heygold's Podcast

During the Spring and Autumn Period（770-476B.C.）.there was a man whose name was Yu

Boya.Yu boya famous music master at that time, having a good command of the temperament

and superb skills in playing the musical instrument.He was bright and eager to learn when

he was young.He had formally acknowledged several experts as his teachers,and his skills

in playing the musical instrument had already reached a fairly high level.But he still

felt that he could not superbly express the various things which had deeply impressed

him.Knowing what was in his mind,his teacher took him to the penglai Island,a fabled

abode of immortals,on the East China Sea by boat.On the island,his teacher let him enjoy

the natural scenarios and listen to the roaring of the great waves.looking into the

distance,Boya saw that the waves were turbulent and that the white breakers leapt

skywards.Sea birds were circling in the air,and their crying was very pleasant to the

ear.Trees were green and intriguing feeling welled up in his mind,as if he had heard the

harmonious and charming music of nature.He couldn't help taking his musical instrument

and playing it .He followed his inclinations while he was playing,and incorporated the

beautiful nature with his music,thus reaching a realm of thought he had never experienced

before.Seeing this,the teacher said to hime,''You have mastered the art of playing."

Once,on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month,he was boating for sight-seeing.The moon was

bright and a cool breeze was blowing gently.With myriads of thoughts welling up in his

mind,he began to play the musical instrument.The melodious music became more and more

beautiful when a man on the bank shouted "bravo!"Hearing the shouting,Boya came out of

the boat,and saw a woodcutter standing on the bank.He knew that this man was keenly

appreciative of his talents,because he understood his music.He immediately invited the

woodcutter to his boat and ,full of zest,he played the musical instrument for him.When

Boya played a piece of music eulogizing the high mountains,the woodcutter

said,"wonderful!The melody is as magnificent and dignified as Mount Tai which reaches to

the sky!"When he played a piece of music depicting the turbulent waves,the woodcutter

said,"Wonderful!The melody is as vast and mighty as the great rivers!"Boya was

excited,and siad,"Bosom friend!You are really my bosom friend!"That woodcutter was Zhong

Ziqi.Since then,they had been very good friends.

This story appears in The Works of Lie Zi.From this story,people havederived the set

phrase"high mountain and running water" to refer to understanding and appreciative

friends.This set phrase is also used to refer to melodious music

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