The Ecological And Philosophical Meaning Contained In The Mongolian Culture Of Fire

Fire has marked the beginning of the history of human beings. As an important component of the human beings’splendid culture, the culture of fire is a reflection of a comprehensive culture which mixed the elements of society, politics, and economy. Every nation has its own culture of the fire, and there is no exception for the nomadic Mongolian nation. It has had the abundant culture of fire since the old time. With the development of the history, the ecological concept of the Mongolian culture of fire has been gradually formed and has become an indispensable part of the whole Mongolian culture. The Mongolian ecological concepts of the fire culture including the ecological ethics, ecological customs and legal taboos have imposed great influence on the relationship between the nomadic people and nature. These concepts also play an important role in protecting the grasslands and the environment. In recent years, a vast sea of scholars have made research about the culture of fire. However, the number of the theses which select the culture of fire as a relatively national culture to make a research can be counted by fingers.Based on the analysis of the ecological and philosophical thoughts contained and entailed in the Mongolian culture of fire, this thesis will elaborate the significant and practical meanings of the fire culture which has affected the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. This thesis is composed of five parts.In the first part, it states the selection of the topic, the significance of this research, the present researching state at home and abroad, the researching approaches and the originality of this thesis.In the second part, it presents some legends about the origin of the fire in Mongolian nation and in other nations. The Mongolian custom about the memorial ceremony for the God of fire is introduced by several factors, such as the background of forming the concept of the Fire God, and when, where and how the memorial ceremony is held. In the third part, it briefly summarizes the symbolization of the fire and the taboos about fire in the Mongolian nation. The fire symbolizes the luminosity, which can expel evils, the purity, which can purify minds and the divinity, which can protect the security of families. The taboos resulting from the realistic and practical function in people’s life are also discussed.In the forth part, it elaborates the ecological and philosophical ideology entailed in the Mongolian custom about the memorial ceremony for the fire. The elaboration covers four aspects ranging from the ecological sense of respecting lives, the natural idea about the harmonious relationship between humans and nature, the natural values of souls of all creatures and the ecological ethics of the awe and veneration for nature. Through the four aspects, the author of the thesis summarizes the ecological and philosophical thoughts about fire and further explains the referential function for the current concepts of the scientific development.In the fifth part, based on the exploration of the fire culture of Mongolian nation and its effect on the harmonious relationship between humans and nature, the thesis concludes that this research will be beneficial for improving people’s sense of protecting the environment, the consciousness for inheriting the excellent culture of the Mongolian tradition and the construction of the harmonious society.