#Chinese classics

[grand-theft-carbohydrates]

the absurdity of the plot of the Chinese Classic is in inverse proportion to how boring the title is.

-magical monkey takes a monk to india to pick up his library books, fighting demons along the way : Journey to the West - 108 demons reincarnated as bandits find brotherhood and redemption through the power of Extraordinary Violence: The Water Margin

-fanfic author writes a historical RPF that becomes so popular it ruins a politician's reputation for the next 700 years: Romance of the Three Kingdoms

-at this point the fandom is cooler than the actual canon, i need at least two more degrees to explain what the plot is: Dream of the Red Chamber

#chinese classics #san guo #jttw #water margin #dream of the red chamber #i have not read dream of the red chamber and at this point i'm afraid to ask

[gennsoup]

"The fine bird selects its tree and the wise servant chooses his master. He who meets a worthy master and lets him go is a fool."

Luo Guanzhong, The Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1: The Sacred Oath

#Luo Guanzhong #The Three Kingdoms #The Sacred Oath #mentors #mentorship #teachers #fools #Chinese literature #Chinese classics #Romance of the Three Kingdoms #ROTK #quotes #quotes blog #literary quotes #literature quotes #literature #book quotes #books #words #text #leaders #leadership

[niteshade925]

故知胜有五：

知可以战与不可以战，胜。

知众寡之用，胜。

上下同欲，胜。

以虞待不虞，胜。

将能而君不御，胜。

此五者，胜之道也。

故兵知彼知己，百战不殆；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼不知己，每战必殆。

-- 《孙子兵法•谋攻篇》

My translation:

Therefore victory has five conditions:

A good understanding of when to engage and when not to engage;

A good understanding of what to do with the limited amount of resources available to you;

Unity of everyone involved in commitment to achieving the same goals;

Better preparations than the opposing side;

An able general who is allowed to have some degree of freedom when making decisions.

These are the five conditions that will lead the way to victory.

Therefore when you know yourself and your opponent, you will fight a hundred battles and not lose a single one; when you know yourself and not your opponent, you will only win half of your battles; if you do not know yourself or your opponent, you will lose every single time.

-- The Art of War, Planning Offensives chapter

(It's worth noting that Sun Tsu does not regard victory through fighting as a true "complete victory". A "complete victory" is when one wins WITHOUT fighting.)

#my translations #chinese classics #the art of war #life advice #edited bc I found a translation error

[semperardens-juli]

"In perhaps the most famous scene, the Path in the Peach Garden, future ruler Liu Bei persuades two men to join him in the oath of fraternity, thereby going against what was at the time society's strongest bond: unquestioning loyalty to family."

on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Luo Guanzhong from The Literature Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained, James Canton

leave a little kindness

#juli-quotes #juli-the-literature-book #the literature book #big ideas simply explained #james canton #academia #dark academia #light academia #classics #chinese classics #chinese #classic #familial responsibility #family #honour #liu bei #poem #poetry #poet #prose #loyalty #the peach garden #literature #chinese literature #classics literature #classical

[wisdom-and-such]

“Zhu Xi’s ingenious solution was a two-pronged approach to cultivation that involved nurturing one’s feeling of reverence (jing) while investigating things to discern their defining patterns (li). Reverence, a virtue taught by Confucius (551-479 BCE) and the classics, serves to purify the mind, attune one to the promptings of the original good nature and impel one to act with appropriateness (yi). 

At the same time, by grasping the defining, interactive patterns that constitute the world, society, people and upright conduct, one gains the key to acting appropriately. The mind that is imbued with a feeling of reverence and comprehends these patterns will develop into a good will (zhuzai) dedicated to rectitude and appropriate conduct.”

Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi, 1130—1200) from Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy at https://iep.utm.edu/zhu-xi/

#zhu xi #confucianism #Confucius #chinese classics #chu hsi #eastern philosophy #taoism #buddhism #religion #spirituality #history #philosophy #history of philosophy

[snippetsofb]

starting a new book today, wish me luck with this beast. honestly excited to dive into Chinese literature: the book is Chin P'Ing Mei.

#book #books #literature #classics #chinese literature #chinese classics #read #reading #personal #reading nook #cozy #world literature #Chin P'Ing Mei

[gleaningsinbuddhafields]

The 101st Poem of the Hyakunin Isshu

While watching competitive karuta online, and in person, I noticed that there is a certain poem at the outset of a match, but that’s interesting is that this is a poem that is not actually part of the Hyakunin Isshu. Osaka (Naniwa) Bay at sunset, Quelgar’s photos, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons This poem is called the joka (序歌), or preliminary poem, and…

View On WordPress

#Chinese classics #Hyakunin Isshu #karuta #Kokinshu #Korea #waka poetry

[mahdidarkdrop]

☯️📘🇨🇳 I Ching: The Book of Changes (one of the 5 Chinese Classics) translated by James Legge

#iching #bookofchanges #theiching #thebookofchanges #chinesefiveclassics #fiveclassics #chineseclassics #fourbooksandfiveclassics #taoism #confucianism #☯️ #🇨🇳 #📘 #mahditamashii #mahdikhalwachi

#i ching #book of changes #the i ching #the book of changes #chinese five classics #five chinese classics #chinese classics #four books and five classics #taoism #confucianism #☯️ #🇨🇳 #📘 #mahditamashii #mahdikhalwachi #five classics

[scipunk]

The Fifth Element (1997)

#the fifth element #90s #cult classic #retro futuristic #cyberpunk aesthetic #retrofuture #new york #retro futurism #new york city #cat #food truck #aesthetic #white cat #90s movies #chinese food #megacity #90s aesthetic #cyberpunk

[journeytothewest-daily]

Welcome to The Journey to the West (西游记) Daily!

You are about to beging a reading journey to get the hidden Buddhist texts accompanied by the monk Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing, Zhu Bajie and Bai Long Ma.

To beging this journey you must subscribe to the newsletter, which you will find at https://journeytothewestdaily.substack.com/. You wil receive your first email this week, welcoming you and sharing information about what's to come and what I will include in the emails.

However, beforehand I want to tell you already that you won't receive a daily email, despite the name of the newsletter. The chapters are dense and full of references to folklore or religion references that you might be unfamiliar with, so you will receive an email every 2 or 3 days maximum.

If this is the first time that you hear about this newsletter and you don't know what Journey to the West is...

The classical Chinese novel Journey to the West is an extended account of the legendary pilgrimage of the Tang dynasty Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who traveled to the "Western Regions" (Central Asia and India) to obtain Buddhist sūtras (sacred texts) and returned after many trials and much suffering. Gautama Buddha gives this task to the monk, whose name in the novel is Tang Sanzang, and provides him with three protectors who agree to help him as an atonement for their sins. These disciples are the Monkey King, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, together with a dragon prince who acts as the monk's steed, a white horse. The group of pilgrims journey towards enlightenment by the power and virtue of cooperation.

The novel is perfect for the epistolary format, since it's is divided in different and disconnected adventures, so you don't have to always remember what happened in the previous chapter to read the next!

We'll be reading Anthony C. Yu's translation since it is the first unabridged version that we have available in English. It is about 100 chapters long.

As I said, you will receive a first email as soon as you subscribe and an introductory email in a few days. Please, share this post so more people can read along. Use the hashtag #jttwdaily if you want to comment your impressions. I'll share the most important dates soon.

May the Buddha help you in your endeavours.

#journey to the west #journey to the West daily #jttwdaily #西游记 #Dracula daily #chinese literature #classical Chinese literature #cdrama #the untamed

[legendarytragedynacho]

Jayne Mansfield places her hands in Marilyn Monroe's prints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre

#jayn #marilyn monroe #chinese theatre #actress #movies #beauty #movie stars #movie star #yesterday star #vintage star #vintage movies #vintage #classic movies #jayne mansfield

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

💙❤️Happy Holidays!❤️💙

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #lan wangji #wei wuxian #This is *specifically* fanart of the interfaith christmas cards featuring santa and his jewish rabbi husband spending time together #Why? Well as I was trying to think of things to draw for the season I realized there was another classic Blue and Red pairing to reference #They are going out for chinese food after this photoshoot. Kosher of course. #I want them to star in an interfaith hallmark film. A meet cute + save christmas + murder mystery in a small town kind of story #Or! Maybe they are just going to have a chill holiday break together and bake some treats with the extended family #So many fun possibilities about this bonkers concept I have no intention of making a bigger deal out of #speaking of Big Deals though; #If you have ever wanted to show appreciation for this (free) daily comics blog then I have one Holiday request: #If you have the means to - please donate your money to either a local food bank or a Yemen relief fund #there are so many people going without food and every bit helps. Truly would be the best holiday treat ever #and if you do not celebrate this holiday season…it’s also my birthday! You wouldnt want to let down the birthday cat would you? #(DISCLAIMER: it may or may not actually be my birthday. I may just be pressing emotional buttons to influence people to my cause) #(DISCLAIMER 2: I cannot vouch for any charities you donate to. Please be cautious and research properly before donating)

[gennsoup]

"Real loyalty prefers death to dishonor. No good man will serve two masters."

Luo Guanzhong, The Three Kingdoms, Vol. 1: The Sacred Oath

#Luo Guanzhong #The Three Kingdoms #Romance of the Three Kingdoms #Guan Yu #loyalty #death #dishonor #Chinese literature #Chinese classics #quotes #quotes blog #literary quotes #literature quotes #literature #book quotes #ROTK

[wangxian-the-zhijis]

For those who want to see the full translation of Lan Wangji’s invitation letter to Wei Wuxian at episode 31, here you go.

Written letter:

送呈

魏嬰今日安否 金氏子軒公子與江氏之女喜得貴子 將滿百日 金氏設宴金麟臺 眾親朋來賀 嬰當以禮赴之

藍忘機

Translation:

To submit

Wei Ying, are you well today? Young Master Zixuan of the Jin clan and Lady Jiang have been blessed to have a son, who is about to reach a hundred days. The Jin clan will hold a banquet in Jinlintai (Koi Tower). A lot of relatives and friends will come to celebrate. According to the ritual, Ying should attend.

Lan Wangji

The lovely thing here is that, lwj started the letter with, “are you well today?” showing his concern to wwx in the most formal way, telling him ‘I’m here, I’m still by your side. Are you okay? 🥺’ He even dropped wwx’s surname and directly called him ‘Ying’ 😭 If this was wwx, he would 100% call lwj ‘Zhanzhan’ or ‘A-Zhan’ 😭

Detailed explanation of the letter under the cut—

送呈 - submit

送呈: submit; to give to whomever is going to read

魏嬰今日安否 - Wei Ying, are you well today?

魏嬰: Wei Ying; Wei Wuxian’s birth name

今日: today

安否: safety; welfare; well-being

金氏子軒公子與江氏之女喜得貴子 - Young Master Zixuan of the Jin clan and Lady Jiang have been blessed to have a son

金氏: Jin clan; Jin Family

子軒: Zixuan; courtesy name without the surname

公子: young master

與: and; together with

江氏: Jiang clan; Jiang Family

之女: daughter; lady

喜: happy; delighted; pleased; blessed

得: get; obtain; gain

貴子: son

將滿百日 - almost fill a hundred days

將: be going to; be about to; will; shall

滿: full; fill; complete; reach

百: hundred (automatically means one hundred if there are no numbers written before)

日: day

金氏設宴金麟臺 - The Jin clan will hold a banquet in Jinlintai

金氏: Jin clan; Jin Family

設宴: hold a banquet/celebration/festival

金麟臺: (place) Jinlintai; Koi Tower

眾親朋來賀 - A lot of relatives and friends will come to celebrate

眾: many; numerous

親朋: relatives and friends (親屬: relatives; 朋友: friends)

來: come; attend

賀: celebrate; congratulate

I have doubts with the last sentence [[follow the colors to see which translation goes to which]]

嬰當以禮赴之 - Ying should be treated with courtesy if he will attend // According to the ritual, Ying should attend

嬰: Ying, Wei Wuxian’s birth name without the surname

當: ought to; should; must; treat as; regard as

以: with; by means of; according to

禮: courtesy; politeness; ritual

赴: go to; attend

藍忘機 - Lan Wangji

藍忘機: Lan Wangji; courtesy name

#for the chinese learners this is for u #if i have a mistake feel free to correct me 🫣 #note that this is classical chinese and it’s hard for me to understand it isbxoajx 😭 #the untamed #cql #lan wangji #lan zhan #wei wuxian #wei ying #wangxian #my useless essays #my chinese translations

[semperardens-juli]

"We three will swear brotherhood and unity of aims and sentiments."

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (14th century), Luo Guanzhong from The Literature Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained, James Canton

leave a little kindness

#juli-quotes #juli-the-literature-book #the literature book #big ideas simply explained #james canton #three kingdoms #romance of the three kingdoms #luo guanzhong #chinese literature #chinese classics #chinese novel #chinese drama #chinese play #chinese #chinese culture #literature #history of literature #academia #dark academia #light academia #classic #classics #classical literature #literature student #literature studyblr

[lilac-nites]

List of Lolita Resources

Someone in my comm encouraged me to make this list of resources for new lolitas. We were talking about how hard it can be to find information from Google search and there's just so much misinformation out there. I have a list of links that I've bookmarked and read over the past decade for when I finally become a lolita. I organized the list by sections in a specific order. It goes from information about the fashion and then to where to buy it.

To any new lolitas, there is so much information out there about lolita fashion that is still available. Part of the fun for me was researching the fashion, looking at coords, and learning what makes lolita lolita. There's so much information out there for you to immerse yourself in and even more stuff that's not listed in this resource list.

What is Lolita Fashion

Fyeah Lolita - This is my favorite blog and I still go back and read it. The last post was made in 2016 and the fashion has changed a lot since then, but it's pretty comprehensive and provides a good base knowledge. Imo, I think these articles (1 2 3 4) are required reading for anyone entering the fashion Lolita Fashion 101 - Bay Area Kei did several videos on lolita fashion during lockdowns. I recommend them for anyone that prefers video format. Raine Dragon's Lolita 101 series - Raine is a lolita that still updates her blog and has a lot of information on the history of lolita fashion. And she has a really great article on Chinese indie brands that should also be required reading for anyone new to using Taobao.

Costs of Lolita Manufacturing - One of the first things you'll notice is that lolita can be expensive. This resource breaks down the costs associated with manufacturing and why brands charge what they charge.

Substyles of Lolita Fashion

The below links are for the three basic styles of lolita fashion. If you research more, you'll find that there are more than these three, but I recommend starting with one of the three above to make it easier for to build your wardrobe. Classic Lolita Sweet Lolita Gothic Lolita

Where to get Lolita Fashion

Before even buying anything, you will need a tape measure to take your measurements. You'll need to measure your bust, waist, hips, and shoulder width in centimeters. That's how you will find out which clothes will fit you. Sizing can be different from brand to brand and country to country. I know many are used to buying using letter sizes, but it's best to go by actual measurements. Aim to buy clothes that are 4 - 6cm larger than your actual measurements to allow room for breathing/eating/etc. If you're brand new to the fashion, I highly recommend sticking to the sources listed in the videos below. It's very easy to get scammed if you don't know what to look for and I'd hate for anyone to lose their money on barely wearable clothes from Amazon/Ebay/Aliexpress. Where to Buy Lolita Fashion How to shop for Lolita Fashion online - secondhand is life for lolita fashion and there are so many options. PinkFakeFlowers goes in depth into the many ways to get it. I personally recommend 42lolita for anyone looking to buy from Chinese brands on Taobao.

Plus Size Lolita

Unfortunately, many of the Japanese brands and even some Chinese indie brands are not size inclusive. If you can't fit into the mainstream brands, don't worry there are still options. I always recommend Meta since they have a Plus Size and occasionally a Plus Plus size of their dresses and blouses that goes up to 160cm or even 200cm in some releases. Plus Size Lolita Crash Course Where to Start as a Plus Sized Lolita - This is a wonderful resource listing brands that are size inclusive.

Online Spaces for Lolita Fashion

Lolita fashion is pretty spread out now compared to the EGL (still recommend reading livejournal because its a cool time capsule of the lolita comm) days, but there are still groups on Facebook BSoLF - Great for beginners to ask questions and be helped by others. It's hard to search here but I recommend looking through the group for info. Your Local Comm (if applicable) - most are still on Facebook even if they still have a Discord. You can search for your local one on this list.

More Resources for New Lolitas

Lolita Tips for New Lolitas Three helpful tips for coordinating an outfit Lolita Tips Tumblr - I don't recommend Fanplusfriend anymore, but 42lolita is a good replacement. This tumblr is a great resource for inspo and there are many answered asks to reference. Unfortunately, polyvore is no longer a thing and many pictures are missing as a result.

Bonus

These are just a mishmash of links to resources/lists/blog that I like. Lolita Collective

Lolita youtubers ask

Lolita tumblrs ask 20dollarlolita and her post on replicas

More plus size lolita brands ask Japanese Wikipedia entry for Lolita fashion and list of brands

Azuki Mikan

Buttcape

Old School Lolita

#lolita fashion #sweet lolita #classic lolita #gothic lolita #lilac talks #i'll try to update regularly and may even make a more stable version on my website #tbh a lot of these are the ones i like and enjoy and continue to go back and read all the time #i'll also update this page if i find anything else interesting or if i find more videos that i like #edited to change taobao to chinese indie #they are not the same thing