SirPalomides

Of course it's necessarily wrong. It's the latest phase of an ongoing campaign, starting at least since Obama's "Pivot to Asia," to threaten, encircle, and undermine China because the US fears China's threat to its hegemony. Why did the US foreign policy establishment get so bent out of shape at the prospect of a peace treaty in Korea? Peace in Korea removes one of the major excuses for US military buildup near China.

For working at home during lockdown, I've listened to a lot of different music but the two genres that seem to be most helpful for me are reggae (especially dub) and ambient electronica. Favorite examples of each:

Not just Fox News...

What I'm finding out, reading about Dong Zhongshu, is that he is a bit harder to pin down. A lot of what is written about him in general overviews seems quite unfair. He has a somewhat quirky view of human nature that seems to share its basic premise with Mencius, but its conclusion with Xunzi, but more developed than either; he also has a very paternalistic view of the role of rulers in training people to be virtuous. In the realm of cosmology and spiritual cultivation, he is quite in league with Mencius with additional influence from the Yin-Yang, Five phases thought. While he voiced disagreements with some of Mencius I don't think he actually suppressed his texts- he assumed his readers were familiar with them, and owed a lot to Mencius anyway. He did have a program for the institutionalizing of Confucianism that was realized, though perhaps not the way he envisioned. Much like Zhu Xi gets unfairly blamed for a lot of later Neo-Confucian developments, foot-binding, etc., I think perhaps Dong Zhongshu is tarred with some developments that were really out of his hands.

Ah, Hua-Ching Ni’s Huahujing. I remember reading it when I was a teen and basically forgetting it because it seemed pretty dull. It’s definitely a forgery (of a forgery, in this case). The actual text was a polemical work and a recurring cause of outrage for Tang Buddhists. Derek Lin translates an excerpt that gives the real flavor of it (Laozi is addressing some Indian kings): “Your hearts are malicious, you like to kill and maim, you eat only bloody meat, and you end many lives. I will now explain the Yaksha Sutra to you, and command you to stop eating meat, to eat only wheat, and to stop butchering. Those who cannot stop, will consume their own flesh. Barbarians are very violent. You do not know friends from strangers, you like only greed and lust, and you have no compassion or righteousness. You are so hairy that grooming and washing are very difficult. You have a foul stench, and there is much filth on your bodies.”

Sounds like it could be a paraphrase of part of the Daxue to me: The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things. Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy. Of course similar ideas have been voiced all over the place.

Most of their stuff is a bit heavier than that, but with the same melancholic/ romantic/ mystic aesthetic.

It actually reminded me a lot of Alcest:

I'm really digging this, how did you find this?

Dr. Bin Song has made available for free online his anthology of Confucian (or, as he prefers, Ruist) literature, Ru Literature: Enjoying the Rain on a Spring Night. Here is his translation of some of Zhu Xi's discourses on quiet sitting: Yi Zhi asked: “In order to preserve and nourish (the living-substance of human life), do we need to be still most of the time?” Zhu Xi answered: “Not necessarily. Kongzi always taught people to cultivate themselves in situations that are of direct relevance to one’s life. Now, although some Ru master taught that self-cultivation should focus upon being quiet this does not mean that one should give up affairs and things in order to pursue quietude. Since we are humans, it entails that we shall serve parents, assist governors, communicate with friends, foster our children, comfort our spouses, and supervise house servants. It is implausible that we could give up all of these, and then, close the door and sit quietly. If things and affairs come, can we just say: “No! Please wait! I am now preserving and nourishing myself”? Nevertheless, we cannot follow these things and affairs with an indifferent or confused mind either. Between these two poles, we should think and have an appropriate judgement (about the correct method to preserve and nourish our human life). ” After a while, Master Zhu continues: “Whenever moving, quietude is there. The state of movement has its due measure of quietude. If we can respond to affairs according to the concerned pattern-principles, even if we move, we can still be quiet. Therefore, the Greater Learning says: ‘Knowing where to dwell in, and then, one can become settled. Becoming settled, and then, one can be quiet.’ When things and affairs come, if we cannot respond to them according to the concerned pattern-principles, our mind-heart cannot achieve quietude. This is the case even if we isolate ourselves from those things and thus intentionally search for quietude. Only under the condition that we follow the concerned pattern-principles during our movement, can we become quiet when no human affairs arrive. On the other hand, if we can preserve (the living-substance of our life) during our stillness, we shall be more functional during our movement. Hence, we must intentionally cultivate ourselves whenever we are moving or still. In other words, we must make our cultivating efforts continual, and thus, do not segregate our life into its still moments and its moving ones. If we can make these continuous efforts, we are quiet when we are still, and furthermore, we can also become unperturbed even when we are moving. This implies that we can be quiet even when we are moving. If we do not continually exert our cultivating effort, we are perturbed when we are moving, and even if we long for quietude when we are still, we cannot achieve that quietude. This means we can be perturbed even when we are still. Our physical movement and stillness is like a boat floating on the river. Tides come, and then the boat moves. Tides retreat, and then the boat stills. In the same way, we move when affairs come. We still when affairs get settled.” (This part of conversation is recorded by Xu Jufu) One day after finishing this conversation, Master Zhu met Xu, and said: “We move when affairs come. We are still when affairs get settled. This is like a boat on the river. Tides high, then the boat is also high. Tides down, then the boat is also down. Nevertheless, because ‘The alternation of movement and stillness is all-pervasive’ there is no reason for us to separate the pattern-principle for our movement and the one for our stillness. For example, we are still when we finish one round of inhale, but we become moving again when we exhale. For questions and answers between teachers and students, we move when we answer questions, while we are still when we finish the answer. All things ought to be understood as such. Hence, as for the cultivating effort of ‘moistening and nourishing’ and ‘attaining one’s lucid awareness,’ where should we start? I think scholars should start from one place and extend it. Master Cheng said: “Nothing is prior to ‘attaining one’s lucid awareness’ for one’s learning.” He also taught: “No effort of ‘attaining one’s lucid awareness’ does not rely upon reverence”. Therefore, being reverent, is the priority for all our cultivating effort. From here, we can extend our learning without any obstacle.” (Recorded by Di)

My amateur translation of Cheng Yi’s Four Admonitions: When Yan Yuan asked about the process of conquering oneself and returning to ritual, the Master replied, "Not looking at what is against ritual, not hearing what is against ritual, not speaking what is against ritual, not doing what is against ritual"- these four are one's methods. If one follows them within and accords with them without, one is ordered on the outside and therefore nurtured within. Yan Yuan is therefore speaking about the entrance to sagehood. Those who study sagehood should hold this close and not neglect it, so I caution myself with these admonitions: Admonition on Looking The heart, its root in emptiness, responds to things without a trace. What you must have to hold it well can be shown in the case of looking. Clouded by outward contact, one is thereby changed within. Ordered on the outside, one thus has inner peace. Conquer yourself and return to ritual, then in time you shall be sincere. Admonition on Hearing Humans have a standard rooted in their heavenly nature. Knowledge is tempted by the changes of things, finally losing its rightness. Brilliant is the one with foresight, whose knowledge is not trapped. Guard from evil, keep sincere, hearing nothing against the rites. Admonition on Speaking The movements of the human heart are declared by means of speech. Refusing to send forth peevish rashness, one's inside is thus still and focused. Moreover speech is the pivot by which war springs or peace goes forth; fortune or misfortunate, honor or disgrace only there do they convene. Speaking too easily leads to boasting, speaking too freely leads to triteness. If one is unruly, others are disordered, send out contention and quarreling comes. Speak no lawlessness!- Respect this instruction. Admonition on Movement The wise know the source, and are sincere to it in thought; the resolute are firm in action, and guarded in their doings. Following the pattern, one is enriched, but obeying desires, one is imperiled. When hurried, be able to reflect; in turmoil, maintain yourself. Whether by study or by nature formed, the sages arrive at the same place.

Another by Ivan Aivazovsky, “The Black Sea at Night”

Looking a little further, I found a translation of Dong Zhongshu's rain-seeking rites here.

Use the scientific method.

As I read it in Yin Shun, whose views seemed to be quite influential among modern Buddhist teachers (eg Xing Yun, Sheng Yen), he classed Daoism as a "divine vehicle" like Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity; it could allow for rebirth into higher realms but only the Buddha Dharma could actually lead to liberation. There is a story I've seen in a number of places (I think Xing Yun shared it) about a contest of magic between some Buddhist monks and Daoist wizards, in front of some emperor (I forget which), where the scriptures of the two religions are placed side by side. The Buddhists walk to the debate whereas the Daoists fly in accompanied with all kinds of magical bombast. At the end the Daoists lose the debate and their scriptures spontaneously combust. Anyway the point is, Those Daoists are a bunch of good-for-nothing conjurers. Of course many Buddhists have a more ecumenical attitude.

I've been reading selections of the work of the Han dynasty philosopher and magician Dong Zhongshu (in Wing-Tsit Chan's Source Book in Chinese Philosophy), and this part reminded me of this thread: When the sky is dark and it is about to rain, a person's sickness affects him first, because the force of yin rises in response. When the sky is dark and it is about to rain, people want to sleep, because the material force of yin is at work. People who are sad want to lie down, because the yin of sadness and lying down seek each other. And people who are happy do not want to lie down because the yang of happiness and staying up require each other. Because of the night, the water level rises in some degree. Because of the east wind, the wine becomes further fermented.28 When the night comes, the sick person's sickness becomes worse. When the day is about to dawn, cocks all crow and press on each other, their force becoming more and more refined. Therefore the yang reinforces the yang and the yin reinforces the yin, for the forces of yin and yang can naturally augment or diminish things because of their similarity in kind. Heaven possesses yin and yang and man also possesses yin and yang. When the universe's material force of yin arises, man's material force of yin arises in response. Conversely, when man's material force of yin arises, that of the universe should also arise in response. The principle is the same. He who understands this, when he wishes to bring forth rain, will activate the yin in man in order to arouse the yin of the universe. When he wishes to stop rain, he will activate the yang in man in order to arouse the yang of the universe. Therefore the bringing forth of rain is nothing supernatural. People suspect that it is supernatural because its principle is subtle and wonderful. It is not only the material forces of yin and yang that can advance or withdraw according to their kind. Even the way misfortunes, calamities, and blessings are produced follows the same principle. In all cases one starts something himself and other things become active in response according to their kind. (NB: “material force” is Chan’s translation of qi)

Occasionally some influential Chinese Buddhist teachers talk about Daoism with a bit of contempt. Of course there are Buddhist versions of qigong as well as bodily cultivation practices in tantra, which follow more Indian models of physiology, so the concepts and principles are not quite the same.

Masks to offer your deceased loved ones in the underworld

We are not worthy of your enlightenment. You must withdraw your blessing, shake the dust from your feet, and move on.

Such skepticism! Yet willing to reach very sweeping conclusions about women from some dating app reports.

It’s pretty crazy that the modern (should we call it Baconian?) scientific methodology is now simply called “Science” and all the old sciences suddenly became “pseudoscience” including the disciplines (alchemy, astrology, etc) from which modern science emerged. Science AKA natural philosophy already found these things long ago. Will what is reductively called “science” today find it? Maybe not. We arrange our lives around a great many important things that will never be measured or observed in a lab.

Oh yeah, I wasn't trying to pile on the Svans. They are, I believe, stereotyped as examples of pure Georgian culture, untainted by the problems of modern civilization- this stereotyping can be both complimentary and insulting. You can see a similar role played by Bedouins in Arab culture, and cowboys in American culture, etc- depending on someone's mood, they can be admirable specimens of ruggedness and authenticity, or dangerous hicks. I suppose this kind of snobbery and stereotyping goes back to the first time anyone formed themselves into a village and looked back out at the newly minted outsiders.

I would hope for a council form of administration, and community of goods. From each according to ability, to each according to need. Artists, artisans, craftspeople who are willing to share their knowledge. A willingness to shelter those in distress. Off-grid or not would not be important to me, though this might depend on what shape society has taken around us. Vegetarian, no. I would spend my day writing probably- I would hope for a lot of artistic collaborations.

In Georgia from what I hear there are lots of jokes about people from Svaneti, casting them as particularly wild, tough, crazy, etc.