。隨心而出種種器形。懸著於樹。

復有種種眾雜果樹。其樹亦高六拘盧奢。乃至五四三二一拘盧奢。如是最小半拘盧奢。皆有種種枝葉華果。從其樹枝。隨心而出種種眾果。在於樹上。又有樂樹。其樹亦高六拘盧奢。乃至五四三二一拘盧奢者。如是最小半拘盧奢。亦有種種枝葉華果。從其果邊。隨心而出種種樂器。懸在樹間。其地又有自然粳米。不藉耕種。鮮潔白淨無。有皮[米*會]。欲熟食時。別有諸果。名曰敦持。用作鎗釜。燒以火珠。不假薪炭。自然出焰。隨意所欲。熟諸飲食。食既熟已。珠焰乃息。

諸比丘。鬱單越洲。周匝四面有四池水。其池皆名阿耨達多。並各縱廣五十由旬。其水涼冷。柔軟甘輕。香潔不濁。七重塼壘。七重板砌。七重欄楯。周匝圍繞。七重鈴網周匝懸垂。復有七重多羅行樹。四面周圍雜色可愛。金銀琉璃頗梨赤珠車磲瑪瑙等。七寶所成。於池四方各有階道。一一階道亦七寶成。雜色綺錯。復有諸華。優鉢羅花。鉢頭摩華。拘牟陀花。奔茶利迦花等。青黃赤白。及縹碧色。一一花量。大如車輪。香氣氛氳微妙最勝。復有諸藕。大如車軸。破之汁出。其色如乳。食之甘美。其味如蜜。

諸比丘。阿耨達多池之四面。有四大河。闊一由旬。雜華彌覆。其水平順。直流無曲。不急不緩。無有波浪。奔逸衝擊。其岸不高。平淺易入。諸河兩岸。有種種林。交柯映覆。出眾妙香。有種種草生於其側。色青柔軟。宛轉右旋。略說乃至。高齊四指。下足隨下。舉足還復。亦有諸鳥出種種聲。於河兩岸又有諸船。雜色可樂。乃至車磲瑪瑙等。七寶之所合成。觸之柔軟。如迦旃鄰提迦衣諸比丘。鬱單越洲。恒於半夜。從阿耨達多四池之中。起大密雲。周匝遍布。鬱單越洲。及諸山海。悉彌覆已。然後乃雨。八功德水。如搆牛乳頃。雨深四指。當下之處。即沒地中。更不滂流。還於半夜。雨止雲除。虛空清淨。從海起風。吹此甘澤。清涼柔軟。觸之安樂。潤彼鬱單越洲。普令調適肥膩滋濃。如巧鬘師及鬘師弟子作鬘既成。以水灑散。彼鬘被灑。光澤鮮明。諸比丘。鬱單越洲。其地恒潤。悅澤光膩。亦復如是。常如有人以酥油塗。諸比丘。鬱單越洲。復有一池。名曰善現。其池縱廣一百由旬。涼冷柔軟。清淨無濁。七寶塼砌。乃至藕根味甘如蜜。諸比丘。善現池東。復有一苑。亦名善現。其苑縱廣一百由旬。七重欄楯。七重鈴網。多羅行樹亦有七重。周匝圍繞。雜色可樂。乃至悉是車磲瑪瑙七寶所成。一一方面。各有諸門。於一一門悉有却敵。雜色可樂。亦是金銀琉璃珊瑚赤珠車磲瑪瑙等。七寶所成。

諸比丘。彼善現苑。平正端嚴。無諸荊棘丘陵坑坎礓石瓦礫及屏廁等諸雜穢物。唯多金銀種種異寶。節氣調和。不寒不熱。常有泉流四面彌滿。樹葉敷榮。華果成就。有種種香。隨風芬馥。復有種種異類眾鳥。常出妙聲。和雅清暢。有草青色。右旋宛轉。柔軟細滑。如孔雀毛。香氣皆似婆利師華。觸之如觸迦旃鄰提迦衣。以足蹈之。隨足上下。復有諸樹。其樹各有種種根莖華葉果實。咸出眾香。普熏彼地。諸比丘。善現苑中。亦有樹林。名為安住。樹並舉高六拘盧奢。葉密重布。雨滴不下。更相鱗次。如草覆舍。諸人於下居住止宿。復有香樹劫波娑樹瓔樹鬘樹器樹果樹。又有自然粳米熟飯。清淨美妙。諸比丘。彼善現苑。無我無主。亦無守護。鬱單越人欲入此苑。自在遊戲。受諸樂時。於其四門。隨意所趣。入彼苑已遊戲澡浴。恣情受樂。欲去即去欲留即留。隨心自在。

諸比丘。為鬱單越人故。於善現池南復有一苑。名曰普賢。其苑縱廣一百由旬。七重欄楯。周匝圍繞。乃至熟飯清淨美妙。諸比丘。此普賢苑亦無守護。鬱單越人。若欲須入普賢苑中澡浴遊戲受快樂時。從其四門隨意而入。入已澡浴遊戲受樂。既受樂已。欲去即去欲留即留。諸比丘。為鬱單越人故。善現池西復有一苑。名曰善華。其苑縱廣一百由旬。七重欄楯周匝圍繞。略說乃至。如善現苑。等無有異。亦復無有守護之者。鬱單越人若欲須入善華苑中澡浴遊戲受快樂時。從其四門隨意而入。入已澡浴遊戲受樂。既受樂已。欲去即去欲留即留。

諸比丘。為鬱單越人故。於善現池北復有一苑。名曰喜樂。縱廣正等一百由旬。乃至無有守護之者。鬱單越人若欲須入喜樂苑中澡浴遊戲受快樂時。從其四門隨意而入。入已澡浴遊戲受樂。既受樂已。欲去即去欲留即留。略說如前善現苑等諸比丘。為鬱單越人故。於善現池東接善現苑。其間有河。名易入道。漸次下流。無有波浪。不緩不急。雜華遍覆。闊二由旬半。諸比丘。易入道河。於兩岸上有種種樹。枝葉映覆。出種種香。普熏其處。生種種草。略說乃至。觸之柔軟。如迦旃鄰提迦衣。高齊四指。以足蹈之。隨足上下或舉或伏。又有種種雜色果樹。枝葉華果。悉皆具足。亦有種種香氣普熏。種種異鳥各各和鳴。其河兩岸有諸妙船。雜色可樂。七寶所成。金銀琉璃頗梨赤珠車磲瑪瑙等。莊嚴挍飾諸比丘。為鬱單越人故。於善現池南有一大河。名曰善體。漸次下流。略說皆如易入道河。此處所有種種樹林。與彼無異。乃至諸船。雜色所成。柔軟猶若迦旃鄰提迦衣。諸比丘於善現池西。為鬱單越人故。有一大河。名曰等車。乃至略說。漸次而下。諸比丘。於善現池北。為鬱單越人故。有一大河。名曰威主。漸次而下。略說乃至。兩岸有船。七寶莊飾。柔軟猶若迦旃鄰提迦衣。此中有鬱陀那偈

善現普賢等  善華及喜樂
易入并善體  等車威主河

諸比丘。鬱單越人。若欲入彼易入道河善體等車威主等河。澡浴遊戲受諸樂時。即皆至彼河之兩岸。脫其衣裳。置於岸側。各坐諸船。乘至水中。澡浴身體。遊戲受樂。既澡浴已。隨有何人在前出者。即取上衣。著已而去。亦不求覓所服本衣。何以故。鬱單越人無我我所。無守護故。是諸人等。又復往詣眾香樹下。到樹下已。其樹自然低枝垂屈。為彼諸人。出眾妙香。令其自手攀攬得及。彼人於樹取種種香。用塗身已。復各往詣劫波娑樹到已。其樹亦復如前低枝垂下。出種種衣。令彼諸人手所攬及。彼人於樹復取種種上妙衣服。著已而去。轉更往詣瓔珞樹下。既到彼已。瓔珞樹枝。亦皆垂屈。為彼諸人流出種種上妙瓔珞。手所攬及。彼人於樹牽取種種瓔珞之具。繫著身已。更轉往詣諸鬘樹下。既到樹已。鬘樹自然為彼諸人垂枝下曲。流出種種上妙寶鬘。令彼人等手所攬及。便於樹枝取諸妙鬘。繫頭上已。轉更往詣諸器物樹。既到樹已。器樹自然枝亦垂下。令其手及。隨意所欲取彼器已。持詣果樹。時彼果樹。亦為諸人。枝垂下曲。出生種種勝妙甘果。令手攬及。彼人於樹。隨心所欲取其熟果適意食之。於中或有搦取其汁。器盛而飲。食飲既訖。乃復往詣音樂樹林。到彼林已。為諸人故。音樂樹枝。亦皆垂下。為出種種音樂之器。手所攬及。彼人於樹。各隨所須取眾樂器。其形殊妙其音和雅。取已抱持。東西遊戲。欲彈則彈。欲舞則舞。欲歌則歌。隨情所樂。受種種樂。其事訖已。各隨所好。或去或留。

諸比丘。鬱單越人。髮紺青色。長齊八指。人皆一類。一形一色。無別形色可知其異。諸比丘。鬱單越人。悉有衣服。無有裸形及半露者。親疏平等無所適莫。齒皆齊密。不缺不疏。美妙淨潔。色白如珂。鮮明可愛。諸比丘。鬱單越人。若有飢渴須飲食時。便自收取。不耕不種。自然粳米。清淨鮮白。無有糠[米*會]。取已盛置敦持果中。復取火珠。置敦持下。眾生福力。火珠應時。忽然出焰。飲食熟已。焰還自滅。彼人得飯欲食之時。施設器物。就座而坐。爾時若有四方人來。欲共同食。即為諸人具設飯食。飯終不盡。乃至食人。坐食未竟。所設之飯器常盈滿。彼人食此無有糠[米*會]。自然粳米成熟飯時。清淨香美。眾味備具。不須羹臛。其飯形色。猶若諸天蘇陀之味。又如華叢潔白鮮明。彼人食已。身分充盈無減無缺。湛然不改無老無變。是食乃至資益彼人。色力安辯無不具足。

諸比丘。鬱單越人若於女人生染著時。隨心所愛。迴目觀視。彼女知情即來隨逐。其人將行至於樹下。所將之女。若是此人母姨姐妹親戚類者。樹枝如本不為下垂。其葉應時萎黃枯落。不相覆苫。不出華果。亦不為出牀敷臥具。若非母姨姐妹等者。樹即低枝垂條覆蔭。柯葉鬱茂。華果鮮榮。亦為彼人出百千種牀敷臥具。便共相將入於樹下。隨意所為歡娛受樂諸比丘。鬱單越人住於母胎。唯經七日。至第八日即便產生。其母產訖。隨所生子若男若女。皆將置於四衢道中。捨之而去。於彼道上東西南北行人往來。見此男女心生憐念。為養育故。各以手指內其口中。於彼指端。自然流出上妙甘乳。飲彼男女。令得全活。如是飲乳。經於七日。彼諸男女還自成就一色類身。與彼舊人形量無異。男還逐男。女還逐女。各依伴侶相隨而去諸比丘。鬱單越人壽命一定無有中夭。命若終時。皆得上生。何因緣故。鬱單越人得此定壽。命終已後皆復上生。諸比丘。世或有人。專事殺生偷盜邪婬妄言兩舌惡口綺語貪瞋邪見。以是因緣身壞命終。墜墮惡道。生地獄中。或復有人。不曾殺生。不盜他物。不行邪婬。不妄言。不兩舌。不惡口。不綺語。不貪。不瞋。亦不邪見。以是因緣。身壞命終。趣向善道。生人天中。

何因緣故。向下生者。以其殺生邪見等故。何因緣故。向上生者。以不殺生正見等故。或復有人作如是念。我於今者應行十善。以是因緣。我身壞時。當得往生鬱單越中。彼處生已。住壽千年不增不減。彼人既作如是願已。行十善業。身壞得生鬱單越中。既於彼處復得定壽。滿足千年不增不減。諸比丘。以此因緣。鬱單越人得定壽命諸比丘。何因緣故皆得上生。諸比丘。閻浮洲人以於他邊受十善業。是故命終即得往生鬱單越界。鬱單越人以其舊有具十善業。鬱單越中如法行故。身壞命終皆當上生諸天善處。諸比丘。以此因緣。鬱單越人上生勝處。諸比丘。鬱單越人命行終盡捨壽之時。無有一人憂戀悲哭。唯共輿置四衢道中。捨之而去。

諸比丘。鬱單越人中有如是法。若有眾生。壽命盡時。即有一鳥。名憂承伽摩(隋言高逝)。從大山中疾飛而至。銜死人髮。將其尸骸。擲置餘方洲渚之上。何以故。鬱單越人業行清淨。樂淨潔故。樂意喜故。不令風吹臭穢之氣來至其所。諸比丘。鬱單越人大小便利將下之時。為彼人故地即開裂。便利畢已地合如故。何以故。鬱單越人樂淨潔故。樂意喜故復次彼處。有何因緣而得說名鬱單越洲。諸比丘。彼鬱單越洲。於四天下中比餘三洲。最上最妙最高最勝。故說彼洲。為鬱單越也。

mercredi, juin 21, 2006

One go...(21/6)


Pilgrimage is meditation. It is a process to recognise about oneself...There are ways to prove one's life, and meditating in the nature can be one of them. Like the river and the sea, both of them carry an inborn capacity to replicate, renew, recycle and reform. Do we do these too?
I had a memorable dream in my childhood. Dream can act as a guru to consolidate an empirical formulation of cognition and recognition. Of course, the exercise serves as a release of invisible pressure and an attitude of affirmation. In the long lasting dream, I met Gods of different religions at one go. It was a temple-type architecture where all of the Gods existed and were exchanging. The rendez-vous formed a conscious déjà-vu reminder about my hypothesis of multi-existence of Gods. They serve the same social purpose to communities.
I encounter queries and challenges on religions. I may have not been thinking seriously again about this since long time ago. The only feeling I got after moments is that some superior traits from my body appear to decay. Simple trap - modern people tends to think that they are more superior...Darwinism.
The river and the sea is somewhere far away from me now. I choose to stay still instead of dream recently. Dream is the martial arts for my mind, and the dreamland is my place to go pilgrimage.

vendredi, juin 16, 2006

Sun Worship...(16/6)


I had a ritual habit when I was four or five years old. I worshipped the very bright sun...The ritual did not follow the traditional human approach. Instead of keeping a distance from the worshipping target, my way of approach is direct and intense. I felt that sunlight was strong and powerful, and how I respected the spirit was in fact to stare at the sun directly with my pair of little eyes. The process might last for perhaps ten to fifteen seconds, and then I closed my eyes immediately and tried my best to trace the black dots and small lines appearing and flowing inside the darkness I got. I repeated this for times before the sun really went down. There were a few 'insights' I got. I noticed that the sunlight was actually very bright and elegant. I found that darkness was not totally unreachable or a state of blindness. I had my eyes tightly shut but I still saw the world. This was perhaps the left-behind stimulation of sunlight onto my retina or eyelid, but I found it wonderful to play with. Indeed, the habit served as a psychological consultation to myself as I found in a certain extent a build up of confidence from the light I 'acquired' from the sun. This was childhood, a world where only a child would have and would enjoy having. I recalled this today only because I recognised 'consciously' again that the Parisians did the same thing as me. Paris, like many other European cities, enjoys a privilege of having four distinct seasons, and after the spring time which lasted a bit short this year, a mood of summer time arrived with the temperature, and the abundant sunlight changes the daily habit of the Parisians. I had at least two requests from my friends to change the venue of meeting place from the coffee shops to a shineable area, a change of life from the shadiness to exposure. I would be smiling when I see the people change their seat according to the orbit of the sun. All of them bring with their worshipping device in pairs in between their eyes and the sun. Is it an obsession or a demonstration of hedonism? Anyway, when a day goes, what leaves behind are only the moon and the river, Elvis.

jeudi, août 04, 2005

The Posting of Matteo Ricci...(4/8)


Matteo Ricci is a name that I have heard of for long time since I was young at my school founded by Society of Jesus. Yet, it is until recently when I read about the modern history of China that I recognise the name again...I am not a religious follower, but the life and the dedication of Ricci to his preaching and missionary is actually quite interesting. Viewing from a perspective of career and aspiration, Ricci achieved a great work that not many people can do the same I believe. From the data and record I have read, Ricci should be a talented diplomat. He studied law, philosophy, theology, mathematics, cosmology and astronomy on top of his reglious studies during his youth, not to mention his geography and language skill. Clearly science, litterature and religion had been so closely correlated during his time. He made his first visit to China on 7 August, 1582 to Macau. At that time, Guangdong is the region where the western world could approach the dragon easier with their advanced troops. There had been quarrels and fights during these visits though. As a diplomat to visit and then stay in a strange but spacious continent, Ricci put his faith to his mission and managed to achieve his "business result". It's a bit like the role of astronaut nowadays I must admit. A foreigner (or "etranger") to arrive at a strange place and to carry out his belief and settle down in a new environment. He seemed easily get through the cultural barrier with the help of his handy belongings. The Chinese were amazed by his "toys and games" including the mechanical clocks, mathematical and astronomical instruments, light-refracting prisms and glasses, architectural plan and oil paintings etc. This is indeed a demonstration of culture shock to the Chinese people at that time. But after all, it was the "World Map" that drew much interest of the Chinese people. We the Chinese had been so innocent to the world. At the mid 16th century, people in China still thought that the world compose of China plus a marginal surrounding of sea...
History repeats itself, and when we look into the interesting life of Ricci, we resemble some experiences or plans of our own too. After centuries, we are still innocent about our world. People may use the word "universe" instead of the world (or the Earth), but there is no big difference in terms of our narrow understanding about the nature and our life. With a useful means to get the trust from the Chinese, Ricci smoothly established a relationship with the Chinese people, and more importantly the government officials, and he managed to establish churches and have his followers to God in the Guangdong area. He moved to Nanjing afterwards and finally spent nine years in Beijing. Tactically, this is the direction where he could reach moe influential people and facilitate his preaching work. He successfully produced the Chinese version of the Ten Commandments, and this broke through the language barrier for the Chinese too. This are all something not easy to achieve.
On top of the religious influence in China (and Hong Kong), Ricci bridged the intellectual exchange between China and the West, and the way of preachers and fathers like him set up an education model that benefits not only the people of their time, but also the nowadays generation like me. I did not really attend to any belief or doctrine of the religion but the education belief of Society of Jesus has much influence to myself. This is somewhat I feel thankful.
Earning my experience to work overseas now, I have more imagination of how difficult Ricci might have encountered for his mission. To adapt to an environment and get into the society need not be handy. I note that one must possess some sort of characters and open mind to understand a different culture or society. Well, interestingly history books actually note down case studies and doctrine of what we would encounter everyday. What a pity that I have not spent much time studying the past in the past...
But well, I feel like understanding a bit more about "R.I.C.C.I." Ricci now.