Friday, July 31, 2015

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 5

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 5


"Nature is non-benevolent.
It regards the masses as straw dogs.
The Holy Man is non-benevolent.
He regards the masses as straw dogs.
The space between the heaven and the earth is like a bellows;
though unsupported, it does not warp; when in motion the more it expels.
Though words could exhaust this theme, they would not be so profitable
As the preservation of its inner essence."
-  Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 5



"Nature is indifferent to life.
It realizes everything is as a straw dog
(a sacrificial animal-image).
The truly wise are also indifferent to life.
They realize humanity is as a straw dog.
The universe is like a bellows:
empty, yet quite full.
As it proceeds, it produces.
Much talk, much exhaustion.
Keep your thoughts within!"
-  Translated by C. Ganson, Chapter 5 


"Heaven and Earth do not claim to be kindhearted or pitiful.
To them all things and all creatures are as straw dogs brought to the sacrifice and afterwards discarded.
Nor is the Sage kindhearted or pitiful.
To him to the people are as straw dogs.
But the space between Heaven and Earth may be likened to a bellows:
It seems empty, and yet it gives all that is required of it.
The more it is worked, the more it yields.
Whereas the force puffed up by words is soon exhausted.
Better to hold fast to that which dwells within the heart."
-  Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 5  



天地不仁, 以萬物為芻狗.
聖人不仁, 以百姓為芻狗. 
天地之間, 其猶橐籥乎.
虛而不屈.
動而愈出. 
多言數窮.
不如守中. 
-  Chinese characters, Chapter 5, Tao Te Ching


t'ien ti pu jên, yi wan wu wei ch'u kou. 
shêng jên pu jên, yi pai hsing wei ch'u kou.
t'ien ti chih chien, ch'i yu t'o yo hu. 
hsü erh pu ch'u.
tung erh yü ch'u.
to yen shu ch'iung.
pu ju shou chung.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Chapter 5, Tao Te Ching



"Heaven and Earth have no humanity;
They regard all things as straw-dogs.
The sage has no humanity;
He regards the people as straw-dogs.
Between Heaven and Earth, it is like a bellows or a flute!
Empty, but not exhausted;
With movement, more comes out.
Too much talk always exhausts;
It is better to keep to the inside."
-  Translated by Yi Wu, Chapter 5



"Heaven and earth are not merciful,
They treat all things as straw dogs;
The sage is not merciful,
He treats the people as straw dogs.
Does not the space between heaven and earth form like a bellows?
It is empty but the air in it can never be exhausted;
The more air it expels, the more comes out.
That is why too many government decrees only result in more failures.
It is better, therefore, to hold fast to moderation and the void."
-  Translated by Gu Zhengkun, Chapter 5



"Heaven and Earth are not humane.
They regard all things a straw dogs.
The sage is not humane.
He regards all people as straw dogs.
How Heaven and Earth are like a bellows.
While vacuous, it is never exhausted.
When active, it produces even more.
Much talk will of course come to a dead end.
It is better to keep to the centre."
-  Translated by Chan Wing-Tsit, 1963, Chapter 5   



"El universo no tiene afecciones humanas:
todas las cosas del mundo son para él como un perro de paja.
El santo no tiene affeciones humanas;
el pueblo es para él como un perro de paja.

El universo es iqual que un fuelle de forja;
vacío, pero no aplanado.
Cuanto máa se le mueve, más exhala,
cuanto más se habla de él, menos se le comprende,
más vale insertarse en el."
-  Translated by Alba, 1998, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 5 



"Himmel und Erde sind nicht gütig.
Ihnen sind die Menschen wie stroherne Opferhunde, Der Berufene ist nicht gütig.
Ihm sind die Menschen wie stroherne Opferhunde.
Der Zwischenraum zwischen Himmel und Erde ist wie eine Flöte,
leer und fällt doch nicht zusammen;
bewegt kommt immer mehr daraus hervor.
Aber viele Worte erschöpfen sich daran.
Besser ist es, das Innere zu bewahren."
-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 5


"Heaven and Earth are impartial;
They see the ten thousand things as straw dogs.
The wise are impartial;
They see the people as straw dogs.
The space between heaven and Earth is like a bellows.
The shape changes but not the form;
The more it moves, the more it yields.
More words count less.
Hold fast to the center."
-  Translated by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English, 1989, Chapter 5  



"The Sage does not take sides,
He welcomes both saints and sinners.
The Tao works upon man as it works upon the grasses of the fields.
Sages act out of the need for rightness, not purely compassion.
The Tao is like a bellows, even though it appears empty, its workings are obvious,
Yet the more you use it the more it produces, it is inexhaustible.
Yet speaking of it will not increase the comprehension.
Hold to the center path."
-  Translated by John Dicus, 2002, Chapter 5 



A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter.  Each webpage for one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words and terms in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 5, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  
 






Thursday, July 30, 2015

The Closest Thing to Doing Nothing is Walking

“To walk is to lack a place.  It is the indefinite process of being absent and in search of a proper.”
-  Michel de Certeau 

“I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit.”
-  Henry David Thoreau 


“Thinking is generally thought of as doing nothing in a production-oriented culture, and doing nothing is hard to do. It's best done by disguising it as doing something, and the something closest to doing nothing is walking.”
-  Rebecca Solnit  

“Walks. The body advances, while the mind flutters around it like a bird.”
-  Jules Renard  

"Walking is the perfect way of moving if you want to see into the life of things.  It is the one way of freedom.  If you go to a place on anything but your own feet you are taken there too fast, and miss a thousand delicate joys that were waiting for you by the wayside.”
-  Elizabeth von Arnim  

“I find more pleasure in wandering the fields than in musing among my silent neighbors who are insensible to everything but toiling and talking of it and that to no purpose.”
-  John Clare 


"Walking and talking are two very great pleasures, but it is a mistake to combine them.  Our own noise blots out the sounds and silences of the outdoor world; and talking leads almost inevitably to smoking, and then farewell to nature as far as one of our senses is concerned.  The only friend to walk with is one... who so exactly shares your taste for each mood of the countryside that a glance, a halt, or at most a nudge, is enough to assure us that the pleasure is shared.”
-  C. S. Lewis


“After a day's walk everything has twice its usual value.”
-  George Macauley Trevelyan


Walking: Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Lore, Information 





Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Bounty of Peaches


We have a number of peach trees in our orchard.  The numerous varieties of peaches ripen here in June, July, and August.  We eat, preserve, and give away.  Birds also enjoy the peaches. 








"If any sense in mortal dust remains
When mine has been refin'd from flower to flower,
Won from the sun all colours, drunk the shower
And delicate winy dews, and gain'd the gains
Which elves who sleep in airy bells, a-swing
Through half a summer day, for love bestow,
Then in some warm old garden let me grow
To such a perfect, lush, ambrosian thing
As this. Upon a southward-facing wall
I bask, and feel my juices dimly fed
And mellowing, while my bloom comes golden grey:
Keep the wasps from me! but before I fall
Pluck me, white fingers, and o'er two ripe-red
Girl lips O let me richly swoon away!"
-  Edward Dowden, In the Garden VI: A Peach



The Peaches of Immortality and the Queen Mother of the West, Hsi Wang Mu



The saint of longevity, Shou, sits inside
the Sacred Peach.  In his hands he holds
a sacred peach and a dragon staff. 




In the picutre below, Dongfang Shuo, circa 100 BCE, steals a sacred peach.






"Domestic wall-hanging embroidered with the image of Hsi-wang-mu,
the Queen Mother of the West, with phoenix and offering dish, and
three bats (fu) pun symbol for happiness.  The Eight Immortals appear
at the sides.  Late nineteenth century, Ch'ing Dynasty.  110" x 59''."
Looks to me like She is carrying four peaches on the offering dish. 
Tao: The Eastern Philosophy of Time and Change 



"The peach (Prunus persica) is a deciduous tree, native to Northwest China, in the region between the Tarim Basin and the north slopes of the Kunlun Shan mountains, where it was first domesticated and cultivated.  It bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach.  The specific epithet persica refers to its widespread cultivation in Persia, whence it was transplanted to Europe. It belongs to the genus Prunus which includes the cherry and plum, in the family Rosaceae. The peach is classified with the almond in the subgenus Amygdalus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell.  Peach and nectarines are the same species, even though they are regarded commercially as different fruits. In contrast to peaches, whose fruits present the characteristic fuzz on the skin, nectarines are characterized by the absence of fruit-skin trichomes (fuzz-less fruit); genetic studies suggest nectarines are produced due to a recessive allele, whereas peaches are produced from a dominant allele for fuzzy skin.  China is the world's largest producer of peaches."
Peach - Wikipedia

Monday, July 27, 2015

Daodejing Chart


Tao Te Ching
 Chapter Number Index


Standard Traditional Chapter Arrangement of the Daodejing
Chapter Order in Wang Bi's Daodejing Commentary in 246 CE
Chart by Mike Garofalo
Subject Index
 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
81

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Desirable Virtues

Thirteen Necessary or Desirable Virtues

1. Temperance.  Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2.  Silence.  Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3.  Order.  Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 
4.  Resolution.  Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5.  Frugality.  Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; waste nothing.
6.  Industry.  Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7.  Sincerity.  Use not hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8.  Justice.  Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9.  Moderation.  Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10.  Cleanliness.  Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. 
11.  Tranquility.  Be not disturbed by trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. 
12.  Chastity.  Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; never to dullness, weakness, or injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13.  Humility.  Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

-  Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography 1771-1784
   From The Portable Enlightenment Reader, edited by Isaac Kramnick, 1995, p.484
 


How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Virtues

A Philosopher's Notebooks




Friday, July 24, 2015

Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 6

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 6


"The manifestations of Infinity never cease manifesting.  
Infinity is the primal creator, the oneness of male and female.
Infinity is the gate though which heaven and earth manifested.
It is invisible to the senses, yet totally permeates all things.
It is inexhaustible and eternally available for any purpose."
-  Translated by John Worldpeace, Chapter 6


"The Tao is called the Great Mother:
empty yet never-ending,
it gives birth to unlimited worlds.
It is always at hand within you.
Use it gently, and without force."
-   Translated by Rivenrock, Chapter 6 


"The unlimited capacity of valleys;
the unbelievable power of Spirits;
and the unending life of immortality are called the Profound Origin Mother.
The beginning of the Profound Origin Mother is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endlessly, endlessly!
It is existing.
Yet its usefulness is invisible."
-  Translated by Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 6


"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain."
-  Translated by James Legge, 1891, Chapter 6    
 
 
"The valley spirit dies not, aye the same;
The female mystery thus do we name.
Its gate, from which at first they issued forth,
Is called the root from which grew heaven and earth.
Long and unbroken does its power remain,
Used gently, and without the touch of pain."
-  Translated by Stephen McIntyre, 2009, Chapter 6 
 
 
谷神不死, 是謂玄牝.
玄牝之門.
是謂天地根.
綿綿若存.
用之不勤.
-  Chinese characters, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching



ku shên pu ssu, shih wei hsüan p'in.
hsüan p'in chih mên.
shih wei t'ien ti kên.
mien mien jo ts'un.
yung chih pu ch'in.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Chapter 6, Tao Te Ching  



"The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb
as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it.
The valley spirit that doesn't die we call the dark womb the dark womb's mouth
we call the source of creation as real as gossamer silk and yet we can't exhaust it."
-  Translated by Red Pine, Chapter 6



"The spirit of the valley does not die
It may be known as the mysterious feminine
The gateway of the mysterious feminine
May be known as the source of heaven and earth
Endless, continuous, seeming to exist
To practice this is not effort."
-  Translated by Bradford Hatcher, 2005, Chapter 6  



"La Esencia del Todo no muere.
Es la Mujer Misteriosa, Madre del Universo.
El camino de la Mujer Misteriosa
es la raíz del Cielo y de la Tierra.
Su duración es perenne, su eficiencia infatigable."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013,
Capítulo 6  

Valley Spirit, Gu Shen, Concept, Chapter 6 


"The unlimited capacity of valleys;
the unbelievable power of Spirits;
and the unending life of immortality are called the Profound Origin Mother.
The beginning of the Profound Origin Mother is the root of Heaven and Earth.
Endlessly, endlessly!
It is existing.
Yet its usefulness is invisible."
-  Translated by Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 6


"Der Geist des Tals stirbt nicht,
das heißt das dunkle Weib.
Das Tor des dunklen Weibs,
das heißt die Wurzel von Himmel und Erde.
Ununterbrochen wie beharrend
wirkt es ohne Mühe."
-  Translated by Richard Wilhelm, 1911, Chapter 6


"The Tao never dies;
It is a deep womb.
And the opening of the womb
Is called the root of heaven and earth.
It exists for ever,
And its use can never be exhausted."
-  Translated by Gu Zengkun, Chapter 6



A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter.  Each webpage for one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words and terms in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  









Thursday, July 23, 2015

Martial Arts Cults

Is Your Martial Art a Cult?

Posted at Mokuren Dojo

  • The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.‪ 
  • Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.‪ Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).‪ 
  • The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).‪ 
  • The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).‪ 
  • The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.‪ 
  • The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).‪ 
  • The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).‪ 
  • The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt in order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.‪ 
  • Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.‪ 
  • The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.‪ 
  • The group is preoccupied with making money.‪ 
  • Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.‪ 
  • Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.‪ 
  • The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Learning Taijiquan

The most frequent question I am asked is "Where I live there are no Taijiquan teachers of the the Taijiquan style X that I want to learn.  How do I go about learning Taijiquan Style X?"

You always need to learn Tai Chi by observing someone doing the Taijiquan form you are studying, and listening carefully to their instructions.  Fortunately, in 2015, for most Taijiquan forms, you have from two to ten different choices of very knowledgeable instructors or Masters who teach the Taijiquan form that you are learning by means of good instructional DVDs or videos.  Also, for some popular Taijiquan forms there are excellent books or manuals available for the form you are learning, or very good online webpages on the form.  Sometimes there are VCDs that can be played on a home computer.  Finally, there are some online courses and UTube demonstrations of the form you are learning.  

You are learning the "basics" from a good live teacher and/or a good writer.  All Taijiquan is learned this way.  

My own webpages provide extensive bibliographies of these many learning resources.  I also provide many suggestions and remarks about learning specific forms using DVDs, videos, and books, e.g.,  Standard 24 Taijiquan Form.  

Instructional DVDs come in NTSC and PAL formats, with NTSC format being used on DVD players in the United States.  If you are purchasing your DVD from outside the United States it is most likely in the PAL format and will not work properly on your DVD player.  Caveat Emptor.  

I use a small desktop DVD player.  My Vzon model, playing the NTSC format, has a hand held DVD controller and controls on the machine.  I no longer use instructional VHS videos, because you can't as easily cue as with DVDs. 

You want to purchase a DVD that teaches the Taijiquan form.  You want an instructional DVD, not a demonstration DVD.  Advanced Tai Chi students can sometimes learn from a demonstration DVD, but not without much difficulty.  All Tai Chi learners can benefit from a good instructional DVD that breaks the form down into discrete sections (lessons, blocks) and provides detailed verbal instructions on how to perform the movements in each section.  Sometimes a section is called a "lesson" and might include three or four movements of the form.  The best instructional DVDs feature frequent repetition of a movement, clear voice over narration, the use of different camera angles for showing a movement sequence, sectional performance demonstrations, and complete demonstrations of the form from a front and back view.  It is essential to get the narration in the language you use, because it is very hard to read subtitles and carefully study the the movements visually at the same time.   

Study each DVD lesson carefully, make notes, memorize the names of the movements in that lesson, then immediately practice each lesson until you can perform the movement sequence in the lesson on your own.  Repeat, repeat, repeat!!  Don't move on to the next lesson until you can perform the movements in the lesson you are studying on your own.  Give yourself a little slack and accept being just "satisfactory" at performing each lesson.  Over time you will refine and perfect your performance.   

After learning the first lesson, then proceed in the same manner to learn the second lesson.  Then combine the first and second lesson and practice them together until you can perform them on your own.  Don't move on to lesson three until you can easily and smoothly perform lessons one and two combined.  To "learn" means to me to be able to remember and easily, consistently, and smoothly perform a sequence of movements on your own.  Study Lesson 1, practice and learn Lesson 1; study Lesson 2, practice and learn Lessons 1 + 2; study Lesson 3, practice and learn Lessons 1 + 2 + 3; study Lesson 4, practice and learn Lessons 1 + 2 + 3 +4, etc. 

As with all learning the keys are: daily study, careful study, paying attention, remembering, daily practice, patience, repetition, visualization, verbal cues, making notes, and confidence.  Take your time, don't rush, be patient.  The process of learning might take months.  

"With the development of information technology, the learners should further enhance their knowledge and perfect their skills through reading books and using the multimedia resources, such as video tapes and VCDs.  Sometimes, to some extent, you can master the competition routines even without a coach in person.  Quite a number of people are known to have learned and practice Tai Ji Quan by using the multimedia teaching materials and some even won places in competitions besides keeping fit.  But of course, if given a chance, it is always more beneficial to learn personally from masters."
- The Competition Routine of Sun Style Tai Ji Quan, Edited by Zhong Shan, p. 138.  

Here are some suggestions from Robert Chuckrow: 

"Whereas a form-instruction video is no substitute for a qualified teacher, those who live far from any teacher are still better off learning from a video than if they had no instruction at all. For those who have a teacher, a video can augment and accelerate the learning process. Finally, those who have had prior instruction in internal arts should be able to attain a substantial benefit from a video.

One method of learning a form from a video is to repeatedly do the entire form or blocks of the form along with the video. However, this method is not efficient because there is insufficient opportunity to reinforce each movement. A better way is to refrain from doing movement while watching the video (DVD). Rather, it is good to choose a small block of material, watch it a few times. Then, without any major physical action, visualize the sequence of movements as clearly as possible. Next, go back to the beginning of that block of material, and view and visualize it again a few times. Only after clear and complete visualization is achieved should the movements be attempted physically.

At first it will seem extremely difficult to work this way. With persistence, however, it is possible to achieve a level of visualization so intense that the imagined movements are almost as vivid as those seen on a TV screen. The dividends of the process of visualization are twofold: (1) By subduing the physical aspects of movement (e.g., balance, coordination, kinetic sense, timing), you can completely focus the mind on the details of the movement. (2) By cultivating the ability to visualize and mentally encompass complex details, you become increasingly able to observe and learn new movements quickly, especially in situations where it is not feasible to move while observing (e.g., dreams, teacher showing movements while the class watches). Referring to the dimension of self-defense, the more you can observe and mentally encompass the movements of the opponent, the greater the advantage achieved."
- Robert Chuckrow, The Tai Chi Book, YMAA Publication Center, Boston, MA, 1998, pp. 119–120




Monday, July 20, 2015

War, It's Just a Shot Away






Gimme Shelter was composed by Mick Jagger, and played by the Rolling Stones in the 1969 album Let it Bleed.

"Yeah, a storm is threatening
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Lord, I'm gonna fade away

War, children, yeah, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, yeah, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away, hey, yeah

Oh, see the fire is sweepin'
At our streets today
Burnin' like a red coal carpet
A mad bull lost its way
War, children, yeah, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, yeah, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away, hey, yeah

Rape, murder, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Rape, murder, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Rape, murder, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Yeah, a storm is threatening
My very life today
A gimme, a gimme shelter
Or I'm gonna fade away

War, children, yeah, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, yeah, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away, shot away, shot away
It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away, shot away, shot away


I tell love, sister, yeah, it's just a kiss away
I tell love, sister, yeah, it's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away, it's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away, it's just a kiss away
Kiss away, kiss away
It's just a kiss away, it's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away, it's just a kiss away
Kiss away, kiss away, kiss away, kiss away
Gimme shelter, yeah, gimme shelter,yeah
Gimme shelter, yeah, gimme shelter
Gimme shelter, gimme shelter




Sunday, July 19, 2015

Beware of Working Outdoors in High Temperatures

Summer daytime temperatures in Red Bluff, California, have consistently climbed to from 95F to 108F the past month. 

Last Friday, I worked hard outdoors all day.  The hard work and high temperatures over- stressed my 70 year old body.  I needed to rest indoors all Saturday from 11 am, and plan to do the same today. 

Extra water and minerals are important to use during these hot days.  However, older persons need to be sensible about how much vigorous activity can be done in high temperatures. 

Be careful and stay healthy!  


Friday, July 17, 2015

Tao Te Ching (Daodejing), Chapter 7

Dao De Jing by Laozi (Lao Tzu)
Chapter 7


"Heaven lasts long, and Earth abides.
What is the secret of their durability?
Is it not because they do not live for themselves
That they can live so long?
Therefore, the Sage wants to remain behind,
But finds himself at the head of others;
Reckons himself out,
But finds himself safe and secure.
Is it not because he is selfless
That his Self is realized?"
-  Translated by John C. H. Wu, Chapter 7   



"Heaven is eternal: the Earth is ever-renewing.
Why?
Surely it is because they do not live for themselves:
That is why they endure.
And so it is with the Sage.
He keeps himself in the background,
And yet he is always to be found in the forefront.
He is ever unmindful of himself,
And yet he is preserved.
Is it not because he seeks no personal success that all his aims are fulfilled?"
-  Translated by Herman Ould, 1946, Chapter 7  



"Heaven is everlasting; Earth endures.
The reason of the endurance of Heaven and Earth is that they were not self-produced.
Therefore it is that they are able to endure for ever.
Thus, though the Sage in imitation of them regards the cultivation of his body as of secondary importance.
His his body still progresses of its own accord.
He he discards his body, and yet his body is preserved.
Is not this because he has no selfishness?
Wherefore he is able to realize all his wishes."
-  Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 7  


"The universe is everlasting.
The reason the universe is everlasting
Is that it does not life for Self.
Therefore it can long endure.
Therefore the Sage puts himself last,
And finds himself in the foremost place;
Regards his body as accidental,
And his body is thereby preserved.
Is it not because he does not live for Self
That his Self is realized?"
-  Translated by Lin Yutang, 1955, Chapter 7


天長地久.
天地所以能長且久者.
以其不自生.
故能長生.
是以聖人後其身而身先.
外其身而身存.
非以其無私耶.
故能成其私.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 7   


tian chang di jiu.
tian di suo yi neng chang qie jiu zhe.
yi qi bu zi sheng.
gu neng chang sheng.
shi yi sheng ren hou qi shen er shen xian.
wai qi shen er shen cun.
fei yi qi wu si ye.
gu neng cheng qi si.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 7  



"Heaven is lasting, Earth endures.
What enables Heaven and Earth to last and endure?
Because they do not live for themselves - so it is that they can live so long.
And so, the Wise Person: Puts himself last, and so finds himself in front.
He puts himself in the out group, and so maintains his place.
The personal does not exist for him.
Isn't this how he can perfect what for him is most personal?"
-  Translated by Michael LaFargue, 1992, Chapter 7   



"El cielo y la tierra son eternos.
El cielo y la tierra deben su eterna duración
a que no hacen de sí mismos
la razón de su existencia.
Por ello son eternos.
El sabio queda atrás, por lo mismo es el primero.
Está desapegado, por eso es uno con todo.
A través de sus acciones generosas logra la plenitud."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capítulo 7


"Heaven is endless, and Earth is durable. 
They are durable and endless because they do not take anything personally.  
The Sages therefore overcome their Ego-interests, and their Souls speak;
They do not think of themselves as their Egos, yet those remain present.
Being beyond their purely Egoistic motives, they can accomplish their goals."
-  Translated by Jerry C. Welch, 1998, Chapter 7  


 
"The universe is deathless,
Is deathless because, having no finite self,
It stays infinite.
A sound man by not advancing himself
Stays the further ahead of himself,
By not confining himself to himself
Sustains himself outside himself:
By never being an end in himself
He endlessly becomes himself."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 7  




A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter.  Each webpage for one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words and terms in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 7, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  



Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Marshall Ho'o's Nine Temple Chi Kung Exercises

Nine Temple Qigong Exercises

The Temple Qigong (Chi Kung) form consists of nine exercises.  It was popularized by Grand Master Marshall Ho'o (1910-1993) of Los Angeles, California.  It is also referred to as the Nine Temple Exercises, or the Marshall Ho'o Temple Exercises.  



My webpage on Temple Qigong provides a bibliography, links, the names of the movements, and an explanation of each movement.  





Marshall Ho'o wrote a book 1968 which included an explanation with photographic illustrations of the Temple Qigong set.  The black and white photos in that book were of poor quality and the editing was unsatisfactory.  An instructional DVD also teaches this form.  



"Dr. Ho'o was instrumental in the certification of acupuncture in the State of California. He was the first Tai Chi Master to have been elected to the Black Belt Hall of Fame.  He was Dean of the Aspen Academy of Martial & Healing Arts, on the faculty of California Institute of the Arts, and taught Tai Chi and Acupressure at many educational institutions.  In 1973, he created a series for KCET public television, in Los Angeles, teaching Tai Chi.  He was a consultant to Prevention Magazine's The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies.  A Chinese American, Dr. Ho'o was America's first Tai Chi Chuan Grandmaster.  His influence is far-reaching in both the fields of healing and martial arts."
The Lineage, Teachers of Two Birds Tai Chi



Tai Chi Chuan  By Marshall Hoo.  Burbank, California, Ohara Publications, Inc., 1986, 1993.  111 pages.  ISBN: 0897501098.  VSCL.  The Nine Temple exercise set is briefly described in this book on pages 18-42.  Each movement is clearly illustrated by four to eight clear black and white photographs of a woman doing the form.  The Taijiquan is the Standard 24 Form in the Yang Style. 


Tai Chi Chuan: The 27 forms by Marshall Hoo .   Instructional DVD, released in 2005, by Marshall Ho'o.  Black Belt Videos, 90 minutes.  Includes the Nine Temple Qigong.   


Sunday, July 05, 2015

Family Visit

This post covers the time period from Friday June 26th until Monday, July 13th, 2015, in Red Bluff, California.

Our two children, Alicia and Mick, their spouses, and our two grandchildren have visited Karen and I in Red Bluff during the period of time described above.

Alicia, Katelyn, and Makenna visited us from 6/27 to 7/1.  Then, they headed off as tourists and visiting with old friends in Southern California, including some at Palm Springs, Orange County, and some at Ventura and Santa Clara along the coast. 

Mick and April visited us from 7/3-7/9.  April and Mick attended numerous wedding events in Corning on the 4th of July weekend. 

Alicia, Sean, Katelyn, and Makenna visited us from 7/10 to 7/13.  Katelyn turns 9 in July, and we celebrated her birthday twice.   

We have enjoyed ourselves and kept ourselves very busy.  Yesterday, 6/12, for example we all went up to Brandy Creek Beach on the south side of Whiskeytown Lake.  It was an overcast day with temperatures in the 80's.  Lovely green forested mountains on all sides. 

I've watched some of the Tour de France nearly every day on DVD delay. 

Resting my shoulder.  No back porch work.  Sleeping soundly. 







Saturday, July 04, 2015

What Will Remain of You

"When you die, only three things will remain of you, since you will abandon all material things on the threshold of the Otherworld: what you have taught to others, what you have created with your hands, and how much love you have spread. So learn more and more in order to teach wise, long-lasting values. Work more and more to leave the world things of great beauty. And love people around you for the Light of Love heals everything."
- François Bourillon

Triads: Wisdom Sayings of the Celts, Druids, and Neopagans


Seven Precepts of Merlin:
"First:  Labor Diligently to acquire knowledge, for it is power. 
Second:  When in authority, decide reasonably, for thine authority may cease. 
Third:  Bear with fortitude the ills of life, remembering that no mortal sorrow is perpetual. 
Fourth:  Love virtue - for it bringeth peace. 
Fifth:  Abhor vice - for it bringeth evil upon all. 
Sixth:  Obey those in authority in all just things, that virtue may be exalted. 
Seventh:  Cultivate the social virtues, so shalt thou be beloved by all men. 
The motto of the Druids the world over is “United to Assist.”
The aim of the Druids is Unity, Peace and Concord.”"

-  Isaac Bonewits, Bonewit's Essential Guide to Druidism, 2006, p.162.



How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey



Friday, July 03, 2015

Daodejing Translations: English and Spanish

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter.  Each webpage for one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words and terms in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  




Here is an example of some of the translations and/or interpolations for:

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Daodejing by Laozi


Chapter 8


"One of universal nature is like water;
He benefits all things
But does not contend with them. 
He unprotestingly takes the lowest position;
Thus, he is close to the universal truth.
One of universal virtue chooses to live
In a suitable environment. 
He attunes his mind to become profound.   
In his speech, he is sincere.
His rule brings about order. 
His work is efficient. 
His actions are opportune. 
One of deep virtue does not contend with people:
Thus, he is above reproach."
-  Translated by Hua-Ching Ni, 1979, Chapter 8  



"Highest good is like water.
Because water excels in benefiting the myriad creatures
    without contending with them and settles where none would like to be,
    it comes close to the way.
In a home it is the site that matters;
In quality of mind it is depth that matters;
In an ally it is benevolence that matters;
In speech it is good faith that matters;
In government it is order that matters;
In affairs it is ability that matters;
In action it is timeliness that matters.
It is because it does not contend that it is never at fault."
-  Translated by D. C. Lau, 1963, Chapter 8   


"The highest goodness, water-like,
Does good to everything and goes
Unmurmuring to places men despise;
But so, is close in nature to the Way.
If the good of the house is from land,
Or the good of the mind is depth,
Or love is the virtue of friendship,
Or honesty blesses one's talk,
Or in government, goodness is order,
Or in business, skill is admired,
Or the worth of an act lies in timing,
Then peace is the goal of the Way
By which no one ever goes astray."
-  Translated by Raymond Blackney, 1955, Chapter 8  



"Perfect excellence is like gentle water.
Gentle water benefits all things and yet it does not struggle.
Do away with what all people hate.
Thus this is approaching Dao.
Give to what is of perfect personnel.
Stay in a perfect place,
think in a perfect way,
cooperate with perfect people,
speak perfect truth,
govern in perfect order,
work for perfect potentiality,
move when the time is perfect.
Because of non-struggle, therefore, there is no blame."
-  Translated by Tang Zi-Chang, Chapter 8  



上善若水.
水善利萬物而不爭.
處衆人之所惡.
故幾於道.
居善地心善淵.
與善仁.
言善信.
正善治.
事善能.
動善時.
夫唯不爭, 故無尤.
-  Chinese characters, Chapter 8, Tao Te Ching



shang shan jo shui.
shui shan li wan wu erh pu chêng.
ch'u chung jên chih so wu.
ku chi yü tao.
chü shan ti hsin shan yüan.
yü shan jên.
yen shan hsin.
chêng shan chih.
shih shan nêng.
tung shan shih.
fu wei pu cheng, ku wu wu. 
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8



"True goodness is like water, in that it benefits everything and harms nothing.
Like water it ever seeks the lowest place, the place that all others avoid.
It is closely kin to the Dao.  
For a dwelling it chooses the quiet meadow; for a heart the circling eddy.
In generosity it is kind,
In speech it is sincere,
In authority it is order,
In affairs it is ability,
In movement it is rhythm.
In as much as it is always peaceable it is never rebuked."
-  Translated by Dwight Goddard and Henri Borel, 1919, Chapter 8  



"The best way to life is to be like water
For water benefits all things and goes against none of them
It provides for all people and even cleanses those places a man is loath to go
In this way it is just like Tao
Live in accordance with the nature of things
Build your house on solid ground
Keep your mind still
When giving, be kind
When speaking, be truthful
When ruling, be just
When working, be one-pointed
When acting, remember ?timing is everything
One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things
He moves in harmony with the present moment always knowing the truth of just what to do"
-  Translated by Johathan Star, 2001, Chapter 8  



"La Suprema Bondad es como el agua.
El agua es buena y útil a los diez mil seres por igual.
No tiene preferencias por ninguno en especial.
Fluye en sitios que los hombres suelen rechazar,
al igual que sucede con el Tao.
Por esto, estar cerca del Tao implica que:
Al escoger tu morada,
has de saber cómo no apartarte de la tierra.
Al cultivar tu mente,
has de saber cómo bucear en las profundidades ocultas.
Al tratar con los demás,
has de saber ser amable y bondadoso.
Al hablar, has de saber medir tus palabras.
Al gobernar, has de saber cómo promover el equilibrio.
Al administrar, has de saber ser eficaz y justo.
Cuando actúes,
has de saber escoger el momento oportuno.
El Sabio que consiente en ello no rivaliza con los otros,
y Por lo tanto, no se equivoca."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013,
Capítulo 8 


"El mejor de los hombres es semejante al agua,
La cual beneficia a todas las cosas, sin ser contenida por ninguna,
Fluye por lugares que otros desdeñan,
Donde se acerca más deprisa al Tao.
Así, el sabio:
Donde mora, se acerca más deprisa a la tierra,
En el gobierno, se acerca más deprisa al orden,
Hablando, se acerca más deprisa a la verdad,
Haciendo tratos, se acerca más deprisa a los hombres,
Actuando, se acerca más deprisa a la oportunidad,
En el trabajo, se acerca más deprisa a lo competente,
En sentimientos, se acerca más deprisa al corazón;
No lucha, y así permanece libre de culpa."
-  Translated by Antonio Rivas Gonzálvez, 1998,
Capítulo 8


"The best are like water
bringing help to all
without competing
choosing what others avoid
hence approaching the Tao
dwelling with earth  
thinking with depth 
helping with kindness
speaking with truth 
governing with peace 
working with skill
moving with time 
and because they don't compete
they aren't maligned."
-  Translated by Bill (Red Pine) Porter, 1996, Chapter 8