From www.kendoguide.org via YouTube.
Jul 17
Tea Wisdom
From The Book of Tea
Translation is always a treason, and as a Ming author observes, can at its best be only the reverse side of a brocade,—all the threads are there, but not the subtlety of colour or design.”
Or for something more pessimistic:
Education, in order to keep up the mightily delusion, encourages a species of ignorance. People are not taught to be really virtuous, but to behave properly. we are wicked because we are frightfully self-conscious. We never forgive others because we know that we ourselves are in the wrong. We nurse a conscience because we are afraid to tell the truth to others; we take refuge in pride because we are afraid to tell the truth to ourselves. How can one be serious with the world when the world itself is so ridiculous!”
Time to think.
Jun 27
More Tea
“There were three most deplorable things in the world: the spoiling of fine youths through false education, the degradation of fine paintings through vulgar admiration, and the utter waste of fine tea through incompetent manipulation.”
– Lichihlai
Jun 15
Documentary “Zen: The Best of Alan Watts”
Screening a documentary on Zen. Interesting thoughts.
May 22
Buddhism and Rapture
Apparently we have survived the Rapture…unless you believe some people who claim we are already in Hell. Two articles the other day caught my attention.
"’Rapture’: Believers perplexed after prediction fails." BBC News 22 May 2011. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13489641>.
The article pretty much says it all. *sigh*
- “I do not understand why… I do not understand why nothing has happened.”
- “I was hoping for it because I think heaven would be a lot better than this Earth.”
- “It’s easy to mock them. But you can go kick puppies, too. But why?”
- “It was probably one of the saddest things that I’d ever read, the idea that there’s kids out there whose parents spent their college savings funds, who sold their homes.”
Seeley, Merlyn. "Nervous about May 21st, 2011?? What Buddhism does not teach." Examiner 21 May 2011. Web. 22 May 2011. http://m.examiner.com/examiner/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=IFQjOzuB&full=true#display.
The author points out that belief “ridiculous claims” such as the end days preached by certain Christians can be very destructive to life on Earth. What I found more interesting in the article was some of the contrasting elements between Christianity and Buddhism:
- “It will teach you that you have the ability to take hold of your own life and make the changes necessary to create heaven on earth.”
- “Buddhism will not teach you to push your beliefs on others.”
- “It will teach you that all you need to be happy you already have.”
- “It will teach you to take care of your family.”
- “Buddhism teaches you to be compassionate and love others because they are just like you.”
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The Lesson: Next time this happens, while others are running around creating fear, hate, and strife on Earth with their Rapture-porn, maybe others can counter this with care and compassion.
May 11
Fast Draw
For those into the fast draw scene…
Bob Munden
Wonder how to train for this without blowing your foot off.
May 08
Sunday Meditations
Okakura, K. o. (1906). The book of tea. New York: Duffield.
“Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.”
“Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence.”
“Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.”
Apr 10
Interesting Blog’s Post on Bullied Kid
Just found this fun blog and some interesting posts on bullying.
Sometimes it is appropriate to say “enough is enough.”
http://www.wimsblog.com/2011/03/big-kid-gets-bullied-one-too-many-times/
http://www.wimsblog.com/2011/03/big-kid-gets-bullied-one-too-many-times-part-two/
http://www.wimsblog.com/2011/03/big-kid-gets-bullied-one-too-many-times-part-three/
Cheers to the kid who fought back. Walking away is not always an option.
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