the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Hey Steve, thanks for the long reply I really liked history back in school. Just interesting to learn how others lived back then.

Gzergorz - it's all good from my side Sorry for trying to impose the world view I had on... the days I posted here.

Re religions: as long as effective practices of personal transformation are included, I see no problem in what way the car is spray painted

Ignoring the outside world is at least conceptually wrong when it comes to designing practice. Can't leave out a half of what you want to connect.

That silly Jesus, eh? "But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Luke 6:24-26)

The rich have received consolation for what? In what way was their sadness lessened in this context? Maybe for having exchanged health, peace, longevity for riches. Either way, one will die...?

No hunger, no feeling full... Is the correct way to constantly abide in the middle, giving in to neither extreme of laughter nor mourning?

The one who equalizes all that is towards the vital middle way is bound to receive plentiful hate for he can deal best with it.



Shrug

It's Asian American + Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Well, imo, Pacific Islanders need their own month. It's hard enough trying to squeeze Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans into the same historical category as Indians, Indonesians, Filipinos, and Tibetans. Anyway, ever hear the story of Nakahama Manjirō (中濱 万次郎, 1827 – 1898), "one of the first Japanese people to visit the United States and an important translator during the Opening of Japan.[2]"?

I posted the story of Squanto and meeting the Pilgrims. Manjiro's story is almost opposite. He was shipwrecked, and got rescued by a New England whaling ship. The story is much more complicated, but, in brief, he learns English, becomes a whaler (as in Moby Dick), and eventually comes to America and gets and education in navigation, history, and the sciences.

But, eventually, he gets to go back to Japan --which had not yet opened to the West. However, his knowledge made him useful to the empire. So, he was promoted from fisherman to samurai and given a second name. When Commodore Perry got to Japan, it was now Nakahama Manjiro who became a go between, translator, and essential to the opening of Japan. Oh well, Manjiro also introduced the Japanese to whaling.

Anyway, ya'll should look up his story. It deserves a movie --because it's interesting and new. In the video thread, there was a discussion of the show Warriors. Chinese immigrants were here since the 1820s, but we never learned any specific names. When I was growing up, the only two Chinese names from the 19th century I knew/heard were "Hop Sing," and "Hey Boy." These weren't commands; they were names. And, the only other Chinese name was Kato. (Though, in real life, there were the Lee boys, Jimmy and Tommy. I can't imagine how they felt watching tv).