Zhang Xiaofeng, an 82-year-old famous prose writer in Taiwan Province, appeared in an online program with the title “Come and Sit!” sharing the wisdom of life with believers.
For more than 50 years, Zhang has been writing incessantly. Some of her written works have been translated into English, German, and Vietnamese. She also often delivers speeches in major cities at home and abroad.
First, she elaborates on the title, “Come and Sit!”
In the program, Xiaofeng shows two written scripts of the same Chinese character, which means “sit”, illustrating the contrasts between the two hieroglyphs.
According to her, Moxie is an ethnic group living on the edge of Yunnan Province, and the Moxie written script is one of the few hieroglyphs preserved so far. It was mainly for lamas to chant the sutra. In Moxie, “sit” represents sitting cross-legged and looking religious, whereas “sit” in Chinese Xiao Zhuan script illustrates two people sitting on a mound.
Sister Xiaofeng asks why there are two people in the Chinese character when it is clear that one person can sit. She says that “sit” is a social behavior in Chinese characters, and the Han people are only willing to sit down when socializing and chatting with friends.
She mentions that the Han people do not want to sit down because they are too diligent. Their idea of life is to work hard, work at sunrise, and rest at sunset. Being too diligent, they do not sit for a rest when they are alone.
Judging from the ancient prose, two people are sitting across the mound. Sister Xiaofeng explains why on the mound in ancient China, there were no chairs. Usually, people sit on the floor or on cushions. It was not until around 200 BC that Hu Chuang (an ancient name for chairs in Chinese; translator’s note) was introduced to China from the Western Regions. It was not until the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D.–906 A.D.) that concepts like stool and chair became officially known. Although the word Hu Chuang adopts the Chinese character “bed”, do not confuse it with beds; it is actually a small folding bench.
People may be used to socializing in the farming fields or setting up a small table in their yard with water or tea on the mound.
She asks everyone to “sit down” because she is willing to communicate or exchange ideas and thoughts with more brothers and sisters.
As church fellow workers, we need to communicate with each other in time, “sit down” at any time, and share our service experience and problems. On the other hand, we need to rest in front of the Lord and gain strength and wisdom from him more than we do.
- Translated by Charlie Li
