"He that cometh from above is above all" -Taoism Taking Particular Note of Eight

Cherry Blossoms around Tokyo

Taoism Taking Particular Note of Eight

Today I saw a bus with a license number "77-77."

Soon after it, I encountered a vehicle with a license number "11-11."  To find these rare-numbered cars in several minutes is very rare around Tokyo, though you would see thousands of cars while moving on roads in an hour.

I read a book today written by a Chinese who knows Japan and Japanese very well.  According to the author, even Chinese today respect a philosophy of honorable poverty in Japan.  And some Chinese are clandestinely wishing to have a life of honorable poverty.

Indeed,  a legend or images of mountain hermits were imported to Japan from ancient China.

The xian archetype is described by Victor H. Mair.

They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as ṛṣi who possessed similar traits.1994:376

Xian is called "sen-nin" in Japanese.  And, the essential characteristic of sen-nin is they are not bothered by worldly matters since they have no desire in the human society corrupted by politics and economy.

So, harming nobody and being harmed by nobody are an ideal state of men in both Japan and China.

However, the 19th and 20th century history shows something so dangerous that doesn't allow for the philosophy of sen-nin could happen in the world; accordingly Japan and China are looking on each other so suspiciously.

They are victims of the evil of the modern history.


Anyway, Taoism attaches high vale to the number 8.  Indeed, 8 = 7 + 1.  So, you can be absolutely lucky if you meet a car with a licence plate number of 88-88.  And I suppose it is luckier to see the number divided into 11-11 and 77-77, since 77-77 is loved by Americans and 11-11 is loved by Japanese.




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Joh 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.