邓文章先生谈云大师的气魄 | Mr Teng Wen Chang on Master Yun's Spirit and Vision

 

 

新加坡是一個美丽，政治安定，生活富足，人才齊聚的国家，昨日出席雲龍子大师及庄杰老师的藝術展及音乐会，深有所感！

 

庄杰老师一位由中国移民在新加坡的国际知名男高音，拥有北京歌剧研究院歌剧表演硕士，曾获国际音乐大赛金狮金奖及国际各项声乐比赛大獎！在这場演出中，展观了大师超人的聲乐魅力！现场观众無不深感震憾及满足欣赏。

 

 

雲龍子書画作品，有坚实的传统中、西画基础，及運用了当代艺术表现手法，也将書、画融和创作当代艺术形象，观赏及收藏均有种喜悦富贵之感！曾荣获国际艺术成就獎及华人楷模，大师气魄，長城画展惊艳中外，無人能及，也令我非常叹服！

 

新加坡在经济发展取得国际骄人的成就地位，政治稳定，人民生活美滿，感谢政府的英明领导，前人种树，后人享福，不断学習精進广纳国际各界人才，為国家奉献努力！

 

作为新加坡人当惜之，团结和谐，再创輝惶！ 🌷😊  

 

——新加坡国际文化艺术联合会主席邓文章先生

 

 

Politically stable and beautiful, Singapore is a country that talents flock to and where citizens lead a satisfying life. These thoughts came to my mind after attending Master Yun Long Zi’s and Mr Zhuang Jie’s art exhibition and concert.

 

An internationally renowned tenor, Mr Zhuang Jie is an immigrant from China with a master’s degree from the Peking University’s Academy of Opera. A winner of numerous awards, he clinched the top award in the 8th Singapore Golden Lion International Music Arts Competition. Mr Zhuang put up an exemplary performance exhibiting the lure of his vocals. Everyone in the audience was deeply impressed and satisfied.

 

 

Master Yun Long Zi’s art is firmly rooted in the traditions of East and West, whilst employing contemporary art techniques. Marrying ink and calligraphy, Master Yun’s contemporary artworks bring joy and prosperity to whoever owns it, whether as an investment or purely to appreciate its artistic beauty! A recipient of the International Art Achievement Award and the Chinese Model Award, Master Yun held a marvellous exhibition at the Great Wall of China that made waves internationally. I am truly impressed!

 

Singapore’s outstanding economic achievements, political stability and fruitful lives of its people, are made possible by the wise leadership of the government. As the saying goes, “one generation plants the trees, the next generation enjoys the shade”. This country unfailingly welcomes talents from around the world to contribute to its growth!

 

Singaporeans should cherish this, and join hands to bring the nation to greater heights! 🌷😊

 

Mr Teng Wen Chang

Chairman

International Culture and Art (Singapore) Federation

云龙子大师在《中华英才》

云龙子：东西文化交流的欢庆使者

“我希望有一天全世界的小孩子、少年人所认识的不止是西班牙的毕加索，荷兰的梵高，及意大利的达芬奇。也认识一个中文名字的中国艺术家。”——云龙子大师

云龙子，新加坡华人，祖籍广东大埔，风水世家的第六代传人，全球华人金莲花大使，艺术家，“同根同梦·2020 华人春节联欢晚会常务副主席”，2020年荣获“华人楷模·金鼎奖”、“华人楷模·2019 行业领军人物”、“华人楷模·公益奖 ”、“华人楷模·艺术成就奖”，并荣获“建国 70 周年·易经绝学金牌大师”称号，其创建的企业荣获“华人楷模·2019 突出贡献企业”荣誉称号。

云龙子将易经风水绝学融入到绘画作品之中,每副作品都有独特的含义与寓意，皆是启迪人生的杰作。

云龙子的风水绘画独具一格，结合并改良了华人传统的泼墨法，和西方油画的多层技巧。有的层面以999.9纯金绘画，并添以纯银，纯铜等等。灯光之下，层次感引人入胜、耐人寻味，是云龙子对风水画作收藏家门辉煌人生的期许。

中国吴昌硕艺术理事会主席，吴超先生曾道：“他［云龙子］的每幅作品都是诚付心血精心制作。画面因多层复敷，显得层层迭选，有着只可心感的神味。画中中国文化的元素和西洋文化的元素相辅相成，相得益彰。”

云龙子这种贯彻中西古今，承先启后的风水画作，其根底秉持着一致的意识形态：欢庆主义。而云龙子就是“欢庆主义”的鼻祖。他提出：“我画作的核心概念是欢庆。欢庆所有值得欢庆的事物。从健康到财富，从感情到高雅。所以我专注于正面的能量和元素，譬如：爱情、欢乐、和平和希望，并将它们呈现在我的作品中。”

云龙子风水画在荧光之下更会体现星光斑斓的效果，让其中的欢庆意境和正能量渗透收藏者的潜意识和梦境，从深处正面影响收藏者的意识。

中央美术学院教授，瞿欣建先生曾道：“云龙子先生的绘画作品，选用了中国传统文化中的‘风水’题材，融入了西方绘画的色彩语言，在画面中营造出了色彩缤纷、五彩斑斓的颜色。给人以饱满的阳光之气、幸福吉祥之气。”

或许是因为其深邃又正面的哲理，或许是因为其绚丽夺人的画工，又或许是它的投资价值，云龙子大师的风水画广受青睐。收藏家便包括柬埔寨诺罗敦·西哈莫尼国王、诺罗敦·莫尼列太后、布拜德威公主、天娑王子及威泽立悟王子等等。另外，阿布扎比罗浮宫董事长马弩尔·拉白帖先生及罗兰柏悦香槟的主人亚历山大·纳南女士也是云大师画作的收藏家。

此外，众多商人、企业家、高层执行人士都是云大师画作的收藏家。2018年尾，一位信徒客人选购收藏了他第一幅云龙子的风水画。当时，他的公司正面临裁员之际，与妻子的关系也正触礁石。在家中挂上风水画不到半年，他不仅为公司争取到了前所未有的庞大工程，也因此升级为董事之一，他与妻子也冰释前嫌。2019年尾，他再选购收藏了另一幅云龙子的风水画。除了让居家增添许多色彩，更是为全家人的幸福种下另一播种子。

瑞士当代艺术家、摄影师，黑慕尔先生曾道：“云大师的画散发着一股由风格、内涵和热诚结合而成的成就感，强化着人们的心与智。云大师的画挑战常态，以认真且欢愉的方式欢庆创造力，指引并扶持人们，为他们的生活带来欢乐、温暖和富贵，并启发他们对人生的热忱，愿意努力把每一个今天过得比昨天好。”

云龙子大师的风水画甚至被印在法国罗兰柏悦（Laurent-Perrier）的两款香槟上。其中一款，是2016年全球最佳香槟，名称“宏图帝业”（“Grand Siècle”）瓶上有着法国政府特许的路易十四的太阳王标志。印在其上的风水画，原作是价值638万新币（3,158万人民币），有着九只孔雀的巨型风水画。上方是白天金碧辉煌的效果，下方是荧光之下宛如星光的璀璨，代表了无论是白昼或黑夜，都能拥有宇宙般的能量和财富。于2018年，云龙子也受邀加入法国香槟襟章会。

云龙子大师也是新加坡国际文化艺术联合会（新加坡文联）的荣誉主席，以及新加坡华文教师诗歌朗诵学会的荣誉会长。

至今，云大师已在世界各地成功举办十三场大型画展。2019年9月，云大师更是在联合国世界遗产地，西班牙巴塞罗那的米拉之家（La Pedrera-Casa Milà），举办了大型画展，继续在欧洲推广中华文化。出席的嘉宾包括了以色列、菲律宾、瑞典、乌拉圭等国的大使和领事。

对云龙子而言，他取得的各国诸多肯定与赞许，是他为推动易经古文化与绘画艺术发展应当承担的责任。云龙子说：“我认为我个人的生命有三个使命：第一就是我要传承和发扬我们家族的文化，那是风水文化。第二个就是我要发扬这个华族的文化，这个我已经在做了。接着我在做的就是要把全人类的文化，就是能够穿过人的隔阂的艺术文化，对美的追求，对艺术的追求，是全人类的本性。我要发扬这种文化，而且这个文化里头，必须含有我们中华文化的特色，所以这就是我为什么要在欧洲各地开展画展的原因了。”

在举办了十三场画展之后，当人们问到哪一场是云大师最满意的，他谦虚的回答：最满意的将会是下一场。正是云龙子大师对艺术精髓以及易经古文化的不断深入研究，不断挖掘两者之间相互关联之处，才呈献给人们更多更美的精品创作。

China CCTV Awards Lotus on Water: "2019 Outstanding Enterprise | 2019突出贡献企业" (PART 3)

Previously in PART 2...

By the way, I think we all can agree, your heart is where your money is. When one is willing to spend $10k on a branded luxury bag but not on one's own culture, it simply means the person feels that the bag is more worthy or valuable. The same applies to people who claim their love and respect for the art and culture of fengshui, but somehow regard that it should be cheap or even free. That's 口不对心 (the words do not match the heart). And to the many who practice fengshui but do it cheaply, fakely or irresponsibly, you are tarnishing the name of your heritage, you too are undervaluing your culture. That's 作贱自己的文化 (cheapening our own culture).

It's not easy sustaining an art, a culture. I spent four years in Peking University for my college; I have been seen many prestigious national level arts and cultural societies. In my past decade with Lotus on Water, I had the great fortune to be involved in many other art organizations. And I know it can be difficult keeping these non-profit organizations alive.

Funding is a persistent challenge. Without consistent donations, patronage from key benefactors or considerable support from the government, it is enormously difficult to keep the organization breathing, even less so of accomplishing projects of scale and influence.

Some people somehow naively assume that the art would just live on. Or, they asset that if the art is really good, it doesn't need preservation or promotion of any kind, that it would somehow be "naturally" passed down.

Even Confucius 孔子 had the sponsorship from the richest of his students, Zi Gong 子贡, to travel around states to preach his philosophy 周游列国.

Lotus on Water strives to be even better.

We create value with the art we inherited, enterprise it, give it a new lease of life. And with the capacity of a thriving business, we support aspects of the art in return.

For instance, Lotus on Water installed the "Lotus on Water Gold Medal" and various book prizes for graduating students from the Chinese faculty of Nanyang Technological University, rewarding students with the best final year thesis. While encouraging more young people to study Chinese, we are also promoting the spirit of critical thinking in the faculty, so as to produce constructive individuals who would further benefit the Chinese culture.

For instance, Master Yun is the Honorary President of Singapore's International Art and Culture Federation 新加坡国际文化艺术联合会, the highest order of all art and culture societies in Singapore.

He is also the Honorary President of the Singapore Chinese Teachers Literary Recital Society 新加坡华文教师诗歌朗诵学会.

And, also a key patron of Singapore Teachers Art Society 新加坡教师美术协会.

And so, as Lotus on Water makes fengshui great and relevant again by enterprising this ancient art, we also have the chance to become the patron to others.

It's a very healthy cycle. It's a very honorable cycle.

And it's definitely a very Chinese way of doing things. Unknown to me by what sort of influence, some people who work in the cultural scene deem themselves destined to be poor, and somehow regard those who are rich to be uncultured or not inheriting the "true essence" of the culture. From what I know, Chinese hardly adheres to the dichotomy of "either/or". We are more of a "AND" people.

Lotus on Water is exemplifying that it's not a "either/or". But "AND". By the way, it's fengshui, it's yin AND yang. Not yin OR yang.

We are telling people: look, you can inherit a culture, you can work with the arts, and at the same time, be enterprising.

AND, this might alleviate the issue of "yellow autumn crop does not last until the green spring crop" (青黄不接) -- lack of successors to the art.

It would be most ideal and wonderful if people are willing to carry on a tradition, art and culture for nothing much. But isn't this the issue faced by say...the Singapore sports team? If we don't create professionals, which means they are paid, very decently-paid if you will, it would just be a hobby. There have been appeals, if you really love local food, go buy and eat from them; if you really love local musicians, singers, artists, go support their gigs, go buy their music, go buy tickets and watch their performances. It's simple.

When we professionalize it, and recognize it as a profession, we provide the possibility of specialization. Or in other words, there would be more initiatives to create modern value with ancient arts, more attempts to refine it.

We Chinese used to say 发扬光大 (to develop and glorify), especially when we inherit an art, a culture, a heritage. It is a responsibility to our ancestors. We also owe it to our successors. There is no "发扬光大" without the next generation.

Lotus on Water has been at this mission for more than a decade. I suppose we are doing a pretty good job so far. Or some might say, an "Outstanding" job.

-- Kan, Executive Director

China CCTV Awards Lotus on Water: "2019 Outstanding Enterprise | 2019突出贡献企业" (PART 2)

 

Previously in PART 1...

When fengshui is practiced as a business, there are standards to follow. No longer can one do fengshui as they feel like it, there has got to be some kind of system -- that is, if one aspires to be a good businessman!

No longer is it just about one's own pleasure when studying and practicing fengshui; it's not just a hobby. You can't afford to be whimsical about it anymore! You have to answer to your paying clients, provide value, and be responsible.

The rules, processes and systems are part of what it means to be an enterprise, and they keep the enterprise thriving, ensuring that we consistently provide substantial and real value to clients. If its just an interest or a hobby, there's no need to give value to others. And providing value is very important, not just for profits, but also for the longevity of the art of fengshui.

 

When a client is willing to pay for fengshui, it means that fengshui is providing value to the client. It means, fengshui is useful. When a client is willing to pay high amounts for a fengshui jewelry, it means the fengshui jewelry is very, very useful.

 

And you know that it is definitely useful, when clients selflessly introduce their friends and loved ones to Lotus on Water (my greatest appreciation!!). Some even refer their clients, colleagues and bosses. Just imagine the awkwardness back in office if Lotus fengshui did not work...! And having witnessed how Lotus clients have changed for the better and prospered, how fengshui has been useful, friends and loved ones take their first steps to join the huat family, and in turn, introduce even more others along.

 

We have a beloved and long-time client who has made it as the top insurance agent. She introduced her colleague working in the backend to Lotus on Water, who eventually introduced more than 10 of her relatives. And the relatives brought more friends along. The usefulness of Lotus fengshui spreads.

And when fengshui and fengshui jewelry are useful, even till today, that means they have been adapted constructively into today's world. The idea of fengshui already existed in one of the oldest Chinese classics, "I-Ching"《易经》, which dates back to about 3,000 years ago. Many empires don't even survive for 300 years.

 

Let's say you know classical ballet, and you somehow know how ballet was practiced and performed hundreds of years ago. If ballet were a mere hobby to you, it wouldn't matter that much if others enjoyed it or not. You could perform it at your own comfort, the hours and hours of what used to be an important ritualistic dance to the gods or royalties. But if you seek an audience, if you seek paying audience, then the dance must mean something to them (the people today!), or provide some kind of value. Otherwise, the art would be detached from today's reality. The art would be purposeless in today's world.

Lotus on Water has breathed new life into an ancient art.

 

Do you know what happens to a purposeless art, culture or heritage? The best scenario is that they be kept in the museums and become a relic of the past. World organizations like UNESCO might bestow some title or status, it would definitely serve as a great pride and advantage, but it doesn't ensure the longevity of the art.

The worst scenario? The art and culture shall be totally forgotten, as if it never existed before. The onus of making sure this never happens, and that the art and culture thrive even in modern times, is on the practitioner. How we practice fengshui matters.

 

By the way, I think we all can agree, your heart is where your money is. When one is willing to spend $10k on a branded luxury bag but not on one's own culture, it simply means the person feels that the bag is more worthy or valuable. The same applies to people who claim their love and respect for the art and culture of fengshui, but somehow regard that it should be cheap or even free. That's 口不对心 (the words do not match the heart). And to the many who practice fengshui but do it cheaply, fakely or irresponsibly, you are tarnishing the name of your heritage, you too are undervaluing your culture. That's 作贱自己的文化 (cheapening our own culture).

 

On a lighter note, using the words of the Joker from "The Dark Knight" (2008), does make sense too: "If you are good at something, never do it for free."

-- Kan, Executive Director

[Continue to PART 3]

China CCTV Awards Lotus on Water: "2019 Outstanding Enterprise | 2019突出贡献企业" (PART 1)

 

Of the many China CCTV awards given to Master Yun, one was to commend Lotus on Water as an outstanding enterprise.

Lotus on Water is the only jewelry enterprise to receive this award in 2019, and the only fengshui enterprise to receive this award, ever. Couldn't have done it without your support, THANK YOU!

 

Of course, whatever achievements Lotus on Water has, it is through the spirit and direction of Master Yun. I am sure you are familiar with the history of Lotus on Water, that it started from Master Yun's house back then, how the 1st Lotus Guan Yin (the one carved of green and lavender jadeite) blessed Master Yun with 21 overseas clients, how we started the first Lotus gallery...and so on.

 

You also know about the Lotus standards, how we inherited and innovated, how we kept pushing the frontiers of fengshui jewelry, how we through more than a decade of endeavor brought "fengshui" to a glorious height...these are evident from the many awards presented to Master Yun.

The significance of the "Outstanding Enterprise" award, I think, first got to do with turning the art and practice of fengshui into an enterprise.

This might sound...redundant. After all, hasn't the enterprise Lotus on Water being around for a very long time?

Yes, to most of us, buying and paying a stated price for Lotus collections for the benefit of our own future and fortune, can't be simpler, can't be more common.

 

But there are still some who stubbornly and rather illogically feel that fengshui should not be practiced as a business. They feel that it should be based totally (or randomly, ironically) on affinity 缘分, or they weirdly feel that if the fengshui really works and brings prosperity, the people practicing it don't even need to do business (because they should be wealthy enough...?). Or, they feel that one shouldn't monetize or profit from culture, heritage, arts. Or, maybe they just want fengshui free of charge.

Whatever the assumptions and excuses might be, after decades in the fengshui industry, and dealing with various arts and culture circles, I have come to understand the importance of practicing fengshui as a business, as an enterprise.

 

A China client once asked me:

风水对你来讲是作为爱好去做，还是作为一门生意去做？

(Fengshui for you, are you doing it as an interest, or doing it as a business?)

I said:

我认为我庆幸的是，风水肯定是我的爱好，从小便是。如今又能把它运营成一门生意。所以每天的工作，也没怎么感觉是在工作似的。

(I think I am lucky. Fengshui is definitely my interest, since young. And now I can operate it as a business. So I don't really feel like I am working.)

因为是爱好，所以有无穷尽的好奇感。但也因为是生意，所以不再只是为了自己的喜好而已，而是成了一种纪律、一种要对他人和传承的责任。

(Because it is an interest, so there is insatiable curiosity to discover more about this art. But since it is also a business, you are not just doing it solely because of fancy; it becomes a discipline, and you must be responsible to others, and on how to let this art be passed down to future generations.)

When fengshui is practiced as a business, there are standards to follow. No longer can one do fengshui as they feel like it, there has got to be some kind of system -- that is, if one aspires to be a good businessman!

No longer is it just about one's own pleasure when studying and practicing fengshui; it's not just a hobby. You can't afford to be whimsical about it anymore! You have to answer to your paying clients, provide value, and be responsible.

 

For instance, there is a process to buying your Lotus collections, and I am sure you familiar with it: Lotus advisories prescribe the fengshui jewelry according to your needs, you choose and pay the clearly stated price (明码标价), the collection be blessed by Master Yun personally, then we arrange a date for wearing it.

And I am sure you know, since there should be standards and systems, before a piece of Lotus collection appears in the gallery, there's a huge process behind the scene, from harvesting raw materials, to carving, to seven rounds of inspection...all to ensure the "gold standard" quality.

 

If fengshui is practiced based purely on affinity or as a mere self-absorbed hobby, none of these tedious processes matter. And if there were to be no enterprise, one would not have the capacity to persevere in upholding the rules.

 

By the way, Lotus on Water is the first fengshui and jadeite company to insist on having clearly stated prices (明码标价). We disagree with quoting prices based on how a client dresses. We despise the swindling trick of quoting a high price but only to cut 50% because of "affinity". Whatever prices you see in the Lotus gallery, that's the amount you are paying, regardless of your wealth status, and that's the exact piece of jadeite or agarwood you are getting.

And there are rules and charts to the pricing of a Lotus collection. The size, quality, clarity, what kind of inclusions, intensity of color...are some of the factors. The system is so clear that some clients could roughly guess the price of a Lotus collection just by its photo on Facebook! "Errr, I think it's about 50k", "this should be in the range of 100k-120k"...how wonderful it would be if they were on the game show "The Price Is Right"!

-- Kan, Executive Director

[Continue to PART 2]

China CCTV Awards Master Yun: "Charity Award 公益奖"

In my years of following Master Yun, I have sporadically met with weird people or remarks, especially as Lotus on Water rises to the top of the fengshui industry, self-righteously demanding that we should donate to the needy, or "if fengshui really works, you should be helping the poor".

Really weird. And I wonder what have these sanctimonious people ever done even just for their community and culture in the first place.

So I presume it must have shook their worlds when China CCTV gave Master Yun this seemingly unrelated "Charity Award 公益奖". I mean, Master Yun is well known as a fengshui master, an artist, (some people are starting to call him a fashionista!), but not as a philanthropist.

 

Because we seldom talk about it. What's the point of going around unceasingly to remind others of how generous you are? I rather you remember how stunning and powerful our jadeite is.

 

When CCTV documented Master Yun as a "Chinese Model 华人楷模", they spent a considerable amount of time interviewing him about "charity". And here's what Master Yun said:

我不是对所有的慈善都很认同的。但是在所有的慈善的里头，有一例外，就是我会去做的，那就是教育。因为予人以渔。教他怎样好好的活下去、教他怎样把生活弄好、教他怎样更有效率的工作……我觉得这个是很有意义的。

(I don't really agree with all forms of charity. But there's an exception, one that I will patronize, and that is education. It's teaching a person how to fish. Teaching one how to carry on a good living, how to improve one's life, how to work more efficiency...I think this is a meaningful way.)

For many years, Master Yun has been a patron of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (his alma mater). We established the "Lotus on Water Gold Medal Award" and other Book Prizes in the Chinese faculty, rewarding students annually with the best graduating theses.

The idea is to encourage critical and innovative thinking in students studying Chinese, may they not just regurgitate what their predecessors had written, but to come up with something constructive for the community and culture.

 

Read more about this here, here, here and here.

 

Master Yun's passion for education started before he was a fengshui master. During his stint as a Chinese teacher in Anderson Primary School near 20 years ago, he volunteered to do up the Chinese Culture Room (Master Yun gave it a poetic Chinese name: 怡然轩).

 

The result was so amazing that Principals from other schools came for the opening ceremony; the Press reported about it too.

In 2017, Master Yun donated to refurbish the Chinese Culture Room. His enthusiasm for Chinese education and culture has only blossomed over the years.

 

Read more about this here.

 

Master Yun is the Honorary President of Singapore's International Art and Culture Federation 新加坡国际文化艺术联合会, the highest order of all art and culture societies in Singapore.

 

Master Yun is also the Honorary President of the Singapore Chinese Teachers Literary Recital Society 新加坡华文教师诗歌朗诵学会.

 

And, Master Yun is also the a key patron of Singapore Teachers Art Society 新加坡教师美术协会.

Master Yun's charity goes beyond Singapore. Over in Cambodia, Master Yun supports and sponsors orphans all the way through their tertiary education. One such person under Master Yun's patronage, is Ratana.

 

He is currently studying in the Institute of Technology Cambodia, working his way up to be an architect. Ratana speaks and writes fluent Japanese and English.

There are many charity organizations and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) in Cambodia. Some are doing really good work. But some, as you would observe, are not teaching people how to fish, but just giving them the fish. Or maybe just the fish bone. Giving a bag of rice to villagers living in extreme poverty, great for a photo op, but never truly improving the quality of their lives.

It is curious, come to think of it, that Cambodia actually has the 2nd highest number of NGOs in the whole world, but is somehow still the 2nd poorest in South East Asia, in terms of GDP per capita. Really makes one ponder what's the actual aim of certain charity organizations or foundations.

 

Master Yun elaborated in the interview:

真正的这个慈善，是我们想清楚，当我们做这个行动之后，是不是能够帮助到这整个社会大多数的人，或者基本上所有的人，让每一个人都能受益。而我觉得这个最妥善的方式就是通过教育。而不是一味的施舍。

(A real form of charity, is when we think through, when we do a certain action, does it benefit most or even all people in the society? And I think the most appropriate method is through education. And not keep giving handouts.)

It may seem heartless to "deny" the efforts of giving the poor a bag of rice. And it might just be. There's no point being hypocritical about it. Zhuang Zi 庄子 once said: "大仁不仁" (grand benevolence seems merciless). To give a fish bone might seem merciful, but it helps nothing much. 百年树人 (it takes a hundred years to educate and cultivate people), it's tough, it requires tons of discipline, and it's definitely not a nicey-nicey path. But it is the path of grand benevolence.

 

Perhaps Master Yun's devotion to education and culture is in his blood. Master Yun's grandfather, 5th generation fengshui master of the family Tianyi Jushi 天乙居士, was a learned man and once the head of the local temple in Penang, which was equivalent to the gentry or mayor of the Chinese community back then.

 

Master Yun's great granduncle, Mr Yang Zhixiang 杨芷芗先生, was a Xiu Cai scholar of the late Qing Dynasty 前清秀才, and was sent to Penang as Deputy Consulate. He was one of the founders of "Penang Taipu Association 槟榔屿大埔同乡会", and Principal of the famed Chinese school Jit Sin School 日新学校. Read about the interesting tales of Master Yun's ancestors over here.

 

One can say Master Yun is from 名门之后, a descendant of notable family. Master Yun carried on the bloodline of his ancestors.

But Master Yun was only one of the grandsons. There are others with the same blood. And Master Yun was the only one who inherited the spirit.

Maybe, it is generations of education, and the pursuit of education, that made Master Yun who he is today.

-- Kan, Executive Director