Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Monday, October 30, 2023
Great Determination and Great Effort
Repost from 2015:
My yoga classes have their greatest attendance in January and February of each year. Students join the gym because of a New Year's Resolution to improve their health and fitness, loose weight, or share an activity with a friend or loved one.
Keeping up efforts to accomplish a resolution, goal, objective, or intention requires great effort and great determination.
In China, there is a legend about a carp or salmon struggling upstream against many obstacles to bring a new generation into being. Accomplishing the tasks toward a goal is referred to as passing through the Dragon's Gate. Scholars who have successfully completed all the requirements of a university curriculum, passed all the tests, are said to have graduated and passed through the Dragon's Gate and thus have transformed themselves into something new and improved.
May each of you have great determination and exert great effort to accomplish your chosen goals and objectives in 2015.
Here is a version of the legendary story of the Redfin Carp passing through the Dragon's Gate, as told by the Japanese Zen Master, Haikuin Ekaku:
"Redfin Carp pledged a solemn vow. "I shall swim beyond the Dragon Gates. I shall brave the perilous bolts of fire and lightening. I shall transcend the estate of ordinary fish and achieve a place among the order of sacred dragons. I shall rid myself forever of the terrible suffering to which my race is heir, expunge every trace of our shame and humiliation."
Waiting until the third day of the third month, when the peach blossoms are in flower and the river is full, he made his way to the entrance of the YĆ¼ Barrier. Then, with a flick of his tail, Redfin Carp swam forth.
You men have never laid eyes on the awesome torrent of water that rolls through the Dragon Gates. It falls all the way from the summits of the far-off Kunlun Range with tremendous force. There are wild, thousand foot waves that rush down through gorges towering to dizzying heights on either side, carrying away whole hillsides as they go. Angry bolts of thunder beat down with a deafening roar. Moaning whirlwinds whip up poisonous mists and funnels of noisome vapor spitting flashing forks of lightening. The mountain spirits are stunned into senselessness; the river spirits turn limp with fright. Just a drop of this water will shatter the carapace of the giant tortoise, it will break the bones of the giant whale.
It was into this maelstrom that Redfin Cary, his splendid golden-red scales girded to the full, his steely teeth thrumming like drums, mad a direct all-out assault. Ah! Golden Carp! Golden Carp! You might have led an ordinary life out in the boundless ocean. It teems with lesser fish. You would not have gone hungry. Then why? What made you embark on this wild and bitter struggle: What was waiting for you up beyond the Barrier?
Suddenly, after being seared by cliff-shattering bolts of lightning, after being battered by heaven scorching blast of thunder-fire, his scaly armor burnt from from head to tail, his fins singed through, Redfin Carp perished into the Great Death and rose again as a divine dragon─ a supreme lord of the waters. Now, with the thunder god at his head and a fire god at his rear, flanked right and left with the gods of rain and wind, he moves abroad with the clouds in one hand and mists in the other, bringing new life to the tender young shoots withering in the long parched desert lands, keepin the true Dharma safe amid the defilements of the degenerate world.
Had he been content to pass his life like a lame turtle or blind tortoise, feeding on winkles and tiny shrimps, not even all the effort Vasuki, Manasvi, and the other Dragon Kings might muster on his behalf could have done him any good. He could never have achieved the great success that he did."
- Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769), Japanese Zen Master and artist, "The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin," translated by Norman Waddell, 1994, p. 64
Willpower
Leaping Over the Dragons Gate
Taoism
Keeping up efforts to accomplish a resolution, goal, objective, or intention requires great effort and great determination.
In China, there is a legend about a carp or salmon struggling upstream against many obstacles to bring a new generation into being. Accomplishing the tasks toward a goal is referred to as passing through the Dragon's Gate. Scholars who have successfully completed all the requirements of a university curriculum, passed all the tests, are said to have graduated and passed through the Dragon's Gate and thus have transformed themselves into something new and improved.
May each of you have great determination and exert great effort to accomplish your chosen goals and objectives in 2015.
Here is a version of the legendary story of the Redfin Carp passing through the Dragon's Gate, as told by the Japanese Zen Master, Haikuin Ekaku:
"Redfin Carp pledged a solemn vow. "I shall swim beyond the Dragon Gates. I shall brave the perilous bolts of fire and lightening. I shall transcend the estate of ordinary fish and achieve a place among the order of sacred dragons. I shall rid myself forever of the terrible suffering to which my race is heir, expunge every trace of our shame and humiliation."
Waiting until the third day of the third month, when the peach blossoms are in flower and the river is full, he made his way to the entrance of the YĆ¼ Barrier. Then, with a flick of his tail, Redfin Carp swam forth.
You men have never laid eyes on the awesome torrent of water that rolls through the Dragon Gates. It falls all the way from the summits of the far-off Kunlun Range with tremendous force. There are wild, thousand foot waves that rush down through gorges towering to dizzying heights on either side, carrying away whole hillsides as they go. Angry bolts of thunder beat down with a deafening roar. Moaning whirlwinds whip up poisonous mists and funnels of noisome vapor spitting flashing forks of lightening. The mountain spirits are stunned into senselessness; the river spirits turn limp with fright. Just a drop of this water will shatter the carapace of the giant tortoise, it will break the bones of the giant whale.
It was into this maelstrom that Redfin Cary, his splendid golden-red scales girded to the full, his steely teeth thrumming like drums, mad a direct all-out assault. Ah! Golden Carp! Golden Carp! You might have led an ordinary life out in the boundless ocean. It teems with lesser fish. You would not have gone hungry. Then why? What made you embark on this wild and bitter struggle: What was waiting for you up beyond the Barrier?
Suddenly, after being seared by cliff-shattering bolts of lightning, after being battered by heaven scorching blast of thunder-fire, his scaly armor burnt from from head to tail, his fins singed through, Redfin Carp perished into the Great Death and rose again as a divine dragon─ a supreme lord of the waters. Now, with the thunder god at his head and a fire god at his rear, flanked right and left with the gods of rain and wind, he moves abroad with the clouds in one hand and mists in the other, bringing new life to the tender young shoots withering in the long parched desert lands, keepin the true Dharma safe amid the defilements of the degenerate world.
Had he been content to pass his life like a lame turtle or blind tortoise, feeding on winkles and tiny shrimps, not even all the effort Vasuki, Manasvi, and the other Dragon Kings might muster on his behalf could have done him any good. He could never have achieved the great success that he did."
- Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769), Japanese Zen Master and artist, "The Essential Teachings of Zen Master Hakuin," translated by Norman Waddell, 1994, p. 64
Willpower
Leaping Over the Dragons Gate
Taoism
Sunday, October 29, 2023
How Do You Get Out?
The Fireplace Records, Chapter 38
How Do You Get Out?
Porcupine Roshi was a jovial fellow. He enjoyed jokes. He laughed often. He was fond of riddles.
Porcupine Roshi died last winter of pneumonia. One of his friends was reading one of Porcuspine's many old notebooks. He found some curious riddles:
Imagine you are in a room with no windows or doors. How do you get out?
I dreamt I was in jail and to be executed for a crime I did not commit. How do I escape?
I thought about all the bad situations I could get myself into. This was driving me crazy. What can I do?
Answers: Stop imagining; stop dreaming; stop thinking for awhile.
How many sides does a Zen Circle have?
Two! The inside and the outside.
Porcupine drew a small circle on the ground with his stick. He sat outside the circle. Then, he said, "We must choose to sit outside of the Zen Circle, or sit inside of the Zen Circle, or standing strong and passing between the two sides of the Zen Circle while laughing at ourselves."
Comments, Sources, Observations, Koans, Poems, Quips:
Know the difference between fiction and non-fiction.
Reasoning can be more useful than dreams or imagination.
It is easy to distinguish between being awake or dreaming.
Deal with real events, not how you imagine them beforehand.
Think about or imagine something positive happening.
Don't let your imagination cripple you.
Nobody ever gets away from the grasp of Death.
Imagining something does not make it real.
Watch out for Porcupine Roshi's sharp quills.
Draw the Zen Circle wide enough so that many can sit within.
A few Zen Koans are riddles, and a few Riddles are zen koans.
Surprise laughter after a riddle's answer is a minor insight of sorts.
Some puzzles have no solution, no resolution, no conclusion.
Drawing a circle is a common metaphorical act in Zen.
What side of the Zen Circle are you on?
Riddles (200+ Riddles, with No Ads.)
Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Stories.
Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans
Zen Buddhist Koans: Indexes, Bibliography, Commentary, Information
Pulling Onions Over 1,043 One-line Sayings, Quips, Maxims, Humor
Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans
The Fireplace Records (Blog Version) By Michael P. Garofalo
Or
Friday, October 27, 2023
The Sound of One Hand 148 Koans Collection Indexes
The Sound of One Hand: 281 Zen Koans with Answers. Translation, research and commentary by Joel Hoffmann. Introduction by Dror Burstein. NRYB, 2016, 304 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
There are 144 koan cases, starting on page 75. The full text for each case is followed by possible acceptable answers or responses to the koan. The first 74 pages are very brief questions and answers regarding 137 other cases, without the full text for each case. Therefore, the total cases discussed are 281 koan cases. I have indexed only 148 Cases.
Indexed by Michael P. Garofalo.
Subject Index to the Sound of One Hand 148 Koans. PDF, 10/26/2023, 30 pages.
Case Number List to the Sound of One Hand 148 Koans. PDF, 10/26/2023, 6 pages.
Case Title List to the Sound of One Hand 148 Koans. PDF, 10/26/2023, 6 pages.
Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans
Buddhism: Bibliography, Links, Information, Resources. Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo.
Taoism: Bibliography, Links, Resources, Information. Compiled by Michael P. Garofalo.
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Waiting for the Master
The Fireplace Records, Chapter 37
Waiting for the Master
Act 1
[Philosopher Coyote and Reverent Hound Dog are sitting under some huge redwood trees along the Eel River by the bridge near Pepperwood. It was cold. They were shivering. They were hungry.]
Philosopher Coyote: When do you expect Master Goose to arrive here today?
Reverent Hound Dog: I’m not exactly sure. He is traveling with two monks from Riverdale, about 10 miles down river. I’m sure the going is rough. It has been very foggy, quite cold, and drizzling all morning. Are you not both wet and cold Coyote?
Coyote: Inconvenience and discomfort is a small price to pay for meeting Grand Master Goose. Besides, don’t Zen Masters keep you waiting; sometimes for many years?
Hound Dog: Indeed, they can be annoying when wasting your time. I’m tired of waiting for Master Goose. He could fly here so quickly if not for his two slow moving attendant monks. One is a three legged dog, you know. Goose sometimes tries to help him. Both monks are dedicated to him. Master Goose normally leads a squadron of noisy geese, flying South at this time of year. He should just leave that lumbering dog behind.
Coyote: You are not very charitable, Reverend Dog. You are too impatient.
Hound Dog: And, you are too fickle, Coyote. Never steadfast and demanding.
Coyote: Really? Actually, I am flexible [He laughs]
[Coyote barked and Hound Dog howled. Coyote licked his crotch, and Hound Dog scratched his ribs. Then Coyote and Hound Dog curled up close together, fur raised, trying to stay warm and dry. The tree cover and the thick floor of redwood needles helped them keep warmer. They waited, uneasy, for Master Goose. They slowly feel asleep, dreaming of pranksters and penitents.]
Act 2
Coyote: Dog, wake up! I hear them coming over the bridge to meet us. Let’s go!
[Both Coyote and Dog were very hungry, feeling the pangs of starvation.]
[Grand Master Goose was big and loud. His donkey, led by a rope, carried packs and bags of camping gear and food. His devoted dog limped along. They all looked tired.]
Coyote: Welcome, Master Goose. We have been waiting many hours for you to arrive. Where are you going?
Goose: We are going to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Wherever Valley. It is a three day hike from the Riverdale Zen Temple.
[Master Goose seemed very annoyed by something Donkey had asked previously, and by some answer servant Dog had given previously. He was upset with his students. He suddenly bit donkey on the hind shin and bit Servant Dog on the hip. He scolded and threatened them as only a aggressive goose can do. The donkey brayed and the dog squealed in pain.]
Goose: Lazy monks! Dumb and slow. Never understanding the True Way or the Single Point. Lost in delusions, confusions, and misguided resolutions.
[Shocked!–– Coyote barked and Hound Dog howled. Everyone appeared shaken.]
Reverend Dog: You seem very impatient, quarrelsome, and violent Master Goose. Do these teaching methods really help your dedicated students? How many of your monks have attained enlightenment and received certification in your long career as an Abbot?
Master Goose: I have certified three enlightened ones. I have hundreds of students. What right or qualifications do you have to judge me so? You’re just another Christian sheep herder, quoting scriptures, babbling about petty morals, and always arguing and oppressing other religious views.
Reverend Dog: [Annoyed] I was simply commenting on your teaching methods.
Coyote Philosopher: [Also annoyed by Goose] We waited so as to meet an esteemed Master who could impart a few gems of wisdom to us. Can you?
Master Goose: Wisdom? I teach the doctrine of No-Mind, beyond philosophers endless prattle, looking directly into the heart of being, beyond words, embracing emptiness. You philosophers are muddle minded wordsmiths.
Coyote Philosopher: [Looking perplexed] Then, instead sir, could you give us a koan?
Master Goose: Why did the Bodhisattva Bodhidharma travel South to Wherever Valley?
Reverend Dog: To hear the sound of one hand clapping in the moonlight?
Master Goose: You’re a fool! Go sit and meditate in a cave for seven years! Your wasting my time.
Servant Donkey: Master Goose, don’t be so haughty and rude towards these friendly inquirers.
Master Goose: [Jerking hard on the rope over Donkey’s neck.] Shut up! Don’t question me! Silence, or I will give you thirty blows with a stick.
[Master Goose, furious, bit Donkey on his hind leg again. Donkey, in a reflex response, kicked his hind leg back and accidentally struck Goose in the head. Goose died instantly!]
Servant Donkey: Oh! No!! I did not mean to hit him. I’m so sorry! Is he really dead?
Coyote: Yes, Goose is dead! Not breathing! Bloodied head!
Servants Donkey and Dog: Oh, No! No! This can't be so. Terrible!
Act 3
[All four, still shocked by the recent events, stood around the corpse of the goose. Donkey is most upset and is shaking.]
Hound Dog: Since the death of Goose was purely accidental, I think we all need to give the same story to others as to what happened.
Coyote: I agree! How about we all agree to say that Goose was killed and eaten by a cougar near the Pepperwood bridge.
Three-Legged Dog: That is a good idea.
Hound Dog: Yes!. I think that Dog and Donkey should leave now and travel back to Riverdale to tell Master Goose’s pupils the the Master was eaten by a cougar. Coyote and I will bury Goose’s remains.
Coyote: Let me remove that rope from your neck, Donkey. It might trip you up.
[All nod in agreement. Donkey and Dog slowly walk off and disappear from view. As Donkey leaves, a canvas box falls off of his back.]
Hound Dog: Where shall we bury the goose's body?
Coyote: What is in that box, Hound Dog? Maybe there is some beef jerky or dried fruit in the box. Let's look!
[Both Coyote and Hound Dog scratch and pull on the canvas box until it springs open. They rummage through the contents.]
Hound Dog: I see a rumpled hat and a leather whip.
Coyote: Here are some dirty clothes, a pair of boots, and about three pounds of Humboldt cannabis.
Hound Dog: Some Sutra books and the Discourses of Epictetus. Damn, no food to eat in here.
Philosopher Coyote: Oh, well, we tried. I think burying this dead goose is wasteful. I think we, like a hungry cougar, should eat this fine dead goose. I’m terribly hungry. What do you think, Hound Dog?
Reverend Hound Dog: Indeed, a good way to show our proper respects to Master Goose for all he has now given to us. Before, he seemed a bit rude and stingy with sharing wisdom, if indeed he really had any at all. But, yes, goose flesh is a worthy offer to us. If I can eat and drink the body and blood every week of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; then, I can easily eat a fine freshly killed goose when I am hungry.
Coyote: I interpret our actions in more pragmatic terms. However, I will thank the gods for a much needed meal. Waiting for Master Goose turned out to be rather worthwhile for us after all.
Reverend Hound Dog: You sometimes speak the truth, Coyote. However, you still will end up in Hell, or reborn as a mangy fox spirit.
Philosopher Coyote: Hell is listening to somebody who is not worth listening to; or, waiting for somebody who is not worth waiting for. Let's eat!
[Both begin to devour the dead goose.]
Curtain
[We hear Coyote barking and Hound Dog howling.]
The End
Comments, Sources, Observations, Koans, Poems, Quips:
Hunger is the first step up on the ladder of spiritual needs.
Live by the bite, die by the kick.
Don't wait for somebody who will never appear.
Don't be a slave led on the rope of ignorant worship.
"Masters" might be fakers, frauds, and full of crazy mind.
Blame it on the cougar.
Allegories strain our imagination; talking coyotes - humbug.
Everything in some way gets eaten up some day.
Dead things give birth to the living.
Waiting for Godot. Samuel Beckett. 1955.
Zen Master Raven. Robert Aitken. 2002.
Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Stories.
Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans
Zen Buddhist Koans: Indexes, Bibliography, Commentary, Information
Pulling Onions Over 1,043 One-line Sayings, Quips, Maxims, Humor
Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans
The Fireplace Records (Blog Version) By Michael P. Garofalo
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chapter 48
Dao De Jing, Laozi
Chapter 48
"In pursuing the study of Tao there will be daily increase; in acting out the Tao when learned, there will be daily diminution.
This marks the characteristics of the two stages.
In the first the man appears to make rapid progress in learning and philosophy, and so cuts a figure before the world; in the second, he becomes simple, humble, self-effacing, and thus may be said to diminish.
When this diminution is still further diminished, he will arrive at a state of inaction, or quiescence.
There is nothing that cannot be done by inaction.
The Sage ever employs inaction in administering the Empire.
As for those who put themselves to trouble in the matter, they are inadequate to the task of government."
- Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 48
"By studying, every day one increases (useless and injurious particular notions, in one's memory);
By concentrating on the Principle, they are diminished every day.
Pushed to the limit, this diminution ends in non-action, (the consequence of the absence of particular ideas).
Now there is nothing that non-action (letting things go) cannot sort out.
It is through non-action that one wins the empire.
To act, in order to win it, results in failure."
- Translated by Derek Bryce, 1999, Chapter 48
"Bodily and mental distress is increased every day in the effort to get knowledge.
But this distress is daily diminished by the getting of Tao.
Do you continually curtail your effort till there be nothing left of it?
By non-action there is nothing which cannot be effected.
A man might, without the least distress, undertake the government of the world.
But those who distress themselves about governing the world are not fit for it."
- Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 48
"Learning consists in adding to one's stock day by day;
The practice of Tao consists in “subtracting day by day,
Subtracting and yet again subtracting
Till one has reached inactivity.
But by this very inactivity
Everything can be activated.”
Those who of old won the adherence of all who live under heaven
All did so not interfering.
Had they interfered,
They would never have won this adherence."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 48
"Al buscar conocimiento mediante el estudio,
cada dĆa se adquiere algo.
Al buscar conocimiento mediante el Tao,
cada dĆa hay que desprenderse de algo.
Desprendiendose de cada vez mƔs
se llega al estado de la No-Interferencia.
Al No-Interferir
nada se deja sin hacer.
El mundo debe regirse dejando que las cosas fluyan.
Nada puede ser regido interfiriendo contra las cosas."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 48
"In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering."
- Translation by Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 48
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
Tao Te Ching English Language Corncordance by Gerold Claser. An excellent English language concordance providing terms, chapter and line references, and the proximal English language text. No Chinese language characters or Wade-Giles or Pinyin Romanizations. Based on the translation by John H. McDonald, available on the Internet in the public domain.
Chapter 48
"In pursuing the study of Tao there will be daily increase; in acting out the Tao when learned, there will be daily diminution.
This marks the characteristics of the two stages.
In the first the man appears to make rapid progress in learning and philosophy, and so cuts a figure before the world; in the second, he becomes simple, humble, self-effacing, and thus may be said to diminish.
When this diminution is still further diminished, he will arrive at a state of inaction, or quiescence.
There is nothing that cannot be done by inaction.
The Sage ever employs inaction in administering the Empire.
As for those who put themselves to trouble in the matter, they are inadequate to the task of government."
- Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 48
"By studying, every day one increases (useless and injurious particular notions, in one's memory);
By concentrating on the Principle, they are diminished every day.
Pushed to the limit, this diminution ends in non-action, (the consequence of the absence of particular ideas).
Now there is nothing that non-action (letting things go) cannot sort out.
It is through non-action that one wins the empire.
To act, in order to win it, results in failure."
- Translated by Derek Bryce, 1999, Chapter 48
"Bodily and mental distress is increased every day in the effort to get knowledge.
But this distress is daily diminished by the getting of Tao.
Do you continually curtail your effort till there be nothing left of it?
By non-action there is nothing which cannot be effected.
A man might, without the least distress, undertake the government of the world.
But those who distress themselves about governing the world are not fit for it."
- Translated by Walter Gorn Old, 1904, Chapter 48
"Striving for learning one gains a
daily addition,
Using the Tao there follows a
daily remission,
And as the work lessens and
lessens there comes a condition
Of nothing doing, when nothing is
left to do.
He who would take as his own all
the realm under heaven,
Accomplishes it when no trouble is
taken or given,
If trouble he use, by trouble
itself he is driven,
And unfitted thereby to take what
he seeks to pursue."
- Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 48
- Translated by Isaac Winter Heysinger, 1903, Chapter 48
ēŗåøę„ē.
ēŗéę„ę.
ęä¹åę.
仄č³ę¼ē”ēŗ.
ē”ēŗčē”äøēŗ.
å天äøåøø仄ē”äŗ.
åå ¶ęäŗ, äøč¶³ä»„å天äø.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 48
ēŗéę„ę.
ęä¹åę.
仄č³ę¼ē”ēŗ.
ē”ēŗčē”äøēŗ.
å天äøåøø仄ē”äŗ.
åå ¶ęäŗ, äøč¶³ä»„å天äø.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 48
wei xue ri yi.
wei dao ri sun.
sun zhi you sun.
yi zhi yu wu wei.
wu wei er wu bu wei.
qu tian xia chang yi wu shi.
ji qi you shi, bu zu yi qu tian xia.
- Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 48
wei dao ri sun.
sun zhi you sun.
yi zhi yu wu wei.
wu wei er wu bu wei.
qu tian xia chang yi wu shi.
ji qi you shi, bu zu yi qu tian xia.
- Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 48
"A man anxious
for knowledge adds more to himself every minute;
A man acquiring life loses himself in it,
Has less and less to bear in mind,
Less and less to do,
Because life, he finds, is well inclined,
Including himself too.
Often a man sways the world like a wind
But not by deed;
And if there appear to you to be need
Of motion to sway it, it has left you behind."
- Translation by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 48
A man acquiring life loses himself in it,
Has less and less to bear in mind,
Less and less to do,
Because life, he finds, is well inclined,
Including himself too.
Often a man sways the world like a wind
But not by deed;
And if there appear to you to be need
Of motion to sway it, it has left you behind."
- Translation by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 48
The practice of Tao consists in “subtracting day by day,
Subtracting and yet again subtracting
Till one has reached inactivity.
But by this very inactivity
Everything can be activated.”
Those who of old won the adherence of all who live under heaven
All did so not interfering.
Had they interfered,
They would never have won this adherence."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 48
cada dĆa se adquiere algo.
Al buscar conocimiento mediante el Tao,
cada dĆa hay que desprenderse de algo.
Desprendiendose de cada vez mƔs
se llega al estado de la No-Interferencia.
Al No-Interferir
nada se deja sin hacer.
El mundo debe regirse dejando que las cosas fluyan.
Nada puede ser regido interfiriendo contra las cosas."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 48
"In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things, until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way.
It can't be gained by interfering."
- Translation by Stephen Mitchell, Chapter 48
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
Tao Te Ching English Language Corncordance by Gerold Claser. An excellent English language concordance providing terms, chapter and line references, and the proximal English language text. No Chinese language characters or Wade-Giles or Pinyin Romanizations. Based on the translation by John H. McDonald, available on the Internet in the public domain.
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Chen Tai Chi Chuan Short 18 Movement Form
From 2006 to 2016, I enjoyed practicing this short Chen Taijiquan 18 Form. This short Chen Taijiquan 18 Form was developed by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei in 2001. I taught this short form to my students at the Tehama Family Fitness Center in Red Bluff, California, and at the Valley Spirit Center.
Due to a variety of factors and causes, I have let my skills in performing this nice Taiji form weaken and lapse. Therefore, I am resuming the study and practice of this Chen short form starting on November 1, 2023. I've focused more on walking, yoga, and gardening for the last five monts, rather than Taijiquan.
Chen Taijiquan Short 18 Movement Form Webpage
List of Movements of the Chen Taijiquan 18 Movement Short Form
Chen Taijiquan Old Frame First Form Laojia Yilu Webpage
Chen Style Tai Chi Essential 18 Postures with Patrick Martin. Instructional DVD, 2 DVDs, 238 minutes. Disk 1, 130 Minutes. Jade Dragon Tai Chi International, Empty Circle Productions, 2008. VSCL. Patrick Martin is a student of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, and has been practicing and teaching Chen style Tai Chi for the last 20 years. Detailed instructions for each movement sequence. This DVD would be my first choice for an excellent instructional DVD on the Chen 18 Form.
"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states."
- Carol Welch
"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power."
- Alan Cohen
Watch Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei perform the short form he created:
Due to a variety of factors and causes, I have let my skills in performing this nice Taiji form weaken and lapse. Therefore, I am resuming the study and practice of this Chen short form starting on November 1, 2023. I've focused more on walking, yoga, and gardening for the last five monts, rather than Taijiquan.
Chen Taijiquan Short 18 Movement Form Webpage
List of Movements of the Chen Taijiquan 18 Movement Short Form
Chen Taijiquan Old Frame First Form Laojia Yilu Webpage
Chen Style Tai Chi Essential 18 Postures with Patrick Martin. Instructional DVD, 2 DVDs, 238 minutes. Disk 1, 130 Minutes. Jade Dragon Tai Chi International, Empty Circle Productions, 2008. VSCL. Patrick Martin is a student of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, and has been practicing and teaching Chen style Tai Chi for the last 20 years. Detailed instructions for each movement sequence. This DVD would be my first choice for an excellent instructional DVD on the Chen 18 Form.
"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states."
- Carol Welch
"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do."
- Bruce Lee
- Bruce Lee
- Alan Cohen
Chen Style Taijiquan Short Hand Form, 18 Movements
Created by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei
Bibliography, Resources, List of Movements, Resources, Links, Instructions, Comments
Webpage by Michael Garofalo
Created by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei
Bibliography, Resources, List of Movements, Resources, Links, Instructions, Comments
Webpage by Michael Garofalo
List of Movements in Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's Short 18 Form (1 Page, PDF) English Only
List of Movements in Chen Taijiquan, Old Frame, First Form, Laojia Yilu (2 pages, PDF) English and Chinese
Watch Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei perform the short form he created:
Monday, October 23, 2023
Stand and Face the World
What We Must Do
"We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world - its good facts, its bad facts, and its ugliness; see the world as it is, and be not afraid of it. Conquer the world by intelligence, and not merely by being slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from it. The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men. When you hear people in church debasing themselves and saying that they are miserable sinners, and all the rest of it, it seems contemptable and not worthy of self-respecting human beings. We ought to stand up and look at the world frankly in the face. We ought to make the best we can of the world, and if it is not so good as we wish, after all it will still be better than what these others have made of it in all these ages. A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past, or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook and a free intelligence. It needs hope for the future, not looking back all the time towards a past that is dead, which we trust will be far surpassed by the future that our intelligence can create."
- Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not A Christian, 1927
[Does "Oriental" really mean from the Middle East and India; although despotisms existed all around the world.]
Bertrand Russell on God and Religion. Edited by Al Seckel. Prometheus Books, 1986, index, 250 pages.
Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening
How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise and Respected Persons
"Face the world and go crosswise."
Linji, Zen Master, 850 CE
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Establish and Maintain Ground Force Path: A Beginner's Notes
"Rule One: Stand Up! Warm up. Then do your Taijiquan."
- Mike Garofalo, 2000
Establish and Maintain Ground Force Path:
A Beginner's Notes
By Michael P. Garofalo
Ongoing From: September 9, 2022 -
Interpretation and Skill #1. Sink, Root, Settle, Transfer, Dissolve
You use and apply a technique: gradually loosening some muscles, sinking the entire body, going lower and lower relative to incoming outsides forces, e.g., somebody in front of you slipping and falling into you. Maintain your balance. Don't stumble. Absorbing and deflecting incoming forces down, down, down ... into the LEGS (glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, ankles, feet, shoes, into the Earth or hard floor below your shoes/feet). Allow the incoming force to flow down and through your body into the Earth. Imagine some aspect of your body's somatic or perceptual or your mind's flights of fancy being released downward into the Earth. Root your feet into the Earth! Brace yourself. Stand loose, sink, allow and draw into the ground, being as uncannily strong and tough as needed.
Exercise 1. Isometric Posture Work: Single Whip
Hold a posture for 1 minute, without strain. For example, assume the Chen Taijiquan Single Whip posture. Then, hold still, and do this Single Whip isometric exercise for 1 minute. As the weeks and months of daily practice of Single Whip change your body, you can add multiple 1-2 minute intervals in this isometric pose each day. Make increases slowly!
Interpretation and Skill #1. Sink, Root, Settle, Transfer, Dissolve
Here is Master Chen Xiaowang's Chen Taijiquan Single Whip:
This Single Whip landing point posture, which you hold still for 1 minute minimum, looks nearly the same as Hatha Yoga's Warrior II (Virabhadrasana - the Distinguished Hero). The movement sequence for this Chen Taijiquan Single Whip looks like:
In position 5e of Single Whip, the weight is 65L bent/35R straight. Enjoy being settled, erect confident, loose, ready, strong, aware, seemingly unmovable, balanced, a bit stubborn, rooted into the Earth, a somatic potential of coiled energy ready to uncoil as Peng Jin!
Or, HOLD STILL in the posture of Fair Lady Works Her Shuttles, or Standing Post, or San Ti Shi, or Brush Knee, or Tadasana ...
for 1 minute or longer each day. Increase dosage slowly over time. Sink your body-weight downward into the Earth. Your feet are strong, sturdy, flexible absorbers. Try to use less effort. Get loose and settle in 'balanced bliss' until you start to stress and strain and sweat from this effective traditional isometric exercise.
Rest in peace: the Blond Bomber, Dave Draper; the Italian Chiropractor Strongman, Franco Columbo.
These guys could let heavy squat loads sink into the Earth. Absorbing these intense downward forces, reeving up their engines, coiling up, then exploding fa jin, lifting till they Stood up Again.
Kung Fu theorists and practitioners emphasize staying balanced, centered, in control appropriate to circumstances, calm, focused. We allow our life's events to flow more peacefully, smoothly, and happily. We utilize practical coping, useful support, and toughening tactics.
I once read The Warriors of Stillness by Jan Dierperspot circa 1980, 240 pages. These Qigong (Daoyin) practitioners would gather together in Walnut Creek, CA, in the SanFran/Oakland region, and hold static postures for long periods of time in silence. This was rigorous isometric exercising. Connecting with the Earth, grounding and centering, imagining being as tough and still as a Post in the Ground.
I sat on the ground, in Half-Lotus, circa 1986, empty-minded (Zaowang), moving little, staying awake, and listening. After an hour, the Chan Buddhist Retreat bell sounded. We then all stood up and walked slowly in a circle - Kinshin. Not, however, circle walking like in bagua-zhang internal martial arts.
We earthly beings are under the constant press and pull of Gravity. We swim in an invisible sea of Gravity. Walk up and down steps and you can feel Gravity. Just standing or walking in some way defies Gravity. You have better pay close attention to Gravity - or Else! Gravity can smash you on the Ground!!!
Read the book The Longevity Plan by John D. Day, M.D. Find new ways to Get Grounded, Get Down to Earth, Embracing Mother Earth. Set down some positive community roots down where you live. Use positive images and thoughts to enhance your balanced, centered, resilient, strong, healthy lifestyle. Share with others.
Two Person Playing Options
Interpretation and Skill #1. Sink, Root, Settle, Transfer, Dissolve
Person 1 Hold a posture, e.g., Single Whip or Brush Knee. Ground Yourself. Establish and Maintain the Ground Force Path. Settle into the Earth. Transfer and dissolve incoming energies downward into the Foundation of the Earth in our everyday ocean of Gravity. Observe. Sense.
Person 2 Gently pushes you to try to force you off-balance. Safely use more pushing force to move Person 1 off their center, to uproot them. Observe. Sense.
Push Hands Two Person Exercises, both Standing and Moving
Trying to uproot each other, deflect incoming energies.
Interpretation and Skill #2.
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Improving Balance in Seniors
Maintaining and Improving Your Balance
Methods, Exercises, Concepts, Causes
Better Balance for Seniors and Avoiding Falls
By Michael P. Garofalo
Bibliography Links Resources Information
Quotations References Commentary
Instructor Qualifications of Michael P. Garofalo
Friday, October 20, 2023
Daodejing, Laozi, Chapter 47
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 47
"No need to go outside a door
To see totality
Or look out of a window
For seeing what will always be
Going out you go astray
At home and center all is one
The seer doesn't have to do
To see that everything is done."
- Translated by Jim Clatfelter, 2001, Chapter 47
"Without going out the door, you can know Heaven below (the sacred body).
Without looking through a window, you can see Heaven’s Tao.
The more you go away from yourself, the less you perceive.
The sage does not go out, yet knows;
does not look, yet names;
does not do, yet finishes."
- Translated by Barbara Tovey, 2002, Chapter 47
"Without opening your door,
you can know the whole world.
Without looking out your window,
you can understand the way of the Tao.
The more knowledge you seek,
the less you will understand.
The Master understands without leaving,
sees clearly without looking,
accomplishes much without doing anything."
- Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 47
äøåŗę¶, ē„天äø.
äøéē, č¦å¤©é.
å ¶åŗå½é , å ¶ē„å½å°.
ęÆ仄čäŗŗäøč”čē„.
äøč¦čå.
äøēŗčę.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 47
pu ch'u hu, chih t'ien hsia.
pu k'uei yu, chien t'ien tao.
ch'i ch'u mi yĆ¼an, ch'i chih mi shao.
shih yi shĆŖng jĆŖn pu hsing erh chih.
pu chien erh ming.
pu wei erh ch'ĆŖng.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 47
"Without going out of the door
One can know the whole world;
Without peeping out of the window
One can see the Tao of heaven.
The further one travels
The less one knows.
Therefore the Sage knows everything without travelling;
He names everything without seeing it;
He accomplishes everything without doing it."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 47
"Without leaving his door
He knows everything under heaven.
Without looking out of his window
He knows all the ways of heaven.
For the further one travels
The less one knows.
Therefore the Sage arrives without going,
Sees all without looking,
Does nothing, yet achieves everything."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 47
"Sin salir de la puerta
se conoce el mundo.
Sin mirar por la ventana
se ve el camino del cielo.
Cuanto mƔs lejos se va,
menos se aprende.
AsĆ, el sabio,
No da un paso y llega,
No mira y conoce,
No interfiere y cumple."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 47
"Without going out of my door I know the Universe.
Without opening my window I perceive Heavenly Tao.
The more I go abroad, the less I understand.
That is why the self-controlled man arrives without going,
names things without seeing them, perfects without activity."
- Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 47
"There is no need to run outside
For better seeing,
Nor to peer from a window. Rather abide
At the center of your being;
For the more you leave it, the less you learn.
Search your heart and see
If he is wise who takes each turn:
The way to do is to be."
- Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 47
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
Further Teachings of Lao-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries (Wen Tzu)
By Thomas Cleary
The Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons
By Deng Ming-Dao
Awakening to the Tao
By Lui I-Ming (1780) and translated by Thomas Cleary
Ripening Peaches: Taoist
Studies and Practices By Mike Garofalo
Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings with Selections from Traditional Commentaries
Translation and commentary by Brook Ziporyn
The Inner Chapters of Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) Translated by A. C. Graham
Chapter 47
"No need to go outside a door
To see totality
Or look out of a window
For seeing what will always be
Going out you go astray
At home and center all is one
The seer doesn't have to do
To see that everything is done."
- Translated by Jim Clatfelter, 2001, Chapter 47
"Without going out the door, you can know Heaven below (the sacred body).
Without looking through a window, you can see Heaven’s Tao.
The more you go away from yourself, the less you perceive.
The sage does not go out, yet knows;
does not look, yet names;
does not do, yet finishes."
- Translated by Barbara Tovey, 2002, Chapter 47
"Without opening your door,
you can know the whole world.
Without looking out your window,
you can understand the way of the Tao.
The more knowledge you seek,
the less you will understand.
The Master understands without leaving,
sees clearly without looking,
accomplishes much without doing anything."
- Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 47
"One need not pass his threshold to comprehend all that is under Heaven,
nor to look out from his lattice to behold the Tao Celestial.
Nay! but the farther a man goeth, the less he knoweth.
The sages acquired their knowledge without travel; they named all things
aright without beholding them; and, acting without aim, fulfilled their wills."
- Translated by Aleister Crowley, 1918, Chapter 47
nor to look out from his lattice to behold the Tao Celestial.
Nay! but the farther a man goeth, the less he knoweth.
The sages acquired their knowledge without travel; they named all things
aright without beholding them; and, acting without aim, fulfilled their wills."
- Translated by Aleister Crowley, 1918, Chapter 47
äøéē, č¦å¤©é.
å ¶åŗå½é , å ¶ē„å½å°.
ęÆ仄čäŗŗäøč”čē„.
äøč¦čå.
äøēŗčę.
- Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 47
pu ch'u hu, chih t'ien hsia.
pu k'uei yu, chien t'ien tao.
ch'i ch'u mi yĆ¼an, ch'i chih mi shao.
shih yi shĆŖng jĆŖn pu hsing erh chih.
pu chien erh ming.
pu wei erh ch'ĆŖng.
- Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 47
"Without going out of the door
One can know the whole world;
Without peeping out of the window
One can see the Tao of heaven.
The further one travels
The less one knows.
Therefore the Sage knows everything without travelling;
He names everything without seeing it;
He accomplishes everything without doing it."
- Translated by Ch'u Ta-Kao, 1904, Chapter 47
"Without leaving his door
He knows everything under heaven.
Without looking out of his window
He knows all the ways of heaven.
For the further one travels
The less one knows.
Therefore the Sage arrives without going,
Sees all without looking,
Does nothing, yet achieves everything."
- Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 47
"Sin salir de la puerta
se conoce el mundo.
Sin mirar por la ventana
se ve el camino del cielo.
Cuanto mƔs lejos se va,
menos se aprende.
AsĆ, el sabio,
No da un paso y llega,
No mira y conoce,
No interfiere y cumple."
- Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 47
"Without going out of my door I know the Universe.
Without opening my window I perceive Heavenly Tao.
The more I go abroad, the less I understand.
That is why the self-controlled man arrives without going,
names things without seeing them, perfects without activity."
- Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 47
"There is no need to run outside
For better seeing,
Nor to peer from a window. Rather abide
At the center of your being;
For the more you leave it, the less you learn.
Search your heart and see
If he is wise who takes each turn:
The way to do is to be."
- Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 47
Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching
Taoism: A Selected Reading List
Further Teachings of Lao-Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries (Wen Tzu)
By Thomas ClearyThe Lunar Tao: Meditations in Harmony with the Seasons
By Deng Ming-DaoAwakening to the Tao
By Lui I-Ming (1780) and translated by Thomas Cleary
Ripening Peaches: Taoist
Studies and Practices By Mike GarofaloZhuangzi: The Essential Writings with Selections from Traditional Commentaries
Translation and commentary by Brook ZiporynThe Inner Chapters of Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) Translated by A. C. Graham
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Tillamook Bay, Oregon
On Wednesday (10/18/2023) I drove from Nehalem to Tillamook, lunched at a Japanese restaurant, then drove up the Miami River up to Oregon 26, over to Seaside, and back to Nehalem.
Here is a repeat of my Cloud Hands Blog post of February 9, 2022:
I began this cold day with a campfire. Then a walk on the forest trail to an ocean overlook. Then a short and quite lovely 11 mile drive to Tillamook for lunch at the Fern Restaurant.
I drove from Tillamook to Garibaldi and back. I drove from Tillamook to Pacific City and back. Lots to explore in the future in these coastal and valley areas, and up in the Tillamook State Forest. There are five rivers (Tillamook, Hoquarton, Wilson) that flow through the Tillamook Valley into Tillamook Bay.
"In its early years, the town of Tillamook, the first community to be settled in the county, bore the unofficial names Lincoln and Hoquarton, the latter believed to be an Indian name meaning “the landing.” Its name was eventually changed to Tillamook, an Indian word meaning “the many peoples of the Nehelim.” William Clark of explorers Lewis and Clark wrote in 1806 of the “Killamox” Indians but according to research by the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes the “K” was not used in the name of the tribe. Local folklore used “Land of Many Waters” as the meaning of Tillamook. Though it is a fact that Tillamook is a land of many waters it is not the true meaning of the name Tillamook."
- History of Tillamook City Tillamook County Formed in 1853, and City Incorporated in 1891.
Here are some photographs by me from this Cape Lookout Trip:
Here are some images of this area found on the Internet:
The coastline from Seaside to Manzanita, and from Tillamook to Cape Lookout,
features many high cliffs, steep hills, ravines, and mountains.
features many high cliffs, steep hills, ravines, and mountains.
The sand spit at Netart's Bay is a small break from the normally rugged coastline
of the Three Capoes area. Mountains of Oregon
e.g, Neahkanie Mountain 4,500 feet
of the Three Capoes area. Mountains of Oregon
e.g, Neahkanie Mountain 4,500 feet
Here is some information about Tillamook Bay:
Tillamook City Population 5,300 Images On US 101 and Junction with Oregon Road 6 leading back east to Portland.
Motels, restaurants, cafes, gift shops, grocery, banks, museums, dairy farms, lumber industry, hospital, gas, stores, services, supplies.
The Tillamook area has many dairy farms on green flat land east of the bay.
Tillamook Coast Visitors Guide
Tillamook Library Tillamook County Library System
Tillamook County Population 25,300 The City of Tillamook is the County Seat.
Tillamook Creamery Tours
Tillamook County Pioneer Museum
Blue Heron French Cheese Company
Northwest Coastal Oregon Travel Guide: Astoria to Cape Lookout. By Mike Garofalo.
Bayocean Development Failure Story
Tillamook Bay Shellfishing Clams and Crabs
Barview Jetty County Park Campground, picnic, hiking. At the north jetty to Tillamook Bay.
Oyster Farming in Tillamook Bay - A History
Tillamook Bay Environmental History
Port of Tillamook Bay Information, History
"The bay is protected from the open ocean by shoals and a 3 mi (5 km) sandbar called the Bayocean Peninsula. It is surrounded closely by the Coastal Range except at its southeast end, where the town of Tillamook sits near the mouths of the Kilchis, Wilson, Trask and Tillamook rivers, which flow quickly down from the surrounding timber-producing regions of the Coastal Range to converge at the bay. The short Miami River enters the north end of the bay. The small fishing village of Garibaldi sits near the cliffs opening of the bay in the ocean. The rivers that feed the bay are known for their prolific steelhead and salmon runs. The mixing of freshwater from the rivers with the ocean's saltwater makes the bay an estuary.
The name "Tillamook" is Coast Salish word meaning "Land of Many Waters", probably referring to the rivers that enter the bay. At the time of the arrival of Europeans, the area along the coast was inhabited by the Tillamook and other related Coast Salish tribes. Historians believe they entered the area around the year 1400 and Lewis and Clark estimated the population south of the Columbia River along the coast at approximately 2,200."
- Tillamook Bay
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