#Natural Transcendence

[eyeoftheheart]

There is Kyojitsu Tenkan Hô 虚実転換法 or ‘the interchange of truth and falsehood’ in everything said and done.

One persons truth is another’s falseness. What is done and said can be some people’s heaven and anothers hell. It can reveal their love or hate, and also their inspiration to strive or excuse to quit. The dualities are endless.

This is quite natural and thus helps us maintain an understanding of the constant ‘fight for balance’ between the duality of all things, often represented by the Tiger 虎 and Dragon 龍. This appreciation reminds us that the only constant is Henka 変化( change ) in order to maintain universal harmony.

“If an expert in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of ninjutsu, devoid of the influence of the ego's desires, the student will progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for becoming invincible - the attainment of the 'mind and eyes of the divine.' The combatant who would win must be in harmony with the scheme of totality, and must be guided by an intuitive knowledge of the playing out of fate. In tune with the providence of heaven and the impartial justice of nature, and following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the inevitable, the ninja captures the insight that will guide him successfully into battle when he must conquer and conceal himself protectively from hostility. The vast universe, beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality, contains all that we call good and bad, all the answers for all the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his eyes and his mind, the ninja can responsively follow the subtle seasons and reasons of heaven, changing just as change is necessary, adapting always, so that in the end there is no such thing as surprise for the ninja.”

~ Takamatsu Toshitsugu

Budô is transmitting the importance to transcend. Within the Gōjō ( the five virtues of Confucianism ) this is known as Shizen no Choetsu 自然の超越 or ‘natural transcendence.’ I believe this is promoting ( among other things ) the practice of reaching to the higher level of consciousness known as Jihi no kokoro 慈悲の心 or the ‘benevolent/merciful/compassionate heart.’

“The practitioner of ninjutsu can gain the strength and invincibility that permits enjoyment of the flowers moving in the wind, appreciation of the love of others, and contentment with the presence of peace in society. The attainment of this enlightenment is characterized by the development of the jihi no kokoro, or ‘benevolent heart’. Stronger than love itself, the benevolent heart is capable of encompassing all that constitutes universal justice and all that finds expression in the unfolding of the universal scheme.”

~ Masaaki Hatsumi

Bushinden Tasmania Budō Dōjō 武神傳武道道場

[houseswife]

wilson saying “I need to do this. for you.” is fucking insane actually. in the same episode where house is deciding whether or not he should commit suicide as a result of wilson’s dying. They are each other’s lines between life and death. humans have a biological instinct to preserve their survival at all costs; house has an addiction that governs his life. but they were willing to forgo all of it for one another, because they couldn’t fathom it being any other way. IM SICK

[mythmerth]

you ever think about that godforsaken prophecy and Arthur’s title of ‘the once and future king’? we never see him come back and he didn’t even live very long while he was king, so this ‘once and future king’ business really does feel questionable in the end.

but what if that’s just thinking about it in the wrong way?

Merlin is essentially immortal- this we all know. Arthur and merlin are ‘two sides of the same coin’, and were together prophesied to bring about Albion’s golden age with magic and all that. Merlin also IS magic. like, he embodies the magic of the world, he is the physical embodiment of magic, and in S5 he sends arthur to rest in magic to one day return. he was once king for a short time - but to merlin, arthur has always been and will always be his king. arthur is the future king because, no matter what, the magic that weaves together the very base of the world will always see him as its king. because merlin loves and reveres him with his whole being. those prophecies were all in reference to the relationship between merlin and Arthur, not in their relationship to Camelot or the people or land. merlin creates the once and future king with his love, and maybe it’s that same sentiment that will bring arthur back to him tangibly as well

[arealtrashact]

If it wasn't for your Tumblr, I never would've watched The 10th (Tenth?) Kingdom. I thank you. 😃

You're welcome.

Now you too can live with the knowledge that we'll never get the planned sequel and, as a result, never see the abomination that these two managed to spawn.

I am haunted by the fact Simon Moore (writer) confirmed that their offspring would be 100% wolf.

[rosieandthemoon]

[hiridraws]

alcor <3

transcendence au recently popped back up and got me in a chokehold for the past week or so, and naturally i had to draw my beloved little guy <3

[jomeimei421]

one day I will sit down and properly explain how YJH’s narrative is very fitting to be trans-coded, but this is the summary:

[the-real-couchrat]

Some REALLY messy doodles of the fic The Many Pets of Tyrone, which I now love to death. I don’t think I’ll ever end up finishing these, but I wanted to post them anyway.

All the forms together:

The image that appeared in my mind before I finished reading that all the birds reseller ravens:

And a cowboy Alcor with his cattle (and “horse”)

The horse design was inspired by this, and the cowboy outfit was taken from here.

[age-of-moonknight]

“Khonshu: Strikefile,” Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu (Vol. 1/2024), #0.

Writer: Jed MacKay; Penciler and Inker: Alessandro Cappuccio; Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[gnomewithalaptop]

Dipper’s smile was still there, but his eyes had that weird sad mushiness going on in the corners again. He did that a lot these days. “We did sometimes, Mabel,” he said, after a long minute where he didn’t look at her. “I think we might’ve broken so many traffic laws, they had to make a couple new ones.” Mabel paused to think about that for a second. “…Seriously?” she said at last, doubtful. “That seems unlikely.” Or: Mabel is 113 years old. Time marches on.

LISTEN I know I'm meant to be working on that one longfic but my mother told me a story about my deceased grandmother and then I just blacked out and wrote this idk what to tell you

[mayasaura]

do you think tamsyn is intentionally drawing a connection between the Buddhist eightfold path and the eightfold word?

the eightfold path is supposed to lead to liberation from the cycle of rebirth (I’m drawing a parallel to lyctoral immortality) and the last element is right samadhi which is often described as “meditative absorption or union” (a parallel to the consumption of the cavalier and absorption of the soul)

idk just food for thought i’ve been mulling over

I've been pondering this for a while myself. I've never heard the word "eightfold" used in any other context. Like, it could very much be a coincidence because #-fold is a Portentous Word Form, and eight Houses contributed to the theorum, but let's assume for now there is a connection.

I would say it's less of a parallel and more of a reflection. This framing of the Eightfold Word would make it kind of a warped mirror of the Eightfold Path.

Following the Eightfold Path delivers you from samsara, right? The ultimate purpose is to break the cycle of reincarnation that binds a person to the worlds of mundane suffering. That last element, right samadhi, it's about the illusion of existence being transcended in meditation to see the true nature of being. The Path leads to understanding of the self as transient—an illusion created by a much larger whole. Or something like that. I'm not a priest or bodhisattva, or even a scholar dedicated to understanding these things.

Speaking the Eightfold Word is entirely the opposite. The lyctors have subsumed the other into the self, making the self the center of their being. They haven't been freed from the cycle so much as they've jammed the wheel, leaving themselves trapped in the suffering of their existence for, theoretically, eternity.

I don't know if it's an intentional reference or not, but I do enjoy considering the implications of lyctorhood from that perspective. John and the lyctors have become so consumed by their obsession with the self and ensuring its continuance, it's broken all the bonds that would make them part of a larger whole in this life and left them each alone together in their own private hells. Speaking the Eightfold Word means that they'll never reach the other shore.

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of the Sublime

The sublime is a concept in philosophy and aesthetics that refers to an experience of awe, grandeur, and wonder, often evoking a mixture of fear and admiration. This notion has been explored by various philosophers and thinkers throughout history, particularly in the context of nature, art, and human experience. Here’s an in-depth exploration of the philosophy of the sublime:

1. Historical Origins

Edmund Burke: In his work "A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful" (1757), Burke distinguished between the beautiful and the sublime. He associated the sublime with vastness, infinity, and power, which can overwhelm and inspire a sense of awe and terror.

Immanuel Kant: In "Critique of Judgment" (1790), Kant elaborated on the sublime as something that transcends normal human experience and comprehension. He identified two forms of the sublime: the mathematical sublime, related to the vastness of nature and the universe, and the dynamical sublime, related to the power and force of natural phenomena.

Romanticism: The Romantic poets and artists, such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Caspar David Friedrich, celebrated the sublime in nature, emphasizing the emotional and spiritual responses to its grandeur and beauty.

2. Key Characteristics of the Sublime

Vastness and Infinity: Experiences or objects that are vast in scale, such as mountains, oceans, or the night sky, evoke a sense of the sublime. Their immensity challenges human perception and comprehension.

Power and Terror: The sublime often involves elements of danger and power, such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, or erupting volcanoes. These evoke fear but also admiration for their majesty and force.

Transcendence: The sublime experience transcends ordinary understanding and evokes a sense of something greater than oneself. It can lead to feelings of humility and reverence.

Aesthetic Experience: In art and literature, the sublime is associated with works that evoke profound emotional responses, often through depictions of nature’s grandeur or human achievement.

3. Philosophical Implications

Human Limits: The concept of the sublime highlights the limitations of human perception and understanding. It suggests that there are aspects of existence that are beyond human control and comprehension.

Emotional Complexity: The sublime evokes complex emotions that combine fear, awe, wonder, and admiration. This complexity enriches human experience and understanding of the world.

Nature and the Divine: The sublime often leads to reflections on the relationship between nature and the divine. The overwhelming power and beauty of nature can evoke a sense of the divine presence or the transcendental.

4. The Sublime in Art and Culture

Visual Arts: Artists like J.M.W. Turner and Caspar David Friedrich captured the sublime in their depictions of natural landscapes and phenomena, emphasizing vastness, power, and emotional depth.

Literature: Writers such as Mary Shelley and Lord Byron explored the sublime in their works, using language to evoke the awe and terror of natural and supernatural elements.

Modern Interpretations: Contemporary artists and thinkers continue to explore the sublime in various forms, including digital art, cinema, and virtual reality, pushing the boundaries of what can evoke awe and wonder.

5. Critiques and Evolving Perspectives

Subjectivity: Some critics argue that the experience of the sublime is highly subjective and culturally specific. What one person finds sublime, another may not.

Environmental Ethics: The concept of the sublime has been revisited in discussions about environmental ethics, emphasizing the need to protect and preserve the natural landscapes that evoke these profound experiences.

The philosophy of the sublime explores the profound and often overwhelming experiences of awe, grandeur, and wonder in response to nature, art, and human achievement. It challenges human limits of perception and understanding, evoking complex emotions and reflections on the transcendental. From its historical origins in the works of Burke and Kant to its manifestations in Romantic art and contemporary culture, the sublime remains a powerful and enduring concept in philosophy and aesthetics.

[abombihoney]

Fun Fact: a trope that always gets me is "brainwashed/controlled group suddenly start moving/speaking in sync" idk why but it always skeeves me out and this part made my skin crawl

[incandescentia]

One thing that I always thought while creating divine beast muses is that they're designated to be characters who are pure of heart and generally free of vices, which makes them supposed to be rather incomprehensible to human nature ( in a way, it makes it difficult for them to truly connect with mortals ). They are not Bodhisattvas but their nature makes it feel like they are not very off from said mortals who have achieved enlightenment, except that they're not mortals?

[konakoro]

Normally when I tell my sister weird and bizarre trivia that I like, she understandably gets weirded out and questions why I know that (fun response), but I have never seen her express so much glee and wonder at me describing the Gävle goat and the attempted ritualistic arson attempts committed yearly against it, and how this year it's being devoured by birds. She also loved the idea that we could've bought one of the small Gävle goats at IKEA to burn ourselves

[thatgirl4815]

Ok ok hear me out—FK in this concept 👀