Oracles and the Flower People: Chinese Culture

By Belinda Vogt

This is a rare book about Chinese culture that shows the historical connections between spoken and written language, to illustrate the thoughts and way of life of an ancient civilization. Modernization is gradually causing distinct cultures to disappear, and it is refreshing to listen to and look at a book that revives principles of a culture long gone. In a busy and often hectic world, these simple thoughts not only bring calm to the soul, but also teach the reader some rudiments of a writing system and the organised thoughts of a different era.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: May 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543404692

Belinda Vogt

Belinda began studying Chinese language and Linguistics at the University of New England in Eastern Australia over 25 years ago. She has lived in China for several years, studying at Nankai University in Tianjin, teaching English in Zhejiang Province and involved in informal postgraduate studies in Classical Chinese in Beijing. On all these occasions she has lived closely with Chinese families and communities, at times in very traditional settings.However, Belinda has not written this book from a linear or academic perspective, but rather from an wholistic position, believing that the complexity we like to define as culture, needs to be experienced to some degree, not just observed, in order to understand it. Her life stories as an artist, musician, teacher and mother are reflected in the presentation of the book. The quiet study of Chinese language and culture continue to be part of her daily life.

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Belinda Vogt.   768896

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017916253

ISBN:   Softcover   978-1-5434-0470-8

             Hardcover   978-1-5434-0471-5

             EBook           978- 1-5434-0469-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 05/14/2018

Xlibris

1-800-455-039

www.xlibris.com.au

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Foreword

FIRST SIGN OF BUDDING TALENT

DON’T TAKE EVEN A PENNY AS A BRIBE

A SOUL MATE IS HARD TO FIND

DON’T FORGET WHERE YOUR BLESSINGS COME FROM

BE CLEAN LIVING AND HONEST

DON’T BE TEMPTED BY RICHES

TURN HOSTILITY INTO FRIENDSHIP

FORGIVE AND FORGET

NO ONE DARES TO SPEAK OUT

AN HONEST PERSON DOES NOTHING UNDERHAND

APPLY ONESELF DILIGENTLY

MORE THAN CLOTHES MAKE A GENTLEMAN

LOYAL ADVICE IS HARD TO LISTEN TO

QUIET TO MEND THE SOUL

CALAMITY CAN PROMPT RENEWAL

STICK TOGETHER THROUGH HAPPINESS AND SADNESS

SEE WHAT IS RIGHT AND ACT COURAGEOUSLY

HAPPINESS LIKE THE EAST SEA

REAP WHAT YOU SOW

PROXIMITY TO INK MAKES YOU BLACK

LOVERS PART BUT STILL LONG FOR EACH ANOTHER

BLUE SEA TURNED INTO MULBERRY FIELDS

TEACH BY WORD AND EXAMPLE

STUDY HARD AND EVERY DAY YOU WILL IMPROVE

SHINING LIKE THE SUN

HEAVEN’S WORK IS A MATCH

TWO HEARTS SEALED WITH THE SAME PRINT

DEEP FEELINGS, PROFOUND THOUGHTS

PLANNING IS WITH MAN, ACCOMPLISHING IS WITH HEAVEN

BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS, ROUND MOON

MINOR MAGICIAN IN THE PRESENCE OF A GREAT ONE

RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL

A GOOD SWORD REMAINS SHARP

REVERE THE MASTER AND HIS TEACHING

CHOOSE GOOD AND OBEY

THE BENEVOLENT MAN CANNOT BE RICH

ONE CANNOT BELIEVE WITHOUT EVIDENCE

PERSIST DESPITE TRIALS

SPEAK OUT FOR JUSTICE

UNSWERVING FROM START TO FINISH

Glossary

Bibliography

For continuing encouragement over many years I would like to thank Doctor Isabel Tasker from the University of New England and Doctor Cuncun Wu from the University of Hong Kong.

INTRODUCTION

This journey began so long ago, I can barely remember the beginning.

Aunty Helen is coming. She married a Chinese man, smiled my big sister. She knew everything. She spoke as though Aunty Helen was an old friend.I couldn’t remember any Aunty Helen and I had no idea what a Chinese man was. I was just a little girl with blue-green eyes, very white skin and blonde hair, living in the western suburbs of Sydney with my mum, dad and siblings. Visitors were always welcome in our home and Aunty Helen’s coming was most exciting for reasons I knew not why. She arrived with ginger hair and freckles like a lot of people in my family but her husband had black hair and beautiful brown skin…the envy of us all. Around the same time as Aunty Helen’s visit I acquired a little black music box. In my mind, it was the Chinese man who gave it to me as a gift. Looking back, I can’t remember whether this was true or not or whether the music box was made in China or Japan. But to me, that little girl, so long ago, it didn’t matter. This was my Chinese music box with small pieces of ‘mother-of-pearl’ shell stuck obliquely on the outside. Inside, was a tiny pink ballerina who twirled awkwardly to the playing of Around the World I searched for You. Three little mirrors were glued behind her and as the music slowed, so did she. I would have to wind the key again at the back of the box. My grandparents were migrants and my parents were not wealthy, so gifts were few and far between. I would lay on my bed in silence and watch the pink ballerina in tule skirt turn on her vertical axis. She stood on a small metal pin, stuck there with plastic legs. When the box closed, she would lay down and go to sleep. Sometimes I would have a special stone I had found, or a dried flower picked from alongside the road placed in the box. This was where my treasures were kept. Nothing expensive, but things that only young children can identify as special or beautiful. I supposed the ballerina was happy in her black box. She never failed to dance when I lifted the lid. The black, lacquered box was most often the repository of this very special word, China, even though at that time I