What valuable spiritual qualities does bamboo symbolize?
Bamboo is a perennial plant of the genus Bamboo in the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Its culms are upright and slender, evergreen through all four seasons, and it withstands frost and rain with pride, making it deeply beloved by Chinese people. Along with plum, orchid, and chrysanthemum, it is known as one of the Four Gentlemen, and along with plum and pine, it is known as one of the Three Friends of Winter. Through the ages, countless men of letters and artists have loved and praised bamboo. Now let us take a look together at the spiritual qualities of bamboo!
Spiritual Qualities
The British scholar Joseph Needham said that East Asian civilization is a “bamboo civilization.” Chinese men of letters and artists have personified bamboo's growth characteristics - its hollow interior, uprightness, and evergreen nature through the seasons - into spiritual and cultural symbols of elegance, purity, open-mindedness, integrity, and uprightness. Painting bamboo became an important genre in Chinese bird-and-flower painting, and Zheng Banqiao of the Qing Dynasty was world-renowned for his bamboo paintings. Through the ages, “a person's life is enriched by having bamboo in the heart” has become a preference of many literati and refined scholars, who often used plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum to express their lofty and unconventional tastes, or as a mirror for their own moral character. For example, the contemporary poet Zhou Tianhou's “Ode to Bamboo”: “The bitter node is treasured by itself, after rain it is even more dustless. In the cold of winter we discuss the gentleman, green weaving new spring.”
The Ten Virtues of Bamboo
Bamboo's form is upright, preferring to break rather than bend - this is called uprightness. Though bamboo has nodes, it does not stop growing - this is called striving forward. Bamboo is straight outside and hollow within, with a heart as broad as a valley - this is called open-mindedness. Bamboo has flowers deeply buried, facing the sky with a plain face - this is called simplicity. Bamboo blooms once in its lifetime, dying without regret - this is called dedication. Bamboo stands in the wind like jade, holding up heaven and standing on earth - this is called excellence. Though bamboo is called excellent, it is not like the pine - this is called sociability. Bamboo's texture is like stone, and only then can it be fashioned into vessels - this is called firmness of nature. Bamboo is transformed into tallies and credentials, held by Su Wu - this is called moral integrity. Bamboo carries writing and transmits it to the world, bearing hardship without complaint - this is called responsibility.
Cultural Symbolism
1. Bamboo reporting peace: Bamboo refers to bamboo slips; “bamboo report” was another name for family letters in old times, referring to letters of safe arrival. Tang Dynasty, Duan Chengshi, “Youyang Zazu, Continued Collection, Supplementary Plants”: “In the north, only the Tongzi Temple had a clump of bamboo, only a few chi tall. It is said that the temple's administrator would daily report the bamboo's safety.”
2. Bamboo roots and pine luxuriance: roots as firm as bamboo, branches and leaves as lush as pine - used as words of praise for longevity or the completion of a palace or house, and also as a metaphor for family prosperity. “Book of Songs, Minor Odes, Si Gan”: “Like bamboo's roots, like pine's luxuriance.” Ming Dynasty, Fan Shiyan, “Record of Polishing Loyalty”: “Wishing longevity and enjoyment, may bamboo roots and pine luxuriance endure, with sun and moon lasting long.”
3. Green plums and bamboo horses: green plums refers to green plum fruits; bamboo horse refers to a bamboo pole that children ride as a horse - a metaphor for boys and girls playing together in innocent, guileless affection. Tang Dynasty, Li Bai, “Song of Changgan”: “My lord came riding on a bamboo horse, circling the bed playing with green plums. Living together in Changgan Lane, two little ones without suspicion.”
4. Dense woods and tall bamboo: “tall” means long; dense, tall forests and bamboo groves. Jin Dynasty, Wang Xizhi, “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering”: “This place has high mountains and steep ridges, dense woods and tall bamboo.”
5. Like splitting bamboo: the situation is like splitting bamboo - once the top is split open, the rest follows along the blade. It describes winning victory after victory without obstruction, and also describes an unstoppable momentum. “Book of Jin, Biography of Du Yu”: “The military prestige has already been roused; it is like splitting bamboo - after several nodes, it splits apart at the touch of the blade.” Ming Dynasty, Shi Nai'an, “Water Margin” Chapter 99: “Guan Sheng and the others, riding the momentum, drove straight on, like splitting bamboo, and took Dagou County.”