12.28.05
Daoism
I saw this in a book on daoism at the bookstore.
The sage falls asleep not
Because he ought to
Not even because he wants to
But because he is sleepy.
Happy sleepy day!
10.13.05
Fish in Water
Its easy to loose sight of where we are and where we are going. Sometimes we move around aimlessly throughout our day like a zombie raised from the dead. We confuse ourselves with our deeds; we confuse ourselves with our pains; and we confuse ourselves with our pleasures. This is dwelling. To live we must be aware in our presence and intent in our future. But what is the future? Well, what is the meaning of life? Is it the epicurian persuit of pleasure, the attainment of fame and riches, or the accumulation of power? No its not. To think so is a delusion. Is it the opposite: an austere and simple existence devoid of life? That doesn’t feel right either. There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself, having money, fame or power. What matters is what you do with it. Life centers on learning and evolution. For intelligent life this translates into understanding, awareness, and intent. To live well, we must understand the dao. Its important to realize the amazing, creative force of life. Natural change will always occur, the depth of its energies is bottomless. To resist means death- if not physically, then mentally and spirtually. Shit happens- It’s the nature of the beast. Life goes on. Why waste time moping, arguing, or fighting? Does it really solve anything? Does it change anything? Be active and make your point. Then move on. Life is short. How unfortunate would it be to die a momment too soon, to miss out on quality time with our family and friends? You can always buy a new bike, watch the rerun of your favorite tv show, or catch a late lunch. Whatever you do, where ever you go, make sure you apply this understanding. Understanding is nothing unless you use it. In otherwords, Education is what you remember after you have forgotten everything you’ve learned. Only through continuous application do we transition from the named principle to the unnamed way. The trick is to be aware of where you and what you are doing at that very moment. Don’t be preocupied by your thoughts and let what could be slip through your fingers. Being happy is just like being sad. Its a flip of the switch. It boils down to seeing a glass half empty or half full. The true nature of man is enlightenment. Only by realizing the fog of ego can one find everlasting peace. This doesnt mean nothing in this world matters. There is a journey both in life and in death. Action today sowes the seeds of tomorrow. So be earnest in all that you do.
11.22.04
Karma at Hong Kong Supermarket
On saturday, our kungfu class went out to eat after training. On the way out, we started talking about ‘treating other people like you treat the ground’. This daoist principle has both a positive and negative way of looking at it. At the end of the remark, we passed a woman and her kid loading groceries in the car. After the kid finished putting the last bag in the car, he kicked the cart straight back away from the car. The cart passed right in front of us. The idea of treating others like i treat the ground came up, and i left the cart where it moved to. The cart was too close to the car to allow the woman to back out properly. And sure enough, the kid had to get out and move the cart. I think next time he’ll push the cart further… hopefully he’ll put it somewhere it wont impede another car.
09.03.04
Attack the Attack
Wing Chun is not just a martial art, its a way of life. The foundations of Wing Chun are rooted in daoist philosophy. One of the precepts of Wing Chun is the notion of “Attack the Attack”. So in fighting this means to always stay on the offensive and never think defensively. This doesnt mean that you should trade punches or just take hits. What this means is to think offensively and always look for openings.
I kinda get this, yet I don’t. But now, I’m getting there. I am a teaching assistant for a class at school. I had to sit and listen to a Professor tell me to (1.) Do all the class assignments by myself to have an answer key ready for the class, (2.) That after I finished, he didnt think what I did was correct, and (3) When I explained to him why, he basically told me what I was doing (which was logical) was wrong, and to add a little bit of icing on the cake (4) That I was to grade everything (grading is a bit automated, but that doesnt mean its a walk in the park). So after all of this, I was a bit bummed out.
So before our next meeting (with the other 2 teaching assistants presents), I did my homework. I talked it over with my advisor, and got these issues straightened out. He told me everything I was thinking was right. So I walked into the meeting with my plan.
Prof: So can TA #1 you can help with the grading. Wait you only know Java.
TA #1: And Scheme. but theres only 1 group.
Prof: Ok well thats about half. That might be ok
Me: We really should split the grading evenly. He needs to be familiar with all the different languages because someone might ask him for help. [Attack the Attack!]
…
Me: Well we also need to talk about the datatypes that are in question
Prof: Well we can do that just between the two of us
Me: I think everyone here should know.. just in case there are questions.. (everyone is a teaching assistant) [Attack the attack!]
Prof: Ok, does everyone want to work on it?
Everyone: Ok.
Then while we looked at the stuff, I made my points, and sat back and let the other TAs support my claims.
“Attack the attack” is a very subtle technique. I think it requires:
1. Objectives
2. Preparation
3. Subterfuge