Michael Sternbach

Dear OP, No doubt, there is much truth to what you are saying. However, some of the Buddhist temples I visited in Japan are among the "happiest" places that I have ever been to.

Or the consolidation of his power.

I never even go to watch them!

It's too bad that we will probably never get to see your abilities! Anyway, what you are doing surely sounds quite like JKD. Bruce Lee's philosophy being: "Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, add what is uniquely your own." I actually do that too (not only in martial arts). When I was asked to define my Karate style on another forum recently, I called it Aiki Taikyoku Kenpo Karate. Now they want me to tell them more and more about it... Right, traditionalists won't be impressed. But hey, all traditional martial (and other) arts once started out with somebody getting creative.

Yes, but it might be a one way trip.

But more in line with the OP, there is evidence that supermassive black holes (quasars) create galaxies! (Hitherto, cosmologists used to think of them as the result, not the cause of galaxy formation.) http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/12/new-discovery-supermassive-black-holes-create-their-own-galaxies.html

We are made of "star stuff" not only on the physical level. Metaphysicists insist that we are in fact micro-editions of the Universe. Paracelsus said: "In Man, there are the Sun, the Moon, and all the planets." Daoists talk of the Microcosmic Orbit. And so on in metaphysics around the globe. That is what Astrology based on. Before I get too technical, I will leave you simply with a song...

Disclaimer Goofy seniors reading this thread and tinkering with swords do so at their own risk! The authors don't accept any responsibility whatsoever for damage they might do to themselves or to their surroundings.

Fighting with two swords at once was introduced by Musashi, to my knowledge. He was also an accomplished artist, his extant Zen style ink paintings are considered national treasures. Like the AoW, the Book of Five Rings is being studied not least by economists nowadays.

One Japanese warrior particularly famous for the use of a long sword together with a short sword is the legendary free-lance samurai Miyamoto Musashi. He described his method, called Niten Ichi-ryu, in the Book of Five Rings (a book generally on strategy which would provide material for another study group, besides our current one, the Art of War ).

Correct, but this is true for the sparring in all Karate styles that I know of. In Kyokushin, I was frustrated by the discrepancy between the hundreds of techniques practiced in the basic curriculum and the sparring style that looked quite like kickboxing.

All the books by Mas Oyama are outstanding - not only for Kyokushin, but for Karate in general. If you can make your request more specific, I might be able to give you a more specific reply. But I thought you had decided that JKD provided you with all the answers? Nungali, I agree on watching out for head punches. As a Shotokan practitioner finding himself in a Kyokushin class, I was cautioned not to flatten anybody's nose. However, that vertical hammer fist on top of my head really caught me by surprise - something I wasn't used to from Shotokan. Nevertheless, the risk of injury was higher in Shotokan sparring overall, due to straight punches to the face being permitted, with a limited degree of contact.

We continue our mindbogglingly profound exploration of Sun Tzu's masterpiece with chapter VII.

Reality can be what you believe it to be.

It can be whatever you want it to be.

Jung emphasized that there is a difference between signs and symbols. Signs have clearly defined meanings. An example being traffic signs; there is not too much leeway in their interpretation. Hopefully not! LOL. Symbols are wider in scope and can at once pertain to different levels. Thus, an allegorical image in an Alchemical book can refer to both a process happening in the psyche of the practitioner as well as in his laboratory.

Okay, UFA, thanks for the clarification.

Another colour wheel which became very influential on occultism is the one developed by Goethe. It is based on a six-star (hexagram) and depicts the complementary colour pairs. In the Golden Dawn scheme, the colours which are complementary to the colours of the elements play a certain role (they are called flash colours.)

The underlying assumption seems to be that works written after the 18th century are inferior and just a distortion of genuine Hermeticism, overall. I considered this view for awhile and concluded that it is inaccurate as a general statement. Hermeticism is not merely an ancient teaching set in stone; in many ways, it is an ever evolving science. In more general terms, nothing is good or bad, just because it's ancient or modern.

I know you guys all waited for this eagerly... Here it is: My in-depth interpretation of chapter VI! "VI. Weak Points and Strong 1. Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted." This makes sense right away. Although there can be exceptions. In Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi, the hero purposefully shows up for a duel several hours late. His opponent is totally unnerved from waiting; to unsettle him further, Musashi comes running at him while yelling and wielding a paddle he had transformed into a weapon during the boat trip to the island of the fight. He strikes him down just like so. I think, the gist of Sun Tzu's teaching is to enforce your conditions on the opponent. Thus you are taking the initiative and optimize your possibilities. This starts with choosing time and place. "2. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him." Oh thanks, that's exactly what I meant. "3. By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near." In the first case, using a bait. The story of the Trojan horse comes to mind. In truth, a gift from an enemy would immediately raise suspicion. Subtlety is key here. If, as a martial artist facing an assailant, I purposefully leave a part of my body uncovered ("frame" it), I can be pretty sure, that's where the attack will come in - making it so much easier for me to block and use the opponent's momentary preoccupation to drive home a juicy counter. In the second case, the idea is to hurt the opposition whenever they dare approach. Bruce Lee's stop kick to the knee comes to mind. "4. If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move." Once again, responding to Yin with Yang, or vice versa. "5. Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected." Surprise, surprise! In close combat, you might stomp on the adversary's foot for starters. It's usually a totally unexpected move. Again, the same principle could be applied in quite different situations... "6. An army may march great distances without distress, if it marches through country where the enemy is not. 7. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked." Make sure that your fullness meets with their emptiness. Another way of using Yin and Yang. "8. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack." Use the opponent's unavoidable openings while avoiding to offer any yourself. That's the theory, at least. "9. O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands." Hehehehe. "10. You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy's weak points; you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy." The former again means using your Yang (advance) against their Yin (weaknesses). The latter means using Yin (retreat) to get away from their Yang (chasing you): "11. If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve." Luring them out of their dens that way is certainly effective. (You won't be making friends though.) "12. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way." Obstructions of an unexpected nature probably work best. "13. By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy's must be divided. 14. We can form a single united body, while the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole, which means that we shall be many to the enemy's few. 15. And if we are able thus to attack an inferior force with a superior one, our opponents will be in dire straits. 16. The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few. 17. For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak. 18. Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks; numerical strength, from compelling our adversary to make these preparations against us." All these paragraphs revolve around "divide and conquer" - a recurrent theme in the AoW. "19. Knowing the place and the time of the coming battle, we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order to fight. 20. But if neither time nor place be known, then the left wing will be impotent to succor the right, the right equally impotent to succor the left, the van unable to relieve the rear, or the rear to support the van. How much more so if the furthest portions of the army are anything under a hundred LI apart, and even the nearest are separated by several LI!" In contrast, we should be keeping our forces together - not only in any kind of battle, but generally in life. And knowing time and place of an altercation is second best to deciding them ourselves. "21. Though according to my estimate the soldiers of Yueh exceed our own in number, that shall advantage them nothing in the matter of victory. I say then that victory can be achieved." That's because the soldiers of Yueh suck at strategy. Mind you, they haven't read the AoW (and this thread). "22. Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. Scheme so as to discover his plans and the likelihood of their success. 23. Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots." The way a boxer throws a few jabs without real commitment, just to learn his opponent's reactions. "24. Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient." Spy on the opponent... "25. In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains." ...and avoid being spied on yourself. "26. How victory may be produced for them out of the enemy's own tactics--that is what the multitude cannot comprehend." Use their force against them. "27. All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved." For they only see the parts, not the whole. (Yeah, we talked about that before.) "28. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances." Every situation is different, so as to be able to adjust to them all, you need to reside in formlessness. (Who said that the AoW isn't a Daoist text?!) "29. Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards. 30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak. 31. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing. 32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions." Be adaptable like water. (Right, Daoism has been called the water course way by Alan Watts.) "33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain." Heaven-born and water-borne. "34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) are not always equally predominant; the four seasons make way for each other in turn. There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and waxing." Things ever move in circles, they change, come back again... Being able to adapt to change, yet to retain oneself: That's the Art of Life.

Welcome back, Athena. Talking from my experience with both functioning and non-functioning book study groups, I strongly recommend posting one chapter at a time, then wait sufficiently until the initial onrush of replies has ceased, before starting a new thread. The way is the goal! According to my observation, whenever the OP is going too fast, contributors can't keep up, soon lose interest, and the whole thing goes down the drain. The structure previously used is basically a good one, additional posts can be added to those threads, of course.

Hi Nikolai, I have a somewhat different perspective. The Law of Attraction is operational 24/7 and we constantly use it to both our advantage and disadvantage. But to do so more consciously and purposefully indeed presupposes devotion and insight.

Hello again Hassein, I did my homework. I agree with Gurjieff that there are several "bodies", from the physical over the emotional (what G calls astral) and mental to the spiritual. This simple scheme reflects the four Aristotelian elements, Jung's four functions etc. There are more complex schemes to be sure, it really seems to boil down to where you like to draw the lines, as Aeran demonstrated so nicely by his colour circles. It should be understood that all the metaphysical traditions speak of the same subtle realities, only from somewhat different perspectives. Regardless of your particular outlook being Hellenistic, Indian, Chinese, whatnot in origin, the relatively simple things beheld are ever the same, and the perceptions can be compared and sometimes blended as to render a more complete picture. This requires expertise in several areas; there is much work to be done by competent occultists. I don't quite agree with G that the subtle bodies need to be created; they are where our feeling, thinking, intuiting happens in reality, we couldn't function without them. Nevertheless, there is some truth to what G said, as these bodies can be actualized to varying degrees, depending on their cultivation in this life or a previous one. There is an ancient model according to which, prior to incarnation, the soul descends from the stars (but you could also say, from Infinity), through the spheres of the planets of the solar system, all the way down to Earth. In each sphere, it clothes itself in a particular kind of subtle matter. Thus, it forms an "astral vehicle" (astroeides ochema) while it obtains traits like desires, thinking etc which it will express in its eventual physical existence. Which body I am using for my astral trips (indeed sometimes to other planets), I cannot say with certainty, as I found no label on it. However, I recall one such experience on a plane of luminous fog which was all around me and also inside me, especially in the area of the Lower Dantian. It looked and felt just awesome. It was what Hermeticists call luminous ether and Daoists call chi. In a related experience, I saw the same kind of fog being emitted through the hand chakras (Laogong in Chinese) when doing Taiji punches. I hope this helps. If you have any questions, let me know, I will do my best to answer them.

I would call the AoW a manual of conflict management. Many of its tenets also translate to fighting scenarios on a much smaller scale such as studied in the martial arts. I already mentioned several such parallels. But "war-like" situations are also frequently part of the business world, so the AoW is sometimes part of the curriculum for company managers and the like, as Brian reminded as. I invite readers of this thread who see parallels to their personal areas of expertise to share them. The AoW, while very wide in its scope, is not as universally applicable as some other Daoist books. It remains a manual of strategy. It often derives its teachings from more general principles, especially the interaction of Yin and Yang, which i.e. Lao Tzu talks about. Yes, that's exactly what I meant in my previous post. The principles always remain valid, but we must consider how they apply to a modern context. It is the nature of the fundamental texts of Daoism (including the Dao De Ching, I Ching etc) that they are relevant to myriads of analogous expressions of the basic principles they provide. Thus their relevance is unlimited by time and place. Well, surely both parties in a conflict are subject to the principles outlined by Sun Tzu. The one who understands them better and more skillfully uses them is the one who has the strategical edge.