Four Dimensions of Harmony Thought in Naxi Dongba Culture
This article examines the concept of harmony (和合) at the core of Dongba religious doctrine, the distinctive culture of the Naxi people of Lijiang, Yunnan, transmitted across generations by Dongba priests. The authors argue that Naxi Dongba culture expresses harmony thinking along four dimensions: harmony between humans and nature, humans and society, humans and other humans, and harmony within the individual self. The article details how Naxi ancestors progressed from understanding nature to utilizing it and ultimately protecting it, exemplified by the "Shu" (暑) nature-deity worship ritual and associated taboos against polluting water, killing pregnant animals, and excessive deforestation, reflecting reverence for life and ecological balance. It also discusses how belief in spirits shaped Naxi social order, patrilineal kinship structures, gender role divisions, and behavioral norms that maintain social stability, illustrating how cosmology, ethics, and daily practice jointly sustain a holistic vision of harmony across nature, society, interpersonal relations, and self.
This page publishes the bibliographic record and the project's summary. The scanned article text belongs to its publisher and is shown to readers under a research-use policy; it is not reproduced in this record.