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Sanguinario

Chinese Soul

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Hello

 

I am a Chinese psychology student studying Jewish chassidus and Torah for 2 years. In intensively reading their scriptures, which I believe to be the word of G-d (we can discuss the reasons elsewhere), there were several places that struck me with confusion and dismay. I would love if somebody could help me to find the answers to this. In many places, it seems to imply the servitude of the Chinese spirit. In Genesis, the Sinites are descendants of Canaanites, those who were cursed to be the servant of servants by Noah (some rabbis dispute that Chinese are not Sinites). Later, Isaac blessed Jacob that nations would bow to him. In the 1800 century, the grandson of the great Baal Shem Tov was said to have nullified the Chinese soul. It is more than an interesting coincidence perhaps that the national anthem of the People's Republic of China is "Arise, those who do not wish to be slaves anymore". Yet still, paralleled to the paths of Jews, we have also went from a communist philosophy of Marx and Engel to the market economy of Marks and Spencer.

 

Can some learned daoists help me interpret what is going on here? What is the Chinese soul? Have we really been spiritually captured? How can we, the Chinese people, find spiritual independence?

 

The only solace is that in Shan Hai Jing, the Chinese people are described as not the descendants of Noach at all, and we survived the flood because we went on higher terrain. Note that in the bible, the flood said it wiped out everything with a Ruach (like corresponding to Po in Chinese Daoism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hun_and_po) but not everything with a Neshama. Maybe the narrative of our people is a wholly separate one from Adam and Eve.

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Hello, Sanguinario, and welcome.

 

Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go.

 

Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules.   This covers all you need to know when getting started.

 

For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day.

 

Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you,

 

Fa Xin and the TDB team

 

Welcome Sanguinario,

 

Deep stuff! I'm sure someone can help you with this... good things to ponder. Welcome to the forum!

 

You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started.

 

May you enjoy your time here.

 

Fa Xin

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Baal Shem Tov :

"Although the teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov derive to some extent from the Kabbalah and frequently employ kabbalistic terminology, he added an emphasis on personal existence and the salvation of the soul of the individual, as a requirement for the redemption of the world: “For before one prays for general redemption one must pray for the personal salvation of one’s own soul” (Toledot Ya’akov Yosef). He emphasised the personal against a previous preoccupation on messianism."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shem_Tov

 

 

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