SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

transformation

  • Prelude to Water Melody – Return to Jinggang Mountain [Mao’s Poems]

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    Ana

    –Mao Zedong, May 1965 Long have I cherished ambitions soaring high;Now I climb Jinggang Mountain once again, nigh.A thousand miles to seek the old haunt, I hie;Its old face changed, with fresh charms it’s graced by.

  • Two Seven-Character Octaves – Sending Off the God of Plague [Mao’s Poems]

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    Ana

    –Mao Zedong, July 1, 1958 PrefaceReading People’s Daily (June 30): Yujiang County has eradicated schistosomiasis.My thoughts soar; I cannot sleep.Soft breeze caresses; rising sun gilds the window.Gazing south, I joyfully take up my brush.

  • Riverview Fairy – To Comrade Ding Ling [Mao’s Poems]

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    Ana

    –Mao Zedong, December 1936 Red flags on walls in sunset glow,West winds sweep o’er the lone fort’s brow.Bao’an sees new faces all around.In cave-halls feasts abound,For one just freed from prison’s bound.

  • Caigentan 79. Beware the inner and outer thieves

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    Juan

    The ears can hear flattering sounds; the eyes can be dazzled by silver and gold. These effects are enemies encroaching from without, whereas carnal desires are robbers hidden within.

  • The Theft of a Peach

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    Ana

    When young I went to the prefectural seat to take an examination and happened to be there on Spring Festival. According to custom, on the eve of this day all the shopkeepers decorated their storefronts and organized a musical procession that went through town to the yamen of the provincial treasury. This was called…

  • The revelation of the garment from Immortal Ziyang

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    Juan

    In Journey to the West, upon learning that the Golden Sage Palace Queen had been abducted by Jupiter’s Rival, Immortal Ziyang (Zhang Boduan) gifted her a magical garment, swiftly safeguarding her purity against defilement.

  • How to avoid cold and heat?

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    Ana

    Dongshan Liangjie was a seminal Chinese Zen master of the Tang Dynasty. He established the Caodong lineage/school with his disciple Caoshan Benji, emphasizing silent illumination (默照禅) — a meditation practice integrating stillness and innate wisdom without forced effort.

  • The Five Elements in Journey to the West

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    Juan

    The Five Elements (Wu Xing) in Chinese culture are a framework for classifying and explaining the interactions and relationships between all phenomena. These elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—each possess distinct characteristics and correspond to various natural and human aspects, including directions, seasons, colors, organs, flavors, and emotions.