Ji Xianlin, the reluctant master

By Xiao Dao (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-13 09:08

On his return in 1946 he became a professor at Peking University and soon founded the department of Eastern languages in the university.

During the "cultural revolution" (1967-77), he spent five years translating the 2.8 million-word ancient Indian epic Ramayana from Sanskrit into Chinese.

On January 26, 2008, the government of India awarded Ji the Padma Bhushan, one of the country's top civilian awards.

In 1978, Ji became vice president of Peking University and director of the Chinese Academy of Science's Research Institute on South Asia. He also served as chairman of various professional organizations, including the Chinese Foreign Literature Association, the Chinese South Asian Association and the Chinese Language Society.

Ji published 11 academic books and over 200 papers in more than 10 academic fields, including Chinese cultural research, comparative literature, and Sanskrit.

Ji maintained that "Cultural exchange is the main drive for humankind's progress. Only by learning from each other's strong points to make up for shortcomings can people constantly progress, the ultimate target of which is to achieve a kind of Great Harmony."

In 2003 Ji moved into No 301 hospital because of health problems, but continued reading and writing there.

The day before his passing he was talking to an editor about new book plans and wrote in calligraphy.

In 1986, he wrote an article titled A Few Words for Hu Shi (1891-1962), who was a famous and controversial Chinese scholar and diplomat. His piece shocked the literary world.

Back in the mid 1980s, Hu was seen in a very negative light and few dared to touch this taboo topic.

Ji's friends worried about him for writing such a risky article, but he maintained that even if Hu did make unforgivable mistakes, his contributions to modern Chinese literature should not be ignored.

Winning support from many scholars later, his article broke the ice for the re-evaluation of the modern Chinese literature.

"One thing about Ji that deserves our admiration is that he never fears to tell the truth. He speaks out what he thinks," says Zhao.

In 1998, Ji published Memoirs from the Cowshed (Niupeng Zayi), a resonating book recording his experience in the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) and reflection on the turmoil.

"This small book is written with tears and blood," he wrote. "It is my biggest joy to finish it when I am alive. It is the best gift I can give to the young generations."

In the "cultural revolution", Ji thought of committing suicide once after suffering terrifying torture.

He survived and worked as a concierge of students' dormitory. During that time he finished the translation of Ramayana, often working secretly on paper slips.

In Cowshed, Ji calls for those who have experienced the "cultural revolution" to reflect on their past and inner world, and learn a real lesson from the turbulent decade.

"I have a strong faith that if the process of such a disaster is truthfully recorded, it will be a mirror for our great nationality," he once said. "To look at ourselves in the mirror often will be very beneficial."

Chen Pingyuan, professor of Peking University, says the book reveals his reflection on politics. "He is never restricted to his major. We miss such scholars who focus not only on academics, but also social and political reality," Chen says.

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