The Chinese Character 不 no/not

The story on how a sprout has turned into the Chinese Character 不 (read as bu in 4th tone), which means "no/not" to symbolize negation/rejection.

In an ancient China realm, where the dragons danced in the clouds and sages whispered secrets to the wind, a land existed within mysteries and magics. It was the time of great upheaval, when the forces of light and darkness clashed in epic battles for supremacy.

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty, a humble village nested peacefully in the shadow of towering mountains, where a young man named Chen, is known for his keen intellect and a thirst for knowledge that burned like flames within his soul.

One day, as Chen was walking through the fields that surrounded his village, enjoying how farmers working on the cycle of growth and renewal, he stumbled upon a cluster of tiny sprouts that pushing their way out through the fertile soil, eagerly reaching towards the sun. Intrigued by their tenacity and determination, Chen’s curiosity sparks.

“From the humblest of seeds, mighty crops would spring forth, nourished by the rich earth and blessed by the benevolent spirits of nature.” Chen said in his mind, as he plucked one of the sprout from the earth and held it on his hand, to analyze its fragile beauty.

“The shape of the sprout was inspiring,” Chen thought at that moment, while looking at the sprout which shaped like someone with hands crossing in front of his/her body to show rejection. “While a sprout symbolizes the miraculous process of growth and renewal, by which life emerges from the smallest of beginnings, how come its’ shape is representing rejection?” Eager with his astonishing new finding, Chen decided to rushed back to his village to bring the sprout home, to draw and wrote a poetry about it.

Chen couldn’t stop thinking of how the sprout that that embodying the essence of growth and transformation of the eternal cycle of birth, and rebirth can have such a shape that have an opposite meaning. As Chen was creating his work, the village he lived in was shrouded in the shadow of darkness that enforced their decree of ignorance by forbidding any form of literacy. Books and any forms of literature works are burned, including those of Chen’s works.

As Chen delved deeper into the situation he faced, he uncovered the significance of the shape of the sprout in his mind, that transcended its humble origins. The 不 shape of the sprout is no longer simply represent the growth of the sprout, but also a truth that rooted in the power of negation, the refusal to accept the negative situation.

Guided by his newfound understanding, Chen set out to spread literacy far and white, to teach others to harness their power to challenge injustice, defying oppression, and embrace the endless possibilities of the universe through literacy. Thus, the sprou Chen had found before then grew into the birth of a new consciousness, the consciousness that dared to say “no” to the forces of darkness and embrace the light of truth and enlightenment.

Despite of the risks, Chen dared to defy the oppressive regime, for he believed that knowledge held the power to liberate, not only himself, but also his fellow citizens from the chains of ignorance. Together they study various wisdom and literature by the dim glow of candlelight, to align their minds with the possibilities that lay beyond the confines of the darkness.

No matter how they cover their traces into underground chambers, the forces of darkness soon found out about Chen’s activity, and ordered everyone to hunt and capture Chen and his people. Yet, despite dangers that lurked around every corner, Chen refused to abandon his quest for enlightenment. He secretly continued to teaching people to read in write while sharing his knowledge to everyone.

In the depths of despair, Chen found some like-minded individuals, who shared his vision of a world where knowledge was freely accessible to all. Together they formed a network of scholars dedicated to preserve literacy in the face of overwhelming darkness.

Through their collective efforts, the flame of enlightenment grew stronger, casting its radiance across the kingdom and dispelling the shadows of ignorance that had long plagued its people. Finally, it was not through force or violence that triumphed over the forces of darkness, but through the power of Chen’s consciousness that he found from the sprout, and his unwavering conviction that knowledge is the greatest weapon against tyranny, as represented by the Chinese character 不 (bù) that was originally “born” into “no”, from the character 胚 which means “germ” or “sprout”.