Latest Posts
-
Another Taoist Thanksgiving
We saw a rainbow this morning, stretched across the gray sky in our backyard, a place we have never seen a rainbow before: It was a pleasant surprise. The weather for today is… Continue reading
-
Taoism in the News
Call me skeptical. But I get a bit nervous when I see stories like this (Xinhua version): LANZHOU, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) — The first international forum on Lao Tzu, known as China’s "father of philosophy", opened Tuesday in… Continue reading
-
Le Mariage N’est Pas Necessaire
A couple of weeks ago I asked the question "is marriage necessary?" in reference to the US. Today I found a story in the WaPo in which the French provide a resounding answer: Non! In France, the country… Continue reading
-
Confucian Conservatives
In his critique of what conservatism has become in contemporary America, Andrew Sullivan argues that Christian values should not be imposed upon society by the government. Rather, conservatives of a Christian bent, if they want their values to… Continue reading
-
Dongzhou: Injustice Prolonged
Dongzhou, the village in Guangdong province that was the scene last year of a bloody suppression of a local anti-corruption protest, is back in the news. This is from yesterday’s BBC: The latest protest was sparked by the… Continue reading
-
Sperms and Fathers and Ashes
Two stories today about fatherhood and family. The first is the Sunday Modern Love column in the NYT, by Victoria Loustalot, in which she reflects upon her gay father, who left the family and then died when she… Continue reading
-
Chinese Characteristics
Dan, over at the excellent China Law Blog, has asked me to comment on a discussion they are having there. The general question is: Is there a Chinese mindset, and so what if there is? This is an… Continue reading
-
Beijing Weekend: Naming Planets
I just noticed that China Daily ran another one of my pieces last Friday in the Beijing Weekend section. Here’s the link to the on-line version. They made one error, changing a word that mangles a sentence.… Continue reading
-
The Root of Humanity
If, as Confucius tells us, caring for older persons is the "root of humanity," then American society is surely failing. That is what I come away with after reading this interview with Dr. Robert N. Butler. Here’s one… Continue reading
-
Back to the I Ching: In US Politics, Republican Heads Will Roll
It’s been a while since I have consulted the I Ching. With the US midterm elections behind us, I thought it was a good moment to cast the coins. To recall: back in February, I asked the oracle… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 