Learn Chinese based on Confucianism and Taoism

Learn Chinese based on Confucianism and Taoism
(Apprendre le chinois basé sur le taoïsme et le confucianisme)


The First Emperor (Shi-koutei in Japanese) of China, born 100 years after Alexander the Great of Greece, hated Confucianism after he gained mastery of ancient China through fierce wars and bloody battles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang
"To ensure stability, he outlawed Confucianism and buried many of its scholars alive, banning and burning all books other than those officially decreed."

The empire he established did not last long; his son and his grandson could not bring or add any glory to the Qin Dynasty which heavily relied on law, order, and military.

Then the fourth emperor Gaozu (known also as Liu Bang in various works of literature in Japan) established the Han Dynasty, after a fierce civil war and legendary battles, which was more successful and lasted 400 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Gaozu
"Confucian scholars were welcomed into his government, while the harsh Legalist laws were lessened."

According to Hajime Nakamura, one of the most respectable Buddhist philosophers of Japan, when Gaozu held the power of China, he declared the Three Chapter Law which consists of only three articles:
(1) Any person who killed other person(s) shall be subject to capital punishment;
(2) Any person who has injureed and robbed other person(s) shall be punished; and
(3) All other laws the Qin Dynasty enforced shall be abolished.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hajime_Nakamura
* * *

Indeed, each Chinese Dynasty influenced Japan in a unique manner:
1) Qin Dynasty: a personal mission sent by the First Emperor is said to have reached Japan; many Japanese today may be their descendants. Also many refugees from the wars and cruel administrations in the continent are believed to have fled to Japan until Han was established in 202 B.C.

2) Han Dynasty: "Han" is called "Kan" in Japanese. Literally, Japanese "Kan-ji" means "Han's letters." Han occupied and colonized the Korean Peninsula. Queen of Yamato "Himiko" (in the early third century) and other Japanese monarchs and leaders rendered homage to the Han Empire and its minor derivative nations in the mainland China since the first century to the sixth century.

3) Jin Dynasty: The most respected crown prince Shotoku of Japan (around 600) declared spiritual independence of Japan from China in his official letter to the emperor of Jin who was so much provoked not only because he was especially an inhumane emperor among other Chinese emperors in history.

4) Tang Dynasty: The capital of Tang flourished culturally through international trade over the silk road. Japan fought its first international full-scale war (in the late 7th century) against Tang over the hegemony of the Korean Peninsula; nonetheless many Japanese scholars and students visited Tang to study Buddhism as the Imperial Court of Japan was so eager to learn Buddhism and so on from the continent, especially around the 9th century.

As the only female Emperor of China in Tang confirmed sovereignty of Japan after the Tang-Yamato War, its national name could be elegantly changed from "Wa" to "Nihon (Japan)," since "Wa" means meekness but "Ni-hon (sun-source)" means the ground from which the sun rises.

5) Song Dynasty: Trade between Japan and China was growing in various fields while the samurai class got power in Japan. The philosophy developed in Song also deeply affected the cultural aspect of Japan, including Zen and tea.

6) Yuan Dynasty: Mongolians or descendants of Genghis Khan conquered China; they further tried to invade the Italian Peninsula, Egypt, and Japan (the late 13th century) but all failed, though their empire, including the mainland China, was the largest in the human history.

7) Ming Dynasty: Han people drove out Mongolians and established a new empire. They also renewed Confucianism which Japan's samurai class also adopted as its backbone to govern the nation all through the 17th to the 19th century.

8) Qing Dynasty: Manchus, another northern tribe, defeated Han people and occupied the whole Chinese continent. However, its defeat in the Opium War with the U.K. at Hong Kong in 1841 awaked Japan and its samurai regime. Japan opened the door to adopt Western Civilization and even defeated Qing in the Japan-Sino War in 1894 over the hegemony of the Korean Peninsula which was the vital front line to prevent Russia from invading Japan.

Since then, until the Communist Party won hegemony after WWII, China had been in a kind of great chaos. The last emperor of Qing, namely the last emperor in the Chinese history, was put under authority of the Empire of Japan, but survived WWII to live peacefully under the Chinese Communist regime, while Japanese Emperor also survived eventually to be followed by his son as the Emperor of Heisei Era to this date.
* * *

Each Chinese Empire is expressed with one Kanji letter, visual appealing of which is really impressive to the Japanese eye.

But, the Yellow River Civilization, early Taoism, and Confucianism were all formed, established, and developed before the era of the First Emperor (the third century B.C.), a half-mad military genius who however dreamed of blessing to be obtained in the holy islands in the east sea which are actually Japan to which he sent a personal mission.

And the best part of the Yellow River Civilization, early Taoism, and basic Confucianism were all imported to Japan so that Japan can claim that it is legitimate successor of the classical Chinese Civilization, since Japan still keeps and preserves many cultural traditions of the Civilization while modern China has lost many of them in its long history of wars, atrocities, and authoritarian ruling.
* * *

That is why Japanese feel no difficulty in dealing with Chinese.

If Lao-tze and Confucius live today, they will take Japanese as their direct descendants rather than Chinese under the communist regime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao-tze

My hope is that some day Japanese will feel no difficulty in dealing with Israelites as well as the so-called Christians.


(If you learn Chinese but you do not learn teachings of ancient great Chinese, you may look very strange to the Japanese eye, even if you have European eyes.

Yet, Chinese would much respect you, even in Paris or Berlin, with any knowledge about Japanese.)



"I tell you, however, that Elijah has already come..."

(Ich sage euch, Elija ist shon gekommen...)



　

A Story of A High Priest

A Story of A High Priest
(Une histoire d'un grand prêtre)


Once in India, Buddha himself was traveling around across various kingdoms to save and teach people.

In a certain community just like many others, a group of young people were learning and studying the truth preached by Buddha.

They belonged to an institution managed and supervised by a local lord who had an attractive wife.

Yet, the wife of the local lord one day tried to allure and vamp one of nice young men diligently learning in the institution.

Though so attempted, the young man flatly rejected and left her on the occasion, which upset and enraged her.

She then ripped her clothes and started to violently cry, which brought her husband in a hurry to the site to ask her what had happened on her.

She said that one of the students violated her; her husband got angry and mad to be determined to avenge and punish the young man.

The local lord called the student and ordered that he must kill 500 people in a day as part of his religious training to master the truth Buddha was teaching.

As the young man was so obedient to the seniors and rules of the institution which requested students to fully follow orders their seniors would issue, he took a sword and went out to a street of a town to start to kill people.

Then, he wielded the sword to imbrue it with bloods of many people he was killing as part of his religious practice, since he had been so ordered.

But, when the noon came, he found that he could just kill 100 people or so yet; and not many people were on a street any more.

So, he remembered that his mother was at home at this hour. The diligent student of Buddha's teaching then decided to kill his mother as part of his ascetic training, since he had been so ordered by his supervisor.

But, behold! Buddha himself was then approaching this community, being alerted to atrocity he felt from afar through his divine power. Buddha even sensed that the young man was going to harm his mother fatally. So, Buddha came upon the young man hurrying with the sword on his way to home.

The young man saw a very senior person hurrying toward him. With suspicion, he asked, "Why are you hurrying, Sir?" Buddha replied, "I am not hurrying; I am standing. Why can't you stop moving?" The young man said, "I am not moving, sir; I have stopped to talk to you." Buddha said to the young man, "Look at me and you yourself!"

Then the young man could see that it was Buddha himself that he was talking with. Then suddenly he realized what a horrible crime he was engaged in. He came to himself, dropping the sword down on the ground as he stopped hurrying along a circle with Buddha at its center standing still on the road.

At the moment, the king of the country arrived at the site, leading his soldiers to arrest the mad student live or dead, though the background of the atrocity was understood. Yet, the king, as Buddha was taking the young murderer with him to cleanse his soul, decided to let him go with Buddha.

Later, the young man became a highly regarded ascetic monk and eventually understood the truth to become a high priest authorized by Buddha.

But, no one knows what happened with the local lord and his wife in the kingdom for ever.
* * *

All I want to say is to stop suicide bombings.

Indeed, Muslims must stop suicide bombings in Afghanistan.

Truly, AlQaeda and the Taliban must not have blown off the Great Statutes of Buddha in Bamiyan in Northern Afghanistan in the spring of 2001.



(I don't know how proud Europeans would learn and study the teaching of Buddha. But, Jesus Christ never forbade it, for your sake.)



"If your hand or your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away!"

(Wenn deine Hand oder dein Fuß dich zum Bösen verführen, hacke sie ab und wirf sie weg. )

Oriental Teachings: Five Commandments

Oriental Teachings: Five Commandments
(Oriental enseignements: cinq commandements)


In Confucianism and Buddhism, there are the same teachings as Moses' and Jesus Christ's.

The Five Confucian Virtues and the Five Precepts of Buddhism commonly defined:
1. Humaneness: Do not kill.
2. Righteousness: Do not indulge in wicked lustfulness.
3. Propriety: Do not drink alcohol.
4. Wisdom: Do not steal.
5. Sincerity: Do not lie.

See also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Precepts .

(cf. http://www.sanseido.net/Main/words/Hyakka/meisu/05.aspx )

Almost every teaching found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is found in teachings of Confucianism and Buddhism, which is part of common sense in Japan but must be astonishment to ordinary Israelites, Christians, and Muslims.


(Now, you do not have to mind being a Japanese or becoming a member of any other communities the culture of which is based on Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.

All you have to do is to wait for the coming of the Messiah.)


"...It is I. Don't be afraid!..."

(Ich bin's, habt keine Angst!)





　　

Oriental Teachings on Husband and Wife

Oriental Teachings on Husband and Wife
(Oriental enseignements sur le mari et la femme)


Everybody wants to be rich all over the world, since they like to have big money.

Israelites want to be rich; Christians want to be rich; Muslims want to be rich; Hindus want to be rich; Chinese want to be rich; and Japanese want to be rich.

That is why super-rich Americans in New York and Washington D.C. never respect Muslims, Hindus, Chinese, and Japanese in addition to poor Americans.
* * *

In order for Asians and poor Americans to cope with this type of arrogant super-rich Americans in New York and Washington D.C., they have to know that the only way is to strengthen their spiritual tradition that can teach them how to avoid tragedy the desire for big money would cause on them.

Then, Asians and poor Americans will not be fatally damaged if the US economy and the Wall Street should bring about mighty depression globally in future.
* * *

There is interesting description in a book introducing and exploring Oriental minds, religions, and ideas.
http://www.e-hon.ne.jp/bec/SA/Detail?refShinCode=0100000000000031624696&Action_id=121&Sza_id=B0

It tells actually that almost every teaching presented in the Bible can be found in the teachings of great religious figures in Asia.

As for today, since I find some interesting teachings in ancient India, I will write down them:

Ethics for a husband toward his wife:
(1) Respect his wife as he respects a god.
(2) Do not despise his wife.
(3) Do not be unethical to his wife by associating with other women.
(4) Exercise authority on his wife.
(5) Provide adornments for his wife.

Ethics for a wife toward her husband:
(1) Manage well her work.
(2) Treat well her family members.
(3) Do not be unethical to her husband at all.
(4) Protect wealth earned.
(5) Be wise, smart, skillful, and diligent on what is entrusted to her.

If all the husbands and wives in Asia and US poor communities are better than those in Washington D.C. and the Wall Street, super-rich Americans will not be able to become richer by sacrificing Muslims, Hindus, Chinese, and Japanese as well as poor Americans any more.

So, do not be unethical or unethical at all, since these commandments match the teachings by Moses and Jesus Christ.




"...some had thirty grains, others sixty, and others one hundred..."
(Manche brachten dreissig Korner, andere sechzig, wieder andere hundert...)

Ms. Koike Introduced National Strength Equation

Ms. Koike Introduced National Strength Equation
(Mme Koike a présenté force nationale équation)


Former Minister of Defense Ms. Yuriko Koike introduced the following equation, in her interesting memoir published last Saturday.
http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/htm/4166606026.html

Pp = ( C + E + M ) * ( S + W)

Pp: National strength
C: Population and land size
E: Economy
M: Military power
S: Strategy
W: Will of enforcement

She wrote that the above equation was originally worked out by a former US CIA deputy director.

In short, the national strength is decided by potential of hardware multiplied by potential of software of the nation.

Nonetheless, based on experiences, if you just rely on this sort of thinking, you would wonder, like a certain former US Secretary of Treasury, why Japan has not failed while Latin American nations have failed economically.

They only observe the world horizontally without vertical analysis along the time and history.

Even in market analysis, you need a record of performance and the stock price over ten years for each company.

I rather propose that you refer to the Internet protocol architecture with seven layers.
http://networking.ringofsaturn.com/Protocols/sevenlayer.php
In analogy with the telecommunications software technology, systems and functions of a nation can be viewed in the following way:

--------------------------------------
#7 layer: Vision, aspirations, and holy destiny
--------------------------------------
#6 layer: Economy, military power, and operation
--------------------------------------
#5 layer: Technology and business infrastructure
--------------------------------------
#4 layer: Religion, education, social and legal systems
--------------------------------------
#3 layer: Historical performance and racial traditions
--------------------------------------
#2 layer: Population, geographic conditions, and potentials
--------------------------------------
#1 layer: Quality of the people and cultural superiority
--------------------------------------
(Note: Every layer should be assigned a specific value to.)

Since national strength is not absolute measure but relative measure, you have to compare each country with one another at each layer.

When the scheme of the above layer structure is expressed as F:

Y = Effective national strength under the situation "x"
Y= F (x)

"F ( )" consists of the above seven layers, but "x" might mainly work on a certain layer(s).

For example, "F (war on terror)" of the U.S. may be lower than "F (war on terror)" of Japan, especially due to the Japan's merit at the "7th layer."
(Ex. Y = 60 for the U.S., while Y = 80 for Japan in terms of the war on terror.)

As I have not enough time now, some of you may extend this idea, so that we can avoid adoption of the CIA version of the "National Strength Equation."
* * *

In addition, US Embassy in Tokyo will probably unofficially translate this book Former Minister of Defense Ms. Yuriko Koike has written for herself and published after her departure from the Japanese Defense Ministry two months ago.

It is because there are some descriptions on US Secretaries of State and Defense.

Here again as a proof that Ms. Yuriko Koike has at least something to say, though nowadays many rising politicians are using their blogs to meet the need of democracy and their own causes or faith, whatever:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%A5%B3%E5%AD%90%E3%81%AE%E6%9C%AC%E6%87%90%E2%80%95%E5%B8%82%E3%83%B6%E8%B0%B7%E3%81%AE55%E6%97%A5-%E6%96%87%E6%98%A5%E6%96%B0%E6%9B%B8-602-%E5%B0%8F%E6%B1%A0-%E7%99%BE%E5%90%88%E5%AD%90/dp/4166606026


(Anyway, I respect any courage to tackle a national issue, if it is devoid of malice, though Ms. Yuriko Koike is Japanese and very Japanese, exclusively.

http://homepage.mac.com/chansons/1968/vartan/index.html )


"...Love your neighbors as you love yourself..."

(...Liebe deinen Mitmenschen wie dich selbst...)

Divine Comedy 2007 (XXII)

Divine Comedy 2007 (XXII)
[Comédie Divin 2007 - XXII]


1. Reflection on Today

Pro 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
Pro 10:23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
Pro 10:24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
Pro 10:25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
Pro 10:26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

(Jesus Christ's teaching is that wisdom should be developed and exercised based on love to God and neighbors, or otherwise with fear in God.)

2. Devil's Wheels

Last night, Mr. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan, made a TV appearance to introduce a new super car of Nissan that can run at 300km/h and sells at 7 million yen.

Mainstream cars of today still use explosion of fuel in the cylinder, which is very violent, wild, and coarse.

(When I drive a car, I always try to feel this explosion in the cylinder. Before confirming rotation and momentum of an engine, I like to check explosion in and vibration of the cylinder while sitting behind a wheel for starting.

My stamping on the accelerator must be synchronized with this explosion or at least its frequency. My stepping on the brakes must be, too. This method may make driving by some of you safer than blindly increasing or decreasing the speed, though you need some training beforehand, since otherwise it may be a little dangerous.)

Of course, a car is essentially not suitable for peaceful movement of a citizen. It is a machine equipped with explosion mechanism and driven by explosive energy.

It is big delinquency that any car manufactures have not provided more peacefully driven cars to market.

Indeed, an electric car the speed of which can be controlled via wireless communications through equipment installed at a road side by a central traffic control agency, if necessary, should be introduced so that no speeding offense is allowed.

3. Food Safety

Certain traditional sweet stuff made of small-red bean jam and a rice cake has been recently found to violate food-safety standards in Japan as they reuse day-old goods while changing their date of packing.

It is very shocking since the brand is 300 years old with high reputation and, more than that, the Japanese confectionery has been sold before Grand Shrine of Ise, the most highly related shrine to the Imperial Court.

In other word, if a company located so near to such a holy place for Shintoism does such illegal handling of rice cakes with bean jam on, we have to be cautious in taking any foods provided by a company located so far from any Shinto shrine in Japan.

Japanese food companies had better refer to the Bible to maintain an international level of safety standard, since no US or European consumers would buy foods from a company that does not respect Holy Writ.

4. Counterfeits in China

Last night, Ms. Yoshiko Sakurai, a notable critics, said in a certain TV program that counterfeits produced in China amount to 1 trillion US dollars while Japan's damages are estimated to reach 100 billion US dollars.
(http://www.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/premiere-a/index.html)

In other words, China looks like preparing the Summer Olympic Games 2008 based on profits, at least partly, earned through selling counterfeits.

The Chinese Government should more cooperate with Japan for addressing this issue, so that China can be truly respected by the U.S., EU member countries, and other democratic countries.

Indeed, makers and providers should read holy proverbs.

Truly, consumers should also read holy proverbs.


(Decades ago, the FEN Radio Station in the Tokyo area broadcast a program titled "Devil's Wheels."

I almost forgot its contents, but it seems to have dealt with the deployment of US auto industry leveraging various doubtful strategies; and thus the expression "Devil's Wheels" has still remained in my brain even to date.

It is said that a certain US car maker once used to use flimsy parts intentionally, so that their cars would become more easily broken forcing consumers to purchase a new one.

So, angels would be glad if you can avoid any commercial involvement for a doubtful company in Japan, the U.S., China, and so on.)




"...all these evil things come from inside a person and make him unclean..."
(All das kommt aus dem Innern des Menschen und macht ihn unrein.)

King James Version of the Gospel

King James Version of the Gospel
(Le Roi James Version de l'Evangile)


Matthew 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

(Jesus Christ meant that the Roman Governor already got information from his spies that His followers had called Him the King of Israelites which Jesus Christ had never stopped for some reasons, since He is more than the King.

It is not a matter of recognition or denial, since the former would be taken as a proof that Jesus Christ is an enemy of the Roman Empire and the latter would lead to the accusation that He is a liar before the Roman Governor.

Also, it meant that Jesus Christ never called himself the King of Israelites.

It is the Governor's spies that had first said that Jesus Christ was actually a King of Israelites to other followers in order for the spies to be accepted and trusted by other followers, following an instruction given by the very Roman Governor himself.

Therefore, in fact, it is the Roman Governor who first said that Jesus Christ was the King of Israelites in the history, though He is more than the King as the contemporary Christians admit.

Praise the Lord.....to those who belong to a family of faith.)