Beijing (CNS) -- During the first "classical reading" activity held by the Advanced Institute of Humanities and Religion, at Beijing Normal University, Associate Professor Ryuichi Kogachi, at the Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University, provided the Chinese students a unique experience in studying and understanding the Taoist classics of Lao Tse, which was named after its author, also Tao Te Ching.
In order to bring the students closer to the essence of the classics, Prof Kogachi moved the class to Mianshan, Shanxi Province, where the famous recluse resided in the ancient time. With a no better atmosphere of 81 versions of Lao Tse by renowned calligraphers, the 1980s and 1990s generations were exposed to the wisdom of the ancients.
"Confucianism has a huge impact on Japanese society. Almost everybody knows about the Analects of Confucius. It is the same with Lao Tse," said Prof Kogachi.
Many Japanese children picked up calligraphy with Shuowen Jiezi (Explaining Simple and Analyzing Compound Characters). Prof Kogachi's eight-year-old daughter can already recite the whole passage of Thousand Character Classics.
It is to his delight that a lot of Chinese youths have been admiring and desiring to study Chinese ancient civilization. This is a great improvement compared to 1985 when he first visited China and strongly sensed the lack of preserving traditions.
This type of the reading series activity is popular in Japan, usually with around ten lecturers or students. Prof Kogachi himself has attended four of five of this kind, to cultivate his thoughts and broaden mind views.
From the Edo era (1603 – 1867), Kyoto University has an 80-year tradition of this type of study exchange, which contributes a lot to intellectuals forming a good reading habit and solid academic foundation.
However in China, this type of ancient education was missing for a long period in contemporary history. Elites from all walks of life have tried hard to resume this educational form, said Dean Xu Jialu at the Advanced Institute of Humanities and Religion.
Prof Kogachi has noticed a difference between Chinese and Japanese students. The former are more interested in argumentation over the practicality of knowledge and social applicability, while the latter spend more efforts in textual criticism by carefully examining various versions of classical readings.
Dr. Zhang Guixin, at the Beijing Institute of Technology, is the only science student in the camp. He also realized this difference over emphasis.
The reading organizer intended to invite Prof Kogachi for this exact purpose to encourage Chinese students to know the importance of text classification and emendation, and learn to study the classics word by word instead of in general.
The students, from famous universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University, and Beijing Normal University, have also gained a sense of accomplishment through this attempt.
"A realistic fact is that no matter for officials or the public, to cite classics has become a way to show off one's own grace and knowledge for profits," mentioned Executive Deputy Dean Zhu Xiaojian at the Advanced Institute of Humanities and Religion. Despite this, the whole world seems to be pursuing solutions to problems using Chinese philosophies.
Dean Xu anticipated that the students will learn the text of Lao Tse, and at the same time comprehend its spirit and methodology.
