“Jade” Gem of Heaven.
In the ancient days of Chinese civilization, jade was known as the stone of heaven that had surged into reality alongside our Planet. It has harnessed tremendous cosmic power for Eons becoming a conduit for our world and the Cosmos. Thus birth the mystical belief of Darkness and Light, mutually dependent on one another for existence.
During Hongshan（红山）and Liangzhu （良渚）eras, Jade was used as a religious tool to call upon the Gods or ancestors and sometimes, disregard of any deities, can also be used as a source of supernatural aid for all sorts of omen.
In our Thai culture there is an idiom that quotes “Heaven exists within one’s bosom, Hell is born of one’s heart”. You may be confused about the literature and wonder is there any difference between being in the heart and in the chest. The grain of salt you mayhaps consume lies in the Yin and Yang , the epitome of ancient Chinese philosophy.
In Ying and Yang’s foundation, the fundamental belief was that necessary evil exists within good and vice versa or chaos within order vice versa etc, to form a tremendous balance and harmony in reality, co-equal or two sides of the same coin. Some examples are stealing for the poor, an act of crime for the greater good or living things die to become nutrients for the plants etc. This may help us understand and appreciate the laws of nature and help us broaden our perspective in life and think positively so it feels as though “Heaven” is in our chest, but if we are too worked up it may begin to look like “Hell” has surfaced with our hearts.
Jade had been the bridge that connects heaven and Earth together in harmony. Thus, people used jade as an ascension tool for their ancestors to enter heaven. The Chinese would carved their clan or their surnames into the stone of heaven to symbolize that they are on the bridge towards Heaven.
The Chinese Emperors of every dynasty had been using jade as a device for royal ceremonies or significant events for blessings from the heavens. The cultural influence is extremely significant until this day people who possess jade will continue ceremonial events to obtain the blessings.
From the primordial times of Ancient China to this day jade has always been part of the Chinese heritage and there is still more to discover about its enigmatic past. Most importantly it has rooted deeply into the customs and lives that to understand Chinese’s wonders is to know the history and truth of the stone of Heaven.
