ABSTRACT
FOR centuries the Chinese people have been taught by. their sages to seek real pleasureand enjoyment at home. The home may be nothing but a cave dwelling, a mere shack, a mud hut; nevertheless it can be transformed into a little bit of heaven on earth, for in it live one's parents, brothers, sisters, wife, and children, and around it are the distant hills, the nearby brooks, and all the wonderful things that nature has produced for the good of mankind. To the sages it is the Will of Heaven that the home should be the true abode of affection, peace, and rest, where harmonious relationships not only between man and man but also between man and nature are to be cultivated and the five blessings of life are to be enjoyed. [According to the Book of History (Shu Ching) the five blessings of life are: (1) long life, (2) riches, (3 ) good health and peace of mind, (4) love of virtue, and (5) an end fulfilling the Will of Heaven.]
Approximately three-fourths of the Chinese people engage in agriculture. Daily they toil to make their fields fertile and fruitful and their gardens useful and soul-satisfying. As they toil, they learn to be happy with their work and to enjoy the beauty of nature as did the ancient worthies who sang:
At times the Chinese people have to struggle with pernicious forces which threaten to destroy their homes, fields, and gardens. But often the struggle to them is a blessing in disguise, for during the period of suffering there develop in them those elements of character which make them "the world's best agriculturists: industry and thrift, the ability to enlist every source of help, and the endurance to begin patiently afresh when destruction seemed well-nigh inevitable." (J. G. Anderson, in Children of the Yellow Earth, p. 144.) And "when the times of violence and disorder are over, when all is peaceful and calm" again, they set out their dishes and meat stands and drink to one another's happiness. They sing again the ancient song:
The Chinese people love dear1y their homes, fields, and gardens, and they qften make attempts to express their feeling by pictures or words. If they are unable to draw or if words fail them, then they recite the poems of T'ao Yuan-ming, whom Lin Yutang considers "the most harmonious product of Chinese culture." T'ao Yuan-ming, says Lin Yutang, is "a perfect example of the true lover of life, because in him the rebellion against worldly desires did not lead him to attempt a total escape, but has reached a-harmony with the life of the senses." (Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, pp. 115-121.) In a series of six poems entitled "Back to My Garden Home,"T'ao Yuan-ming described his home and environment. The first poem runs as follows:
This poem and the one called "Homeward Bound" are on the lips of every school boy and girl. In "Homeward Bound" T'ao Yuan-ming painted word-pictures showing his journey home, his arrival at his home, his garden and field, and the surrounding landscape. This one depicts the poet in his garden:
The rest of the poem tells us more of how T'ao Yuan-ming spent his days at home. He enjoyed sweet conversation with his kin and dispelled his sorrow with his lute and his books. When springtime came he joined other farmers to work in the western fields. Some bright mornings he worked alone, weeding his garden. Sometimes he climbed the Eastern Hill and whistled a tune, or sat beside the limpid stream and penned a verse. Thus he lived till the end, when, without any doubt in his mind, he followed gladly the Will of Heaven.
