The Disney movie hit, The Jungle Book was published at the past decade. It was a movie indented for the infant public, becoming a family one. Although, its songs especially, “The Bare Necessities” hold deep Taoist ideals.
“Look for the bare necessities,
The simple bare necessities.
Forget about your worries and your strife,
I mean the bare necessities.”
Considering the basic Taoist thought, of natures, naturalness, balance and perfectness. The Jungle Book song, recurs to the thought, of non-action results, of “desireless”, but receiving. Through harmony with life, changing the negative and casual into positive things, and conceptualizing everything as simple.
“I mean the bare necessities,
Old Mother Nature's recipes.
To make some honey just for me,
When you look under the rocks and plants.
And take a glance at the fancy ants,
Then maybe try a few.
The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!
The passage states that nature will provide an individual with its necessities. The “nameless” is constantly referred as a newborn. For many its unknown, that a fairly recent investigation, concluded that children should not be obliged to eat, by instinct they will properly nurture themselves, they will never die of malnutrition or hunger. Babies will eat of everything they find, they will not cook, nature will supply.
Everything you really need will be given to you by non-action as said, “Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment.” (Lao Tzu. 7) that fulfillment is given by nature; therefore by doing nothing, nothing is left undone.
“Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home.”
On the past passage we can conceive the sense of nothing and nowhere. Everything is caused by desire, causing nothing is being “ever desireless” and with the effect of no bare necessities. The ultimate Tao of heaven, following the primal virtue.
“And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found.
When you find out you can live without it,
And go along not thinkin' about it.
I'll tell you something true
The bare necessities of life will come to you.”
“Ever desireless” reappears. The lines refers to, “ever desireless, one can see mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations.” (Lao Tzu. 1) Desiring ruins one’s life, becoming dependent is totally materialistic, against the Tao of heaven.
lunes, 8 de diciembre de 2008
domingo, 30 de noviembre de 2008
Opposites
Opposites are part of our world. There isn’t something if there is no opposite of it. Although they may limit our minds, we trace lines, as laws in which we have to respect; so society may be able to live. But if describing a human being implies opposites (which limit us) we may loose our liberty, our uniqueness. The concept of liberty is an ideal but a reality, humans always depend on something. Or maybe the ideal of our liberty is not lost but the word itself is lost, but what difference does it make? If words are created by our uniqueness (a part, not a hole). By communicating (words) we express our thoughts, which distinguish us from animal, “man is a social animal” (Aristotle), but words are limited. Then maybe we are humans not by our ability to express, but rather for something else. Opposites are simple, not essential, but lines which we don’t need, which makes us loose a type of uniqueness, or maybe delimit something which is rather necessary for liberty, “Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good because there is evil. Therefore having or not having arises together.” (Tao Te Ching. Two)
Our Logic
Confucian philosophy is based on tradition. Confucius was a highly religious and traditional Chinese man. Through it teaching you notices his “Ritual” or”rightness”. The Way of Goodness is another important asset of the book. Although I believe they are all literal translation, for an abstract ideal. The three pillars are highly philosophical, with a probable alien ideal for the western mind. All of them can be abstractly understood through the book, those are the keys for the “perfect men”. This tradition of eastern philosophy and theology, of making one self better through ones individual dogmas; following the Buddha, the Bagahdevita, or any other holy character or scripture. Analyzing eastern individuals and the territories, you can notice more fullness, not a materialistic, but abstract, individual and spiritual. Attributed to the keys, which for us, are simply no materialistic ideal heavily difficult to understand, therefore stupid or irrelevant.
We have simply destroyed the idea of a “perfect man” in the west. One would think or expect, to do something which will eventually affect him or others in a positive aspect. But that rationalism has disappeared. We live in a world where we create more suffering, more poverty, and a disastrous future for us and our children. “We live in a Newtonian world of Einsteinian physics rules by Frankenstenian logic.” (Unknown)
We have simply destroyed the idea of a “perfect man” in the west. One would think or expect, to do something which will eventually affect him or others in a positive aspect. But that rationalism has disappeared. We live in a world where we create more suffering, more poverty, and a disastrous future for us and our children. “We live in a Newtonian world of Einsteinian physics rules by Frankenstenian logic.” (Unknown)
sábado, 29 de noviembre de 2008
Quantity Terms With Count And Noncount Nouns
1. Quite a few students have trouble with economics.
2. It requires quite a little or quite a bit of* reading.
3. Few advisors spend as much time with their students.
4. He has little hope of passing his exams.
5. George's advisor spends quite a little or quite a bit of time with him.
6. He knows few people in the class.
7. Bill spends little money on clothes.
8. She spends quite a little or quite a bit of money on CDs.
9. He has few suits.
10. He understands little of the reading.
2. It requires quite a little or quite a bit of* reading.
3. Few advisors spend as much time with their students.
4. He has little hope of passing his exams.
5. George's advisor spends quite a little or quite a bit of time with him.
6. He knows few people in the class.
7. Bill spends little money on clothes.
8. She spends quite a little or quite a bit of money on CDs.
9. He has few suits.
10. He understands little of the reading.
Count And NonCount Nouns
Are the following nouns count or noncount? Put an N next to the noncount nouns and a C next to the count nouns. If the noun can be either noncount or count depending on the context, put a D next to it.
world C
textbook C
acid N
smoking N
poetry N
applause N
thought D
banana C
conduct D
progress N
biology N
essay C
crystal D
shopping N
Exercise 2
Put an X next to the words in the following list that can be used as either count or noncount nouns, depending on the context.
defense X
beauty X
garbage ___
experience X
baggage ___
rain X
rug ___
nature ___
bag ___
emotion X
Exercise 3
Fill in the blank with the form of the noun in parentheses that is appropriate to the grammatical context of the sentence and the meaning of the passage as a whole.
Diabetes: Beyond the Basics
Because diabetes can cause devastating damage to virtually all body systems, people with diabetes should not underrate the seriousness of their disease. Learning to live with a chronic illness such as diabetes must be an ongoing process.
The Hospital's Center for Family Life Education is sponsoring a five-part educational series on diabetes. The series will begin on April 30 and continue through May 29. The program will be held in the second floor classroom of the Education Center from 7-9 p.m.
The diabetes series is free and open to the public and will be of specific interest to people who have diabetes and their families and friends.
Exercise 4
On the basis of the rules for using articles, which combinations of words below are permitted and which ones aren't? Put an X next to the incorrect combinations.
____ a table
X these person
____ this furniture
____ that assignment
____ a boy
____ the poetry
____ a difficulty
X a research
X this eggs
X those argument
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate article if one is needed.
The Computer Jungle
Though you can make the decision on purely economic grounds, buying a computer is often more like joining a religious cult. Buy an Apple, for example, and almost by default you join Apple chairman Steve Jobs in his crusade against IBM. Every machine has its "users' groups" and a band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its merits. That makes it all the more difficult for the uninitiated to decide what machine to buy. Students have a huge advantage, however. The computer companies are so eager for students' business (it builds "brand loyalty") that many offer huge discounts.
In the past six months, IBM, Apple, and others have brought out new computers, and the fierce competition has forced prices down. Also, time is on your side: next year at this time you'll have even more choice and more computing power and features for the same price. On the other hand, this will probably be true for many years. So for those who need or want a computer now, it's a great time to buy one.
world C
textbook C
acid N
smoking N
poetry N
applause N
thought D
banana C
conduct D
progress N
biology N
essay C
crystal D
shopping N
Exercise 2
Put an X next to the words in the following list that can be used as either count or noncount nouns, depending on the context.
defense X
beauty X
garbage ___
experience X
baggage ___
rain X
rug ___
nature ___
bag ___
emotion X
Exercise 3
Fill in the blank with the form of the noun in parentheses that is appropriate to the grammatical context of the sentence and the meaning of the passage as a whole.
Diabetes: Beyond the Basics
Because diabetes can cause devastating damage to virtually all body systems, people with diabetes should not underrate the seriousness of their disease. Learning to live with a chronic illness such as diabetes must be an ongoing process.
The Hospital's Center for Family Life Education is sponsoring a five-part educational series on diabetes. The series will begin on April 30 and continue through May 29. The program will be held in the second floor classroom of the Education Center from 7-9 p.m.
The diabetes series is free and open to the public and will be of specific interest to people who have diabetes and their families and friends.
Exercise 4
On the basis of the rules for using articles, which combinations of words below are permitted and which ones aren't? Put an X next to the incorrect combinations.
____ a table
X these person
____ this furniture
____ that assignment
____ a boy
____ the poetry
____ a difficulty
X a research
X this eggs
X those argument
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate article if one is needed.
The Computer Jungle
Though you can make the decision on purely economic grounds, buying a computer is often more like joining a religious cult. Buy an Apple, for example, and almost by default you join Apple chairman Steve Jobs in his crusade against IBM. Every machine has its "users' groups" and a band of loyal enthusiasts who tout its merits. That makes it all the more difficult for the uninitiated to decide what machine to buy. Students have a huge advantage, however. The computer companies are so eager for students' business (it builds "brand loyalty") that many offer huge discounts.
In the past six months, IBM, Apple, and others have brought out new computers, and the fierce competition has forced prices down. Also, time is on your side: next year at this time you'll have even more choice and more computing power and features for the same price. On the other hand, this will probably be true for many years. So for those who need or want a computer now, it's a great time to buy one.
viernes, 28 de noviembre de 2008
Words That Sound Alike: Exercise 1
Question Your Answer The Correct Answer Your Response is:
Question 1 Where Where Correct
Question 2 wear wear Correct
Question 3 we're we're Correct
Question 4 to to Correct
Question 5 two two Correct
Question 6 too too Correct
Question 7 conscious conscious Correct
Question 8 conscience conscience Correct
Question 9 led led Correct
Question 10 lead lead Correct
Question 11 their their Correct
Question 12 They're They're Correct
Question 13 there there Correct
Question 14 idea idea Correct
Question 15 ideal ideal Correct
Question 16 than than Correct
Question 17 then then Correct
Question 18 Its It's Incorrect
Question 19 it's its Incorrect
Question 20 Your You're Incorrect
Question 21 you're your Incorrect
Question 22 advise advise Correct
Question 23 advice advice Correct
You had 19 out of 23 questions correct.
Very good!
Question Your Answer The Correct Answer Your Response is:
Question 1 Where Where Correct
Question 2 wear wear Correct
Question 3 we're we're Correct
Question 4 to to Correct
Question 5 two two Correct
Question 6 too too Correct
Question 7 conscious conscious Correct
Question 8 conscience conscience Correct
Question 9 led led Correct
Question 10 lead lead Correct
Question 11 their their Correct
Question 12 They're They're Correct
Question 13 there there Correct
Question 14 idea idea Correct
Question 15 ideal ideal Correct
Question 16 than than Correct
Question 17 then then Correct
Question 18 Its It's Incorrect
Question 19 it's its Incorrect
Question 20 Your You're Incorrect
Question 21 you're your Incorrect
Question 22 advise advise Correct
Question 23 advice advice Correct
You had 19 out of 23 questions correct.
Very good!
His Ritual
The conception of ritual to Confucius seems to be a guide for a perfect life. Or at least a beacon of a “never mistake”. If you follow it, you will probably succeed in which ever you are implying it; and consequently never mistake. Confucius consecutively implies to term in its teachings, when being asked something, “The Master said: the gentleman takes rightness as his substance, puts it into practice by means of RITUAL, gives it expression through modesty, and perfects it by being trustworthy . Now that is a gentleman.”
Taking into context the quotation, ritual is not a literal translation, nor its actual dictionary meaning. I would understand this pillar of his teachings, as the so called path in eastern philosophy and theology. The spiritual path the Buddha transuded through out his existence or the circular path of reincarnation in Hinduism. Perfecting one self, is the basis of the eastern philosophical tradition, probably implied as well by Confucius.
Taking into context the quotation, ritual is not a literal translation, nor its actual dictionary meaning. I would understand this pillar of his teachings, as the so called path in eastern philosophy and theology. The spiritual path the Buddha transuded through out his existence or the circular path of reincarnation in Hinduism. Perfecting one self, is the basis of the eastern philosophical tradition, probably implied as well by Confucius.
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