By learning something old know something new[온고지신 / 溫故知新]

When deciding to learn something, we often think of learning things that are more practicable and modern.  For instance, when deciding to learn a foreign language, we think of those languages that will bring more profit in our business, bring advancement in our career or provide us with better job opportunities, and those languages that many people speak like English, Mandarin, French, and Spanish.  When deciding to learn about science and technology, a great deal of knowledge and practical application can be obtained from “new/modern knowledge”.  When deciding to learn about culture, modern and pop culture is very popular than traditional culture in many cases.

Without taking anything away the joy and benefits of learning from new things, we should also keep in mind that new things such as information, knowledge, and culture is a continual process of evolution from its old/previous forms.  For example, a modern language can be better analyzed if we study its old form.  A country’s modern culture can be seen as a combination of modern native innovation, foreign influence, and old culture.  That is to say, old ideas and literatures can help us understand the present and can also help us develop something new.  Prof. George Bevan, an outstanding teacher awardee from Queen’s University who teaches Ancient Greek and Late Antiquity Classics has this to say about the relevance of the courses he teaches in contemporary society:  

“Studying an ancient language is very empirical.  It requires discipline, concentration, and thinking capacity, and it develops the brain in ways that are surprisingly conducive to other types of thinking.” – George Bevan

Queen039s University News Centre - New Lessons in Old Things - 2011-08-17 by Arlan Rodrigo

In Korea, there are a vast number of Classical literatures written by Koreans that are sadly seldom analyzed and given due attention.  If the reader should wish to know more about them, I suggest the “Thousand Character Classic” 천자문[千字文] is a good thing to know beforehand.  As the saying goes, “By learning something old know something new”[온고지신 / 溫故知新].  This idiom comes from 《Chapter 2 위정[爲政]》 of the Analects of Confucius, 《논어 / 論語》.

『子曰: “溫故而知新, 可以爲師矣.”』『자왈: “온고이지신, 가이위사의.”』

『[子 – Confucius][曰 – said]: “[溫 – learn/review][故 – old][而 – and][知 – know][新 – new], [可以 – can][爲 – become][師 – teacher][矣 – sentence ending].”』

『Confucius said: “Learn and/or review the old things and (in this way) get to know something new.  By doing so, you can become a teacher.”』

“Thousand Character Classic” – 천자문[千字文] 

The Lunar Calendar and The Lunar New Year

Since the ancient times, there have been two common conventions for measuring one “earth-year”.  One way is by measuring the time it takes the earth to complete one cycle around the sun, which gave rise to the solar calendar.  And the other was to base the year on 11, 12 or 13 complete moon cycles (lunar month), which gave rise to the lunar calendar.  It is interesting to note that the solar calendar can be traced back to ancient Egypt with the observations of the Sirius star and the sun.  On the other hand, the lunar calendar was observed by the Babylonians and spread to other cultures like China, Arabia, India, and later on to Korea.

Hence the lunar calendar system is one that is observed by many cultures and can’t be said as “belonging” to China exclusively.  Also, many lunar calendars are actually strictly lunisolar calendar systems like that in use in China and Korea since one earth-year is adjusted accordingly to coincide with the solar year.  Thus, one year would have between 12 or 13 lunar months accordingly.  This is very important for Chinese and Korean culture since if the year-length weren’t adjusted, the days for the beginning and end of the planting and harvest seasons would have to be adjusted every year.  The following is a very short informational clip on the lunisolar calendar.

Continuing from the last post which discussed “The Chinese Hour”, the Korean 한문[漢文] educational resource named 《계몽편 / 啓蒙篇》, 《천편 / 天篇》 mentions the elementary reading material below.  The previous post mentioned that there are “normally” thirty days in a lunar month and twelve (lunar) months in a lunar year.  IMPORTANT NOTE :  The following is ONLY meant for 한문[漢文] reading practice for a historical fact.  Hence, the following does not necessarily represent the original and actual written historical records.

月或有小月	월혹유소월
小月則二十九日	소월즉이십구일
爲一月	위일월
歲或有閏月	세혹유윤월
有閏則十三月	유윤즉십삼월
成一歲	성일세

[月 – month][或 – on some cases][有 – there is][小 – small][月 – month]
[小 – small][月 – month][則 – if ~ then][二十九 – twenty-nine][日 – day]
[爲 – become][一 – one][月 – month]
[歲 – year][或 – on some cases][有 – there is][閏 – extra/intercalary][月 – month]
[有 – there is][閏 – extra/intercalary month][則 – if ~ then] [十三 – thirteen] [月 – month]
[成 – make][一 – one][歲 – year]

With regards to months, on some cases there are “small months”
If it is “small month” then (there will be) twenty-nine days
(And that) becomes one month
With regards to years, on some cases there are “extra/intercalary months”
If there is an “extra/intercalary month” then there will be thirteen months
And that makes one year

The lunar calendar is still kept in mind in countries like China and Korea.  Also this year, the new lunar year will start on February 10, 2013.  In Korea, the lunar new year is one of the most important occasions of the year (명절/名節).  The lunar new year’s first day is called “설날” and the first lunar month is called 정월[正月] literally meaning 正 – first 月 – month.  On 설날, Koreans eat 떡국 which is basically glutinous rice cake with soup.  떡국 represents “pureness” and implies a fresh mind and start for the New Year.  It is also a common custom in Korea to eat 떡국 in order to age one year.  Some Koreans jokingly avoid eating 떡국 to avoid aging.  Also, Koreans pay tribute to their elders by doing a New Year’s bow, called 세배[歲 – Year 拜 – bow] and their elders in turn give them money allowance for the New Year called 새뱃돈.  In the Philippines, families who have been influenced by the Filipino – Chinese community here eat a similar rice cake called “tikoy” (from Hokkien 甜粿) in the belief of becoming better and more prosperous in the coming year.

떡국

Koreans doing 세배[歲拜]

Philippines’ tikoy

On the first lunar month, 정월[正月], there is also a certain occasion that Koreans look forward to.  And this is called 정월 대보름[正月 大보름], which is on the first full moon of the year.  대보름[大보름] literally means 대[大 – big] and 보름 – fifteen days, “big (moon) on the fifteenth day”.  As we know, the lunar month begins with the New Moon or the “invisible moon”.  One lunar cycle is about 29 ½ days and thus the Full Moon occurs about the 14^th  or 15^th night of the lunar month.  On 정월 대보름[正月 大보름], Koreans eat nuts and grains stored over the past winter called 오곡밥과 9가지 나물.  오곡밥[五穀밥] means 五 – five 穀 – grain 밥 – rice.  It is believed that these nuts and grains are good for skin beauty and also helps prevent skin rashes.  Also, when Koreans see the moon on 정월 대보름[正月 大보름], they make a wish on the Full Moon.

Full Moon – 보름달 or 만월[滿月]

오곡밥[五穀밥]

Koreans making a wish on the First Full Moon

This will be all for now.  This upcoming Lunar New Year, be sure to greet all your Korean friends and Korean loved-ones “새해 福 많이 받으세요”.

The Chinese Hour

Chinese Astrology has more than 2,500 years of history.  And included in that history is the old Chinese system for reckoning time.  That system divides the years into 12-year cycles, to base the month on the lunar cycle, and to divide the day into “12 hours/time intervals/units”, called 십이시[十二時].  Thus, 1 Chinese hour is equivalent to the modern era 2 hours/120 minutes.  The following is taken from a Korean 한문[漢文] educational resource named 《계몽편 / 啓蒙篇》, 《천편 / 天篇》.  IMPORTANT NOTE :  The following is ONLY meant for 한문[漢文] reading practice for a historical fact.  Hence, the following does not necessarily represent the original and actual written historical records.

一晝夜之內	일주야지내
有十二時	유십이시
十二時會	십이시회
而爲一日	이위일일
三十日會	삼십일회
而爲一月	이위일월
十有二月合	십유이월합
而成一歲	이성일세

{ ◄◄ [一 – one][晝 – day][夜 – night][之 – that of][內 – within] ◄◄ }

[有 – there is][十二 – twelve][時 – hours/time intervals]
[十二 – twelve][時 – hours/time intervals][會 – be accumulated]
[而 – and][爲 – become][一 – one][日 – day]
[三十 – thirty][日 – day][會 – be accumulated]
[而 – and][爲 – become][一 – one][月 – month]
[十 – ten][有 – and also][二 – two][月 – month][合 – combine]
[而 – and][成 – make][一 – one][歲 – year]

Within that of one day and night
There are twelve hours
When twelve hours have been accumulated
And that will become one day
When thirty days have been accumulated
And that will become one month
Ten months and also two months when combined
And that makes one year

There is more information that is written in the textbook and it will be mentioned in a separate post.

Hear One Know Ten[문일지십 / 聞一知十]

4-character idioms are also known as 사자성어[四字成語] in Korea and Koreans have compiled numerous idioms of this kind.  These idioms by themselves are thought-provoking sayings, and yet sometimes, one will also find out that some of these idioms make references to Classical Chinese works, in which case they are also called as 고사성어[古事成語], an idiom which originated from an ancient happening/event.  

Today, I came across the idiom 문일지십[聞一知十].  A literal translation would be “Hear One Know Ten” but also naver dictionary gives “A word is enough to the wise.” and also “Judge the whole by a part, infer the whole from a single.” as an explanation for this.  Following this line, we can relate this idiom to a person who is quick-witted and smart.  This person, by hearing from only a piece of information, will be able to gain knowledge ten-fold from it.  The other interpretation as mentioned is one wherein someone is able to infer the whole from the parts.  Anyhow, this idiom is mentioned in 《Chapter 5 공야장[公冶長]》 of the Analects of Confucius, 《논어 / 論語》.

『子謂子貢曰: “女與回也, 孰愈?”對曰: “賜也, 何敢望回. 回也, 聞一以知十, 賜也, 聞一以知二.”子曰: “弗如也. 吾與女弗如也.”』

『자위자공왈: “여여회야, 숙유?”대왈: “사야, 하감망회. 회야, 문일이지십, 사야, 문일이지이.”자왈: “불여여. 오여여불여야.”』

『[子 – Confucius][謂 – call on][子貢 – 자공][曰 – ask]: “[女 – you][與 – and][回 – 안회][也 – noun marker], [孰 – who][愈 – superior]?”[對曰 – reply]: “[賜 – me/단목사][也 – noun marker], [何 – how][敢 – dare][望 – hope][回 – 안회]. [回 – 안회][也 – as for], [聞 – hear][一 – one][以 – in this way][知 – know][十 – ten], [賜 – me/단목사][也 – as for], [聞 – hear][一 – one][以 – in this way][知 – know][二 – two].”[子 – Confucius][曰 – said]: “[弗 – not][如 – comparable][也 – indeed]. [吾 – I][與 – and][女 – you][弗 – not][如 – comparable][也 – indeed].”』

『Confucius called on 자공 and asked him: “Between you and 안회, who is superior?”자공 replied: “How can I dare hope to be like 안회? As for 안회, whenever he hears one thing, in this way, he will know ten things, but as for me, whenever I hear one thing, in this way, I would only know two things.” Confucius said: “Indeed you are not comparable to him. Indeed I and you together are still not comparable to him.”』

In here, 자공[子貢] and 안회[顔回] are disciples of Confucius.  Also, 자공[子貢]’s real name is 단목사[端木賜].  Confucius regarded안회[顔回] dearly as evidenced by what he said.  Indeed, there was no other better disciple for Confucius other than him, and so when he died, Confucius lamented and felt great sorrow.  Confucius lamented, “Heaven has bereft me! Heaven has bereft me!”  Today, 안회[顔回] is venerated at his temple, “Temple of 顔回”, located in 취푸시[曲阜市].

안회[顔回]

Temple of 안회[顔回], 취푸시[曲阜市]

The sun rises in the east, the sun sets in the west

It’s a new year and I really want to make this year a good year for me, better than 2012.  Last year was a year when I focused on studying 한자[漢字] but this year I plan to study them only during weekends.  Having studied quite a number of 한자[漢字], I thought about studying Chinese or Japanese at first but I have no motivation and also I felt that it was very far from my goal of improving my Korean language skills.  Hence, after thinking about it, I came about to studying 한문[漢文] starting last month.

I feel 한문[漢文] is quite interesting in itself and I feel I can achieve several things at once from it.  Hence, I sought for a beginner’s book written in Korean and I found the 중학교[中學校] 한문[漢文] series which can be easily found in Korean bookstores.  With these books, I want to achieve several things:  (1)  I will get to know more about Korean culture, history, or literature since most topics are of this form, and not mentioning that 한문[漢文] itself is a literary form; (2)  I will be able to continue reviewing and learning new 한자[漢字], which is good; (3)  I will be able to learn and improve my basic knowledge of 한문[漢文]; (4)  I will be able to learn more Korean vocabulary, improve, and practice my reading skills since the book is written in Korean.  Below are some pages from the book I’m currently reading, which only costs about 10,000圓.

http://book.daum.net/detail/book.do?bookid=KOR9788905034580

50 by Arlan Rodrigo

57 by Arlan Rodrigo

The topics in the book are quite interesting and diverse ranging from Chinese/Korean culture and history to prose and poems written in 한문[漢文] and the material has been manageable for me as a beginner.  With these books, there is really hope to progress in studying 한문[漢文] using Korean as a medium.  There is hope, for the sun rises in the east and the sun sets in the west.

『淸晨, 祖携孫出門, 祖曰:  “爾知方向乎?  日出於東, 日沒於西.  今汝向日而行, 是爲東, 背後爲西, 右手爲南, 左手爲北.  故, 視日之出沒, 可以辨四方也.”』

『청신, 조휴손출문, 조왈:  “이지방향호?  일출어동, 일몰어서.  금여향일이행, 시위동, 배후위서, 우수위남, 좌수위북.  고, 시일지출몰, 가이변사방야.”』

『[淸 – clear][晨 – dawn], [祖 – grandfather][携 – lead][孫 – grandson][出 – to go out][門 – door], [祖 – grandfather][曰 – said]:  “[爾 – you][知 – know][方 – direction][向 – facing][乎 – do you]?  [日 – sun][出 – rise][於 – in][東 – east], [日 – sun][沒 – set][於 – in][西 – west].  [今 – now][汝 – you][向 – face][日 – sun][而 – and][行 – go], [是 – this][爲 – become][東 – east], [背 – back][後 – rear][爲 – become][西 – west], [右 – right][手 – hand][爲 – become][南 – south], [左 – left][手 – hand][爲 – become][北 – north].  [故 – therefore], [視 – watch][日 – sun][之 – ‘s][出 – rise][沒 – set], [可以 – can][辨 – distinguish][四 – four][方 – directions][也 – indeed].” 』

『One clear dawn, a grandfather led his grandson outside the door.  The grandfather said to the boy:  “Do you know the direction that you are facing?  The sun rises in the east, the sun sets in the west.  Now, if you face the sun and go, this becomes the east, at your back’s rear becomes the west, on your right hand becomes the south, and on your left hand becomes the north.  Therefore, if you watch the sun’s rising and setting, you can distinguish between the four directions, indeed.” 』