Wu Wei Zheng Dao 63

- I recently learned that Chinese people say that there are two departments in the heart: "bitterness" and "joy", and they need to be balanced, so don't laugh too much if you're happy, because it can wake up grief! - Ukrainian novice Olga shared facts about China's culture with foreigners living in the Wu Wei temple.

- Yes! We have many fairy tales about it, - the Chinese disciple entered the conversation. - We all know from childhood, that too much laugh is not good. For example, there is a story that one monkey too much rejoiced in his cunning, clapped with joy, excitedly jumped on a branches, and fell, severely hitting the lower part of the back. And the hare, seeing this, started laughing, and tore up his lip. So, since then the hares have a dissected upper lip, and the monkeys have a red butt. This tale teaches that we should rejoice with moderation, or you can stumble. And during the fun time it is necessary to remember the hare with his lip torn from laughter.

- Olga, you are needed at the abbot's pavilion! - A chinese novice shouted to her from a distance.

Another Olga’s obedience in the temple was to serve tea to the guests in the Master's study room, and she learned a lot there. Although, her Chinese was not yet very developed, but when Shifu spoke, Ukrainian girl understood everything. This phenomenon was noted by many foreigners who "communicated" with the abbot of the Wu Wei si, many said, that somehow they receive the meaning of the abbot’s speech, although they did not know a word in Chinese.

At the tea table Olga observed many conversations, and being sensitive, penetrated to their essence: Once, a man, who wanted to become an official, told Shifu that when he retires, he would definitely start practicing meditations. Shifu half-jokingly replied that it is a good idea, but then it would be a little late, it would be better to start now, and to apply the wisdom received from the zen practice to the benefit of a huge number of people, to improve the life of the whole society.

Another time, woman complained about her naughty child, and that teachers at school are not trying to fix it. Shifu said, that before managing children, it is necessary to educate parents. Parents entrust their children's development to teachers, even though it is their first responsibility, parents must learn how to raise their children, they must first understand main things about it. After all, their role is the most important in education, and parents need to realize it, and learn it, - remembered Olga some moments of the conversations, simplifying the topics.

-And this is one of the tasks of the new school at the Wu Wei temple, that soon will be reconstructed by abbot, - continued Olga, - Where young Chinese people will be able to come during the vacations, to take few weeks courses, to learn not about Buddhism, but "How to become a full-fledged responsible person." This is plans for the future. But at this time, up the hill, the last preparations are almost complete for the official opening of the restored buildings on the Ge Lao cliff: temple, meditation center, living rooms, gazebos, bell tower, ponds and bridges. Construction was carried out for more than three years. The final touches are planting bushes and the activation of the dragon head's "fountain" in the wall behind the abbot's pavilion.

The purest water of mountain peaks will pour from the mouth of the dragon to a small pond, and then on a stone-covered canal along the rock penetrated into a larger pond on the other side of the pavilion. Then, through next canal, into the pond with a flat bridge in the center, that have an access to the foot of the cliff with the Buddha statues carved from the rock. Then the water will round the gate and pour down the channel along the stairs, into the next pond, over which the beautiful curved bridge rose as a continuation of the stairs, and again, down into the channel along the cliff.

On the other side of the next majestic gate, the water continued to flow along the canal, but then hide after another little pond with the waterfall, landing on a beautiful stone ledge in the center of the pond. A few meters away, passing a flat area, visitor of this beautiful place will again receive water dragon as a fellow traveler. The canal for the mountain stream wriggling along the stairs to the bottom of the site, in the center of which is the largest pond of the temple complex, with a majestic stone in the middle.

Stepping along these water cascades Shifu smiles with warm joy:

-Where there is water, there is life and beauty!

Guests admired this landscape idea, listened to the cheerful water’s murmur, and praised the complex of buildings that connected by a live silver thread of the flowing water.

In Chinese culture, water is an essential element of the landscape. The concept of "landscape" in Chinese often translates as “shanshui” – 山水 -"mountain" ，"water", the combination of mountains and rivers is the most important factor in the perception of nature, a sign of harmonious balance in the Chinese understanding of the landscape.

- Such a magnificent view should not be wasted, - repeated Shifu many times before starting to rebuild this complex, - It is necessary to give people opportunity to rediscover this place high up in the mountains, to continue use this perfect combination of mountains and waters for the practice of calming consciousness, internal development, inspiration for a harmonious existence, the reality of which reminds us this unique place.

Mountains, forest, rivers and lake - the basis of the life of the inhabitants of Dali, they perceive these elements as their home, the most important parts of the well-being of their families, ancestors and descendants. And they are protecting it in all possible ways. On the long red fabric banners above the village roads, on the bridges, on the walls of houses, one can see inscriptions, that foreigners perceived as "communist slogans", thinking that these banners saying something like: "Together to the bright communist future." But in fact, it is a social advertising, most of which - environmental and fire-fighting poetic lines, for example: "If spark not get to the mountain realm, forest life will be safe and calm."