BOOKS: 道德经 by 老子 [a.k.a. Daodejing by Laozi]

Posted on by
Reply
老子道德经校释（简体中文版）: 中华传世珍藏古典文库 (Chinese Edition)老子道德经校释（简体中文版）: 中华传世珍藏古典文库 by 王弼
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Available in Traditional & Simplified Chinese [w/ multiple translations] at YellowBridge

Packed into the 81 brief chapters of this book is the core Taoist philosophy on life, human relationships, governance, and war. Most often, it offers a wisdom that turns conventional wisdom on its head, advocating for inaction over action, less over more, simplicity over complication, and for recognizing the usefulness of what isn’t.

Some of the book’s central ideas are captured in these quotes:

上善若水。水善利万物而不争. “The greatest good is like water. It benefits all without fighting.” [Ch. 8]
金玉满堂，莫之能守 “A house full of jade and gold cannot be guarded.” [Ch. 9]
知人者智，自知者明。胜人者有力，自胜者强。“He who knows others is smart; he who knows himself is enlightened. He who conquers others has power; he who conquers himself is mighty.” [Ch. 33]
柔胜刚，弱胜强。“Softness overcomes hardness; weakness overcomes strength.” [Ch. 36]
道常无为而无不为。“The Dao is constant inaction, yet nothing is left undone.” [Ch. 37]
善者，吾善之；不善者，吾亦善之；德善。“The good, I treat well; the bad, I also treat well. Yeah Virtue!” [Ch. 49]
知者不言，言者不知。“He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know.” [Ch. 56]
千里之行，始于足下。“The journey of a thousand li (“miles”) begins with a single step.” [Ch. 64]
天之道，不争而善胜 “The way of heaven is to win without fighting.” [Ch. 73]
信言不美，美言不信。“True words aren’t pleasing; pleasing words aren’t true.” [Ch. 81]

I think this is one of those works that should be read and reread. It may help rewire your brain in useful ways.

View all my reviews

PROMPT: Change

Posted on by
Reply
Daily writing prompt
What is one thing you would change about yourself?
View all responses

For a long time, I’d have said that I’d like to be less introverted. However, adjusting my attitude towards introversion, managing it, and recognizing / valuing the strengths that derive from it has been one of the most enlightening and empowering processes of my life. (So, I’m keeping it.)

However, I do have an ulnar impaction in my wrist that I’d be happy to get rid of (if anyone with such powers is taking requests.)

“Nuns Fret Not at Thier Convent’s Narrow Room” by William Wordsworth [w/ Audio]

Posted on by
1 
Nuns fret not at their convent's narrow room;
  And hermits are contented with their cells;
  And students with their pensive citadels;
  Maids at the wheel, the weaver at his loom,
 Sit blithe and happy; bees that soar for bloom,
  High as the highest Peak of Furness-fells,
  Will murmur by the hour in foxglove bells:
  In truth the prison, into which we doom
 Ourselves, no prison is: and hence for me,
  In sundry moods, 'twas pastime to be bound
  Within the Sonnet's scanty plot of ground;
  Pleased if some Souls (for such there needs must be)
 Who have felt the weight of too much liberty,
  Should find brief solace there, as I have found.

Beyond Shadow [Haiku]

Posted on by
Reply 
bloom-laden branch
 stretches to reach beyond 
  the shadows... but no.

BOOKS: “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio” by Pu Songling [Trans. by John Minford]

Posted on by
2
Strange Tales from a Chinese StudioStrange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – Penguin

This is a collection of short stories, almost entirely speculative fiction, dating from the Qing Dynasty (specifically, the late 1600’s to early 17oo’s.) Ghosts, folkloric creatures, and Taoist magic all feature prominently in the stories. The stories average about five pages, but with a wide deviation from stories scarcely longer than today’s micro-fiction to extensive pieces. The Penguin edition collects 104 out of a much larger collection of stories.

The best of these stories are clever and highly engaging, and there are many such tales. Being from Qing Dynasty China, the stories offer a perspective different from one’s typical horror and fantasy short stories. Many of the stories prominently feature eroticism, but not graphically so.

As for the weakness of the volume, even though it selects only a portion of Pu Songling’s original, there are many stories that blend together, failing to distinguish themselves. This is most notable among the fox-spirit stories, of which there are just so many. [A number of them are fantastically unique, but others are just variations on the same.] So, the book can seem a bit repetitive in that sense. However, before you get to the point where you feel you can’t read one more fox-spirit story, you’re quite likely to read a tale that blows your mind.

I greatly enjoyed many of the stories herein. Perhaps, the volume could have benefited from further abridgement, but it’s well worth the read.

View all my reviews

DAILY PHOTO: Kuppanna Park, Mysuru

Posted on by
Reply

Orangutan [Lyric Poem]

Posted on by
Reply 
Orangutans live their lives in the trees.
 The jungle has as many as they please --
 But - with trees - the Zoo is quite sparing,
 Leaving just one twig: non-loadbearing.

“Before I got my eye put out –” (336) by Emily Dickinson [w/ Audio]

Posted on by
Reply 
Before I got my eye put out --
   I liked as well to see
 As other creatures, that have eyes --
   And know no other way --

But were it told to me, Today,
   That I might have the Sky
 For mine, I tell you that my Heart
   Would split, for size of me --

The Meadows -- mine --
 The Mountains -- mine --
 All Forests -- Stintless stars --
 As much of noon, as I could take --
 Between my finite eyes --

The Motions of the Dipping Birds --
   The Morning's Amber Road --
 For mine -- to look at when I liked,
   The news would strike me dead --

So safer -- guess -- with just my soul
   Opon the window pane
 Where other creatures put their eyes --
   Incautious -- of the Sun --

Ibis [Lyric Poem]

Posted on by
Reply 
The Egyptians found the Ibis sacred.
 This must have made the Ibis elated.
 I watched one try to push a Heron around;
 The unimpressed Heron just stood its ground.

DAILY PHOTO: Autumnal Forest Scenes

Posted on by
Reply