"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 |
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Famous quotes containing the words martial and/or morality:
“What, then, does a chaste girl do?
She does not offer, yet she does not say “No.””
—Marcus Valerius Martial (c. 40–104)
“The research on gender and morality shows that women and men looked at the world through very different moral frameworks. Men tend to think in terms of “justice” or absolute “right and wrong,” while women define morality through the filter of how relationships will be affected. Given these basic differences, why would men and women suddenly agree about disciplining children?”
—Ron Taffel (20th century)