Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    The concept of zhi, or wisdom, was brought into standard ethical systems by Confucius.

    He defined the personality of the wise as those who are “free from perplexities.” The truly wise are not only able to distinguish truth from falsehood, Confucius said, but also are rational and sane; they are never perplexed in front of dilemmas or different paths. That is to say, wisdom concerns not only a person’s ability and aptitude, but also his or her moral cultivation. Only those who know about destiny, manners, speech and people are truly “free from perplexities.”

    Confucius said wisdom can be learned by three methods: reflection, the noblest; imitation, the easiest; and experience, the most bitter.

    Confucius also said that “love of learning is akin to wisdom. To practice with vigor is akin to humanity. To know to be shameful is akin to courage.” Compare this with the beginnings of the classic Confucian principle, “great learning,” which is based on the idea that “the way of learning to be great consists in manifesting clear character, loving people and abiding in the highest good.”

    Knowing destiny means understanding poverty and prosperity and keeping a peaceful mind whether in adversity or fortune. Manners refer to social codes of conduct and shared social orders that restrict one’s conduct. Knowing manners makes one aware of how to give and take, act appropriately and easily make a living in society. Knowing speech refers to being a good speaker and a good listener. Knowing people makes one able to recognize and recommend the virtuous and talented.

    In modern society, a wise person does the right thing at the right place and right moment. It is a spiritual concept as well as a method for making decisions, thinking and living.

    For government departments, wisdom also means to discover, attract and use professionals. Confucius said government departments should “recommend and appoint upright people and dismiss crooked people.” The concept is also considered one of the key principles of management.

    Due to the close relationship between wisdom and water, the symphony “Ode to Humanity” uses a mixed chorus and children’s chorus to create rich layers of music to demonstrate movement. Innovative sounds produced by water and ancient Chinese instruments add to a mystical feel and contrast with the vocal lyrics.