Think Tank

Warm as jade ": an important symbol of the beauty of the Chinese nation's personality

2026-02-09   

Looking back at the history of Chinese civilization, the Chinese nation has a warm and introverted personality that is both resilient and hard, just like beautiful jade - showing a soft luster on the outside and containing a firm and hard texture on the inside. 'Warm as jade' has become one of the important symbols of the beauty of the Chinese nation's personality. This analogy demonstrates a profound cultural consciousness and value recognition: the Chinese nation attaches great importance to the beauty of personality and regards it as the highest beauty; The Chinese nation uses beautiful jade to symbolize the personality of a gentleman, which can be said to be appropriate; The beauty of personality is the goodness of personality. It is like a jade that requires both inner beauty and external refinement in order to become a useful talent. The highest beauty is the beauty of personality, "Tang Junyi wrote in his book" The Experience of Life, "" The highest beauty is the beauty of personality, and the beauty of personality is the goodness of personality. The Chinese nation regards the beauty of personality as the highest beauty, which stems from a profound cultural consciousness and value consensus: the pursuit of the perfect display of inner virtue and life realm. Lin Yutang also proposed that Chinese people are very concerned about "personality". Here, 'personality' refers to 'personality', which means that Chinese people attach great importance to the construction of an ideal personality and actively pursue the perfection and transcendence of their life realm. Of course, the notion that personal beauty is the highest beauty has a long history. As early as the pre Qin period, Confucius borrowed the phrase "speak of a gentleman, warm him like jade" from the Book of Songs to describe the beauty of a gentleman's personality. However, this ideal personality is not innate, but needs to be shaped through conscious cultivation. Therefore, Confucius devoted himself to transforming the external "ritual" into the internal "benevolence". That is to say, transforming humanistic beauty into personal beauty. In Xu Fuguan's view, the representative of the humanistic world during the Spring and Autumn Period was ritual, and Confucius transformed ritual into "benevolence placed in the heart". Confucius completed the transition from the humanistic world to the personal world, and his influence on future generations is self-evident. For example, in the Wei and Jin dynasties' "Shi Shuo Xin Yu", the compiler Liu Yiqing designated the first four of the book's thirty-six sections as morality, language, politics, and literature, corresponding to the "four subjects of Confucianism" respectively, highlighting the core position of personality cultivation in social evaluation. In the Song and Ming dynasties, literati became more conscious of the beauty of personality, deepening from external norms to internal and conscious life practices. Zhang Zai advocated the principle of 'people are my compatriots, things are my own'; Cheng Hao emphasized the importance of "understanding benevolence" and believed that the key to "understanding benevolence" lies in the effort of "sincerity and respect"; Wang Yangming advocated for "promoting conscience" and "integrating knowledge with action"; Liu Zongzhou advocated "prudence" and "sincerity"... These ideas continuously deepened the connotation and practical path of personality beauty, transforming the social ideal of "sanctification" into a life realm that individuals can achieve through inner consciousness and moral practice, and laying the foundation for the cultivation and improvement of ethical personality in later generations. Throughout the history of Chinese civilization, we have found that many idioms composed of beautiful jade, pine, cypress, plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum are used to metaphorically or symbolically represent the beauty of Chinese personality. Among them, 'warming it like jade' is the most vivid and vivid. There are at least three reasons for this: firstly, jade embodies the Chinese people's worldview, life philosophy, and moral outlook. In other words, jade condenses the Chinese people's cosmic imagination, life emotions, and moral ideals, and contains the genes of excellent traditional Chinese culture. As a representative of the unity of heaven and man, jade symbolizes the interconnection and mutual enhancement of heaven, earth, and man. The ancients regarded jade as a "mountain elite", condensed from the essence of heaven and earth, and a sacred carrier to connect people and gods and conform to the laws of heaven. They interpret the belief of "heaven is round and earth is round" with the phrases "Azure Bi Li Tian" and "Yellow Cong Li Di", which is clear evidence. This concept can be seen in the commonly used word "li" (ritual) today. Wang Guowei pointed out in "Shi Li" that "the use of jade as a tool for worshipping gods and people is called 'qu ruo', the use of jade as a tool for worshipping gods and people is also called 'li', and the use of jade as a tool for worshipping gods and people is also called 'li'. This means that the origin of 'li' is the use of jade as a tool for worshipping gods and people, and the initial ritual practice referred to the use of jade to worship gods and ancestors. For example, during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, jade artifacts were widely used for worship. The Book of Rites records that "jade is used to make six vessels, to worship the four directions of heaven and earth", and the Book of Rites records that "sacrifice is not necessary for worship, but for the use of precious stones", both indicating that jade has become an important tool for worshiping the gods and connecting heaven. This is not only supported by other historical records, but also by various archaeological artifacts. The legend of the Yellow Emperor eating jade in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and the legend of King Mu of Zhou meeting the Queen Mother of the West with a jade bi in the Biography of Emperor Mu, all demonstrate that jade has been endowed with multiple symbolic meanings such as sanctity and power in the narrative of Chinese civilization. Archaeological discoveries further prove this point, whether it is the Jade Pig Dragon from the Hongshan Culture, or the Jade Zhangs, Jade Congs, and other artifacts from the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites, they were all used to worship heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers, reflecting the concept of "using jade to communicate with the gods and to worship the heavens". Under the influence of the concept of harmony between heaven and man, corresponding views on life and morality have also emerged. The ancients believed that jade contained essence, and therefore could "connect the spirits of heaven and earth", thus protecting life and strengthening faith. Therefore, children wearing longevity jade locks symbolize peace and auspiciousness, literati place jade locks on their desks in the hope of exquisite literary ideas, and women use jade hairpins to express beautiful visions. This reverence for the power of nature and longing for a better life injects poetic and picturesque elements into ordinary days. In addition, jade is a sensory representation of ethical personality. Confucius proposed that 'a gentleman treasures jade but despises it', not because of the scarcity of jade, but because it contains eleven noble characteristics such as benevolence, wisdom, righteousness, and propriety. Confucius once said, "There are three ways for a gentleman to learn, but I am powerless: the benevolent are not worried, the wise are not confused, and the brave are not afraid. Jade is warm and lustrous, symbolizing benevolence; The texture is tight and textured, symbolizing wisdom; Strong and unyielding, symbolizing morality; Having sharp edges without cutting one's hand symbolizes character... This series of exquisite analogies not only concretizes abstract ethical personality into the tangible and admirable characteristics of jade, but also establishes the tradition of the Chinese nation's "virtue of things" from an aesthetic perspective, making jade the most noble and classic symbol of a gentleman's personality. Secondly, as a common way of life, wearing jade has become a ritual practice of self-restraint and moral reminder. Every morning, a gentleman soothes his jade and introspects, using the warmth of jade to remind himself to treat others generously; Motivate oneself with the perseverance of jade to handle things boldly. This self-cultivation permeates every moment of deliberation and interpersonal communication, making Peiyu a concrete symbol of moral self-discipline. According to the Book of Rites, "In ancient times, gentlemen were required to wear jade" and had strict standards, emphasizing "right signs and horns, left palace and feathers." They tended to use "Caiqi" and "Sixia". During the Zhou Dynasty, they returned to the central rules, folded back to the central square, bowed when advancing, raised when retreating, and then the jade clanged loudly. Peiyu is not only a form of grooming, but also a etiquette standard that runs through daily activities. The collision and sound of jade are endowed with strict music rules and rhythms, which actually transform abstract moral principles into audible, perceptible, and predictable behavioral rules - gentlemen must coordinate their steps with the jade sound, and their behavior should correspond to the rules. This also forms a dual constraint on individual behavior and morality when walking, sitting, and lying down: the disorder of external actions will be immediately exposed through the chaos of jade sounds, reminding jade wearers to always maintain inner correctness and dignified behavior. This also transforms jade from a static symbol of virtue to a dynamic medium of self-cultivation. Through the precise coordination of sound and movement, it guides gentlemen to achieve the integration of "ritual" and "self", ultimately achieving a moral self-discipline state of "no heart of detachment, no self entry". Finally, the warm texture and profound spirituality of jade make it transcend material attributes and become an important link in maintaining social order. From the sacred jade used by the emperor to offer sacrifices to the heavens to the jade pendants worn by literati, jade artifacts constitute a complete system of ceremonial symbols. During the court meeting, the tinkling sound of the jade pendant displayed the taste of the courtiers; In the banquet room, the exchange of jade cups carries the friendship between guests and hosts. In terms of decoration, 'There are bandits and gentlemen who fill the ears with radiance and can bow like stars'. When it comes to morality, 'there are bandits and gentlemen who are as sharp as cutting and as polished as grinding.'. Moreover, beautiful jade has become a great gift for each other to enhance their emotions. Among the nobles, 'Sirjiegui, as a treasure'; Among the common people, 'When a son comes, he is given miscellaneous gifts.'. So, this kind of behavior of exchanging peach blossoms for plum blossoms became a social trend: 'If you give me papaya', then 'repay it with plum blossoms'; If you give me a wooden peach, then repay it with Qiong Yao. When ancient people compared a gentleman to a beautiful jade, they not only saw the beauty of the gentleman's personality symbolized by beautiful jade in the theory of the unity of heaven and man, but also saw the challenges and hardships that beautiful jade must undergo to become a tool. This indicates that in order to become a gentleman, one must undergo external refinement and internal cultivation. As stated in the Book of Rites, "Jade cannot be made into a tool without carving, and one cannot know without learning." As we all know, only through external polishing can jade shine brightly and people continue to mature. Whether it is Confucius' saying 'when the years are cold, the pine and cypress will wither' or Mencius' saying 'when heaven will bestow great responsibilities upon a person, they must first suffer their heart and mind, strain their muscles and bones, starve their body and skin, be empty and empty, and act recklessly to disrupt their actions. Therefore, they are willing to endure hardships and benefit what they cannot', both emphasize the significance of suffering for growth. In this sense, Zhang Zai further proposed that 'wealth and prosperity will enrich my life; poverty and poverty, worry about the people, will bring prosperity to me.'. He believes that poverty, poverty, and sorrow are meant to help you achieve success in your career. Because "Yu Ru Yu Cheng" is a common social phenomenon, people often use poetry such as "The sharp edge of a precious sword is sharpened, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from hardship and coldness" to encourage themselves or others. Similarly, only by adhering to inner cultivation can jade contain beauty and make people stand out. As a symbol of the unity of heaven and man, a gentleman should be like a jade, imitating the way of heaven, and with a spirit of self-improvement, restrain oneself, restore propriety, cultivate oneself, and pacify others. Confucius believed that "ancient scholars are for themselves, and modern scholars are for others", emphasizing that learning is for improving one's own cultivation. Because a gentleman regards righteousness as his quality, propriety as his practice, propriety as his practice, and faith as his achievement, it is necessary to practice self-cultivation and self-restraint, striving to achieve "self-restraint and restoration of propriety as benevolence", as well as "self-cultivation to respect", "self-cultivation to pacify others", and "self-cultivation to pacify the people". Zengzi also left behind the famous saying, "A scholar must be resolute and resolute, with a heavy responsibility and a long way to go. Taking benevolence as his own responsibility is also important, and dying after death is also far away. In the Song and Ming dynasties, this concept became more common. For example, Ouyang Xiu warned his son in "The Doctrine of Instruction": "Jade is not cut, it cannot become a tool; people do not learn, they do not know. However, as a thing, jade has an unchanging virtue. Although it is not cut as a tool, it still does not harm jade. Human nature changes due to the object, and if one does not learn, they will abandon the gentleman and become a petty person. Do they not study?" This means that human cultivation is more important than jade polishing. Because jade is still jade without carving, and if one does not learn, it is easy to change with external things. Ouyang Xiu also wrote a poem called "To the Scholar" to encourage the academic community: "With the strength of gold and the sharpness of a chisel, a jade vessel can be made." Here, he emphasizes the importance of practice and learning by highlighting the fact that only by polishing gold and jade can one make a vessel. Ouyang Xiu has repeatedly used jade as a metaphor, pointing out the crucial role of postnatal learning in shaping personality and revealing the plasticity and fragility of human nature. Wang Yangming also emphasized similarities in "Preface to the Farewell to the Three Sons"

Edit:Luoyu Responsible editor:Zhoushu

Source:GMW.cn

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