Sam Crane
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Du Fu (Tu Fu) and Li Bai (Li Po) Talk to Each Other
At Sky’s-End Thinking of Li Poby Tu Fu In these last outskirts of sky, coldWinds rise. What are you thinking?Will geese ever arrive, now autumnWaters swamp rivers and lakes there? Art resents life fulfilled, and goblinsDine on mountain travelers with… Continue reading
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Li Po (Li Bai) on Chuang Tzu
Ancient Song Chuang-tzu dreams he’s a butterfly,and a butterfly becomes Chuang-tzu. All transformation this one body, boundless occurrence goes on and on: it’s no surprise eastern seas become western streams shallow and clear, or the melon-grower at Ch’ing Gate once… Continue reading
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Lieh Tzu Responds to Mencius on Equality
However, although the shapes and energies of things differ, they are equal by nature, none can take the place of another, all are born perfect in themselves, each is allotted all its needs. How do I know whether they are… Continue reading
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Mumbai
I have found moment in my rushed touring schedule to sit down at a machine and post on my initial impressions of Mumbai. It is a vast, sprawling city, capturing the dual nature of the society and economy… Continue reading
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Inequality
India will confront me with inequality, stark and extreme economic inequality. And that brings me back to Mencius, who says: "…inequality is in the very nature of things." (95). When he says that he is specifically referring to prices… Continue reading
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Confucian Football
I noticed this headline today and immediately thought of The Master: Fatherhood Puts Game in Perspective. It’s about Fred Taylor, an accomplished running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars (one of those teams I have never really… Continue reading
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Off to India (where I disagree with the Tao Te Ching once again)
On Saturday I will hop on a plane and fly to Mumbai, to begin a two week tour of northwestern India. I will be accompanying, and giving lectures for, a group of alumni from Williams College. Our route… Continue reading
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Judge Mukasey: Tool for Torture
The nominee for Attorney General of the United States, Judge Michael B. Mukasey, is unable to speak the name of torture: But Mr. Mukasey told Senate Democrats he could not say whether waterboarding, which simulates drowning, was illegal… Continue reading
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Wrong Reasons
I have had a couple of posts recently on the question of how to treat children who commit horrible crimes. As I have suggested, both Confucians and Taoists would disagree with the movement within US law of late… Continue reading
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Steve Nash, Taoist Sage
The masterful, MVP point guard of the Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash, is down with the Taoist thing: “With Steve it’s all about the flow.” Flow, of course, being shorthand for that state of mind that artists and athletes… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 