中国的现代价值观有古老的根基

文/Laurence Brahm 译/郜舒笛

改革开放四十多年来，中国在经济发展方面赢得了全球的尊重。中国总结出了独有的经验，不照搬其他国家的发展道路，开辟了独特的发展模式。同样，中国也支持世界各国遵循自己的传统，发展自己的经济和制度。

中国在经济发展方面取得了巨大的进步：全面打赢脱贫攻坚战，促进生态文明发展以应对气候变化，在“一带一路”框架下扩大影响，并与其他发展中国家分享经验。联合国赞许中国称，中国可能是唯一真正实现联合国2030年可持续发展议程的国家。

问题在于，为什么某些西方国家不承认中国在新时代的自身发展价值。自殖民时代以来，西方某些国家曾试图定义过“普世价值”。但“普世价值”不仅仅是政治价值，它还包括每个国家和文化所固有的广泛价值观。不同的文化有不同的价值观，这与他们自己的物质文化遗产、地形地貌、文化内涵和传统风俗密不可分。

在理解新时代中国的价值观时，我们必须着眼于中国深厚的历史文化传统，正是这些传统和智慧指引着这个国家和人民走过了数千年的历史，从而成为今天的中国。为了帮助世界更好地了解新时代的中国价值观，我们可以通过中国的功夫文化来获得精辟的见解。大家都喜欢看李小龙的电影。通过拍摄功夫的镜头，我们可以清楚地阐述一套代表“普世价值”的九种价值观。而这些价值观正源于中国深厚的文化根基。

The past more than forty years of opening and reform has earned China global respect in terms of economic development. China has adopted its own model of development through accumulated experience and has not tried to follow any one particular path of any other nation.China’s own unique experience is unique to China. Likewise China supports each nation following its own traditions in evolving its own systems both economic and governmental.

China has made enormous strides in its economic development, eliminating poverty, promoting Ecological Civilization in combatting climate change, expanding and sharing its developmental approach with other developing countries on the Belt and Road. The United Nations has already recognized that China may be the only nation to actually achieve the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The truth is that since the colonial era, certain countries in the west have had the agenda of defining universal values. But universal values are not just political values.They include a broad mosaic of values that are inherent to each country and culture. Different cultures have different values for reasons that are inseparable from their own heritage, landscape, culture and traditions.

In considering China’s own values for a new era, we must look to China’s deep traditions and the wisdom that has guided this nation and people through thousands of years of history to bring China to become the nation that it is today. While China’s culture is so rich and history so complex, it is often difficult for the international community to understand a set of values that represent a universality of Chinese values. To help the world understand Chinese values in the new era, one way to have incisive view is through the culture of Chinese Kung Fu. Everyone loves a Bruce Lee movie. Through the lens of Kung Fu we can actually clearly articulate a set of nine values that represent universal values. These values however originate from China’s deep cultural roots. Kung Fu represents a set of cultural values for body-mind health that can be understood and embraced across countries and continents.It came from China, but belongs to all humanity. In some ways Kung Fu is a common language that can bring people together.

功夫虽然来自中国，却属于全人类，因为它代表了一套能使身心健康的文化价值观，可以被世界各国人民理解和接受。从某种程度上来说，功夫是一种共同的语言，有利于团结人民。功夫是中国文化的一面镜子，通过这面镜子，我们可以了解中医、书法和茶文化的方方面面。

功夫的准则关于坚韧不拔、忠诚、正义，尊重同辈，以及见义勇为。功夫训练也增强了自我意识、天人合一、身体平衡和应对变化的能力。虽然武术这个词被大多数西方人随意地翻译为“尚武的艺术”，但在中文里的意思是“非暴力的艺术”。

对于每一个中国人来说，如果他们审视自己的内心，就会发现功夫的价值和传统蕴含其中。而现在就是与世界分享这些价值观的时候了。“功夫价值观”提出了一个可以被理解为一套普遍价值观的准则。如果我们都练习功夫，了解其中蕴含的教义，那么世界上的人可能会有更多共同的理解，也更尊重对方且很少使用暴力。

我们都熟悉北京故宫的九龙壁。九条龙是中国文化中表达的自然和文化的九个元素的象征。因此，如果我们应用第一个元素象征，这九个功夫概念就会形成一个共同的准则，并且每个武术流派都息息相关。它们代表了一套综合的心态价值观，我们可以在日常生活中采用，即坚忍不拔，忠诚，平衡，变化，定心，和谐，流动，虚空，非暴力。

这九个功夫原则可以理解为训练的九个阶段、中国哲学的九个方面，或是武术家们认可的九个价值观。如果每个人都遵守这些原则，我们就可以努力实现全球良好的公民意识——这本身就是一种功夫价值观。许多功夫大师一再告诉我，习武不是为了打架，而是为了修身养性，成为一个更好、更负责任的人。

自我修养的核心是中国古代的“天、地、人”概念。有句古话叫“人在天地间”。简而言之，人类必须理解和尊重这种概念，并在地（阴）和天（阳）之间产生的自然现象的范围内生活，才算真正的生存。

Kung Fu is a mirror of Chinese culture. Everything from traditional medicine, calligraphy and tea can be understood by looking through the Kung Fu looking glass.

The code of Kung Fu has always been about perseverance, loyalty and righteousness, respect for one’s brothers, and standing up against unfair odds in doing what is correct for others. Kung Fu training enhances awareness, harmony with nature, balance and acceptance of change.

A master of Kung Fu is the last person to use violence.In fact the wordWushu, loosely translated by most westerners as “martial arts”, in Chinese literally means the“art of non-violence.”

For every Chinese, if they look deeply inside, Kung Fu values and traditions are within. Now it is time to share these values with the world. Kung Fu values present a code that can be understood as a set of universal values.If we all practice Kung Fu, and the teachings embedded within, than our world just might become a place of greater shared understanding and mutual respect, with a little less violence.

We are all familiar with the Nine Dragon Wall in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Nine dragons are a symbol of nine elements of nature and culture expressed in Chinese culture. So if we apply the number one, there are nine Kung Fu concepts that a a code are shared and belong to every school of martial arts. As a code they represent a set of integrated mind-set values that we can adopt in our daily lives: Perseverance, Loyalty, Balance, Change,Centering, Harmony, Flow, Emptiness, Non-violence.

These nine Kung Fu principles can be understood as nine stages of training, nine aspects of Chinese philosophy,or nine values shared by martial artists offered here as a code. Through each of our own individual actions adhering to these principles, we can strive toward achieving global good citizenship, which in itself is a Kung Fu value. Many Kung Fu masters have repeatedly told me, the purpose of martial arts is not to fight but to cultivate oneself to become a better and more responsible person.

地是阴的深层力量，而天是阳。人类处于这两者之间，且都是由阴阳元素组成的，不分性别或性取向。人类与宇宙相连，或者说人类只是宇宙秩序的一个衍生物。在古代，中国的皇帝扮演着代表人类的重要角色，是天与地之间的对话者。他们通过祭祀活动达到精神层面的连接；通过善政在外交、社会和经济力量之间寻求平衡。

这九个功夫原则也可以被理解为中国价值观的原则，由九个汉字或单一的原则表示。它们本身就可以被视为“普世价值”。这九个字是：忍、忠、平、易、中、和、无、空、武。

“忍”，是“决心”的意思。这个字被写成一把刀插在一颗心上，刀旁的一撇表示流血。这意味着要追求坚持不懈的精神，需要个人在漫长的时间里作出牺牲和决心。这就是为什么“功夫”一词的字面意思是“时间”。

“忠”，是“忠诚”的意思，这其中也包含了尊重的含义。这就涉及儒家的概念，即对师承的奉献，对师父或老师的奉献，以及对同修或师承弟子的相互尊重。此外，这种忠诚和尊重的标准应超越武术学校或师承的范围，成为整个社会的一部分。

“平”，是“平衡”的意思。实现身体的平衡是武术发展的一个基础阶段。内部平衡是所有武术训练最理想的目标。平衡超越了坚实的步法，它要使自己体内的阴阳同步，然后将这种平衡感投射到周围的人身上。此外，还要在生活的各个方面培养平衡。

“易”，是“变化”的意思。它在《易经》中常常被提到，这是一个古老而完善的体系，通过八卦的六十四种组合来计算未来的变化。接受变化会使我们变得通达，并认识到所有事物的无常性。

“中”，是“中心”的意思。我们训练武术是为了实现身体和心灵的中心化。身体重心的居中也使我们不至于失去平衡。通过定心，我们可以保持平静，达到内心的平和，在作决定时头脑清晰。佛教强调中庸之道，不被异端吸引。

“和”，是“和谐”的意思。在练习武术的过程中，我们正在努力实现身体和自然界、身体和精神的和谐。我们可能还会意识到，身体只是自然界的一个衍生物。在这一点上，我们可以顺其自然，让事情自然发生。

Core to self-cultivation is the ancient Chinese concept ofTian Di RenHeaven-Earth-Humanity. There is an ancient saying “Mankind exists between Heaven and Earth”. Simply put Humanity must understand, respect and work within the bounds of natural phenomena arising between Earth (Yin) and Heaven (Yang) in order to exist.

Earth is the deep force of Yin while Heaven is Yang.Humanity is in between and we are all composed of Yin and Yang elements, regardless of sex or sexual preference. Humanity is connected to the universe,or just a derivative of the universal order. In ancient times the Emperor of China played an important role representing Humanity as interlocutor between Heaven and Earth. On the spiritual level through ritual. On a political level through good governance in finding balances between diplomatic, social and economic forces.

These nine Kung Fu principles that can be understood as Chinese values are represented by nine Chinese characters or singular principles. They can be considered as universal values on their own. These nine characters are:

Ren embraces determination. The character is written as a knife over a heart with a dash’ indicating blood. That means perseverance requires personal sacrifice of consistency and determination over vast periods of time. That is why the term Kung Fu literally means “time.”

Zhongmeans “Loyalty” and encompasses respect.This involves Confucian concepts of devotion to the lineage, one’s master or teacher, and deep mutual respect toward fellow practitioners or disciples of the lineage.Moreover, such standards of loyalty and respect are to be projected beyond the martial arts school or lineage into society as a whole.

Pingmeans “Balance.” Achieving physical balance is a foundational stage of martial arts development.Cultivating internal balance is the desired outcome of all martial arts training. Balance goes beyond solid footwork. It requires synchronizing the Yin and Yang elements within oneself. Then projecting that sense of balance to those around you. Moreover, cultivating balance in all aspect of life and living.

Yiis the character for “Change.” As it appears in the I-Ching Book of Changes, an ancient yet very advanced system of calculating future changes through sixty four combinations of the Eight Trigrams. Acceptance of change allows us to achieve non-attachment.Recognizing the impermanence of all things.

“无”，是道教的一个核心概念。道教术语“无为”从字面上可以翻译为“什么也不做”。但这种翻译并没有对这个概念作出合理的解释，无为并不真正意味着不作为。“无”最好翻译为“流动”。

“空”，是佛教的一个核心概念，被翻译为“虚空”。它是一种身—心—灵同步的状态，不受任何事物的干扰。没有依恋，没有分心的想法，没有消极或积极的心态。这种有心或无心的状态，并不意味着什么都没有，因为空就是一切。

“武”英文通常被翻译为“尚武的”。其实这是不正确的翻译。“武”字由两个字组成，“止”意为“停止”，“戈”是中国古代对武器的称呼。因此，武的字面意思是“停止使用武器”，或者更好地翻译为“非暴力”。因此，Kong Fu被翻译为“武术”，字面意思是“防止暴力的艺术”。

这些价值观为我们提供了一个了解中国人的途径，以及他们是如何通过坚韧不拔、忠诚、寻求平衡、顺其自然、追求中庸之道等原则，从而达到和谐的。如果我们加上实现不间断发展的不停流动和对空虚的和平思考，就能理解即使中国人民面对全球动荡和迫在眉睫的争端依然能坚持非暴力的原因。“功夫”的字面意思是“时间”。中国是靠总结历史经验发展起来的国家，是通过人民的巨大奉献和坚持不懈的努力获得成功的国家。达成这些成就，都需要一定的时间，需要“功夫”。因此，只有“功夫”到了，中国式现代化一定能实现。

Zhongis the character for “Center.” We train martial arts to achieve centering of body and mind. Centering allows us to not lose balance. By centering our mind, we can be calm, peaceful within, and clear-headed when making decisions. Buddhism emphasizes always taking a middle way, not being drawn to extremes on either side of the path.

Hemeans “harmony.” In practicing martial arts we are seeking to achieve both physical and mental harmony with our own body and also our natural world. At a higher level we realize our body is only a derivative of the natural world. At this point we are in harmony with the rhythm of a natural order. Things happen naturally.

Wuis a core Taoist concept. The Taoist termWuweitranslates literally as “to do nothing.” But this translation does not do justice to the concept.Wuweidoes not really mean non-action.Wucould best be translated as “flow.”

Kongis a core Buddhist concept. Kong is translated as “emptiness.” It is a state of synchronized body-mindspirit undistracted by anything. No attachment. No distractive thoughts. No negative or positive. This state of mind or no-mind, does not mean that there is nothing,because nothing is everything.

Wuof the termWushu“martial arts” is commonly translated into English as “martial.” This is an incorrect translation. The characterWuconsists of two charactersZhimeaning “halt” andGean ancient term for weapons.SoWuliterally means to “halt the use of weapons.” Or better translated as “non-violence.” SoWushu, translated as “martial arts” literally means “the art of preventing violence.”

These values offer us a lens to understand how Chinese people through principles of perseverance,loyalty, seeking balance, understanding the nature of change and responding accordingly, seeking a middle road between extremes, that leads to harmony. If we add the seamless flow of achieving unbroken development and the peaceful contemplation of emptiness, we understand why China is a nation and people that uphold nonviolence at a time of global volatility and impending altercation. Actually Kung Fu literally translates as time.Much of China’s own development has been experiential.China has achieved everything through enormous devotion of its people and dedication through their perseverance. That requires time. Therefore, only when people keep working on their goals over a period of time,will chinese midernization be realized.