The Shaolin Monastery (vol.II)

It's quite fascinating to study the shaolin monastery as a martial artist. I mean, what I study today is the product of centuries of work and study by some of the greatest martial artists of all time. It's also interesting from the perspective of a philosopher as the monastery has a rich history. But I must say something that is incredibly intriguing is that Shaolin is a buddhist monastery. One of the highest principles of the monastery is non-violence and yet these monks developed one of the most sofficicated fighting systems ever. But Shahar's exploration of the monastery's history demonstrates how the monks reconciled the two. It appears that philosophy developed as a reaction to history and necessity. The reality of the monastery was that it was prime real estate for attack by bandits and at times monks were required to serve in the military. This reality caused the monks to create philosophical explanations for their breaking of a sacred law of Buddhism. I found it interesting because of it's connection to Christianity. Jesus himself, a teacher of non-violent resistance, has had to suffer the reality that his followers have often engaged in violence. We see in history how Christians justified their actions through theology which followed from practice rather than the other way around. It seems that all too often great teachers come and illuminate the path of righteouness for humanity and yet we are so fond of our ways we create loopholes to satisfy our desire to fight.

"The Shaolin Monastery" by Meir Shahar (Vol. I)

The Shaolin Temple resides in the Henan province of China near Mt. Shaoshi (shao from the mt. and lin meaning grove = Shaolin means the grove of Mt. Shaoshi). Ancient Chinese legends attribute the bringing of Buddhism to China to the Indian monk Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma is an interesting character, whose myth develops over a couple of centuries. One interesting part of the legend which develops is of his appearant resurrection. An emissary to central asia claimed to have encountered a barefooted Bodhidharma, who was carrying a shoe, who told him he was returning to India. When the emissary returned and informed his monks they opened the tomb of Bodhidharma only to find a single shoe. The Shaolin monastery itself was founded in 496 by the Indian-born monk Batuo (or Fotuo). The Shaolin monastery has traditionally accepted students age six and up, providing them with not only martial knowledge but also basic education.

Okay, enough of that. I just wanted to summarize what I had read in the chapter so as to more concretely put it into memory. There is so much going on in my mind after reading the first few pages because of all the questions it presents. Two such questions are incredibly interesting and I have often wondered: How did the Shaolin martial arts develop into elaborate systems? How did the Buddhist monks (who have such a strong tenet of peace) justify fighting? I hope in the next 160 pages the answers can be given some shape.

I did the legend of Bodhidharma's resurrection particularly interesting as well. In the West, we assume that the only religious story of resurrection is the one centering on Jesus. However, I think there are many other stories of the like in other civilizations. I mean, you could take Osiris I imagine as counting (even though he had to be put back together). So maybe it's the differences between the stories which are more fascinating. Hmm...well...Jesus raises himself from the dead and doesn't rely on other forces or help to raise him. Unlike Osiris, he doesn't suffer from any negative effects. Case in point, as is everything with Christianity, it's not the similarities which are as intriguing as the differences which point to something else. Nevertheless, I did like that bit about the one-shoe. I wondered if Jesus thought about doing something humorous like that. But then again, Bodhidharma never phased through walls after he died.

I also enjoyed the bit about some of the deities in Chinese tradition. Such as "the pot-bellied Maitreya Buddha...depicted in Chinese art and literature as holy fools, whose divinity is masked behind an eccentric facade" (14). I thought that was interesting. Made me think of Yoda from the Empire Strikes back.

The Tale of Despereaux (vol. I)

The great pastor and civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once remarked, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” I think that this quote captures what is at the heart of Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux. Throughout the novel, DiCamillo uses the imagery of light and dark to symbolize the different forces at play. Indeed, I think that these forces are the exact ones spoken about by Dr. King. The light and the dark have residence in the halls of the castle and in the dungeon (respectively). Those who live in the light wrestle against the darkness within their own hearts. Lester wrestles with condemning his son to death and the king wrestles with the darkness of deep sorrow. Nevertheless, the light is home to characters with great capacities for love and forgiveness like Despereaux and Princess Pea. In contrast, the dungeon is a place where individuals wrestle to salvage the little light with exists in their souls. Roscuro struggles with his desire to live in the light while the dungeon prisoner wrestles with his past evils hoping for the day he could make right. In addition, characters like Botticelli are happy in their world of hate. In the end of the novel, we truly see the words of Dr. King coming true for the characters. Roscuro is defeated and in a way redeemed not by the returning of hate by Princess Pea but by the act of love. Lester is able to escape from the burden of guilt by Despereaux’s act of forgiveness. While unusually small, Despereaux’s ability to cast great light makes him a true knight in shining armor.

The Alchemist (vol. II)

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is certainly a bildungsroman. In the beginning of the work, Santiago is a shepherd who dreams of travelling. Indeed, he thinks that “the possibility of having a dream come true…makes life interesting” (16). However, he never imagines that pursuing his Personal Legend will lead him on such a great adventure in which he travels many miles. In fact, in the beginning of the work Santiago does not even understand what a personal legend is or how to follow it. Nevertheless, his curiosity and courage lead him into a world of discovery. Santiago learns that each person has a Personal Legend written by the hand of God which is bound and intertwined with the personal legends of all created things. Santiago’s journey teaches him that he is one thread in the larger tapestry of the universe. However, his journey is not an easy one and it is filled with obstacles he must overcome. But these obstacles serve as a refining fire which burns away the impurities of fear and disbelief to leave the pure matter of love and faith. Indeed, it is the pursuing of one’s dreams that is the true alchemy of the universe. True alchemy turns a normal soul living in the mundane to a soul of gold living a personal dream. Santiago’s journey develops him from a shepherd in Spain dreaming of a better life to a man in touch with his soul and living out his personal legend.

The Alchemist (vol. I)

Two quarters and a dime jingled in her pocket as she juggled the last bit of savings in her pocket. She was a small town girl who had put herself through college to make it to the big city. But her travelling companion, her best friend, had given up and gone back to Mississippi. She had no job, no friends, no money, and only a dream. She figured she had two options: Accept she can’t make it and go home or refuse to give up on her dream. I’m here today because my mother didn’t go home. I’m here because every time in my parent’s lives as individuals and as a couple they never gave up. My parents, and all of my family really, have passed on their tales of dreams won and lost. The pain of never trying and the joy of success were all recounted to me as a child. So I harmonize a great deal with Coelho’s work as it is a story I have heard many times over. My father tells tales in which he points out markers where he felt God opening a door, closing another, or simply providing hope. These are the lessons which are taught to the boy in The Alchemist. He learns about the importance of following one’s dreams and the sorrow that comes with never pursuing them. Coelho seeks to demonstrate the power that comes to individuals willing to chase their dreams. Ultimately, the journey taken by the boy teaches him that life is an adventure laid out before us by God, written by the author of love that we may find life and life to the full.

The House on Mango Street (vol. III)

Sandra Cisneros work, The House on Mango Street, is certainly a bildungsroman. At the heart of the book is Esperanza’s journey to forge her own identity and come to terms with her situation. Esperanza’s story covers many issues of self-discovery but they all revolve around the idea of self-actualization or realizing her full potential. Esperanza views herself as possessing the same powerful, restless spirit that her great-grandmother possessed. But her great-grandmother was taken away by her great-grandfather and she spent her life sitting by the window “sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be” (11). Even Esperanza’s first steps into coming to terms with her emerging sexuality are viewed through the lens of self-actualization. She desires to be the woman with the red lips who drives men crazy because her power is her own (89). Esperanza dreams of leaving Mango Street because she believes it is holding her back and is not the final destination for her. But as the three sisters tell Esperanza, it is our past which shapes us to pursue our dreams in the future. Our background provides us strength to create a new reality for ourselves and leave the cycle of people who live in sorrow by the window. Our past creates the soil in which we develop roots which help us to reach out from the concrete like the four skinny trees outside the Cordero house on Mango Street.

The House on Mango Street (vol. II)

One of the parallels I drew between two characters we met this semester was Esperanza and Ike. In The Bear, Ike’s encounters with nature help him to develop a sense of identity and provide the virtues which will guide his future decisions. The revelations concerning his family’s troublesome past force Ike to wrestle with the legacy left to him. Ike understands who he is but now must decide whether his future will follow in the footsteps of his family or if he must brave a new path entirely. A similar path must be forged by Esperanza in The House on Mango Street. Esperanza finds herself in a community of individuals who are enslaved by their own feelings of shame and who live in the shadows of broken dreams. All around her are women filled with great passion but who have been hauled off to live a life staring out a window. But Esperanza, like Ike, decides to reject the inheritance passed down to her in order to forge a new identity. An identity marked by the same strong virtues of pride, courage, and humility that Ike discovered in the wilderness.