Xun Jubo 荀巨伯

Here is a story found in ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu) about Xun Jubo, who lived during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220).

Xun Jubo travelled far to visit a friend who was badly ill. In that period the Hun invaders were making an attack on the county in which his friend lived. The friend said to Xun, ‘I am dying, please go.’

Xun said, ‘I came a long distance to see you, but you want me to leave. Being disloyal to a friend only to save myself is an unrighteous act that is beneath me.’

The invaders arrived at last and asked Xun, ‘Our troops are coming, all the people in the county have fled, But what kind of man are you, who dare to remain here alone?’

‘My friend is terribly sick,’ Xun said, ‘I can’t bear to leave him alone. I prefer to be killed in his place.’

The invaders said to themselves, ‘We are unrighteous. How can we make an attempt on a righteous county?’

Then they withdraw the troops and the whole county was saved.

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荀巨伯,汉朝（前202年－220年）人。以下是‘世说新语’记载有关他的故事。

荀巨伯远看友人疾，值胡贼攻郡，友人语巨伯曰：“吾今死矣，子可去！”

巨伯曰：“远来相视，子令吾去，败义以求生，岂荀巨伯所行邪！”

贼既至，谓巨伯曰：“大军至，一郡尽空，汝何男子，而敢独止？”

巨伯曰：“友人有疾，不忍委之，宁以吾身代友人命。”

贼相谓曰：“吾辈无义之人，而入有义之国。”

遂班军而还，郡并获全。

The Chinese Calendar 华人日历

The Chinese calendar follows a 60-year cycle. Within this cycle, there are two separate sub-cycles, which interact with one another. The first sub-cycle comprises of the ten heavenly stems, namely the Five Elements in their Yin and Yang forms. These elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The second sub-cycle comprise of the twelve zodiac animal signs, also known as the Earthly Branches.
Because the Chinese calendar is based on the moon's rotation, the new year can occur anytime from mid-January to late February.
The twelve animals are arranged in the following order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. These 12 animals represent the rotating 12-year cycle that is the basis of the Chinese Zodiac. You’ve likely heard reference to a particular year being the "Year of the Rabbit" or "Year of the Pig."　 　
The system of the twelve-year cycle of animal signs was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter (the Year Star 岁星).
Each animal in the zodiac is associated with its own element — metal, wood, earth, water or fire - while each year is assigned an element. The combination of these two elements is said to define a person's personality.
Much of Chinese philosophy is built around the belief in the five elements and their abilities to interact with and create relationships between natural phenomena. The five elements have been part of Chinese culture almost from the beginning. Interestingly, few people outside the Asian world understand the importance of the five elements, especially how each relates to the workings of the Chinese Zodiac.
This can be illustrated with the example of wood which can be used to spark a fire. Water can then be used to overcome fire and fire can help in the production of metal. Thus we find that the Chinese philosophers drew out their parallels from the natural behavior and processes of the five elements with each other.
Generally speaking, the years ending in odd numbers are Yin, while the years ending in even numbers are represented by Yang. 2009 is the Yin Earth Ox year. This means that 2009, is an Ox year that will have the Yin influence or a quieter, slower and tranquil feel.
The Ox symbolizes the attainment of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. The underlying tone of the Ox year is patience, perseverance, dependability and dedication. The Earth OX energy in particular is about ideals and principles; therefore, you may notice these attributes being very important in whatever you pursue for 2009.
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华人日历以六十年为一周期。在这周期里，有含有两个分周期。这两个分周期相互交流。第一个分周期由十个天干所组成，也就是五行的阴与阳。五行是：木、火、土、金、水。另一个分周期由十二生肖所组成，亦称为十二地支。
有为华历史根据月亮的运转来计算，新年会在阳历一月中至二月尾间的任何一天。
十二生肖动物的排列次序是：鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡、狗、猪。这十二动物代表十二年的运转周期，成为华历的主成分。所以你经常会听到说某年是兔年或猪年。
以动物生肖为符号的十二的周年时根据观察到的岁星轨道而建立起来的，所谓十二黄道带也。
每一个生肖动物都与五行（金木土水火）中一个元素相连，每年指定一个五行元素。据说这两个元素的结合就决定了一个人的个性。
中国哲学大部分是基于对五行的信仰与它们同大自然的交流与所建起的关系。五行几乎是从开始就是中国文化的一部分。有趣的是，在亚洲以外，很少人了解五行元素的重要性，尤其是每个元素与华人生肖运作的关系。
可以说明的例子是，木可以用来生火；水可以用来制火与火可以用来冶金。所以我们可以看到，中国哲学家把自然界的行为与五行元素的运作对等来看待。
一般来说，单数年属阴，双数年属阳。2009年是阴土的牛年。就是说，这个牛年受阴的影响，相对会平静、缓慢、安静。
牛年代表必须坚忍不拔与勤劳奋力争取幸福。牛年的基调是耐心、耐性、可靠、献身。土牛的能量特别适合用于理想性与原则性的东西；所以，在2009年，无论做任何事，都要牢记这些属性很重要。

Nu Wa Made Human Beings 女娲造人

In the West, creation refers to making something from nothing. But for the Chinese, the world and human beings are never created as such. In the beginning, according to the Chinese mythology, there was nothing in the universe but a formless mass. It was Pan Gu who separated the earth from the sky. When Pan Gu died, the various parts of his bodies were transformed into myriad things in the world.
There are also many other deities in the Chinese mythology that helped make earth as a whole. In any case, there was no concept of creation in the Chinese mind. Instead, the myriad things were transformed from, produced or given birth by some other things.
One of the deities was Nu Wa, who made the human beings. Nu Wa was also the first match maker and known as the goddess of marriage. The story below comes from ‘The Comprehensive Meaning of Customs and Habits’ (Fengsu Tongyi), a book written in about 250 AD, by author Ying Shao, who lived during the Eastern Han period.
It is said that there were no men when the sky and the earth were separated and it was Nu Wa who made men by moulding yellow clay. She began to make more and more human beings until she was so tired that she had no strength to continue. So she dipped a rope into the mud and then lifted it. The mud that dripped from the rope also became man. Those made by moulding yellow clay were rich and noble, while those made by lifting the rope were poor and low in status. Wu Wa then prayed in the temple of Heaven to allow her to match make and thereby set up a system of marriage.
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在西方，‘创造’指从无到有。但是，对华人而言，世界与人类并不是被创造的。在中国神话里，开始时，天地浑沌如鸡子；那是盘古把天地分开。盘古死后，他身体的各部分变成了万物。
在中国神话中，还有其他很多的神帮助制造这个世界。无论如何，华人心中没有‘创造’的概念。反之，世界万物是由其他物质转变、产生或生产的。
女娲就是众神之一。她造了人。女娲也是第一个媒人，设置婚姻制度。以下是东汉应劭大约写于250年的《风俗通义》中的描述。
‘俗说开天辟辟，未有人民，女娲抟黄土做人。剧务，力不暇供，乃引绳于泥中，举以为人。故富贵者，黄土人；贫贱者，引縆（绳）人也。
女娲祷神祠祈而为女媒，因置婚姻。’

The Old Man on the Frontier Lost His Horse, Blessing or Bane? 塞翁失马,焉知非福？

Once upon a time, there was a man who was well versed in the practices of Daoism, lived in the frontier zone. His horse, for no reason at all, got into the territory of the frontier tribes. Everyone was sad for him.‘Who knows, this may turn out to be a blessing,’ said his father.

After a few months, his horse came back on its own together with a fine horse. Everyone congratulated him.

‘Who knows, this may turn out to be a cause of misfortune,’ said his father.

Since the man was well-off and kept good horses, he became fond of riding and eventually broke his thigh bone falling from a horse. Everyone was sad for him.

‘Who knows, this may turn out to be a blessing,’ said his father.

One year later, the frontier tribes started a big invasion of the border regions. All able-bodied young men took up arms and fought against the invaders, and as a result, around the border nine out of ten men died. But just because he was lame, the man and his father were both spared.
Therefore, whether good fortune would turn into calamity, and calamity would turn into good fortune, these changes cannot be predicted. They are indeed unfathomable.
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近塞上之人，有善术者。马无故亡而入胡，人皆吊之。
其父曰：“此何遽不为福乎？”
居数月，其马将胡骏马而归，人皆贺之。
其父曰：“此何遽不能为祸乎？”
家富良马，其子好骑，堕而折其髀（读音bi四声，股，大腿），人皆吊之。
其父曰：“此何遽不为福乎？”
居一年，胡人大入塞，丁壮者引弦而战，近塞之人，死者十九，此独以跛之故，父子相保。
故福之为祸，祸之为福，化不可极，深不可测也。
（淮南子·人间训）