(Clearwisdom.net) Ancient China is called the Divine Land. Myths and legends form the basis of its culture. History tells us that the mythic period in China was remarkable for its richness as well as its duration. Those who are willing to look beyond the limitations of the scientific method will discover the truths of the myths and legends that took place when divinity and humanity existed together. Because of this co-existence of the divine and human, we can say that the culture that developed during this period was semi-divine. It had its origin in the divine culture that passed from divinity to humanity.
Everything that exists has a meaning and purpose. For what purpose did the performing arts develop within this divine culture? In other words, what is the mission of the performing arts? Is it to express human emotion and the meaning of human life? Or it is merely to provide entertainment?
Although we cannot see the full manifestation of semi-divine culture today, we can still obtain a glimpse from historical relics. The Chinese people know that the performing arts in their divine land originated in worshiping the heavens and seeking predictions from the gods. "Worshiping the gods" was not only the origin of the performing arts, it was also their primary function during the "semi-divine cultural period." As history progressed, the performing arts took on other functions, such as teaching cultivation, expressing feeling, and providing entertainment.
In the Book of Lyrics, the first anthology of poetry in China, we can clearly see the ancient function of the performing arts as recorded in this historical source. The original book, Shi, consists of music and accompanying dances. What survives in the Book of Lyrics are only lyrics; its music and dances have been lost. This triad of song-dance-music is the typical form of the ancient performing arts. Shi is divided into Feng, Ya, and Odes according to melody and subject matter. Feng deals primarily with folk costumes, human morals, and satire, so it expresses feelings and provides entertainment. Ya is devoted mostly to the official's life in the royal court and other related topics, so it is usually very serious, elegant, orthodox, and replete with rules. Odes were used mainly in rituals of worship, so they have a very solemn tone. The function of the performing arts as manifested in the Book of Lyrics can be summarized as "worshiping the gods, praising the heavens, spreading virtue and morals, nurturing society's moral standards, educating people, expressing human feelings and goals, and providing entertainment." These followed the original purpose of the performing arts during the semi-divine cultural period, and other functions also developed to transmit the phenomena of divine culture. Together they formed the spirit of the Divine Land's culture.
As times changed, the performing arts' original function of "worshiping the heavens and spreading virtue" became less clear and less pronounced. But the soul of divine culture remained alive within the Divine Land and continued to govern its performing arts and philosophy with profound results.
Western science, however, entered the East in modern times, and even more significantly, the Communist specter invaded the divine land of China, seizing control of both its people and its culture. On the one hand, it spread the evil propaganda of Communism, and on the other hand, it took away people's faith in the gods. It totally forbade "worshiping the heavens and spreading virtue" in the performing arts and destroyed the tradition of "nurturing society's moral standards and educating people." The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) filled the performing arts with violent, revolutionary content that promoted the theme, "Fight with the heavens, fight with the earth, fight with the people." During the last twenty years, the CCP has also filled the performing arts with immoral subjects such as lust, violence, and incest. The CCP has pushed the divine land's culture from the lofty heights of "worshiping the heavens and spreading virtue" to the dark depths of hell, and its poisonous message has severely polluted both divine culture and the human spiritual world. The CCP is destroying humankind by trying to pervert its true nature.
As an essential aspect of human expression, the performing arts have had a profound influence on society in every period of history. Moral education, regulations, and propaganda are not effective substitutes. As a result, the performing arts have always been of great importance to rulers. The CCP has used the performing arts as well as violence, a totalitarian dictatorship, and spiritual brainwashing to transform the divine land into a human hell. Their so-called "education through entertainment" brainwashes people in a most insidious way. By brainwashing the people of the divine land, the CCP has damaged the "divine culture" with a severity that defies the imagination.
Through its violent, revolutionary performing arts, the CCP has committed innumerable sins, but its biggest sin is negating the existence of divine beings. By so doing, not only does the CCP cut people's connections with the divine, but it also destroys the primary function of the performing arts according to the "divine culture." The CCP has replaced divine culture with the demonic Party culture to which it gave birth. The vile specter of the CCP's atheist ideology has deprived people of both conscience and self-restraint. The CCP's culture has introduced demons into the divine land's social environment and spiritual world.
Starting in 1992, the spread of Falun Dafa in the divine land has enabled its practitioners to focus their hearts on benevolence and to rapidly upgrade their morals. This has initiated a deep and vital transformation in the human world and a return to the universal characteristics of "Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance." This is having a significant impact on all aspects of human society, including the performing arts.
The current NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular is not only pleasing audiences with its performances, but it is also enabling people to experience pure compassion and pure beauty, providing both spiritual pleasure and moral edification. Even more importantly, this show has revived "worshiping the heavens, spreading virtue" and "nurturing society's moral standards, educating people" -- the essential functions of the performing arts according to the divine culture. In this way, the Spectacular is presenting true, orthodox Chinese culture.
Modern science and the specter of the CCP have perverted humanity's spiritual environment. But as people watch and delight in a show that clearly illustrates the content of divine culture, the dust of history that covers their souls will be instantly shaken off, their original, true selves will awaken from a long sleep, and the fire of their lives will be ignited. The Spectacular can touch audiences' hearts with indescribable power. Because it manifests the nature of divine culture, the Spectacular can delight audiences and enable them to ascend spiritually with indescribable pleasure.
This world-famous show does not stop with the reintroduction of historical "divine culture." It goes on to precisely and profoundly explain the nature of human life as well as its past, present, and future. What is the nature of divine culture? What is the meaning of the existence of "divine culture?" Why are Falun Dafa practitioners going to such lengths to clarify the truth while being so brutally persecuted? What is the purpose of human existence? What is the origin and destiny of humanity? The Spectacular is providing new answers to these profound questions through performances that are both unprecedented and unsurpassed in the history of the performing arts. Undoubtedly, this is an historic event in human culture as well as a fresh starting point and model for future cultures. Perhaps we can even say that this form of the performing arts with its deep, inner meaning will continue forever in generations to come.
February 14, 2007
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Category: Perspectives
