The term refers to short lyrics and songs. The short lyrics originated from the drinking songs composed impromptu during the drinkers’ wager games at banquets in the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties. After the form of the music and the number of words of the lyrics were fixed, it became one of the genres to fill in the lyrics to set tunes. The l…
The Chinese character fa (法), originally meaning “penalty,” refers to the legal system consisting of laws, decrees, and regulations. In ancient China, both fa and li (礼rite) set standards for individual behavior. In particular, rites rewarded virtue, while laws punished vice. It was generally accepted that while only a sovereign ruler had the r…
Overcoming oneself means to conquer and control oneself. Everybody has his strengths and weaknesses, and he may succeed or fail in what he does. One’s strengths and skills bring success, whereas one’s weaknesses lead to failure. Therefore, one needs to make constant efforts to improve oneself, overcome one’s weaknesses, transcend one’s limitatio…