#Zhaozhou

[falseandrealultravival]

Lao Tzu(老子), All chapters bibliographical ~ ~ Part 1(1/3) :Essay

Lao Tzu(A paperback book cover:Chuko Bunko)

The Chinese classic "Lao Tzu(老子)" is a short document consisting of a short sentence fragment and 81 chapters (5,000 words), but its meaning is very deep. From now on, I will divide it into three parts and list the keywords and key points of each chapter. It is written as @ 1 = Chapter 1. 81/3 = 27 chapters each. The source is from "Lao Tzu" (Tamaki Ogawa, translation: Chuko Bunko). Above all, this blog makes sense to index and organize the Lao Tzu in me.

@ 1: "The true way cannot be told (free translation: the original text is" the Tao(way )to say is not the usual way "" & "difference in presence / absence / superiority of nothing to presence" ...・ From the beginning, one of the most difficult chapters in Lao Tzu.

(Note) The phrase "what the way should say is not the usual way" and "everyday = immutable" are not "immutable" ways if the way can be told (in Mr. Ogawa's note). ... is said to be. However, instead of the concept of "everyday = immutable road, principle", the meaning of the word "everyday" is taken to another meaning, and it is called "everyday = ordinary", and the way in general is called "way". It seems reasonable, too, so I said, "The true Tao(way )cannot be told," in the sense that it contains both contradictory meanings of "always."

As evidence of this, Zhaozhou was asked, "What is the way?" In a question and answer with a disciple of Zen Buddhist priest Zhaozhou Congshen, which was established under the influence of the Daojia idea. "Is it a way? If it's a way, it's straight to the city." It looks like the metaphysical questions have been rejected in advance. I think that more concrete words than abstract metaphors are appropriate for the teaching of "reality-based" Lao Tzu. The understanding of Zhaozhou Congshen's way is also valid. Even so, if "remarks about the usual way are meaningless", then one volume of "Lao Tzu" would be meaningles.

@ 2: "Relativity of beauty and ugliness, elimination of binary opposition" (everyone in the world regards something as "beautiful"At that time, it was already ugly. ) ‥ ‥ ‥ ‥ ‥ ‥ ‥

@ 3: "Don't make heavy use of wise man" & "Don't value hard-to-find coins" (Don't value and don't ask for hard-to-find items) & "If you ”do　do nothing” it won't never settle down, "Don't do anything" ... One of the fundamental concepts of Lao Tzu. However, spending lazy days is not called do nothing.

@ 4: "The function of the Tao is that the pot does not run out of water" & "Wako Doujin(和光同塵)" (Saints do not exert their inner power and light (Wako) and live like ordinary people . (Same dust))

@ 5: "Just like there is no jin(kindness) in the heavens and the earth, there is no jin in the saint" & "Don't talk too much" (In this case, jin is the basic concept of the Confucian family = the kindness of the human heart, and is a human being. This is the reason, but Lao Tzu denies it.)

@ 6: "The goddess of the valley (where water gathers) is immortal."

@ 7: "Since the saint does not have itself, It will complete its personal affairs."

@ 8: "Water is close to the Tao" "It is in a place where everyone despises, not fighting for all things" "Greatest good is like water": Lao Tzu praises water.

@ 9: "I should stop holding things that are impossible"

@ 10: "(Chapter that wrote about a kind of meditation)"

@ 11: “Nothing “has great uses.

@ 12: "Don't get lost in external stimulation" & "Hard-to-find coins" (@ 3)

@ 13: "It care about the evaluation of others because It has its own body. If It doesn't have a body, what harm will attack it?" "Only for those who value only their own body, we can

trust the nation. (See the contradiction-filled chapter, @ 7.) The only people who can do this will be those who have near-death experiences.

@ 14: "What you can't see, what you can't hear, what you can't catch: It's the work of the Tao to recognize these."

@ 15: "Write the state of an old man."

@ 16: "Even if all things flourish, they will definitely return to their roots." "← Those who know this truth will reach the Tao."

@ 17: "Four classifications of kings" (The best king only knows that there are such people.

The king of the next rank was praised by the people ... and so on.)

@ 18: "The Tao(way) is gone and there is a righteousness. ← Relativizing the fundamental concept of the Confucian family .: The virtues of Jin (仁)and Gi (義)are born after the Tao is lost." (See @ 5)

@ 19: "Abandon the sacred and wisdom, abandon the jin and righteousness, and the people will benefit and be filial." & "Araki: Wood as it is cut out. "Is the state before it is processed into various parts and used, and Lao Tzu praises this.

@ 20: "What is the value of learning?" & "People seem to have floated at a banquet, but I'm like a baby who hasn't laughed yet. I'm cheerfully fed by the breasts of my mother's way. It’ s a good

@ 21: "The great virtue" & "Ecstasy:" Etymology of ecstasy "

@ 22: "The twisted one remains completely."

@ 23: "It is against nature to be chattering at any time. The same is true of natural phenomena." (Hyofu: heavy wind does not end the morning, and showers (heavy rain) also end the day.

@ 24: "Unreasonable behavior does not last long."

@ 25: "The Tao was born before the heavens and the earth."

@ 26: "The great person doesn't act lightly." Even if I t encounter a wonderful scenery while traveling, It doesn’t get out of the car.

This situation is called "Swallow stand still absolutely". Because it knows its importance in the world.

@ 27: "Those who win things do not leave a mark of their actions." & "Saints do not abandon anyone." "Masters ... teachers and disciples(師資).": From the perspective of saints, Almost everyone is imperfect, but it hone itself (capital(資本): this is the same usage as capitalism today).

(Note: The anecdote of Zhaozhou at @ 1 is sourced from "Zen: Living in the Present: Kazuyoshi Kino, NHK Publishing".)

[allyouknowisalie]

In the course of his travels, Zhaozhou studied with Linji. He met Linji as he was washing his feet, and asked him, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch coming from the west?” Linji said, “Right now it so happens I am washing my feet.” Zhaozhou approached Linji and made a gesture of listening. Linji said, “You’re demanding to be splashed with a second ladleful of dirty water.” Zhaozhou then left.

Zhaozhou (778 - 897) meets Linji (? - 866), from The Recorded Sayings of Linji, translated by J. C. Cleary (p. 52).

[boyjumps]

Suffering that cannot be escaped should be suffered firmly, suffering can be halved if suffered together.

Zen Teachings, Zhaozhou Congshen 

Zhaozhou Congshen (778-897) was a Chinese Zen monk of the Tang dynasty.

He is regarded as the highest of the Chinese Zen monks, and is ranked alongside Linji Yixuan as a Zen master. His style was not as harsh as that of beating with a stick, and he taught the Dharma in plain speech, and is said to have 'shone on the skin of his lips', and left many famous questions and answers. Throughout all the masters’ descriptions, Zhaozhou's words are said to be the most frequently recorded.

A high-ranking government official named Cui came to Zhao Zhou and asked: "Can such an eminent master like you go to hell?" Zhaozhou replied: "I will be the first to go"

'How can a respectable master fall into hell?' Cui asked. And Zhaozhou replied back, " If I don't go to hell, how can I see you?"

Two interpretations are possible for this:

One is: "Mr Cui, you are a person who will have to go to hell. Therefore, in order to save you, I shall be born in hell in my next life".

The other is: "Mr Cui, now you are in hell. If I had not been born into this world, I would not have met you. I came all the way to this world to be born for you."

In any case, in order to save a person in hell, the person on the saving side must also be in hell. It is not true salvation, whilst you are in the safe zone of heaven and try to save a person in hell by just calling out to him from that safe zone. In order to save a drowning person, you need to go into the water yourself. This is Zhaozhou's 'compassion' towards Mr Cui, which is quite different from the 'hubris' and 'arrogance' of an enlightened person who says he will save the lost Mr Cui. That is not what Zen enlightenment is about.

The true meaning of Zhaozhou is that if one is destined to suffer, one has no choice but to suffer. For example, a person who has lost one arm has no choice but to live without it. The words 'I pray to be free from suffering' are only as comforting as 'I pray to have two arms again'. Such words only provoke anger. Zhaozhou's teaching is that if you cannot have two arms again, then live firmly with one arm rather than worrying about such things. If you cannot be free from suffering, then do not worry and let me suffer with you.

'Mr Cui, you go to hell. I will go to hell with you, so don't worry. I will suffer in hell with you..." That’s what Monk Zhaozhou said.

Yes, he’s right. If you have someone to suffer with, it is not a lonely hell. Joy is doubled if two people rejoice together. Grief, suffering is halved if two people grieve and suffer together. Sadness, suffering and troubles do not become zero. They can be halved by having someone to suffer with. That halving is the only true relief.

[beesmygod]

discovering the wisdom of zhaozhou

[mistbow]

The Virtue of Void

The dragon mark on the Shepherd’s glove is modeled after Maotelus, and even the cloak is based upon the patterns of Maotelus. The Shepherd also uses Maotelus’ powers, the “Silver Flame”, to purify hellions. Yet, I think, even outside of his duty as the Shepherd, Sorey’s character represents the virtue in the element that Maotelus represents, Void.

In Zestiria, there are five elements: Earth (地), Water (水), Fire (火), Wind (風), and Void (無), modeled after the Godai (五大) in Japanese Buddhism: Earth (地), Water (水), Fire (火), Wind (風), and Void (空); as you can see that even the Five Lords are called Godaishin (五大神) in Japanese. However, if you notice in the kanji used for void, it’s actually different; sure, both “空” and “無” can be translated to “Void” in English, however, there’s a big yet nuanced difference here.

When 空 is used (like in the original Godai in Buddhism), Void means something like a vacant space. There’s nothing inside. Think about how a vase is useful because it has the clay part holding everything together, and the space inside it that you can put anything in it. In Buddhism, this character is used when describing śūnyatā or the element of ākāśa (both are very different concepts, mind you).

When 無 is used (like in Zestiria), Void means something like no-thing, like when you put the prefix un- or non- in English. It is the “without”. What it is not, however, is “no” in the “yes” and “no” dichotomy, which I will talk about later. It also, in some ways, refers to pure awareness, before the human gains experience and knowledge.

In Zen Buddhism, there’s a popular kouan in Mumonkan (無門關, lit. The Gateless Gate), in which the first kouan (趙州狗子) reads like this:

趙州和尚、因僧問、狗子還有佛性也無。州云、無。

A monk asked Zhaozhou Congshen, a Chinese Zen master, “Has a dog Buddha-nature or not?” Zhaozhou answered, “無.”

This has been interpreted to mean as follows: The kouan is not about whether a dog does or does not have a Buddha-nature because everything is Buddha-nature, and either a positive or negative answer is absurd because there is no particular thing called Buddha-nature. In it, the answer of “negative”, 無, is clarified as although all beings have potential Buddha-nature, beings who do not have the capacity to see it and develop it essentially do not have it. The purpose of this primary kouan to a student is to free the mind from analytic thinking and into intuitive knowing. A student who understands the nature of his question would understand the importance of awareness of potential to begin developing it.

VELVET: Let me ask you a question, Shepherd. Which do you choose: the “many” or the “individual”? SOREY: Well, I suppose I'd choose each of the “individual” so I'd end up with the “many.”

This is a very Sorey-like answer, of course, in which I mean to say that here he basically refuses to engage in the dichotomy presented by Velvet (Artorius, actually). Sorey indirectly says to unask this question; it is fundamentally flawed and that he won’t give in to the premise that a dualistic answer can be given in this case. It’s not either-or, because without the individual, there is not the many, and vice-versa.

To explain more on that, I’d like to go back to the Five Lords, but especially look at the crests for the two known leaders of the Lords: Maotelus and Innominat.

The Crest of Maotelus

A crest signifying Maotelus, the central figure of the Five Lords—a lord of the void, who embodies both light and darkness.

The Crest of Innominat

A crest that bears a distinct resemblance to that of Maotelus of the Five Lords. The dark parts are absent, leaving one with an impression of light and purity.

These crests are deliberately similar, yet the big difference is that Innominat’s is missing the “dark” parts: signifying only “light” and “purity.” The “void” that Maotelus represents, on the other hands, embraces both the “dark” and the “light”, and we have the entire game of Berseria to explain why that is.

Taking a closer look at Maotelus’ crest, it reminds me of another symbol that exists in the real world, because of the equal and interacting dark and light parts, almost cyclical.

Taijitu (太極圖), literally meaning the Symbol of the Supreme Ultimate, is often used to symbolize yin-yang (陰陽), opposing yet non-adversarial forces that complement each other, equally taking turns on waning, waxing, waning, and waxing again. The common saying in English is that “there are two sides to everything”, however this doesn’t fully explain the symbol: one half of the yin-yang cannot exist without the other. They are inseparable. If you have a hill that has a sun shining on one side, then you have one sunny side and one shady side. You cannot have an inside of a square without the outside, or the outside without the inside. That sort of thing.

「オレは���ルダルフがどうして災禍の顕主になったのかを知りたいんだ」

迷うことなく答えたスレイにメーヴィンは重ねて尋ねた。

「知ってどうする？あいつを倒す弱点を見つけたいのか？」

「それは……考えたことなかったな」

「なに？」

意外な答えにメーヴィンは眉間に皺を寄せた。

「じゃあ、なんのためにヘルダルフの過去を知りたいんだ？」

「導師として……ううん、オレがオレとしてヘルダルフと向き合うためだよ」

導師の使命は禍の顕主を鎮めること。スレイが導師になった当初、ライラはそう説明した。そのためには、世界を識る必要があると。

そしてスレイは旅に出た。出会いと別れを繰り返し、喜びと悲しみを繰り返した。どんなことにも裏と表があり、それらは切り離せない関係にあることを識った。

「旅は、導師として必要だったのかもしれない。でも、オレは導師であるまえにオレなんだ。世界を旅して、この世界が災禍の顕主によって危機に瀕していることを改めて識った。それを止めたいと思うのは、導師だからじゃない。オレ自身なんだ」

災禍の顕主は世界を穢れで満たそうとする、いわば大きな”負の流れ”だ。それと向き合い、抗おうとするなら—”正の流れ”になろうとするなら、相手を深く知り、正しく裏と表の関係にならなくてはいけない、とスレイは感じていた。

「導師として災禍の顕主と戦うだけなら、過去なんて識らなくてもいいかもしれない。でも、オレは識りたいんだ。自分が向き合うためには、それが必要だって感じてる。導師じゃなく、オレの勝手な願いだけれど、迷いのない選択をしたいから……メーヴィン、力を貸してくれないかな？」

メーヴィンは沈黙した。顔から笑みは消え、鋭い眼光がスレイを見定めるように行き来する。///スレイも沈黙し、メーヴィンの答えを待った。

やがて語り部は深くため息をついた。

「……なるほどな。使命じゃなく、己の意志で戦うことにしたってわけか……。確かにたいしたタマだったようだ」

“I want to know why Heldalf became the Lord of Calamity.” 

Sorey answered without any hesitation, and Mayvin asked again.

“And what will you do once you know? Do you want to find a weakness to take him down?”

“I... had never thought about that.” 

“What?”

Mayvin’s brows wrinkled at the unexpected answer.

“Then, for what reason do you want to know about Heldalf’s past?”

“I want to face him as the Shepherd... no, as myself.”

It is the Shepherd’s duty to quell the Lord of Calamity. When Sorey first became the Shepherd, Lailah explained this to him. In order to do so, he needed to know the world, she also told him.

Then Sorey set out on his journey. He had repeated encounters and farewells, experienced repeated joy and sorrow. He learned that everything had two sides to it, and that these two sides were inseparable.

“This journey might have been necessary for me as the Shepherd. But I am me before I am the Shepherd. Traveling around the world, I understood once again that this world is threatened by the Lord of Calamity. And I want to stop that not because I am the Shepherd, but because I want to do it as myself.” 

The Lord of Calamity was a great “negative flow,” so to speak, that seeked to fill the world with malevolence. To face and resist this, to be the “positive flow,” Sorey felt he had to know the other party deeply and be on the right side of the relationship between the two.

“If all I want to do is to fight against the Lord of Calamity as the Shepherd, I may not need to know anything about his past. But I want to know; I feel that I need to in order to face him. It’s my own selfish wish, not as the Shepherd, but I want to make this choice without hesitation, so... Mayvin, will you lend me your strength?”

Mayvin was silent. His smile faded from his face, and his sharp eyes came and went as if he were assessing Sorey.

Sorey, too, was silent, waiting for Mayvin’s answer.

“...I see. So you decided to fight him not because of the Shepherd’s calling, but on your own will... you certainly have the gall to do it.”

Emphasis mine. Like coins, Sorey realizes that everything can’t have the tails (裏) without the heads (表). If Heldalf is the minus (負) of this world, so to speak, then in some ways he intuits that he needs to be the plus (正). That’s just how the world operates—it will yield to the balance, as he gets it.

(By the way, this whole duality of everything also applies to life and death in Daoism, and Zestiria, as a whole, touches upon both life and death in its narrative.)

死生，命也，其有夜旦之常

Death and life are ordained, just as we have the constant succession of night and day.

故善吾生者，乃所以善吾死也

That I found it good to live is the very reason why I find it good to die.

(For a person to value life but resist death would be a perversion of our very nature, as life and death are natural stages of being, if we value a person’s life, we should likewise value their death.)

反者道之動 弱者道之用 天下萬物生於有 有生於無

Returning is the movement of Dao. Yielding is the manner of Dao. The ten thousand creatures of the world are created from being; Being is created from non-being.

—Dao De Jing (道德經) verse 40

道生一 一生二 二生三 三生萬物 萬物負陰而抱陽 沖氣以為和

Dao creates one. One creates two. Two creates three. Three creates the ten thousand creatures. The ten thousand creatures carry Yin and embrace Yang, Pouring their Qi together, thus becoming harmonious.

—Dao De Jing (道德經) verse 42

In Daoist philosophy, the yin-yang becomes sensible from an initial, quiescent nothingness or non-being (無), and continues moving on until that quiescence is achieved again.

And I’d like to emphasize this: at the center of Daoist philosophy is that nothingness (無). Everything emerges from that 無, and will come back to that  無 as well; that’s how the world will settle itself naturally, and that’s how we live with Dao (道), or, put simply, the underlying principles of the universe (this is a very gross simplification, by the way).

One of the important concepts in Daoism is wu wei (無為).

道常無為 而無不為

Dao ever-constantly practices actionless action, Yet nothing is left undone.

—Dao De Jing (道德經) verse 37

The term basically gets translated as a lot of things (actionless action, non-action, etc.), but wu wei refers to an action that you do without needing to act on it; an action that is so natural to you that you don’t have to consciously think about how, what, why, when to do it. (Think of how when you learn how to drive, you are conscious about many things, yet when you’re already adept, it’s almost second nature to you.)

Without forcing it. Yes, perhaps that is the right word.

將欲取天下而為之 吾見其不得已

[夫]天下神器 不可為也 為者敗之 執者失之

故��� 或行或隨 或(歔)或吹 或強或羸 或挫或隳

是以聖人 去甚 去奢 去泰

Would you take hold of the world and control it? I see you have no choice.

Now: the world is a divine vessel, You can not control it (indeed!). He who acts, ruins it; He who grasps, loses it.

So, among all things, Some lead and some follow, Some sigh and some pant, Some are strong and some are weak, Some overcome and some succumb.

Therefore the sage avoids extremity, excess, and extravagance.

—Dao De Jing (道德經) verse 29

There is an order to life, and we play our parts in it. That’s fine, and it grants us enough liberty to explore our capacities and take delight in them. But if we try to overstep our boundaries, extend beyond our capacities, we will fail miserably and painfully.

There is no satisfaction in pretense, if allowed to guide our lives. We need to be what we are, not what we would like to be.

ROSE: Sorey. If a heart set on justice starts generating malevolence, how do you think it should be stopped? ROSE: That’s what her angle is. She thinks her own personal justice and a universal sense of justice are one and the same.

I hope it’s obvious enough why Cardinal Forton is different from Sorey, despite both having strong enough desires/dreams of their own.

(There’s also duality at play here—Sorey gives life, Rose takes life.)

「イズチにいた頃は"穢れは危険なもの"って認識ですんだけど、こうやって人の世界に出てくると、そんな単純なものじゃないんだってわかったよ。人の社会と穢れは切っても切れない関係なんだ。そこで生きていくということは、誰でも穢れを生む可能性があるってこと」

スレイは街を見通した。フォートンの影響がなくなったとはいえ、穢れはまだ残っている。街の人々が知らないうちに生んでいるのだ。

「オレも穢れを生むかもしれない」

「君は穢れを生まないよ」

ミクリオは間髪入れずに答えた。スレイは顔をしかめる。

「.......どうして、言い切れるんだ？ どうしても叶えたい夢がある——その点では、オレとフォートン枢機卿の気持ちは一緒じゃないか。それで、あの人は穢れを生み出していた」

「あの人とスレイは違う。君はひとりじゃない」

ミクリオははっきりと言った。

「夢を叶えるには、揺るがない意志が必要だ。けれどその強さゆえに、視野が狭くなり、他者の痛みに心が麻痺していく。——でもそれは一人だからだ。一人で夢を叶えようとするから、周りが見えなくなる」

ミクリオはスレイの両肩を摑み、言い聞かせるように言った。

「君の夢は、僕の夢でもある。君が暴走しそうになったら、僕が殴ってでも目を覚まさせる。僕を信じられないか？」

スレイは迷わず首を振る。その勢いのよさに、ミクリオは少しだけ笑う。

「だから君は穢れに捕まることはない、絶対」

“When I was in Elysia, I was aware that malevolence was a dangerous thing, but now that I’m out in the world of humans, I come to realize that it’s not that simple. Human society and malevolence are inseparable, even if we try to separate them. Living in such a world means that everyone has the potential to be tainted.”

Sorey looked over the town. Although Forton’s influence is gone, malevolence still remains. The people of this town were giving birth to malevolence without them realizing it.

“I might give birth to malevolence too.”

“You won’t.”

Without a moment’s delay, Mikleo answered. Sorey frowned.

“…How can you be so sure about that? I have a dream that I really want to fulfill——and in that respect, aren’t my feelings the same as Cardinal Forton’s? She was giving birth to malevolence because of that.”

“You’re different from her. You’re not alone.”

Mikleo made it very clear.

“An unwavering will is needed to make dreams come true. But because of how strong it is, our vision narrows and our hearts become numb to the pain of others——but that’s only because we are alone. Because we try to fulfill our dreams alone, we lose sight of the world around us.”

Mikleo said, grabbing both of Sorey’s shoulders, as if to remind him.

“Your dream is also my dream. If you are about to go out of control, I’ll punch you to wake you up. Or you can’t trust me?”

(Emphasis, again, mine.)

The Daoist sage is the paradigm of proper responsiveness. He has perfect sensitivity and responsiveness both to things in the world and to other people; to his surroundings. He’s open to the dynamic of relationship self-other, to the relativity and mutual involvement of self and other. In contrast with an average human being, the sage, whose heart-mind (心) is free from any residue, displays an “unbiased receptivity to things.” His empty heart-mind “takes no distortive action” and so “what is can be as it is, with no disfigurement.” Thus, it is possible for the sage to “appreciate things as they really are” and also to perceive and embrace a person as they are. The uncluttered heart-mind makes the sage well-equipped for correctly evaluating the actions of others and responding appropriately.

(I would like to mention that Zestiria tackled a bit of this whole “you’re not alone” bit earlier with a Daoist parable: the snake, the frog, and the centipede.)

Yes, it is in the heart-mind (心) that is empty; that has nothing in it. Think of it like a mirror, or a glass, that gets obscured when it is tainted, and so you can’t see clearly what’s on or through it. In Zestiria, I think this is the virtue of purity really stands for.

穢れ――自らの思うまま生きることを阻む世界の皮肉に圧し潰された、人の心の悲鳴。 その悲鳴を感じ寄り添い、本当の形の心とともに再出発する背中を押すのがスレイの救いの力(感じる力・霊応力)。 浄化の炎を振るうだけでは救いとは言えず、逆に炎がなくとも人や天族を穢れから救う事はできる。

Malevolence――The screams of the human heart-mind that is crushed by the irony of the world that prevents them from living as they wish.

To feel those screams of the heart-mind and get close to it, and push them to start over with the heart-mind in its true form is Sorey’s powers of salvation (his power to feel and his resonance).

Wielding Flame of Purification alone is not enough to save; on the contrary, it is possible to save humans and seraphim from malevolence even without it.

In Daoism, at the core of the heart-mind (心) of every human being there is an authentic self. The authentic self is intimately connected with virtue (德), which is a gift people receive at birth. But the heart-mind is also the seat of all mental activities; it is the “location of consciousness.” With time and via the contact with the outside world (learning a language, learning social norms, going through traumatic experiences, etc.), the heart-mind becomes filled—like a container—with “knowing consciousness” (知). Not knowing how to use this knowing consciousness selectively—turn it on when necessary, but also turn it off at other times—a human being comes to depend on this consciousness and identify with it completely. When unstopped in its growth, this consciousness continues to produce multiple, derivative intellectual layers atop the true self. All actions that are motivated by these inauthentic layers oppress and harm one's spiritual core.

The thoughts, actions, and speech of a person are no longer the reflection of their true self.

EDNA: Don’t let her see you frowning like that. You don’t want Rose’s feelings to go to waste, do you? SOREY: I don’t. But I just... I feel so bummed.

Now, the question of emotions. Having an empty heart-mind which is free from emotions implies being emotionless. However, it is not really the case that a Daoist sage is emotionless; rather that he does not add anything (i.e., a word, a thought, an action) to make a given emotion amplify and, thus, exceed its natural boundaries. Being free of these excessive emotion means not allowing likes or dislikes to damage you internally, instead making it your constant practice to follow along with the way each thing is of itself, without trying to add anything to the process of life.

The sage consciously restrains himself from making any such additions that would lead to prolonging the life span of an emotion. As a result, emotions remain spontaneous, genuine, and harmless—they come and go freely, like changes in the weather or the seasons of the year, and they never transform into anything excessive or harmful. Thus, emotions are never artificially solidified into a fixed identity. The sage is free from emotions in the sense that they leave no residue in his heart-mind, they do not take up the space within, and thus they do not block the sage's unity with Dao. By cultivating the void (無) of the heart-mind, the sage ensures that he is never harmed by emotions.

SOREY: You mean to live is to obey the laws of nature? HELDALF: What else would it be? SOREY: You’re wrong! All that is, is not being dead.

Daoism is a philosophy that stresses living simply and honestly while in harmony with nature. Letting things follow their natural course. Wu wei (無為), no wasted action, is the principle.

However, one thing that many people get wrong when hearing about this concept is that it means total surrender. Yes, wu wei implies giving up on forcing things. But never giving up altogether.

For instance, when you’re experiencing injustices, wu wei doesn’t suggest resignation. It’s quite the opposite. Wu wei suggests a persistent amount of pressure. This pressure isn’t a metaphorical jackhammer or wrecking ball. It’s a soft strike in the right spot. It’s like water quietly working through the toughest cliffs and rocks.

Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves… Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

Passivity is often looked down upon. In the case of Zestiria and Sorey, (especially in the early reviews where people started playing Zestiria in bad faith because of the infamy surrounding the game), people often criticize how Sorey is not the ideal male Tales protagonist; he is often called “radio-controlled” (ラジコン) in the sense that Rose (along with the others, especially Lailah) is seen as the one controlling and driving his character around, thus, Rose is, to the eyes of these people, the “real” protagonist of Zestiria because she is the more “assertive” one. And she is assertive, by the way, but I think people look at Sorey’s character the wrong way.

Yielding and passivity are virtues traditionally associated with the feminine in the Daoist point of view, and I know this might have caused some knee-jerk reaction in some people, but in Dao De Jing, even though the intended audience would've been men, students are encourage to embrace and nurture the feminine elements of their nature. These feminine virtues are seen as positive traits to have, not inferior to their more assertive masculine counterpart.

The “feminine” is the earth. The inborn nature of its body is stable. Women are patterned on it. If a man wishes to congeal his essence, he should mentally pattern himself on earth and be like a woman.

And it is, intended as part of his character.

山本　 そういう意味ではおとなしい主人公に見えるかもしれませんが、熱い思いはちゃんと持っていて、叫んだりノリや勢いだけで解決しようとはしないキャラクターにしたんです。代わりに、ミクリオをストレートに感情表現するキャラクターにして、2人で1人の主人公のような言動をとるように工夫しました。

YAMAMOTO: In that sense, [Sorey] may seem like a calm protagonist, but he has passionate feelings, yet does not try to solve problems by shouting or just going with his spirit or momentum. Instead, we made Mikleo a character who expresses his emotions in a straightforward manner, so that the two of them act and speak as if they are one protagonist.

馬場　彼が世界を動かそうとしたんじゃなくて、彼の行動の���果が世界を動かしていく、変えていく。

BABA: He didn’t try to move the world, but the results of his actions moved and changed the world.

Sorey is like a blank canvas, unstained, yet with a strong, pure core. With this heart-mind of his that is empty in the Daoist sense, he acts just as he does, just as he is, staying true to himself. He never forces his way through, he knows that he has to be in harmony with nature (as symbolized by the seraphim, who are described as the very world the humans live in itself), and he then learns that everything in the nature has two sides to it—this includes reconciling not just life but also death. To respect life, you have to respect death. To respect death, you have to respect life. But to yield also means to still be alive; being alive is not the same as not being dead, after all. He has learned to be in check with himself, and with his surroundings.

Sorey is really the perfect character that embodies the values that Maotelus’ Void represents. Empty of malevolence.

One thousand years apart, and he manages to inherit that will. Legends (伝承) are not just told (伝), but also needs at least someone willing to listen to them (承); it’s why they’re called that way.

“Legends” will someday become “hope.”

[ewkrzen]

Just finished a podcast on the famous case of Zhaozhou investigating the old woman.

It's funny how a short paragraph can upset so many people in so many different ways.

Here's Wonderwheel's trans:

Zhaozhou: Because a monk asked Madam Old Woman "What place do I go for the direction of the path to Lookout Mountain?”

The Old Woman said, "Go straightforward full speed ahead."

The Monk only walked three fives (15) steps and the Old Woman said, "A good teacher’s monk again goes in this way?"

It happened afterward that the monk raised this in appearing to Zhou. Zhou said, "Wait, I’ll go for you to investigate any faults of this Madam Old Woman."

The next day he then went also with the identical question. The Old Woman also had the identical reply.

Zhou returned and called the assembly saying, "I investigated Madam Old Woman of Lookout Mountain for you.

Wonderwheel's translation is wrong in a number of places, but this is not so different from other translators and chatgpt can really make it clear where the issues are.

Still just working with the text as it is now. You can understand how some people are like. How is this the Pinnacle of Zen teaching??

[laurensjapanadventure]

Independent Excursion: Academic Reflection

Free Writing:

Jordan and I visited Nyan Nyan-Ji temple where we saw a shrine dedicated to cats, art exhibits, and even fed treats to an assistant monk. The temple was very cool with art decorating the walls with ornate decorations. The temple was a minka building with tatami mats and shoji. The shoji doors were well decorated with colorful cat paintings. There was also a bar-themed area that Jordan and I thought was truly sacrilegious given that it is a very sacred site and the divine monks would not enjoy the taste. The cat shrines were filled with religious iconography and objects. The altars at the shrines had offerings for the cats with different treats and statues. Each ceiling tile was painted individually with creative cat paintings. The shrines also had the same purple curtains we have seen at other shrines. We saw posters for the cat art museum but had no idea that this was the same place. We were pleasantly surprised to see the grandiose display of classical art pieces. Each art piece was equipped with a cute story about the creator filled with many puns and a great sense of humor. My favorite art recreations were cat versions of The Scream and The Kiss. The entire experience was silly yet grandiose with full dedication to making it appear genuine. 

Academic:

The article I chose entitled "When There Are No More Cats to Argue about: Chan Buddhist Views of Animals in Relation to Universal Buddhanature" discusses Chan Buddhism and the view of cats through didactic messages and debates regarding an animal's capacity for enlightenment.

Cats are commonly seen as positive figures of luck and wisdom within Japanese culture. The Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo is a Buddhist temple filled with lucky cat statues. The folklore about the creation of Gotokuji is that during the early 17th century, Ii Naotaka was beckoned to safety by a cat during a thunderstorm. As an act of gratitude, he established a temple for the cat. This love and respect for cats among Buddhism extends past these specific instances within Japan. It is believed among Buddhism that a cat’s body is the temporary resting place for very wise and spiritual people. While it may be rare to have a temple entirely dedicated to cats, it is very common for cats to live and meditate with monks. 

The reading that I chose discusses how cats and dogs are frequently used in anecdotal teachings in Chan Buddhism and their perception within Mahayana portrayals. The reading mentions that cats are used through Chan expressions including gongan to express didactic messages about the possibilities and challenges of mankind’s attempt to reach enlightenment. The reading discusses what is known as the Cat Case, a gongan case where master Nanquan severs a cat and when Zhaozhou hears about the story, he puts sandals on his head and walks away. Nanquan says if the disciple was there, he would not have killed the cat. 

The reading also mentions that cats and dogs are prevalent among Chan Buddhist records since they were the most common animals to live with monks as protection from pests while providing a release from loneliness. Cats were considered useful in these anecdotal teachings because people were familiar with them through their similar living conditions and feelings of attachment. 

I also appreciated the idea that a mundane natural sound like a cat purring may help spur enlightenment for someone who needs a small stimulus. I would love to be enlightened from hearing my cat, Cuddles, purr. 

The ways that cats meditatively stalk their prey to limit pests is well appreciated among Buddhist monks. However, some people consider cats as reincarnated lazy monks who were overly timid. The reason for differing viewpoints is reflective of the sentiment that all sentient beings have an innate Buddha nature and are worthy of being evaluated critically. Within both Chan Buddhism and Zhaozhou’s discourse, it is evaluated whether beings such as cats contain Buddha-hood. However, it is stated that the cat does not ponder such questions or wonder about enlightenment. They are therefore able to achieve a continuing state of awakening of not knowing that reflects Wu and can be considered a higher form of knowing. 

Citation:

Heine, Steven. “When There Are No More Cats to Argue about: Chan Buddhist Views of Animals in Relation to Universal Buddhanature.” Journal of Chinese Philosophy, vol. 43, no. 3–4, 2016, pp. 239–258, https://doi.org/10.1163/15406253-0430304008. 

[poetyca]

Soffrire - Suffer

🌸Soffrire🌸Una sofferenza a cui non si può sfuggiredovrebbe essere sofferta con fermezza,la sofferenza può essere dimezzatase sofferta insieme.Insegnamenti Zen, Zhaozhou Congshen🌸🌿🌸#pensierieparole 🌸SufferSuffering that cannot be escaped should be suffered firmly, suffering can be halved if suffered together.Zen Teachings, Zhaozhou Congshen 

[true-person-of-no-rank]

[justinotherteablog]

It came in the same way it left, like butter. Smooth, rich and lingering; it clung. I ran through fields of flowers in between. Spring bringing lilac and orchid to the front of my mouth, the tip of my tongue, the roof of my palate. Gentle energy knocking at the door from the jump. Building slowly over time. Six gentle infusions at 85c. Six grams of tea. I guess I want to live there. Not in the state of intoxicating bliss that was this session but actually there. In the teahouse in Budapest. I would find a little table and curl up under it in the night. I would clean cobwebs from corners. I would sweep and mop and wipe down surfaces. I would dress up in trendy clothing. I would get a hair cut. I would offer to serve the tea, even. But they wouldn’t let me because it would never make it to the table. My nose would be buried in the beautiful leaf and I would stumble, I would trip, I would drop and spill everything. This, being the cover letter for my resume to work at zhao zhou proves to me that I’ll never get hired. Still, a young man can dream. Dancong dreams. Green Dancong Dreams. ———-——— 2021 Green Dancong no. 505 from @zhaozhoutea #zhaozhou #gohavesometea #oolong #oolongtea #dancong #dancongoolong #oolongcha #teareview #teabreak #tea #saturdaytea #teablogger #teablog #tealover #teajunkie #justinotherteablog #goodtea #greattea #teamoments #🍵 #teaislife #teaislove #tastingnotes #teaismedicine #teaporn (at Floral Escapes) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb2xl8MLeLQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[linglynz]

WANG ZHUOCHENG as Jiang Shao ⟡ episode 05

[falseandrealultravival]

Sima Qian:司馬遷, Lao Tzu:老子, Fan Li:范蠡 - China's most outstanding 6 people (Essay)

Fukki and his wife Joka (snake body)

 Since I was a child, I have become familiar with Chinese writing and have learned Chinese philosophy, history books, and Chinese poetry on my own way. However, I hate China, which is too arrogant. The Holocaust that the Chinese Communist Party is doing to the Uighurs, anti-vomiting. I think that China’s fortune is a reasonable end to perish. Before I thought so, I’ve loved Chinese culture, so I shall write the essence I brought back from it. (Summary of previous 6 episodes)

I have learned about Chinese history and celebrities from the "summer" era to the "Tang" era, but I dare to select and rank 5 people from a huge number of people. I tried it. Since there are various genres in which I have been active, I cannot compare them accurately, but I will rank them from a subjective perspective of how much they touched my heart. I'm trying to rank it, but it doesn't make a difference. It is convenient. When I asked my younger brother, "Who do you think I like the most?", He said, "It's not (3),isn’it?." An overview of each person is from the 6th edition of Kojien(Japanese Dictionary). Then, I will write from 5th place to the top.

(5) Li Shangyin(李商隠)

Late Tang poet. He is Gizan(義山). People from Huaizhou Koudai

 (Qinyang, Henan). Send his life into his fall. His poetic style, which makes heavy use of allusions and devotes himself to rhetoric, became the ancestor of Song's first Seikontai. He is the author of "Li Gizan Poems" and "Hinan Bunshu". (812? ~ 858)

A great poet who embodies sadness. A deeper poem than Lee Haku(李白) and Du Fu(杜甫). A sad love poem shines.

"Blue jewelry peeking at a crushed boy" (Chinese literary scholar: Kazumi Takahashi's words). His masterpiece is posted at the URL below.

He arranged the books here and there, quickly grabbed the essence of the books, digested and absorbed them, and turned them into blood. This is called "Cut the chapter into Fragment ", and it is also called "Daisai: 獺祭-Otter Festival" because of its appearance. The word "Daisai" became the etymology of Yamaguchi Prefecture's sake: "Dasai".

I want to be  like Li Shangyin.

(4) Zhaozhou Conns (Joushu :趙州従諗: 778-897)←long life!

A Zen priest from the Tang dynasty who is a master who guides his disciples from everyday events that look light. When asked and answered with him, many people are enlightened by the humor. There was no mention of him in Kojien. As two examples,

Disciple: I'm stupid and can't do anything. What should I do?

Zhaozhou: Did you eat?

Disciple: I ate it.

Zhaozhou: Then wash the dishes.

(Disciple was enlightened through this exchange of words)

Disciple: Do you: the master fall into hell?

Zhaozhou: Even if I falls. If I myself doesn't fall, who will indoctrinate you?

https://iirei.hatenadiary.com/2021/02/17/044538

In addition, there are other excellent Zen priests in the Tang dynasty, such as Baizhang Huaihai, Obaku kiun, and Izan Reiyu , which are difficult to attach, but this time they are represented by Zhaozhou Congshen.

I want to be like Zhaozhou Congs.

(3) Sima Qian(司馬遷):

Western Han (前��)historian. He is a child of Shaanxi Natsuyo people. When he was young, he took over the position of his father's talk and became a Taishirei, and he himself called himself Taishikou. He reported that he was indignant because he was sentenced to imprisonment for Li Ling's fall to Xiongnu, and followed his father's aspirations to complete 130 volumes of "History." (Around 145 to 86 B.C.)

This person is indispensable. He himself was history itself. He is familiar with Atsushi Nakajima's "Li Ling".

https://iirei.hatenadiary.com/2021/02/24/035839

I want to be like Sima Qian.

(2) Fan Li　(范蠡)

An honorary vassal of Goujian in the Spring and Autumn period. Chu(楚) people. He helped Goujian(勾践), who lost the battle of Kuaiji, to take revenge on Spear of Fuchai(夫差). Later he went down into the field, gained wealth, and was called the Duke of Toshu. → Ceramic red(陶朱公

His way of life is an epic. He is familiar with the subtleties of attack and defense in warfare, treats himself wisely even in peacetime, and becomes a rich man. A person modeled by the Chinese. By the way, my nickname "Rei Morishita:礼　森下" was originally planned to be "Rei Morishita:蠡　森下", but it was too difficult kannji, so I changed it to the current one. There is Manga which drew Fan Li concisely:

 "Wu-Yue Burning History" (Chitaro Kubota: product, Fumio Hisamatsu: picture / Kodansha Super Bunko: large book) in the picture, and you can understand in detail about Fan Li.

https://iirei.hatenadiary.com/2021/03/03/022111

I want to be like Fan Li.

(1) Lao Tzu

1) A thinker who is said to have been in China during the Spring and Autumn Warring States period. The ancestor of the Taoist. According to historical records, he has a surname of Lee, a first name of ear, and a character of Tan or Hakuyo. A person from Luyi County (Henan Province). Zhou's guardian room (library room) clerk. When he escaped from the turbulent world and reached Barrier (Hangu barrier or Dasan barrier), Yinxi(尹喜), the guardian of barrier(関守), asked for a way(Tao), so he preached Lao Tzu. → Daode Tianzun.

2) The book of 1). Volume 2. The main body of the universe is called a large or a road(Tao), and the ones in the phenomenon world are relative, and the road is absolute. The compilation is thought to be after Mencius, and at the beginning of the Western Han, a book close to the current book was established. Tao Te Ching.

A giant star of ancient free thought that denied Confucian thought and culture and challenged the good sense of society. ("Lao Tzu": Part of the catchphrase of Chuko Bunko.) The monologue, which can be said to be naive, has even the nastyness of seeing through the hearts of people, and pierces the depths of the reader like a satire. While saying that, there is a wide variety of stories, such as the appearance of female genitals (Chapter 6) and the disclosure of the War Winning Law (Chapter 36).

I want to be like  Lao Tzu.

A word of the day: There are many people to talk about in China, and it was difficult to select them. In addition, as a more fictional character than Lao Tzu, the emperor "Fuxi: Fukki or Fukugi(伏羲)" who discovered the principle of I Ching will be added to the (0) th place.

I will assign the 6 people who appeared in this blog to the I Ching Hexagram. If you pile up the swords from the bottom to the top like (5) → (0), you will get a catastrophic hexagram called "Yamakaze Guo: Sanpuuko(山風蠱)". On the other hand, if you pile up (0) → (5), you will get a constructive hexagram called "Takurai Zui(沢雷随)". Both are hexagrams with strong meaning. (For example, in the case of Li Shangyin, I assigned it as a negative shadow, but since this is not a place to explain I Ching, I will pull it from the past log.

https://iirei.hatenablog.com/entry/2021/03/17/053700

I want to be like Fuxi.

In Atsushi Nakajima(敦　中島)'s novel "Gojo Lamentation（悟浄嘆異）," Sun Wukong(孫悟空) advises Zhu Bajie(猪八戒), who is not good at transforming. "I just want to be that person. It's pure. It's the best. Then I can be that person. You can't transform well because you don't have that feeling."

(↑This is very important description through this blog!　We can become anybody if we want so.)

[allyouknowisalie]

A monk asked, "The one who has entered 'the realm of truth,' does he still know existence?" Joshu said, "Who has entered 'the realm of truth'?" The monk said, "If that is so, then the one who has entered 'the realm of truth' does not know how to leave it." Joshu said, "It is not cold ashes. It is not a dead tree. It is a hundred flowers in colorful bloom." The monk said, "So this, then, is the state of having entered into 'the realm of truth'?" Joshu said, "There is no connection at all."

Zhauzhou

[beesmygod]

a monk asked "what does it mean to be?"

zhaozhou answered "shut up bitch!"

[cfazote]

The hybrid town

Liège of Belgium + Bình Ba of Vietnam

Liège from what I remember wasn’t a grandiose place. It was a tiny, typically European city, packed with people that barely noticed its poetic sceneries. I can’t say I missed it when I left but I wasn’t glad either. Nothing too special but it was definitely a nice place.

Marseille of France + Bình Ba of Vietnam

My 2 favorite beaches in 2 different countries.

Marseille was a generous place. What the city had to offer was endless: the port, the rocks, the warm summer vibes, the blue endless sky with its equally stunning water.

When I visited Bình Ba, I thought I was back in Marseille but the genuineness was ten fold: the fishermen’s karaokes at the sunset, the loganberry forest that laid out like a carpet under the eyes, the corals keepers who would teach anyone to swim, hearty, cheap meals.

Venezia of Italy + Lyon of France + Zhaozhou of China

These places all left me a bad taste after my visits.

I blame Venezia for breaking my heart. I loved the city but I’ll never ever be able to live there.

I blame Zhaozhou for the painful nostalgia. For me to be part of its people and share its culture but I live so far away.

I blame Lyon for the bad memories.

Venezia of Italy

Watercolor in my A5 moleskin

[primordialsoundmeditation]

A student asked the great teacher Zhaozhou:“When times of great difficulty visit us, how should we meet them?”

The teacher said, “Welcome.” 

Mariama Williams