Posts
By
Thomas F. O'Neill
Many years ago, in ancient China, people
believed in the Buddhist concept of reincarnation and the belief in
Karma – in other words, ‘what you give is what you receive.’ There are
now 1.4 billion people living in China, but most Chinese people no
longer hold ancient Eastern religious beliefs. Confucianism is also
considered part of ancient Chinese history rather than religiously held
customs.
That being said, many ancient customs still influence how
Chinese people behave toward one another; most are polite in their daily
interactions. Karma may no longer be a religious concept for the
majority, but it’s still deeply rooted in their culture.
The old Buddhist concepts have now become more of a
philosophical pursuit for many of today’s youth, and that is certainly a
good thing. Ancient Eastern traditions that are widely rooted in China
are beginning to lose their religious significance, mostly due to
education and Western influences.
However, there are still people living in China who believe
in rebirth, and one's life’s fate can be determined by one's actions
from previous lives. The majority, though, regard such beliefs as mere
superstition.
I have come in contact with some elderly Chinese people who
believe my good fortune directly results from my previous life
experiences. For those whose lives are more burdensome, it’s a direct
result of bad karma, according to my then-elderly neighbors.
It was a commonly held belief that people are reincarnated to
work through their karma and learn from past mistakes. However, if you
were to ask an average university student whether Reincarnation and
karma are realities or myths, many students would respond that they are a
possibility and then engage you in a philosophical discussion. Many of
China’s ancient beliefs are philosophically discussed in universities.
It’s a way for the ancient traditions to be remembered and to keep the
ancient Chinese culture alive in our modern world.
I had several experiences where two 3-year-old children
pointed to me on different occasions and then ran up to me to hug me.
Those children’s grandparents would laugh and then stare at me in
disbelief. I’m unsure what name the children called me, but those
experiences were intriguing. It reinforces the belief that I am in China
for a reason, and there are certainly deeper dimensions to life than
meets the eye.
I find many ancient Chinese customs intriguing, and
discussing them more fully here is a way of gaining a greater
understanding of why many of today’s cultural differences exist between
the West and the East. I understand our culture better when I delve
deeper into Chinese cultural traditions. Many of the misconceptions I
had about China, in general, before I moved there have faded away toward
a deeper understanding of myself in relation to others.
I have lived and worked in China for 14 years, which has made
me a better person. Through my reflections, I hope to bring my personal
experiences from living there back to the US. I now live in the US
again, but I still miss China and the people I have gotten to know there
very much. My work is nowhere near the kind of work I did in the past,
but this is the path I have now been given.
Always with love,
Thomas F O'Neill
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