Still a powerful symbol of the transience of our own existence and continuing to epitomise Japanese tradition- from ancient poems to wedding ceremonies- over 600 varieties ofさくら Sakura (cherry blossoms) play their starring springtime role in numerous aspects of Japanese culture, much as they did 1000 years ago.
A little more than 2000 years ago, the Chinese emperorQin Shihuang, concerned by assassination plots and treachery from his subjects and wildly consumed by his own mortality, commanded his people to set to work creating an 8000 strong army of terracotta warriors that would accompany him into the next world; this however, was far from his first attempt at ensuring eternal sovereignty. Some years before, emperor Qin had ordered alchemist Xufu to set out on an intrepid odyssey across exotic faraway lands in order to secure the Elixir of life– a sacred blade of enchanted…
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I found this quote on the blog of ontheroadtoinkrichment, http://www.inkriched.wordpress.com, and it just sums it all up, doesn’t it? The majority of us, just don’t make a sack of money from writing. There are exceptions of course. So why do we invest all the time and effort, if money isn’t our goal?
Enrichment. One simple but powerful word. It holds the word rich in its grasp, but means so much more.
So on the subject of Enrichment let me share with you my road to enrichment! I have been practising Taoist Tai Chi for several years and it never ceases to amaze me how I am always learning something new. The original Tai Chi master of the group that I belong to, Master Moy Lin Shin, was a sickly youth, who was sent to a monastery, with ill-health. There he trained in the teachings of the Earlier Heaven Wu-chi sect of the Hua Shan School of Taoism and regained his health. He studied the religious and philosophical side of Taoism and acquired knowledge and skills in Chinese martial arts. In 1949 Moy moved to Hong Kong, there he joined the Yuen Yuen Institute, in Tsuen Wan district in the New Territories, continued his education and became a Taoist monk.
Moy was sent overseas with a mission of spreading the understanding of Taoism and its practices. After some travel, he settled in Montreal, Canada, and in 1970 began teaching a small group of dedicated students. In those early days, Moy taught both the health and martial arts aspects of Tai Chi. Upon moving to one of Toronto’s “Chinatowns” a few years later, he changed his focus, emphasising the health and personal development aspects of Tai Chi, although Moy still placed a strong emphasis on Tai Chi push hands practice and sometimes demonstrated other self-defense aspects of Tai Chi as well.
Moy started with a standard Yang-style t’ai chi ch’uan form, and mixed in elements of other internal arts, and taught it to enable students to learn Lok Hup Ba Fa later. Moy called this modified form Taoist Tai Chi. Moy emphasized the non-competitive nature of his style of teaching and of the form.
A teacher of Taoist Tai Chi is asked to conform to and live by Moy’s
“Eight Heavenly Virtues”:
Sense of Shame
Honor
Sacrifice
Propriety
Trustworthiness
Dedication
Sibling Harmony
Filial piety
We are often told Master Moy’s life story at classes. One particular story remains with me. Master Moy
did not place much emphasis upon the importance of money, in fact he had very little. He would sometimes come to class with not enough money in his pockets for his bus fare back. His pupils would gladly give him money so he could get home.
He began practising Taoist Tai chi as a means to manage a severe health problem. He succeeded, and not only did he improve his ailing health but his legacy is an organisation that is now in multiple countries across the globe. His original Tai Chi set has been handed down, more or less in its original form, and teachers give their time for free, volunteering to teach pupils Tai Chi. There is a spirit of cooperation, and friendship, within the whole Taoist Tai Chi culture. I so admire this ideology and the selflessness of the instructors. This means that each local group works together doing the Tai Chi set as a team. As I said, Master Moy didn’t have much money but I expect he was happy and fulfilled. The older I get the less I think we really need. I know that some people may say, you have more than most, and I would say this is true, but I don’t believe that material things make us happy. All we really need are the basic things in life: a roof over our head, enough food to eat, and the knowledge that our families are safe, in good health and above all else enjoying a full, and happy life. Everything else seems immaterial.
Here are some links which you may find interesting:
Well, as you can see Stephen King is right, enrichment is the goal. Oh and if you take up Tai Chi, and write, I can definitely say you will be happy! I know I am. Go for it!
Reblogging this from Ekaterina Botziou. This takes me back. I went to Paphos in Cyprus several years ago for a girls week away in the sun. Love the Aphrodite legend.
Every month, our staff at The California Journal of Women Writers will be highlighting our current reading selections, in order to help grow exposure for the myriad of women writers who should be recognized for their work. Our collective voices as women have the ability to reach far and wide. By bringing you our favorite titles, our hope is that you’re introduced to new writers, new stories, and new visions. We promise you’ll find your next great reading choice from one of our lists.
In the ‘good old days’ ladies would entertain and admit gentlemen into their bed chambers,which were grand affairs, with large sitting rooms. They might even wear glamorous negligees, whilst entertaining! There is an old worldly charm in this. But I can’t see it catching on now! Nowadays we tend to have smaller more functional bedrooms, that tend to be more personal affairs. We don’t share our teddies with everyone! Oh, the exception here is most probably the family cat or dog. Lots of people share their bedroom with their pets. They’re cuddly too, so it figures!
The “Marriage A-la-Mode paintings link below illustrates this entertaining well. Click on the link to see Hogarth’s painting.
‘Marriage A-la-Mode’ was the first of Hogarth’s satirical moralising series of engravings that took the upper echelons of society as its subject. The paintings were models from which the engravings would be made. The engravings reverse the compositions.
After the death of the old Earl the wife is now the Countess, with a coronet above her bed and over the dressing table, where she sits. She has also become a mother, and a child’s teething coral hangs from her chair.
The lawyer Silvertongue invites her to a masquerade like the one to which he points, depicted on the screen. A group of visitors on the left listen to an opera singer, possibly a castrato, accompanied by a flautist.
An African page on the right unpacks a collection of curiosities bought at auction, including a figure of Actaeon. The paintings on the right wall show ‘Lot and his Daughters’ and ‘Jupiter and Io’ (after Correggio). On the left wall is a portrait of the lawyer and ‘Rape of Ganymede’ (after Michelangelo).
Getting back to the present day, I’ve just finished my Start writing Fiction course, woe is me! So I’ve started another Futurelearn course, The Literature of The English Country Rose. I’ve been thinking about life in the past and how so many customs, manners, and niceties, have changed. In modern-day entertaining, there does seem to be a trend for people to entertain in the kitchen. The dining room has become quite old-fashioned. The kitchen is friendly, a welcoming hubbub of culinary activity with all those aromas, right there, right now, tingling your senses as you eat. It’s a less formal set up than most dining rooms. I know that we only tend to use our dining room on special occasions, Christmas, Birthdays, that sort of occasion. Is the good old dining room becoming redundant, a relic of the past?
Wherever you decide to eat and entertain make sure your chef is magnificent, a god of the kitchen! This fellow works for Poseidon! Oh and keep the fish away from the cat, if you are lucky enough to have one!
This looks just like the sea urchin my daughter stood on whilst in holiday in Greece. OUCH. Though I’m blogging this for more than the OUCH Factor of the Sea Urchin. Here’s Freight Books Blog thoughts on overpricing of the classics.
So, you haven’t heard from me (Robbie) in a while, because I’ve been on holiday, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t seeking out interesting gobbets of information to feed you with, one of which to follow. I’ve also got reviews up my sleeve for a whole plethora of books, including Evie Wyld’s debut novel, Judith Schalansky’s The Giraffe’s Neck, and the 1180 page epic tome by Michael Schmidt, The Novel, A Biography (I admit, I haven’t read it all yet, but I will make that clear) and many others that I can’t bring to mind at this moment. For now, though, let me tell you about an Italian publisher who is doing something rather special.
There are a lot of sea urchins in Italy (I think this is a different species, however)
Whilst I was on my version of the Italian Grand Tour (going to as few places as…
Still a powerful symbol of the transience of our own existence and continuing to epitomise Japanese tradition- from ancient poems to wedding ceremonies- over 600 varieties ofさくら Sakura (cherry blossoms) play their starring springtime role in numerous aspects of Japanese culture, much as they did 1000 years ago.
M J Mallon YA Author and Poet 