China: Dongba Culture and Academy
Interview with Lan
Xin Sa Mei
(Part One)
by Maria
Teresa De Donato
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Today, I
have the great pleasure of hosting my dear friend and colleague Lan Xin Sa Mei
again.
We
met Lan Xin previously on two occasions: in August, through our first interview
with Lan
Xin Sa Mei – Internationally Renowned Chinese Writer and Poet where we got to know her as a very talented
and prolific Author and Translator, and in September, thanks to our second
interview Becoming
Love, Our Greatest Power, where
we highlighted the need for each one of us not only to show Love in all our
areas of life and towards everybody but to embody Love ourselves.
Besides
all the activities we mentioned in the past, Lan Xin is also the Founder of YuLong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy and Lan Xin Sa Mei Academy.
Last but
not least, she is also the only female inheritor of the Dongba Culture.
MTDD: Hi, Lan Xin, and welcome to my Blog & Cultural
Salon. I am thrilled to have you again
as my guest.
LXSM: Dear Dr. Maria Teresa, thank you for
your third invitation. I am delighted to continue the dialogue between our
souls, the collision of thought, As Mr. Bai Gengsheng, vice chairman of the Chinese
Writers Association, said in his comments to our second interview: Recently, I enjoyed the dialogue
between Ms. Maria Teresa de Donato and Ms. Lanxin Samei, a famous Chinese
female writer, and I felt that two hearts "air communication" and
"trans-ocean communication" have realized the "match"
beyond time and space, reflecting on civilization and looking back on culture, discussing
the fundamental nature of humanity, the true meaning of love, and the
possibility and way of saving hearts and even human beings beyond the ordinary.
To the human with rich associations and moved. Let me firmly believe although the truth, goodness, and
beauty of the world often "fog lost the building, the moon maze," or
the truth is covered, distorted, and bullying, as long as the universe still
exists, human beings will certainly have the possibility to challenge the
disaster, resist the power, flash humanity, both self-rescue and other-rescue,
save others, and literature is an essential spiritual armed and weapon. Therefore,
I look forward to their dialogue, hitting more and more beneficial sparks of
human emotion and love.
I am looking forward
to our impact new "spark"!
MTDD: Lan Xin, in our past interviews, we had
the chance to discuss many topics we are interested in.
Today, however, I would like to focus on a specific activity
of yours, the one related to the two Academies you are the Founder of.
I am aware that there are plenty of different ethnicities in
China, hence traditions, each dating back hundreds if not millennia.
Could you explain to our readers what this means for your
country and how you, How does your country allow these tremendous
and diverse cultures to coexist? I heard that you were initially a Han Chinese,
and now you are integrated into the Dongba culture of the Naxi nationality in
China. How do you incorporate the Han culture and the minority culture?
LXSM: The
Chinese nation has a human history of one million years, a cultural history of
10,000 years, and a civilization history of more than 5,000 years. It is a
miracle of human civilization that the Chinese civilization has been enduring
for thousands of years, and it is also the basis of our confidence. The Chinese
civilization has inherited peace, amity, and harmony for over 5,000 years. As
our national leaders have stressed, all ethnic groups jointly developed our
vast territory, all ethnic groups jointly wrote our long history and our
splendid culture was jointly created by all ethnic groups. All ethnic groups
jointly cultivated our great spirit.
The broad atmosphere
of the Chinese civilization owes much to the culture's open attitude and
inclusive mind since ancient times. Whether it is to enhance the cohesion and
appeal of advanced culture internally or to enhance the spread and influence of
Chinese civilization externally, it is inseparable from the integration of
China and the world, through the ancient and modern. Peace, amity, and harmony
have been the ideals of the Chinese civilization for more than 5,000 years. The
peaceful nature of the Chinese civilization has fundamentally determined that
China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global
development, and a defender of the international order. After a long period of
efforts, we are more qualified than any other era to solve the "ancient
and modern China and the West," and more urgent than any other era, a
batch of cultural achievements that fuse the ancient and modern, and connect
the East and the West. Adhering to the principle of "openness and
inclusiveness" and the wisdom of "inclusiveness and seeking common
ground while shelving differences," China has actively learned from all
the exemplary achievements of human civilization and promoted equality, unity,
and shared prosperity of all ethnic groups.
As you said, I was born and grew
up in the Han region. I like both the traditional Chinese culture and the world's
diverse cultures, including the culture of Chinese minorities. Since childhood,
the essence of Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism culture has nourished
me. In 2018, I got acquainted with the Dongba culture of the Naxi ethnic group
in China. Since becoming the only female inheritor of Dongba culture, I have
studied 100 ancient books of Dongba, a Memory of the World heritage, and
benefited from the great wisdom of Dongba scriptures. Indeed, the diversity of
cultures in my body convergence, integration, complement each other. I want to
grasp the wisdom of many cultures and spread their wisdom to the world to help
people.
From my own experience, whether it
is the world's multi-cultural, traditional Chinese culture or minority culture,
since the beginning of time and the creation of the world, although the
expression of different but the same destination, all methods are one. Like the
shining stars in the vast universe, each shining with the light of wisdom,
illuminating one side of the universe.
Although culture has national
boundaries, love has no boundaries. Love is the source of progress and
sublimation of human civilization and the most potent force in the universe.
When we have compassion and love for the universe and human beings, reverence
for heaven and earth, gratitude for all things in the universe, and no
distinction between sentient beings in the world, then we can link and
integrate with all the truth, goodness and beauty in the world, just like a
planet of love.
MTDD: Finding
our own mission on this Earth is paramount to our happiness. Many people can find it, but many others are unaware
of their uniqueness, let alone of identifying their mission to live a happy,
balanced, and rewarding life.
What would you suggest to them to help them reach this goal?
LXSM: Like you said, people think that mission is
for the big guys, not for them. But this is not the case. I have written a
classic spread of Lanxin wisdom: everything has a mission, and everyone has a
born mission, no matter how big or small, which is the unique value of each
life; please find your mission. When you find your calling, you will no longer
care about what you have endured as a person. You don't care how hard you are;
You no longer care about what has been lost, what has been suffered, what has
been paid, what has been gained, what has been enjoyed. But from the broad
perspective of the mission to see the causes and circumstances, to see what is
going on right now. What do you care about? What do you bring to the people
around you and beings, what do you leave for the world, and what do you do for
humanity? When you find your calling, everything you give, you enjoy it because
the practice of mission - itself is excellent enjoyment!
What is the fundamental difference
between a mission and a job? Mission is not just a job but a lifelong dream and
pursuit to achieve with all your heart. The mission is not to complete the task
for society and anyone but to practice it as the value and meaning of one's own
life! People with a sense of mission must be able to exert their own potential
and value to the extreme, not only to become the best of themselves but also to
achieve others; the more significant the mission, the more outstanding the achievement!
All those of the Great Commission are altruistic
and beneficial to all beings. Light yourself, light others!
From my experience, I believe that
those who have the Great Commission will be blessed and helped by God!
MTDD: As
for you, you seem to have identified your purpose in life through all sorts of
activities and teachings, primarily based on Awareness, Love, and the Wisdom of
Love. Had that been not enough, you have also been appointed as a “Messenger of
Love” and “the only female inheritor of the Dongba Culture.”
How did all this come about? Is the Dongba Culture something you are born in, or can you embrace?
LXSM: As you said, I found my mission during my book retreat in 2019: to be born for love, to come for love, to create and spread the wisdom of love. Later, in countless magical dreams and meditation, I found multiple "I" in parallel universes and found the exact answers to "who I am," "who I will be," "where I came from," and "where I will go."
Throughout my life experience, various hardships have
prompted me to find my
mission, such as the early
death of parents and relatives, the growth of adversity, the counterattack of
life, the adventure of love... It's God's way of awakening my awareness,
finding myself, and finding my mission. Now that God has given me a mission,
has made me stronger, helped me find it, and guided me step by step to fulfill
it, I cannot fail God's good intentions. So I felt the love from the universe,
from the magical power of nature, from the wisdom of the high dimension of love
written " The wisdom of Lan Xin " sayings spread to the world
of predestined people, lead readers to good, find the key to love, clear the
fog of the soul, open the door of wisdom, create a happy and beautiful life.
In my heart, readers know no borders, love knows no borders,
and all the readers in the world who need it and, like me, are my friends who
have a mission to help. I am thrilled to connect with readers worldwide with
"love," heart to heart. It is also a great honor to get the media's
encouragement worldwide; I am grateful to the New York Times for writing,
"The Great Love Ambassador Lan Xin has achieved the ultimate love."
Many people are as curious as you: How did I become the only
female inheritor of Dongba culture?
For the Naxi people in China, I was a foreigner and stranger,
but now I have formed a magical relationship. In 2017, I hosted the opening ceremony of the National
Art Fund project "Naxi Dongba Painting Centennial Art Exhibition." I
met with Mr. Ahengdongta, the 17th generation Dongba, thus forming a deep
relationship with Dongba culture. Ahengdongta inspected and tested me for a
long year, and after careful consideration, he decided to open source
innovation and accept me as a female inheritor. However, the other Dongba at
that time could not understand his decision and vigorously opposed it.
At the end of 2018, he faced massive pressure from public
opinion, broke the tradition of "passing on the inside without passing on
the outside, passing on the male without passing on the female" of Dongba
culture for thousands of years, held a ceremony to make me officially become
the only female inheritor of Dongba culture in history, and gave me the name
"Lanxin Samei."
I am moved by Ahengdongta's broad mind, far-seeing vision,
bold open-source innovation, and adherence to Dongba culture, so I make it my
mission to help protect, inherit, spread, and develop Dongba culture for my
life! Later, I learned more and more: the Dongba culture, recognized by UNESCO
as a "Memory of the World Heritage," is on the verge of being lost,
and few Dongba inheritors are still alive. If this precious human heritage
cannot be passed on and carried forward in these decades, it will soon become a
"book in heaven" that can only be seen in museums! Soon, they will
only be "the last Dongba"! These problematic situations deeply
touched my heart and shocked my soul, thus inspiring me to enter the world of
Dongba culture, embrace Dongba culture with my life, and do my best to carry
forward the connotation and true meaning of Dongba culture to the world.
From this, we can see that I did not inherit Dongba culture
at birth, but through the guidance of fate and mission, it has become an essential
part of my life. Action is the best language, and time gives the best answer.
In the past three years, my efforts for Dongba culture have influenced the
Dongba preggers who once strongly opposed it, and now they treat me with even
higher respect and call me "Panzi Samei," the goddess of wisdom in
the Dongba Scriptures.
MTDD: Could you talk a bit about what the “Dongba Culture”
really consists of, its main characteristics, and how it influences or even shapes
the life of those belonging to it?
LXSM: Dongba culture is an ancient culture passed down from generation to generation by the clergy of the Naxi nationality in China. It is a living culture that gradually formed and evolved along with its long historical development. It is the sum of the natural and social sciences created and accumulated by the Naxi nationality for thousands of years.
I want to emphasize that Dongba
translates as "wise man." Because "Dongba" represents
"wise men," Dongba culture, in other words, can also be called
"wise men's culture," and because the inheritance mechanism of Dongba
culture is the family hereditary system, that is, "secret" because
Dongba culture can also be called "wise men's secret culture." Dongba
wise men are high-dimensional and high-spirited people who are in harmony with
nature and human beings, who understand the operation of nature and celestial
bodies, as well as the harmonious way of living and living beings. They carry
the mysterious cosmic code from ancient times and inherit the wisdom of almost
truth from generation to generation. They "secret" Dongba Scriptures
from generation to generation but can influence people with universal values.
In the face of various natural disasters and man-made disasters, this ancient
culture of wisdom is bound to lead the world to open wisdom again and take on a
new opportunity for the harmonious coexistence of human beings and natural
things in the world at present!
It mainly consists of Dongba hieroglyphics,
Dongba scriptures, Dongba paintings, Dongba music, Dongba dances, Dongba
rituals, divination, and various sacrificial ceremonies. Dongba script is the
only hieroglyphics still used worldwide, known as "living fossil".
The ancient books of Dongba have been included in the "Memory of the World
Heritage" list by UNESCO.
Generally, people think Dongba
culture is unfathomable and unreachable culture on the shrine. While
researching Dongba culture, I found that Dongba culture is the universal love
culture. The way of life of human beings, everything in the world, and folk
customs can all be found in the Dongba Scriptures' source, origin, and
interpretation.
Since the world's creation in
ancient times, Dongba culture has influenced the birth, death, social life,
national spirit, cultural customs, and other aspects of Naxi ancestors. It is
an indispensable part of their lives.
MTDD: Does the Dongba Culture have
any peculiarities that set it apart from all others, and if yes, what are they?
LXSM: Dongba
culture has a history going back thousands of years. Although it originated
from the creation of Chinese minorities, it is a great culture closely related
to all mankind. In the multi-culture of the world, it must have its great
wisdom.
It took me nearly five years to
study and finish the 100 volumes of Dongba ancient books of the "Memory of
the World Heritage." It was as if I had traveled to ancient times and had dialogues
with our ancestors. I have found that Dongba culture is a culture of great love
that benefits mankind. It shows the great love of mankind and the concern of
humanity everywhere. The coexistence between man and the universe, man and
nature, and people from all walks of life reflects the universal values of
"harmony," "respecting heaven and loving people,"
"harmony between heaven and man," and "animism."
For example, the Dongba Scripture
says that human beings and nature are half-brothers. At the time of creation, a
contract of harmonious coexistence was made between human beings and nature.
Human beings revere nature, love the natural environment in which they live, be
grateful, and return in time. It can be seen that the Naxi people of China have
had a prophetic worldview and cosmological view since ancient times.
Dongba culture emphasizes that
"everything has its source and origin." The Dongba Scripture begins
with the phrase, "If you don't know the origin of something, don't say
it." This sentence reminds us not only to know" what" but also
to know "why," which is respect for everything in the world. All
things have spirit and a source and origin, and we must understand how to
respect heaven and love.
For example, the origin of the
year, the moon, the zodiac, the struggle, the filth, the human origin, the
natural god, the Dongba Scripture, the five elements, the
sacred mountain, the sacred tree, the sacred stone, the sacred lake, the
turquoise, jade, gold, silver, the human life distribution; How did the
universe come into being, how did the weakness of human nature come into
being... The origin of various creatures and their contractual relationship
with humans. It also includes the question of the origin of life and the
universe, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg," explored by
ancient philosophers, and the exact answer can be found in the Dongba Scripture.
The phrase "the land
inhabited by mankind" often appears in the Dongba Scripture, referring not
to the Naxi nation but to all mankind, and the phrase "the place covered
by heaven" in the Dongba Scripture is the same, referring to all mankind.
Dongba culture speaks of the sense of community with a shared future for all
mankind under the whole world and is the great love of blessing mankind. It can
be seen that this culture is never just a national culture but is related to
the cultural inheritance and development of all mankind. It is a big culture
created by small ethnic groups, and it is the cultural contribution of the Naxi
ethnic group to human beings. The true interpretation of "the more
national, the more global"!
Life and death, love, and beauty
are the eternal themes of human beings and the common elements of human
literature. The ancient books of Dongba
cover rituals such as praying for blessings, offering sacrifices to natural
gods, eliminating disasters and solving problems, funerals and divination, etc.
Each complex Dongba ritual contains the great wisdom of "life and death"
and "love and beauty" and contains many eternal themes of human
literature. For example, three classic epics, the vast mythological system, the
poetic language, the proverbs full of great wisdom... They are vivid in the
Dongba scriptures.
The best inheritance of history is
to create a new history, and the most tremendous respect for human civilization
is to create a new form of human civilization. As the inheritor of Dongba, I am
exploring how to excavate and build the literary and film value of Dongba
culture, shoulder the mission entrusted by history, and make this "Memory of
the World Heritage" become a "human literature reading book" one
day. I am already in the process and hope to create surprises for mankind one
day and share them with you in the future.
MTDD: Thank you,
Lan Xin, for all the information you provided. There is still so much to talk
about your activities and the Dongba culture that I would love to invite you to
a second interview on this subject.
LXSM: I would be
delighted to. It’s always a pleasure to have a cultural interchange with your
readers. Thank you so much for inviting me. I look forward to our next
interview.
