In previous posts, I mentioned the 36-episode Chinese drama that I watched in a week. Actually, this drama already left quite a strong impression on me from the second episode onwards based on societal insights mentioned within. Now, you might think that these societal insights should not be very applicable to the modern day, seeing how it’s a wuxia drama which took place in ancient days. However, that would be a real mistake (Drama is named Word of Honor btw).
Now, I’ll be more general so as to avoid any spoilers (last week was a webnovel with thousands of chapters so). In the drama, a group of villains attacked and wiped out an honourable group. Imagine a conversation:
A: Aren’t you curious about why they attacked?
B: It’s nothing new, nothing mindblowing for sure. These things only happen for three reasons: 贪，嗔，痴 (let me translate them as greed, hatred, infatuation)。It can’t be the second, because they are upright and never have any conflicts with anybody. It can’t be the third, because there have been no romantic entanglements. It therefore means that the first is the only explanation…
One may not think anything at all upon hearing such words, merely brushing it off as a character’s lines. However, if you think about it, how enlightened are they! They show one as already having seen through life, now able to speak of it in the meta rather than stay fixated on the specifics like the vast majority. Note: Villains too declare that humans are motivated by this and that, but it is all purely about their own twisted logic in seeing the world as does not take into account the whole picture.
In time to come, one of my new favourite sayings was mentioned a couple of times in the drama: 天下本无事，庸人自扰之. This can be translated as ‘All could be peaceful in the world, but the incompetent insist on delusion’. How does this tie in with the part from earlier? So, basically (my interpretation), you can think of people as dogs and the object of their greed as a bone. You simply throw the bone out, and then there is a laughable dogfight over it that is actually pointless. People are slaves to their animal instincts in this sense, wishing for power as a goal in itself when those enlightened realise it is not so super as it is cut out to be in the first place (of course, it is true that some injustices require revolution, just that this does not apply here).
It’s not just about greed and all that, really. In real life, people find trouble for themselves all the time too! Meanwhile, what people earnestly say to them fall on deaf ears… And honestly, there is nothing we can do about all this! We can only do those bare basics that we are supposed to and wait for them to walk out of their self-imposed burdens on their own, be it pride, envy, sloth or whatever.
What should people seek then? Well, it’s more like bonds between people. The drama later introduces four characters who play music while on a boat. From what I vaguely remember, one was a husband and wife pair, another a normal person not versed in any martial arts and the last a former bandit who was enlightened by them and renounced evil. The four ceased to care about the martial world’s happenings and lived like immortals, without a care in the world as they just played music and enjoyed life. This is evidently portrayed as a wondrous story for the ages by the drama (that is from a novel).
The enlightened meta of the novel can also be seen in the good-evil dichotomy. There are the orthodox sects (think Shaolin, Emei) as well as a ‘Ghost Valley’ for people who live in the shadows. Yet, it is not an easy black and white thing. Watching the drama, one will be forced to rethink their concepts of good and evil for sure. From my own impressions of wuxia stories, I cannot remember any that truly focuses on human nature and resonates with the heart as much as this. Many are just a hero’s journey where one follows an immature protagonist’s path – the protagonist here is one who has tasted life and seen through it, being embroiled a series of events beyond his control. He even seems like a saint sometimes…
The final aspect of the drama that I’d like to talk about is really that of hot-bloodedness. In the martial world, unlike in today’s modern society, death is much more common. Additionally, it is really not unheard of for bonds of brotherhood to be forged, though one should be aware too that some are sincere and some are fake. Picture this now:
If you die, what is the point of me living as well? If you want to kill him, you will have to tread over my dead body first.
I was always saying how revenge is a meaningless thing…but only now that I have personally experienced it do I realise – facing this world and its outrageous injustice, without you, what reason do I have to live? I will go out in a blaze of glory, and as for those who deserve death by a thousand cuts, I don’t mind taking them down with me!
The modern world is boring for many. Personally, empathising with these characters as I follow their journey brings my emotions alive, makes me feel that I’m truly living. I’d prefer that over some dirty modern drama with inane concerns and 自相残杀 (everyone just rabidly being at one another’s throats) any day.