China: Dongba Culture and Academy
Interview with Lan
Xin Sa Mei
(Part Two)
Interview by Maria
Teresa De Donato
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Dear friends,
In Part One, we had the chance to meet again with Lan Xin Sa Mei, an internationally renowned Writer and Poet we had previously known in our interviews Lan Xin Sa Mei – Internationally Renowned Chinese Writer and Poet and Becoming Love, Our Greatest Power.
Today, Lan Xin and I will continue
discussing her activity concerning her academy related to the Dongba
culture.
MTDD: Welcome
back, Lan Xin. I am happy to have you as my guest again.
LXSM: It's an
honor to be here once again. Thank you so much for inviting me.
MTDD: Lan Xin,
last time we ended our conversation with you explaining some of the
peculiarities of the Dongba Culture that set it apart from all others.
Today, I would like to start our interview by asking when and
why you established the Yulong Literary Writing Dongba Culture Academy and the
Lan Xin Sa Mei Academy, as well as their differences and goals.
LXSM: As I mentioned in
our previous interview since I became the female inheritor of Dongba, I have
learned about the grave situation of Dongba culture on the verge of being lost
and the difficult living conditions of Dongba, the core inheritors of Dongba
culture. So, I vowed to help protect, inherit, develop, and spread Dongba
culture as another essential mission for my life. I know that such a critical
historical mission is too limited for one person and requires all combined
efforts.
In 2019, I left everything in Beijing,
China. I came to the world-famous tourist city - of Lijiang, China, where I
connected with philanthropists like Mr. Wan Yilong and other caring people to
get acquainted with Dongba Master Ahengdongta. They were all influenced by the
wise men of Dongba and were shocked by Dongba's great wisdom. They also vowed
to spare no effort to help protect and carry forward Dongba's culture.
Therefore, with our efforts, in 2021, "Yulong Wenbi Dongba Cultural
Academy" came into being in a thousand-year-old temple (formerly Xinghua
Temple) in Lijiang, China. It was donated and operated by Mr. Wan Yilong and me
and co-founded by Master Ahengdongta Dongba. Mr. Bai Gengsheng, Vice chairman
of the Chinese Writers Association, is the honorary president.
We hope to do our best to help the
protection, inheritance, dissemination, and development of Dongba culture so
that the inheritors of Dongba culture can have a fixed place for an
inheritance; we help them live a better life and let them inherit Dongba culture
with peace of mind. It also welcomes all friends around the world who love
Dongba culture to have a free platform to learn the "original and
clear" Dongba culture so that Dongba culture will keep pace with The
Times, carry forward and flourish, and let Dongba great wisdom shine brightly
in the world's diverse cultures, carrying the mission entrusted by history and
The Times.
As you asked, Dongba Culture Academy and
Lanxin Samei Academy coexist in this ancient temple. They represent my two
missions in life, which means that I have to carry out both simultaneously: one is the mission of Dongba culture, and the
second is creating and spreading the wisdom of love. I hope that more great
love emissaries worldwide will join forces to help!
MTDD: In our previous
interview, you mentioned "the wisdom of Chinese Confucianism, Buddhism,
and Taoism." However, according to our (referred to the Western World)
Judaic-Christian heritage, Jesus Christ set the most outstanding example in this
regard about how to conduct ourselves and, above all, how to treat each other,
including people we might not like very much or at all. Budda and Confucius –to
name a few –who lived centuries before Christ did the same: each set exemplary
conduct and proved to be role models for all people.
Regardless of our Country of birth and
our cultural/political/religious/spiritual heritage, it seems to me that all of
them were, so to speak, "Enlightened ones," and that despite their
differences, there are many similarities when it comes to the essence of
their teachings. The language, metaphors, and symbolisms they have used are
different, but their intents and goals are the same. By stating this, I am not
referring necessarily to "religious matters" but to spiritual
universal principles that make us 'human.'
Would you agree with me?
LXSM: I entirely agree
with you. The German thinker Karl Jaspers referred to the "Axis Age"
in his book The Origin and Purpose of History. That is, between 800 and
200 BC, influential philosophers and saints were simultaneously born in China,
the West, India, and other places. For example, thinkers such as Confucius,
Mencius, and Lao-tzu emerged in China. At the same time, there were philosophers
such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in the West, and in ancient India, there
was the Buddha. They are the wise and enlightened beings born in different
countries of the world at the beginning of creation, that is, the
"enlightened ones," as you say. They almost existed simultaneously;
they created ancient cultures and civilizations in different regions, and their
wisdom still benefits mankind from generation to generation.
They lead people to good and guide them
in all aspects of human life. The starting point is to hope that people can
jointly create a harmonious and beautiful world for mankind with the right
heart, thoughts, enlightenment, knowledge, and actions.
The Chinese civilization has never
replaced multiculturalism with a single culture. Instead, multiculturalism has
converged into a common culture to resolve conflicts and build consensus.
Chinese cultural identity transcends locality, blood, lineage, religious
belief, etc. The more inclusive it is, the more it is recognized and
maintained, and the more it will continue. The inclusiveness of Chinese
civilization fundamentally determines the historical orientation of the Chinese
nation's exchanges, integration, harmonious coexistence of diverse religious
beliefs in China, and the openness of Chinese culture to other civilizations.
MTDD: Regardless of all the differences in our personal belief
system, how do you think humanity can come to terms with them, accept them, and
eventually respect them so that we can all contribute to creating a safe,
peaceful, and harmonious world?
LXSM: Personally, I
think discrimination, prejudice... These human weaknesses lead people to choose
only what they have benefited from and reject other things they do not really
understand, and this is also true of culture. Because there is no fundamental
understanding, we cannot "learn from each other." In particular,
while not understanding, it may also misinterpret the original meaning because
of the word "Delivery error." When we do not really understand a
thing or culture, we are not qualified to criticize. Everyone is eager to
benefit from human "good" but ignores a key: how much we help, first
of all, depends on whether we have high dimensions of cognition, mind, vision,
bearing, pattern, and courage rather than narrow cognition, narrow thinking,
and biased self. Existence is reasonable, and everything or culture that has
been passed down to the present must have its own strengths. As you believe, so
you see; As you are open, so you connect; As you accept, so you get. Openness
is a gesture of piety; Belief is a great power! I like to learn and spread the
wisdom of different cultures.
From the perspective of the will and
consciousness of "man" itself, human nature longs for love and
beauty, and love and beauty are the shared beliefs hidden in everyone's heart.
The incredible power of love and beauty makes us the best we can be, and the
consciousness of love and beauty makes us peaceful, beautiful, and harmonious,
leading us to create a peaceful, harmonious, and beautiful world. Everyone has
love; love is the DNA of life. Everyone loves beauty. Beauty is the DNA of
life.
Because of love, everything in heaven
and earth lives forever; the sun, moon, and stars shine in the world because of
love, and mankind continues. Love is the universe's light, the source of life,
the chain of time and space, and the door of all Dharma. Everyone has a source
of love; when we open it with the key of love, love keeps flowing to others and
back to ourselves.
The world tries to destroy the balanced
existence of love by "comparison." In the consciousness of
"comparison," people consume the ability of love with
"comparison," love is thus lost and becomes another tremendous
destructive force. And the existence of beauty is the solution to the loss of
love! When we become love and beauty, we can spread love and beauty, and when
all love and beauty come together to become the DNA of the universe, the world
will become peaceful, harmonious, and beautiful.
MTDD: What is the orientation of Dongba Culture Academy and
Lanxin Samei Academy? Are there any big stories you can share with us? What are
your plans for the future?
LXSM: Dongba Culture
Academy is a public welfare academy, adhering to the value proposition of
"guardian of Dongba culture, disseminator of Dongba spirit, summoner of
the soul of the nation, and practitioner of human love," hoping to become
a temple of Dongba culture, protecting, inheriting, developing and
disseminating Dongba culture. Let Dongba culture keep pace with The Times,
carry forward and flourish, let Dongba's great wisdom bloom the light of great
love in the multi-culture of the world, and carry the mission entrusted by
history and The Times.
Lanxin Samei Academy is the scene of
"Lan Xin Says Love" and the birthplace of "The Wisdom of Lan
Xin." I hope the Academy will be the garden of the souls of the world's
predestined people, the energy field of love, the holy place of culture, and
the temple of "The Wisdom of Love."
The Academy annually holds various forms
of Dongba culture and spiritual and emotional public welfare classes. We helped
the local library to digitize more than 4,000 volumes of Dongba ancient books,
and more than 140 Dongba scriptures, calligraphy and painting works,
sculptures, artifacts, and wooden plate paintings of the Academy were exhibited
in Oriental museums in France and other European countries, winning a good
reputation in China and internationally.
On April 21, 2021, the 12th Chinese
Language Day of the United Nations, the United Nations Headquarters specially
invited the Dean of Dongba Culture Academy, Aheng Dongta, to give a lecture on
"The Mysterious Dongba Hieroglyphics," which won the headlines on the
official website of the United Nations, and made friends from all over the
world who love Dongba culture come here to explore the mysterious and ancient
Dongba.
In August 2022, Italy interviewed
Ahengdongta. In September 2022, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference
invited Ahengdongta to lecture on Dongba culture. In September 2022, Dongba
Culture Academy hosted the "Dongba Culture Exhibition" of the 12th
National Games of Yunnan Province, displaying hundreds of Dongba scriptures,
pictograms, calligraphy and painting works, Dongba Buddhist instruments, Dongba
wooden board paintings, Dongba puppets, etc. The China Intangible Cultural
Heritage Museum and China Art Museum have permanently collected several
original Dongba hieroglyphics.
In November 2023, Ysei University, a
famous adult college in Italy, and Dongba Cultural Academy officially
established cross-border friendship relations and held a grand friendship
certificate award ceremony in Italy.
In the past three years, mainstream
media from the United States, Italy, Turkey, France, Germany, Vietnam, and
other countries have interviewed me many times. I have carried out many
transnational cultural exchanges, spreading and promoting Chinese traditional
and Dongba cultures. The Academy is becoming increasingly famous in China and
internationally.
Planning is about practicing the mission
with the heart of great love, doing it step by step. In recent years, I have
accumulated some creative inspiration and materials in the process of studying
100 ancient books of Dongba, and I will create and present them in the form of
novels, movies, cartoons, poems, and essays. The original "The Wisdom of
Lan Xin" has hundreds of thousands of words, and we plan to start
publishing a series of books this year, hoping to be translated into many
languages and published internationally.
While we have several projects in the
works, I would like to highlight two with our friends worldwide.
First, our academy translated the "Dongba Ancient
Literature Epic" series of books, which will be published soon. Because
the Dongba scriptures are written in Dongba hieroglyphics, just like the
"Book of Heaven," the Dongba hieroglyphics used are not one word with
one meaning but one word with multiple meanings. The ancient books of Dongba
are extensive and profound, and their wisdom is unspeakable. However, such
great wisdom is understood by only a handful (about twenty) of Dongba, and
there are even mysteries to be solved in the Dongba Scriptures. In today's
world, cultural assimilation in Dongba is facing a critical moment of life and
death, and in today's era of loss, how can we teach and interpret Dongba
culture understandably? The "heavenly questions" of these national
cultures are very shocking.
To keep Dongba culture alive and to let
people around the world who love Dongba culture learn Dongba culture quickly,
our Dongba Culture Academy is doing an unprecedented thing: The epic and
mythological series of Dongba ancient books have been translated into a series
of books entitled "Dongba Ancient Literature Epic." The complicated
books are simplified and written in Dongba hieroglyphics with one word and one
meaning, equipped with the international phonetic alphabet, Chinese, English,
and audio reading. My Chinese and English translations, my original poems, and
world-famous artists Mr. Cai Zhenyuan and Mr. Ahengdongta jointly created
paintings based on epics and myths. This unprecedented innovation and creation
will continue the highest wisdom crystallization of Dongba, which is on the
verge of being lost. Share this "secret" memory of the world heritage
with the world, teach each other, and decrypt the ancient "book of
heaven" to the world. From the dimension of human love and the high
dimension of cosmic love to interpret the inner wisdom of the three epic and
mythological systems, from "esoteric" to "open," this
represents the sharing of the treasures of the Chinese nation with the world.
Our academy has been brewing a cultural gift for several years to dedicate to
the world! In this way, people who love Dongba culture worldwide can easily
understand Dongba culture according to this series of books. Dongba culture
will be passed on unchecked, and Dongba wisdom will benefit mankind everywhere!
We hope these books will be translated
into various languages and dedicated to readers worldwide so that this precious
memory of the world's heritage can benefit mankind - our great wish. Publishers
around the world are welcome to contact me through our interviews.
Another big plan is that we are
preparing to establish the International Dongba Cultural Center. Then, we
welcome friends from all over the world who love Dongba culture to come to
Lijiang, China, and our International Dongba Cultural Center to exchange and
discuss this memory of the world's heritage!
Culture is the soul of generation after
generation. To preserve the source of culture is to protect the roots of a
nation. With the love of the nation, with the heart of respecting heaven and
love, doing the event of the ages of "contributing to the contemporary era
and benefiting the thousands of years"!
At a time when Dongba culture, the
heritage of mankind, is on the verge of being lost, we believe that more and
more ambassadors of great love from all over the world will join us to
establish hearts for heaven and earth, to establish lives for the living
people, to learn from the past saints, and to bring peace to the world!
MTDD: Thank you so
much, Lan Xin. Having this third interview with you has been a joy and quite an
educational experience.
Would you like to remind our readers how to contact you if they
need more information about your publications, activities, and two Academies?
LXSM: Dear Dr. Maria
Teresa De Donato, unconsciously, our three interviews lasted for a year, and I
am thrilled to share them with readers worldwide through you! Although we have
never met, we are like close friends, and the communication is enjoyable. You
not only have a lot of knowledge, but you also have a great mind and a high
dimension of intelligence, which is why you can interview essential people from
all over the world. You help me create and spread love and beauty together.
Your work is significant. You are a messenger of the world's diverse cultures!
On behalf of readers around the world, let me thank you for all your efforts!
Chinese readers have also deeply remembered your name!
Finally, I pray for readers worldwide:
May you become ambassadors of love and beauty and contribute to building a
peaceful, harmonious, and beautiful world! Please contact me on Facebook
at "Lan Xin" or by Email at 282051089@qq.com.
