Harmonica: Another Day in Paradise

Another Day in Paradise

By Phil Collins
1989

Diatonic Harmonica
Key of C Major

 

VERSE 1

6    -6    7  -6  6  -5  5  -4    5 

She calls out to the man on the street 

  7    -6   6  -5   7 

"Sir, can you help me? 

  6   7   -6    6   -5   5  -4    5 

It's cold and I've no-where to sleep, 

 6   6    -6   7    -6   6   -5   7 

Is there some-where you can tell me?" 

VERSE 2 

 6    -6    7   -6  6     -5       4 

He   walks on,  doesn't  look    back 

 7    -6   6   -5   5    6     7

He   pre tends he  can't hear her 

 6      7  -6   6   -5  5   -4   5  -6    6

Starts to whis tle  as  he cros ses the street 

 6     6   -6    -6    6   -5   7

Seems  em  bar rassed to  be  there 

 

CHORUS

-7   6   6        -4    5 

Oh Think twice, 'cause it's  

 5 6   6  -5   5   -5  5 -5  5   -5  6   6 

An oth er day for you and me in  par a dise 

-7   6    6     -4    5 

Oh Think twice cause it's  

5  6   6  -5  5   -5    -5   6   -5   5  5 

a no ther day for you, you  in par a dise 

   4   -4   4 -4   5 

 just think about  it 

 

VERSE 3

6    -6    7  -6  6   -5  5  -4   5 

She calls out to the man on the street 

 7  -6   6   -5     5    6     7

He  can see she's been  cry ing 

6      7  -6   6   -5  5   -4   -5  -6    6

She's got blisters on the soles of her feet 

6    6    -6    7   -6   -5  7

She can't walk but she's trying 

 

 [CHORUS]  

 

 VERSE 4

 6    -5   5  -5   5 

Just think a-bout it 

 7  -6 

Oh lord! 

-5   6   -5   -5   -5     -5 5  -5  5    7   7 

Is there noth ing more    a  ny bo dy   can do? 

-7   7 

Oh lord! 

  5   -5    6  -5   -5   -5    5   7 

There must be some thing you can say 

 

 VERSE 5

6    -6   7  -6    6   -5    5  -4   5 

You can tell from the lines on her face 

 7   -6   6  -5   5     6        7

You can see that she's been there 

6    7    -6    6    -5   5    -4  -5  -6    6

Pro bably she  moved  on  from  ev ‘ry  place 

 6      6  -6   7   -6   6  -5   7

Cause  she did n't  fit  in  there 

 [CHORUS]

 

Ungraspable Mind and Time

 The Fireplace Records, Chapter 48

Ungraspable Mind and Time

An old woman salesperson asked a knowledgeable scholar-monk, an expert in the Diamond Cutter Sutra, about some verses in that Sutra.

"I heard a statement from the Diamond Sutra that "the past mind is ungraspable, the present mind is ungraspable, and the future mind is ungraspable." Please tell me what this means. What Mind knows this?"

The monk paused, became a little uncomfortable, could not immediately frame an good answer, and said to the woman: "I don't have a good answer to your questions. What is your understanding?"

The woman then said, "I don't understand, you don't understand,. Maybe nobody can understand the ungraspable aspects of Mind. Anyway, would you like to purchase some rice cakes?"

The monk laughed and purchased some rice cakes. He smiled as he grasped his staff and started walking to a new Temple library. On the way, he tried to grasp the meaning of the ungraspable nature of Mind. His thoughts held him in constant reiterations and ruminations on time and mind. His stubbornness and diligence held him tightly to the problematic issue of "the past mind is ungraspable, the present mind is ungraspable, and the future mind is ungraspable." He could not release his grasp on these profound and disturbing ideas. 

He finally gave up and let go of these ideas. He realized that "grasping" is only a conventional metaphor for understanding something, a figure of speech, a bunch of words, a stretch of the imagination. He gave up his research on the Diamond Cutter Sutra, gave all his books and manuscripts to the Temple library, and left for the mountains on a long retreat.

The Student's Considerations

We can grasp and effectively use the basic ideas of past, present, and future.
Maybe what is called "Mind" is a debatable topic and imprecise.
Let Go! Loosen your grasp! Demonstrate some detachment!
An expert acknowledges that there are subjects he does not fully understand.
"Time" and time are important topics in all philosopher's theories.
Maybe the Diamond Sutra's claims are false, incorrect, faulty, or shaky.
It is hard to grasp things with shaky hands and trembling minds.
Maybe the mind is ungraspable - so what! It still often works well for us.
What practical consequences arise from an "ungraspable mind" to provide  meaningfulness?
Don't worry too much about grasping borderline problems.
Everything pivots on the Present - a tiny slice of Reality.
The Past Mind is more graspable than the Present Mind.
Is the "ungraspable mind" a meaningless intellectual diversion.
If you think too much, the fatigue may cause errors or mis-directions of one's thoughts and reasoning.
Indeed the mind cannot be grasped, unlike grasping a peach or a rock or a book or a staff or a rice cake, or your knee. 
A brain is graspable, a mind is not graspable.
Sutras are NOT contemporary science or psychology.
Even the wisest persons can sometimes be humbled by ordinary people.
Asking a question is NOT making a statement or asserting a proposition.
Attach to Nothing! Don't hold on tightly to verbal formulas.
Time is the movement of things; we invented past, present, and future states.

Opening A Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters. By Steven Heine. 60 Koans: Te-shan and the Woman Selling Rice Cakes p. 94

The Whole World is a Single Flower. By Seung Shan. Case 9.

Slices of Time

The Arrows of Time
    never rest,
moving forward unrelenting
    irreversible
from hot towards cold
from organized to disorganized
from past to future
from moving towards stillness
from life towards death.
Or,
so it seems,
    to us,
    with our little particulars,
    with our homebrew views,
    with our social habits a must.

The Spiderwebs of Time
    are legion
multitudes of nows and thens;
Uncountable heres and theres
    unhitched
from any eternal present
everywhere.

The Moments of Time
    are a matrix of memories,
colored by fondness,
vaguer and vaguer by the day,
fading, cropped, mixed,
deleted, falling away.

The Times of Your Life
    from birth to death,
    can't be denied.
How did you live?
Where, when, why?
What did it mean?
Was a little a lie?

    running out of time
for catching up
    with the future
now

        my mind grinds
        my times
into memories

To dance at the still point
Of the Time beyond time,
Beyond pasts, within futures,
this Moment
Now and forever, beyond minds.
- M.P.G.

Hands, Grasping, Holding, Fingers, Touch

The Fireplace Records 

Subject Index to 1,965 Zen Buddhist Koans (PDF, 587 pages)

Zen Buddhist Koans

Caught on the Edges of the West: Highway 101

Four Days in Grayland

Cloud Hands Blog

Above the Fog 

Pulling Onions

Poetry - Bibliography, Links, Resources, Guides  

Cuttings: Haiku and Short Poems

 

Text Art, Visual/Pattern Poetry

Uncle Mike's Cellphone Poetry Series

Concrete Poetry  

Meetings with Taoist Master Chang San-Feng

Shifu Miao Zhang Points the Way

Full Moon in the Morning Sky

Northwest Pacific Coast Poems

Exhibits at the Onion Garden

The Spirit of Gardening

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

White Tara - The Female Buddha: Protects Us

Tara, Drolma, Green Tārā, White Tara, Liberator, Star Goddess, Savioress, Protector Bodhisattva, Maha-Devi, Divine Feminine, The Mother, Shakti
A Buddhist Goddess Worshipped in Tibet and India
Bibliography, Links, Quotations, Prayers, 21 Praises, Notes

 

Goddesses: Bibliography, Quotations, Links, Lore


"Goddess Tara is probably the oldest goddess who is still worshipped extensively in modern times. Tara originated as a Hindu goddess, a Great Goddess -- the Mother Creator, representing the eternal life force that fuels all life.  There are many embodiments of Tara, but the best known are the White Tara and the Green Tara.  The peaceful, compassionate White Tara gently protects and brings long life and peace. The more dynamic goddess, Green Tara is the "Mother Earth", and a fierce goddess who overcomes obstacles, and saves us from physical and spiritual danger.  In Sanskrit, the name Tara means Star, but she was also called She Who Brings Forth Life, The Great Compassionate Mother, and The Embodiment of Wisdom, and the Great Protectress.  Adopted by Buddhism, she become the most widely revered deity in the Tibetan pantheon.   In Buddhist tradition, Tara is actually much greater than a goddess -- she is a female Buddha, an enlightened one was has attained the highest wisdom, capability and compassion. . . one who can take human form and who remains in oneness with the every living thing."
-   Tara: Goddess of Peace and Protection 


"Mother of enlightened activity who creates all the enlightened ones,
By the power of supplicating to you through approaching, practice and devotion, bless me always
    to practice with devotion to you.
So that I and all sentient being may complete the two accumulations of merit and wisdom.
Then, may the four activities be accomplished and extraordinary and common siddhis be granted.
May pure vision of the deities and the mantra rise from the dharmadhatu,
And may we take enlightened activity as our path and stir the depths of samsara.
In the realm of the great dharmakaya, all appearances and existence are non-dual,
The two aspects of enlightened form appear according to the capacities of sentient beings,
May it always being benefit and well-being through the countless acts of perfect merit!
I take refuge until I am enlightened
In the buddhas, the dharma, and the sangha.
Through the merit I create by practicing giving and the other perfections,
May I attain buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. 
May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness;
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering;
May all sentient beings never be separated from the happiness that knows no suffering;
May all sentient beings live in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion."
-  Green Tara: Two Meditation Practices




Om Tare Tuttare Ture SoHa
"Om Tah Ray Too Tah Ray Too Ray Svā Ha"       (Suggested English Pronunciation)

The meanings of this mantra are suggested as: 
"One who saves, save me.”

Om =  The most sacred sound (Aum, Om, Ohm, Hum) for the Divine discussed in the Upanishads 
          OM is the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha.

Tare = The One who liberates us from suffering,
          The One who frees us from suffering
          Tare is Dharma, the true path away from suffering, the wise words 
          Protection from mundane worldly dangers. 
          The Savioress from physical dangers, fears, and worries. 
          You are the mother, TARE, who liberates us from samsara and absolute dangers 

Tuttare =  The One who liberates us from the eight fears,
               The One that liberates beings from danger
               The One who can vanquish the eight terrors
               The One who can protect and lead us on the right spiritual path.
               The Savioress from delusion, negative emotions, doubt, greediness. 
               She who ferries us across to safety. 
               You free us from the eight dangers, fears, harms, relative dangers 

Ture = The One who liberates us from illness
           The One who that releases beings from sickness
           The One who can make us healthy and end our illnesses
           You protect us from all illnesses

Svāha or So Ha = Laying the Foundation, So Be It, Make it So
                          Svaha, according to "Monier-William’s Sanskrit Dictionary,"
                          means: "Hail!", "Hail to!" or "May a blessing rest on!"
                          May this come about
                          May blessings be upon 

 

Dao De Jing, Chapter 72, Laozi

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 72

"If the people do not fear the dreadful, the great dreadful will come, surely.  
Let them not deem their lives narrow.
Let them not deem their lot wearisome.
When it is not deemed wearisome, then it will not be wearisome. 
Therefore the holy man knows himself but does not display himself.
He holds himself dear but does not honor himself.
Thus he discards the latter and chooses the former."
-  Translated by D. T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 72  


"When the people are not afraid of the ruler, the ruler is in the most danger.
Do not bother the people, do not suppress the people.
Only when you do not suppress the people, will they not be annoyed with you.
So, the great men understood everything but did not let themselves be known.
They valued their lives but did not let themselves be worshipped.
Therefore, keep the former and discard the latter."
-  Translated by Xiaolin Yang, Chapter 72    

"When the people do not fear worldly power
a greater power will arrive
Don't limit the view of yourself
Don't despise the conditions of your birth
Don't resist the natural course of your life
In this way you will never weary of this world
The Sage knows himself, but not as himself he loves himself,
but not as himself he honours himself, but not as himself
Thus, he discards the view of his own self
and chooses the view of the universe"
-  Translated by Jonathan Star, 2001, Chapter 72 

"He who lives with fear cannot become strong.
The strength of consciousness can be gained only if one lives without fear.
So rid yourself of the ability to despise others!
He who despises others is despicable before Tao! 
Rid yourself of violence in relations with others!
He who does violence to others will be subjected to violence. 
Renounce the ability to deceive people!
He who deceives others deceives himself. 
Live in love! 
Do not strive to show yourself off!
The wise who cognized his Higher Essence is not engaged in self-admiration
and does not elevate himself over others.
He who got rid of egocentrism gains the possibility to achieve Tao."
-  Translated by Mikhail Nilolenko, Chapter 72 



民不畏威.
則大威至.
無狎其所居, 無厭其所生.
夫唯不厭.
是以不厭.
是以聖人自知不自見.
自愛不自貴.
故去彼取此.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 72


min pu wei wei.
tsê ta wei chih.
wu hsia ch'i so chü, wu yen ch'i so shêng. 
fu wei pu yen.
shih yi pu yen.
shih yi shêng jên tzu chih pu tzu chien.
tzu ai pu tzu kuei. 
ku ch'ü pi ch'ü tz'u. 
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 72 


"When the people fear no power,
Then great power has indeed arrived.
Do not disturb them in their dwellings,
Do not weary them in their living.
It is because you do not weary (pu yen) them,
That they are not wearied of you.
Therefore the sage knows himself (tzu chih),
But does not see himself (tzu chien).
He loves himself (tzu ai),
But does not exalt himself (tzu kuei).
Therefore he leaves that and takes this."
-  Translated by Ellen Chen, Chapter 72


"The sage retains a sense of awe, and of propriety.
He does not intrude into others' homes;
does not harass them,
nor interfere without request,
unless they damage others.
So it is that they return to him.
Though the sage knows himself
he makes no show of it;
he has self-respect, but is not arrogant,
for he develops the ability to let go of that
which he no longer needs."
-  Translated by Stan Rosenthal, 1984, Chapter 72



"Cuando a los hombres les falta el sentido del temor, sucederá un desastre.
No entremeterse en sus casas, no atosigarlos en el trabajo.
Si no se interfiere, no se hastiarán.
Por esto mismo, el sabio se conoce pero no se exhibe.
Se respeta a sí mismo, pero no es arrogante.
Abandona aquello y elige esto."
-  Translated by Cristina Bosch, 2002, Capítulo 72

"When the people do not fear what is majestic,
Great Majesty will soon visit them.
Do not limit their dwellings
nor suppress their livelihoods.
Simply because you do not oppress them,
they will not grow tired of you.
For this reason,
Sages are self-aware,
but do not flaunt themselves;
they are self-focused,
but do not glorify themselves.
They out-grow the one and adopt the other."
-  Translated by Jerry C. Welch, 1998, Chapter 72

"Upon those who defy authority
It shall be visited,
But not behind prison walls
Nor through oppression of their kin;
Men sanely led
Are not led by duress.
To know yourself and not show yourself,
To think well of yourself and not tell of yourself,
Be that your no and your yes."
-  Translated by Witter Bynner, 1944, Chapter 72 




A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter 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, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 72, 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   

Art from China and Japan

 I have greatly enjoyed looking at East Asian Art, and reading about this subject, since I was in High School in 1961.  I have used scores of books from public and college libraries on this beautiful cultural treasure.  Lately, I have purchased used copies and studied the following books:

Click on any title below to go to the book information in Amazon.  I purchased all these fine books from used booksellers.  

I recently borrowed one art book from the Three Creeks Library of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library System.  

What attracted my attention the most was the juxtaposition of art works on interfacing pages. One page would feature a photograph of an artwork by a 20th Century Chinese artist; and, the interfacing page would feature an artist working prior to 1900.  Violent scenes and serene scenes.  Contemporary and classical.  Painters and calligraphers from precision realists to literati impressionists. The old and the new in contrast.  

This art book is very large and very heavy. A coffee table display volume. Also, the timeline index with all the photos was useful.  I purchased a nice used copy from a bookseller.  

This beautiful art book, with outstanding photographs and concise commentary, was published in 2005, and is titled: 

The Chinese Art Book.  

By Keith Pratt, Katie Hills, and Jeffrey Moser.  Published by Phaidon in 2013. 352 pages.  Contemporary and classical artists.  

"The Chinese Art Book is a beautifully presented, authoritative and unprecedented overview of Chinese art. The book examines the art of the oldest continuous civilization on Earth through 300 works, from the (earliest dynasties) Neolithic period to the new generation of contemporary artists enlivening the global art world today. Every form of Chinese visual art is featured –including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, figurines, jades, bronzes, gold and silver, photography, video, installation and performance art. Concise descriptive essays place each work in context, and cross-references lead the reader on a fascinating journey through Chinese art history.

The Chinese Art Book features an introductory essay by Colin Mackenzie, Senior Curator of Chinese Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, an accessible summary of Chinese political and cultural history, a comprehensive glossary defining technical terms, and an illustrated timeline.

Full of surprises for the reader new to Chinese art as well as for specialists, the book breaks new ground by pairing works that speak to one another in unexpected ways, enlightening historical, stylistic and cultural connections."

Huineng (638-713 CE)
Huineng Chopping Bamboo
Ink on paper by Liang Kai
Circa 1200 CE

A Teacher Mentoring His Students
Ink and Color on Paper by Yang Zhiguang, 1959
From the Chines Art Book, p.77

Library books on Asian Art that I have benefitted
from browsing in 2023:

Hiroshige.  Janina Nentwig. Konneman 2016. 

The Arts of Japan: Late Medieval to Modern.  By Seiroku Noma, 1966. 326 pages.  

The History of Japanese Art.  By Penelope Mason, 1993, 431 pages.  

 

The Arts 

Tao Te Ching, Chapter 71, by Lao Tzu

Daodejing, Laozi
Chapter 71


"To know the unknowable, that is elevating.
Not to know the knowable, that is sickness.
Only by becoming sick of sickness can we be without sickness.
The holy man is not sick.
Because he is sick of sickness, therefore he is not sick."
-  Translated by D. T. Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 71 


"One who knows, but does not know, is best.
One who does not know, but knows, is sick.
Only one who recognizes this sickness as sickness
Will not have the sickness.
The sage does not have this sickness
Because he recognizes this sickness as sickness.
Therefore, he has no sickness."
-  Translated by Yi Wu, Chapter 71


"If you have knowledge, but you feel like you do not have knowledge, this is super.
If you do not have knowledge, but you feel like you have knowledge, this is sick.
The great men were not sick because they knew what the sickness is.
Only when you know what the sickness is, will you not be sick."
-  Translated by Xiaolin Yang, Chapter 71


"Nobody has all the answers.
Knowing that you do not know everything is far wiser than thinking that you know a lot when you really don't.
Phony expertise is neurotic.
Fortunately, once the symptoms are recognized, the sure is easy: stop it.
Probably every leader has tried this form of pretense at one time or another.
The wise leader has learned how painful it is to fake knowledge.
Being wise and not wanting the pain; the leader does no indulge in pretending.
Anyway, it is a relief to be able to say: "I don't know." "
-  Translated by John Heider, 1985, Chapter 71  


"To know that you do not know is best.
Who knows that he doesn't know is the highest.
To know when one doesn't know is best.
Who pretends to know what he doesn't know is sick-minded;
To think one knows when one doesn't know is a sort of malady. 
Pretend to know when you don't know - that's a disease.
He who recognizes this disease as a disease can also cure himself of it [and maybe not].
[One may eventually get free from a disease by recognizing it for what it is.]
Who recognizes sick-mindedness as sick-mindedness can't be wholly sick-minded, after all.
The wise man is hardly sick-minded if he recognizes sick mind as sick and also cures some diseases.
He's hardly a sick mind."
-  Translated by Tormond Byrn, 1997, Chapter 71   


知不知上;
不知知病.
夫唯病病, 是以不病.
聖人不病, 以其病病, 是以不病.
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 71

zhi bu zhi shang;
bu zhi zhi bing. 
fu wei bing bing, shi yi bu bing.
sheng ren bu bing, yi qi bing bing, shi yi bu bing.
-  Pinyin Romanization, Daodejing, Chapter 71 


"To know how little one knows is to have genuine knowledge.
Not to know how little one knows is to be deluded.
Only he who knows when he is deluded can free himself from such delusion.
The intelligent man is not deluded, because he knows and accepts his ignorance, and accepts his ignorance as ignorance, and thereby has genuine knowledge."
-  Translated by Archie J. Bahm, Chapter 71


Knowing what cannot be known?
What a lofty aim!
Not knowing what needs to be known?
What a terrible result!
Only when your sickness becomes sick will your sickness disappear.
The Sage illness has become ill, his renunciation has been renounced.
Now he is free.
And every place in the world is the perfect place to be."
-  Translated by Jonathan Star, 2001, Chapter 71


"To realize that our knowledge is ignorance,
This is a noble insight.
To regard our ignorance as knowledge,
This is mental sickness.
Only when we are sick of our sickness
Shall we cease to be sick.
The Sage is not sick, being sick of sickness;
This is the secret of health."
-  Translated by John C. H. Wu, Chapter 71   


"Conocer el no-conocimiento
es lo más elevado.
Es un mal no saber
lo que el saber es.
Sólo quien sufre este mal
se libra de todos los males.
Si el Sabio no sufre
es porque padece este mal,
por eso no sufre."
-  Translation into Spanish from Richard Wilhelm's 1911 German Version by an Unknown Spanish Translator, 2015, Capítulo 71



"To know that we are ignorant is a high attainment.
To be ignorant and to think we know is a defect.
The Master indeed can cure this defect.
That is why he has not this defect.
The self-controlled man has not this defect,
He takes hold of his defect and cures it.
That is why he has not this defect."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 71


"Knowing you don't know is wholeness.
Thinking you know is a disease.
Only by recognizing that you have an illness
can you move to seek a cure.

The Master is whole because
she sees her illnesses and treats them,
and thus is able to remain whole."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 71 





A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter 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, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   


Chapter 71, 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   

Eight Section Brocade Qigong

Eight Section Brocade Qigong

Qigong (Chi Kung) Website

Research by Michael P. Garofalo.

Review From Antique Buddhas, UK

"Your extensive exploration of Eight Treasures Qigong is truly inspiring! It's remarkable how this ancient practice, with roots dating back to the Animal Frolics Dao-yin exercises, continues to evolve and benefit practitioners today. Your integration of Shaolin and Daoist concepts adds depth to your teachings, enhancing the holistic understanding of mind-body wellness.

The resources you've compiled, from books to instructional materials, offer a wealth of knowledge for those eager to delve into this enriching practice. Your dedication to detailing each movement, including variations, benefits, and breathing patterns, is commendable and undoubtedly enhances the learning experience for your students.

The historical context you provide, tracing the lineage and development of Ba Duan Jin through the ages, adds richness to its practice. It's fascinating to see how this system has adapted and diversified over time, yet remains focused on promoting health and well-being.

Thank you for sharing your expertise and passion for Eight Treasures Qigong. Your commitment to preserving and transmitting this ancient wisdom is truly admirable.

Warm regards,
Antique Buddhas

www.buddha-statues.co.uk" 2023

This webpage provides information about the history and purpose of this popular Chi Kung practice. Detailed descriptions are provided for each of the eight movements; including information on movement variations, health benefits, qigong meaning, and cautions. The document includes the most extensive bibliography, link guide, and comments on Ba Duan Jin Qigong resources available anywhere. Some animated graphics are provided in linked files. This document is updated as new information is discovered.

This qigong set is the most popular qigong set practiced around the world, and is also known as: Baduanjin, Pa Tuan Jin, Eight Silken Treasures, Ba Duan Jin, Pal Dan Gum, Ba Duan Gin, Pa Tin Kam, Otto Pezzi di Tesoro, Acht Delen Brokaat, Les Huit Exercices del la Soie, Eight Silken Treasures, Brocade Qigong, Wudang Brocade Qigong, Brocade soft qigong (Rou Gong), Eight Treasures inner qigong (Nei Gong), Silk Treasures Qigong, and the first eight Buddha Lohan Hands.

This wepage document is about 110 pages, 26,000 words, and with a filesize of 340Kb. It was last updated and reformatted on April 15, 2008. Web File Location: http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/esb.htm.

I get a number of comments and questions sent to me by email each month about my Eight Section Brocade webpage. Here is a recent exchange with Barbara K from the Dutch Country in Pennsylvania:

Dear Michael,

If you don't have a DVD of your version of this, is there one that you recommend? I liked what you said about the way you do this form and, yes, there are SO many different ways of doing the "8 sections." I am trying to teach myself as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of Qigong instruction where I live.

Barbara,

I have not purchased any DVDs on the subject.

The Taijiquan and Kung Fu books and DVDs by Master Yang Jwing Ming that I have purchased have always been very authoritative. He offers a book and video on the Eight Section Brocade.

This qigong form is very simple so you should be able to practice it on your own in a short period of time.

Michael,

Thank you for the prompt response. I have been so overwhelmed with what I found on u-tube as far as demos of the 8 pieces. They are so varied. After reading parts of your very complete treatise on this form, I realized that this was the norm. I just want to find one that I "can agree with" and learn it with a video. I will try the one you suggest. Seems like CA is the place for Tai Chi-Qigung, and not PA Dutch country. That's another reason I want to learn it.


Barbara,

So, you will bring Taijiquan and Qigong to PA Dutch Country. Good health practices are universally needed and valued.

Yes, there are many versions of the Eight Section Brocade and Five Animal Frolics - the two most popular Qigong forms. Likewise, there are many styles of Yoga, and over 500 postures (asanas). Find what works for you: Barbara K’s Qigong. Just remember: full and calm breathing, relax, upright posture, still mind, slow and focused movements, and blend with the cosmos.

Weather in Vancouver, Washington

The City of Vancouver, in Clark County, Washington, USA, is situated on the north side of the Columbia River, directly across form the large City of Portland, Oregon, on the south side of the Columbia River.  Portland and Vancouver have the same weather.

Karen and I live in the Orchards neighborhood, northeast of the City of Vancouver, in Clark County, about 7 miles north of the Columbia River along the 205 Freeway.
We can see both Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens from our area.

Average Annual Precipitation: 43.55 Inches (Some sources say 39 Inches) 

Number of Days Per Year with a Trace or More of Precipitation: 151

Number of Cloudy Days: 229

Vancouver, Washington, USA, Zip Code: 98662

Hardiness Zone:  Zone 8a: 10F to 15F

Average First Frost:  October 21 - 31

Average Last Frost:  April 1 - 10

Koppen-Geiger Climate Zone:  Csb - Warm-Summer Mediterranean Climate

Ecoregion:  3a - Portland Vancouver Basin

Palmer Drought Index:  Extremely Moist

Average Annual Rainfall:  43.55 inches

Heat Zone Days:  Rare Over 86F 

Elevation:  171 feet above the Pacific Ocean

General Geography: 

The Pacific Ocean and Astoria, Oregon, is 100 miles to the West from Vancouver, along the Columbia River. The south side of the City of Vancouver is the Columbia River, and across the river is Portland, Oregon. The Cascade range and Columbia Gorge is to the East. Looking north:165 miles to Seattle, 307 miles to Vancouver, Canada; 105 miles to Olympia, and 45 miles to Mt. St. Helens.

January Average: 33F low, 46F high, 6" Rain

February Average: 35F low, 50F high, 4.99" Rain

March Average: 37F low, 56F high, 4.38" Rain

April Average:  40F low, 60F high, 3.28" Rain

May Average:  45F low, 67F high, 2.67" Rain

June Average:  50F low, 72F high, 1.88" Rain

July Average:  53F low, 79F high, .8" Rain

August Average:  57F low, 82F high, .5" Rain

September Average:  49F low, 75F high, 1.91" Rain

October Average:  42F low, 64F high, 3.41" Rain

November Average:  38F low, 52F high, 6.49" Rain

December Average:  34F low, 46F high, 6.68" Rain

Yearly Averages:  42F low, 62F high, 43.55" Rain


The Spirit of Gardening

Gardening Information for Vancouver WA.

Gardening in Red Bluff, California

Colors in the Garden: Vancouver, WA

Gardening in Vancouver, Washington

The Weather of the Pacific Northwest. By Cliff Mass. University of Washington Press, 2021, 299 pages,  Second Edition. FVRL. Excellent overview, lots of photographs, for the lay reader but very thorough.

Rains All the Time: A Connoisseur's History of Weather in the Pacific Northwest. By David Laskin. 1997, 215 pages.

Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas - Reading, Studies, Information

Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas

I will be Yurt Camping for four days at Belfair State Park, Kitsap Peninsula, Washington, in September of 2024. I have read and studied a number of fine books about this area. Here are a few of them:

Salmon, Cedar, Rock and Rain: Washington's Olympic Peninsula. By Tim Mcnulty and many others. Braider River, Mountaineer's Press, 2023, 206 pages. Outstanding  photography, informative essays. VSCL.

Cascadia Revealed: A Guide to the Plants, Animals, and Geology of the Pacific Northwest Mountains. By Daniel Mathews. Timber Press Field Guide. 2016, index, 582 pages. Outstanding guide, color photos, handy field guide. Superior on Geology. VSCL.

Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry. Edited by C. Marie Fhurman, Elizabeth Bradfield, and Derek Sheffield. Mountaineers Books, 2013, 400 pages. VSCL.

Heaven on the Half Shell: The History of the Oyster in the Pacific Northwest. By David George Gordon, Samantha Larson, and Maryann Barron Wagner. Second Edition. Foreword by Kenneth K. Chew. University of Washington Press, 2013, index, 228 pages. VSCL.

The Chinook Indians: Traders of the Lower Columbia River. Robert H. Ruby and John A. Brown. University of Oklahoma Press, 1988, 372 pages. VSCL.

Razor Clams: Buried Treasure of the Pacific Northwest. By David Berger. University of Washington, 2017, 223 pages. VSCL. 

Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula. By Craig Romano. Mountaineers Books, 2nd Edition, 2016, 354 pages. VSCL.

Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest By Ella E. Clark. Illustrated by Robert Bruce Inverarity. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1953, 2003. Glossary, 225 pages.  VSCL.

Native Peoples of the Olympic Peninsula: Who We Are. Edited by Jacilee Wray. Second Edition. University of Oklahoma, 2015, 224 pages. VSCL.

Olympic Peninsula: The Grade and Gradeur. Text and photographs by Mike Sedam. Voyageur Press, 2002, 144 pages. A coffe-table photgraphic book. VSCL.

Olympic Peninsula with Olympic National Park. By Jeff Bulingame. Moon, 5th Edition, 2024, 260 pages. The definitive and current travel guide to this area. Essential! VSCL.

The Sacred Wisdom of the Native Americans. By Larry J. Zimmerman. Chartwell Books, 2016, 220 pages.

Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon: Exploring Beaches and Tidepools. By Ryan P. Kelly, Terrie Klinger and John J. Meyer. University of Washington Press, 2022, 253 pages, index. FVRL.

A Birder's Guide to Coastal Washington. By Bob Morse. Featuring Ocean Shores, Long Beach Peninsula, Forks, Westport, Tokeland, and 160 Birding Hot Spots.  R. W. Morse Co., 2001, Index, 249 pages, spiral bound text. VSCL. Detailed coverage of birding locations and how to get there. 

Beachcombing   SEE  Beachcombing

A Coast of Scenic Wonders: Coastal Geology and Ecology of the Outer Coast of Oregon and Washington and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  By Miles O. Hayes, Jacqueline Michel, and Joseph Holmes.  Pandion Books, 2020, 229  pages. 

The Flora and Fauna of the Pacific Northwest.  By Collin Varner.  University of Washington, 2018, 462 pages.  VSCL.  Outstanding photographs, larger size. 

Grayland Beach Nature Studies.  By Michael P. Garofalo.  2021-  

More Northwest Coastal Field Guides

National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. By Peter Alden and Dennis Paulson.  Knopf, 1998, 488 pages. This is a handy and sturdy field guide for enthusiasts of natural history studies. I carry in my car along with binoculars, magnifying glass, and supplies in my backpack. VSCL.

Natural History of the Pacific Northwest Mountains. By Daniel Mathews. Timber Press Field Guide, 2017, Index, 583 pages. VSCL.

A Naturalist's Guide to the Hidden World of Pacific Northwest Dunes. By George Poinar Jr. Oregon State University, 2016, 288 pages. VSCL.

The New Beachcomber's Guide to the Pacific Northwest.  By J. Duane Sept.  Harbor Publishing, 2019, 416 pages. VSCL.

The Northwest Coast: A Natural History. By Stewart T. Schultz. Timber Press, 1990, index, 389 pages. VSCL.

The Northwest Coastal Explorer. By Robert Steelquist. Timer Press, 2016, 282 pages. Overview of key features with pictures and text. VSCL.

Plants of the Pacific Northwest. By Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon. Partners, 2004, 528 pages.

Seashore Life of the Northern Pacific Coast: An Illustrated Guide to Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. By Eugene N. Kozloff.  University of Washington, 1983, 378 pages. A technical scientific presentation. VSCL.

Seashore of the Pacific Northwest. By Ian Sheldon. Lone Pine, 1998, 192 pages. VSCL.

The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans. By Cynthia Barnett. W.W. Norton, 2021, 432 pages. VSCL.

Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. Tracking and Identifying Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates. By David Moskowitz. Timber Press, 2010, 364 pages. VSCL.

Books in my personal home library (VSCL) about Washington State.
FVRL = Fort Vancouver Regional Library System, Clark County, Washington.