"Martial Morality"
Traditional Chinese schools of martial arts, such as the famed Shaolin monks, often dealt with the study of martial arts not just as a means of self-defense or mental training, but as a system of ethics. Wude (武 德) can be translated as "martial morality" and is constructed from the words "wu" (武), which means martial, and "de" (德), which means morality. Wude (武德) deals with two aspects; "morality of deed" and "morality of mind". Morality of deed concerns social relations; morality of mind is meant to cultivate the inner harmony between the emotional mind (Xin, 心) and the wisdom mind (Hui, 慧). The ultimate goal is reaching "no extremity" (Wuji, 無 極) (closely related to the Taoist concept of wu wei), where both wisdom and emotions are in harmony with each other.
Virtues:
| Concept | Pinyin romanization | Traditional Hanzi | Simplified Hanzi | Putonghua | Cantonese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humility | Qian | 謙 | 谦 | qiān | him1 |
| Sincerity | Cheng | 誠 | 诚 | chéng | sing4 |
| Courtesy | Li | 禮 | 礼 | lǐ | lai5 |
| Morality | Yi | 義 | 义 | yì | yi6 |
| Trust | Xin | 信 | xìn | seun3 | |
| Concept | Pinyin romanization | Hanzi | Putonghua | Cantonese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courage | Yong | 勇 | yǒng | yung5 |
| Patience | Ren | 忍 | rěn | yan2 |
| Endurance | Heng | 恒 | héng | hang4 |
| Perseverance | Yi | 毅 | yì | ngai6 |
| Will | Zhi | 志 | zhì | ji3 |
Read more about this topic: Chinese Martial Arts
Famous quotes containing the words martial and/or morality:
“Inspire the Vocal Brass, Inspire;
The World is past its Infant Age:
Arms and Honour,
Arms and Honour,
Set the Martial Mind on Fire,
And kindle Manly Rage.”
—John Dryden (1631–1700)
“... the structure of our public morality crashed to earth. Above its grave a tombstone read, “Be tolerant—even of evil.” Logically the next step would be to say to our commonwealth’s criminals, “I disagree that it’s all right to rob and murder, but naturally I respect your opinion.” Tolerance is only complacence when it makes no distinction between right and wrong.”
—Sarah Patton Boyle, U.S. civil rights activist and author. The Desegregated Heart, part 2, ch. 2 (1962)