tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post5652236205038188454..comments2023-09-27T12:44:03.592+01:00Comments on MsHedgehog: Machiavelli on MindsmsHedgehoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-84365763390560492012009-08-01T16:59:03.609+01:002009-08-01T16:59:03.609+01:00Having two X chromosones is clearly an advantage i...Having two X chromosones is clearly an advantage in these matters :o)ghosthttp://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=19240442-2477-4908-ba4f-d50e6a0223f8noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-18765994522053633122009-08-01T12:24:57.114+01:002009-08-01T12:24:57.114+01:00And of course she was better - she wouldn't ha...And of course she was better - she wouldn't have needed telling this stuff! ;-)msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-21071809624067428882009-08-01T10:56:02.096+01:002009-08-01T10:56:02.096+01:00Fair 'nuff.
The consensus on the web is that ...Fair 'nuff.<br /><br />The consensus on the web is that <br />he taught philosophy in Tohoku Imperial University of Sendai, Japan during that time. He would have been in his 40s.<br /><br />What you're saying does ring a bell, just not for Zen Buddhism. The basic premisse is that enlightenment comes about through non-attachement. A "master" who's bossing around his students, bonking teenagers and drinking all the alcohol in sight hasn't really grasped this ;o)ghosthttp://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=19240442-2477-4908-ba4f-d50e6a0223f8noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-53531052849508472592009-08-01T10:34:28.700+01:002009-08-01T10:34:28.700+01:00I still want to know what income they lived on dur...I still want to know what income they lived on during their studies.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-17911031879270377512009-08-01T01:57:34.366+01:002009-08-01T01:57:34.366+01:00If I recall the book “Zen and the Art of Archery” ...If I recall the book “Zen and the Art of Archery” correctly, it was about a man and his wife who both studied Zen under masters in Japan after WW2 for about 6 years. He studied archery, she studied flower arranging. And she was considerably better at it than he was!<br /><br />I don’t remember any bonking of teenagers or imbibing of alcohol. There weren’t any decent fight scenes either :(<br /><br />Indeed “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him” is another Zen Master saying ;o)<br /><br />I suspect part of the purpose of the stories is sadly that if you just say to someone<br />“If you're going to learn it is necessary to listen” most people will nod and then won’t actually do it. I mean seriously, in classes you attend with other adults how many of them actually do listen? <br /><br />There exists within Buddhism a science that just cuts <a href="http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/" rel="nofollow">to the point</a> “<br />Eg <br />Life means suffering.<br />The origin of suffering is attachment.<br />The cessation of suffering is attainable.<br /><br />Yet it’s the Shaggy-dog tales and the koans “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” that endure, much in the way most people nowadays think a deck of cards is for playing games and gambling.ghosthttp://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=19240442-2477-4908-ba4f-d50e6a0223f8noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-72715762841661252292009-07-31T19:39:10.112+01:002009-07-31T19:39:10.112+01:00I rarely have a problem with the sentiment that co...I rarely have a problem with the sentiment that comes at the end. If you're going to learn it is necessary to listen. I do have the strong impression that Zen Master shaggy dog stories are written for an exclusively male audience whose goal in life, they assume, is to join both master and student in a life of subsistence off the donations of their mothers and all the other pious women who are out there doing a job of work while they dance around each other with their extended rituals of challenge, dominance and submission - enlivened, no doubt, by bonking naive teenagers, drinking the laity's booze, and the occasional fight scene. I wish I could say I felt that revealing their methods to the rest of us was an error on their part.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-26378883877968773202009-07-31T14:12:42.011+01:002009-07-31T14:12:42.011+01:00As an adult? The student's. If you don't w...As an adult? The student's. If you don't want to learn whatever that teacher has to teach you, why exactly are you there? and if you do want it, what is the problem? Obviously the teacher has a lot of influence and can make the material attractive or unattractive; but it's the student's responsibility to judge whether whatever it is, is worth sticking around for. We're not at school any more.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-63659557984269343662009-07-31T11:48:10.807+01:002009-07-31T11:48:10.807+01:00Back to motivation. Do you think it's the teac...Back to motivation. Do you think it's the teachers or the students role to maintain motivation?LimerickTangohttp://www.limericktango.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-57031633939836433142009-07-30T23:51:17.134+01:002009-07-30T23:51:17.134+01:00Recently a teacher was surprised that I was learni...Recently a teacher was surprised that I was learning considerably faster than the norm. Pretty much it came down to that zen story ;o)ghosthttp://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=19240442-2477-4908-ba4f-d50e6a0223f8noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-21273094791198655202009-07-30T22:40:47.156+01:002009-07-30T22:40:47.156+01:00Yes, he was greek: I was thinking simultaneously o...Yes, he was greek: I was thinking simultaneously of him and the Roman Tacitus - too late at night and not in the best of tempers. I apologise to him (and Ghost). I like the Confucius one.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-57149914394992759262009-07-30T22:26:01.858+01:002009-07-30T22:26:01.858+01:00Ms H - I think Ghost's first quotation is the ...Ms H - I think Ghost's first quotation is the one I was thinking about. The point made to one who would rule is to invest in one's intellect and get smart. Failing that, learn how to recognise and recruit able advisors. If you can't do either, you're stuffed.<br /><br />Was Herodotus not Greek? Always wanted to read 'The Travels of Herodotus'. I always thought of him as an interesting collector of stories and travel writer. I speculate people read him in ancient times the way they would the Rough Guide today.Game Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01195479103119853847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-19513901198447436182009-07-30T08:46:10.569+01:002009-07-30T08:46:10.569+01:00This is on my pending reads. You migh enjoy "...This is on my pending reads. You migh enjoy "Il Gatopardo / The Leopard" by Giuseppe di Lampedusa", a timeless read about politics and people.mayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04420545695211847049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-64671410650628638852009-07-29T23:26:36.975+01:002009-07-29T23:26:36.975+01:00The trouble with Zen Master stories is they're...The trouble with Zen Master stories is they're a bit like the Lord of the Rings - I think if you don't practice it constantly, you have to be either 13 or on dope. And I LOVED LOTR when I was 13. I love the movies too.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-58562645017117609522009-07-29T22:56:46.302+01:002009-07-29T22:56:46.302+01:00"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First,..."By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." ~ Confucius<br /><br />The other classic one is<br /><br /><i>There was once a Zen master of great renown who lived in the mountain. One day, he received the visit of a young philosopher whom had traveled from afar especially to meet him. That philosopher came under high recommendations by his teachers, so the master agreed to see him. As the two sat under a tree to discuss, the subject hastily came to what the master could teach the young philosopher. Recognizing the flame of youth, the master smiled warmly and started to describe his meditation techniques. He was cut short by the philosopher who said: « Yes, I understand what you are talking about! We did a similar technique at the temple, but instead we used images to focus! »<br /><br />Once the philosopher was done explaining to the master how he was taught, and did, his meditation, the master spoke again. This time, he tried to tell the young man about how one should be attuned to nature and the Universe. He didn't get two sentences in when the philosopher cut him short again and started talking about how he was taught of such things and so and so.<br /><br />Once again, the master patiently waited for the young philosopher to end his excited explanations. Once he was done, the master got to the subject of seeing humor in every situation. This time, the young man didn't lose any time and started to talk about his favorite jokes and how he thought they could relate to situations he had faced.<br /><br />Once the philosopher was done, the Zen master invited him inside for a tea ceremony. The philosopher having heard of how the master performed the ceremony like no other accepted gladly. Such a moment was always a privileged one with such a man. Once inside, the master performed flawlessly up to the point where he started to pour the tea in the cup. The philosopher noticed as the master was pouring tea, that the cup was being filled more than usual, then, as the master kept pouring tea, the cup got full to the brim. Not knowing what to say, the young man just looked at the master with a look of astonishment on his face. The master kept pouring has if nothing was wrong and the cup, not being able to contain anymore, started to overflow, spilling hot tea on the floor mattresses and the master's hakama. Not believing what he was seeing, the philosopher finally exclaimed: « Stop pouring! Can't you see the cup is already full and overflowing? »<br /><br />With those words, the master gently placed the teapot back on the fire and looked at the young philosopher with his ever present warm smile, looked him in the eye and said: « If you come to me with a cup that is already full, how can you expect me to give you something to drink? »</i><br /><br />Found this on Youtube earlier today while looking for something else entirely; Interesting if you view the Interviewer as the teacher and the volunteer as the student, but feel free to find your own interpretation ;o)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBRufSjeApI&feature=channel_page" rel="nofollow">Peanut Butter and Teaching</a>ghosthttp://www.imagekind.com/GalleryProfile.aspx?gid=19240442-2477-4908-ba4f-d50e6a0223f8noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-59401673950853846752009-07-29T22:40:54.367+01:002009-07-29T22:40:54.367+01:00What did he say?
Which reminds me that I keep mea...What did he say?<br /><br />Which reminds me that I keep meaning to read the Roman historian Herodotus, who was famous for saying, in effect, "well there's this story, and there's this other story about what happened, and I find it hard to say which is true" and "So they say, but I don't really believe it and I don't see why you should, it's probably made up". Really old books that are still around, are often around for a reason.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8391293127288856260.post-23653676044454832472009-07-29T22:25:30.395+01:002009-07-29T22:25:30.395+01:00I recall Confucius said something similar about a ...I recall Confucius said something similar about a good ruler more than a millenium before Machiavelli, though probably in a less celebrated work.<br /><br />Re teacher and student....another apt Chinese saying goes "when the student is prepared to learn, the teacher will appear".Game Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01195479103119853847noreply@blogger.com