In China's traditional culture, the alternation of the year and the season can be traced. The upcoming year 2024 is the year of the Jiachen Dragon, which is reincarnated once in 60 years. Although the old and new centuries have been alternating for a long time, the zodiac dragon has always stood among the twelve zodiac signs as an auspicious beast. Its particularity is naturally self-evident.
The broad and profound Chinese culture has a profound influence on the generations of Chinese generations. This is especially evident in the transformation of the zodiac and the Lunar New Year.
For the upcoming Jiachen Year of the Dragon, the old man often talks about "Chenlong bows his head and cries, and the mouse monkey wears new clothes" reveals the hope and special attention carried by this Year of the Dragon.
So, what exactly does this proverb say?What is its symbolic meaning in traditional culture?
Speaking of the Jiachen Dragon Year, we must turn our attention to its ** - the Ganzhi Chronology. According to the Discussion on the Stems of Heaven and Earth, the prototype of this dating method can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor period in ancient times, and the initial use originated in the Han Dynasty under the rule of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
In fact, through the study of relevant historical materials, it is not difficult for us to see that two dating methods were used at the same time in the Western Han Dynasty, namely the year of the stars with 85 chen as a round and the year of the cadres that have not yet been unified.
Due to the complexity of the chronology of the stars, the officials in charge of the calculation in ancient times had errors, and the 60-year Ganzhi chronology method was officially implemented in the Eastern Han Dynasty in 85 AD.
The so-called "stem branches" are the collective names of the 10 heavenly stems and the 12 earthly branches of Zihai. Starting from the first day of the first month of each year, each round is a complete calculation cycle after 60 years.
At the same time, the orderly measurement of years, months and days is also a precious civilization that has lasted for thousands of years in our country. It is the crystallization of ancient human wisdom, and it is an important basis for later generations and archaeology.
In the Ganzhi period, "Jiachen" corresponds to their respective meanings. "A" has the meaning of grass and trees breaking through the ground, symbolizing that the yang energy that is wrapped in it is preparing to take off.
"Chen" is the main shock, symbolizing the birth of all things in heaven and earth and the situation of yang bursting out. On the theory of the five elements, the five elements in the year of the dragon belong to wood, which is the power of vigorous growth.
The dragon had a lofty status in ancient times, symbolizing more of the reproduction of human beings and auspicious fortune from the sky, and was a totem of the powerful power of the Chinese nation. Therefore, on the whole, the Year of the Dragon not only represents wealth and auspiciousness, but also means that there may be new dynamics at the time of reincarnation.
The so-called "Chenlong bows his head and cries", as the name suggests, is that the power that is flourishing will have a certain change or stagnation. In particular, for those of you whose natal year is the Year of the Dragon, in 2024, the year of Jiachen, you must be more cautious about all kinds of unknown challenges.
The first half of this proverb is a kind of hope of the ancients for the uncertainty of special years. If difficulties come, we can only overcome them smoothly if we work together.
Not only that, but another reason why the Year of the Dragon is so special comes from its unique title of "Year of No Spring". What the year without spring describes is that there will be no solar term of the beginning of spring in 2024.
The original time of the beginning of spring in 2024 was supposed to be February 4. However, according to the alternation of the Ganzhi chronology and the Lunar New Year in China, the lunar calendar corresponding to this day is just the twenty-fifth day of the lunar month.
In other words, the beginning of spring in 2024 belongs to the Year of the Rabbit in 2023 in terms of lunar time. Only when the wax moon is over and enters the first month is it truly the year of the dragon in Jiachen.
Looking back on history, the last year of the dragon was in 1964. And October 16, 1964, was the day when China's first atomic bomb was successfully tested. Because of this, everyone has a different kind of curiosity and anticipation for this special Year of the Dragon.
The ancients would say that "Chenlong bowed his head and cried", which is to remind everyone appropriately. No matter what abilities human beings themselves have, whether their social status is high or not, they must be more cautious and low-key in their lives and things in the Year of the Dragon. Nothing should be exceeded, the bottom line of principles should not be violated, and the boundary must not be crossed because of complacency.
As long as you can stick to your heart, even the most difficult problems can be solved. If you encounter a setback, the most important thing you need to do is to calm down and accept the fait accompli. If you face it with courage and introspection, any setbacks will disappear.
The second half of the proverb "rats and monkeys wear red clothes" actually embodies the method of mutual regeneration and restraint of the three genera of rats, monkeys, and dragons in the Five Elements Theory. As we mentioned earlier, the natal person of the year of the dragon represents "wood" in the five elements (gold, wood, water, fire, and earth).
It is "water" that gives birth to wood, and those who belong to water in the five elements belong to the rat. The raw water is "gold", and the five elements belong to gold, which happens to correspond to the people who belong to the monkey. Therefore, the three genera of dragons, rats, monkeys, and monkeys belong to a state of symbiotic coexistence in the five elements.
"The rat and the monkey wear new clothes" means that in addition to the dragon people in the natal year, the two signs of the rat and the monkey may be out of balance in the vigorous Jiachen year. Red returns to fire, in traditional culture, it also has the meaning of festive and auspicious, and the elimination of evil spirits.
If a person who is a rat or a rat monkey can wear bright red clothes or wear red in the year of the dragon, it will increase the "fire" energy in the five elements.
Fire can contain both water and gold, so if these two signs can pay more attention to personal health and interpersonal interactions in their lives, they will be able to achieve the balance described in the five elements. Don't be impatient, be careful, and think twice about what you do.
It is recorded in the Zhuangzi that "when you lose your ears and eyes, you will see the sky in time." This is to show future generations that the future is full of possibilities. There will be all kinds of fortunes in the long river of your life, and you should accept it calmly when you encounter a blow and don't resist too much.
If we want to improve our current situation or make ourselves more successful in our natal year, we should start from improving our own abilities. Only with a higher degree of response and experience can we better meet all unknown challenges.
What is passed down by the old people is often the essence of culture left over from the years to the end. "Chenlong bows his head and cries, and the rat monkey wears red" represents a kind of **, and it is also an important reminder. The traditional culture of the Chinese nation is broad and profound. In practical life, we should uphold the classics and follow all the arguments that have a theoretical basis.
In the face of any difficulties, we must maintain perseverance and perseverance, and neither be overly afraid nor overly underestimated. Facing the crisis calmly and rationally, the dilemma is that no matter how fierce a beast is, it can be subdued by humans.
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