At a public toilet in In Ngau Chi Wan, Hong Kong.

To Be Absolutely Obsessed By The Presence Of God

 

"Who is the man that fears the Lord?..." [Psalm 25:12]

 

Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Act.17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives. If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy. “He himself shall dwell in prosperity…” (Psa.25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col.3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge…” (Psa.4 6:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection. Hallelujah, God bless

_____

Vercors Plateau - France

Site of uprising against the Nazi occupation 1942 - 1944

 

Article taken and translated from "Jungle World" 2020:

 

If you wander into the remote and little-developed Vercors region on the southeastern edge of the French Alps, you'll come across memorial sites and sites of the Resistance in almost every village, no matter how small. Known only to a few in Germany, the region is considered particularly rebellious throughout France, both then and now. Local historians trace this history back to the religious wars of the 16th century. Currently, various left-wing and environmental groups in the region are claiming this tradition of resistance for themselves, from refugee support groups to Kurdistan Solidarity and environmental protection. The specifics behind this are open to debate, but the importance of the Resistance during the German occupation is undisputed. One of the most important groups of the French Maquis, the resistance against the Nazis during World War II, was active in the Vercors and organized an armed uprising in 1944. "The history of the Resistance and the battles against the Wehrmacht are deeply rooted in the local historical consciousness." (Julien Guillon, historian). The village of Vassieux-en-Vercors and its Mémorial de la Résistance, opened on July 21, 1994, the 50th anniversary of the German attack on Vassieux, bear witness to this to this day. The memorial was built on the former command post of the maquisards, the Resistance fighters, and is impressively modeled on its architecture. At an altitude of approximately 1,300 meters above sea level, surrounded and covered by vegetation on all sides, it hangs directly on the mountain edge, seemingly reminiscent of the fighters' tactical behavior: observation, hiding, and camouflage. Visitors to the memorial are guided to the exhibition rooms along the former paths of the maquisards. The tour ends with a sweeping, yet oppressive view of the Vercors plateau, the village rebuilt after its complete destruction by the Germans, and the cemetery with hundreds of graves. It is the only one in France where combatants and civilians are buried together. According to Julien Guillon, the Memorial's historian, this reflects the close connection between armed forces and civilians: "The history of the Resistance and the battles against the Wehrmacht is deeply rooted in the local historical consciousness and still plays a special role in people's self-image today." Every year in July, the events of 1944 are commemorated here. To support the Allied landing in Normandy on June 6, the French government in exile issued a call from London for acts of sabotage and attacks against the Wehrmacht. The Resistance leadership then initiated the "Plan Montagnard" (Mountain Plan), which had been prepared over many months. Within a few days, more than 3,000 previously underground partisans from all over France reached the plateau, where they formed combat units. Previously, smaller groups had been hiding in remote farmsteads in the mountain range, gradually preparing for open revolt in larger, more concentrated formations. A free republic was even proclaimed. As the US Army increased its airdrops of war material in the following days and vaguely hinted at a large-scale airborne assault behind the German rear, final liberation seemed imminent. Parades were already being held in the surrounding villages and small towns in anticipation of victory. But instead of the expected Allies, German Air Force planes landed on the plateau on the morning of July 21. German soldiers murdered more than 200 civilians and approximately 600 partisans. The two days of fighting were followed by numerous acts of revenge by the Germans. Among other things, they completely destroyed the town of Chapelle-en-Vercors, and the wounded and the staff of the hospital hidden in the Grotte de la Luire were killed or deported to concentration camps.

Guillon has been working at the Memorial for six months. His current research focus is on the role and significance of women in the Resistance. In a planned book publication, he hopes to emphasize that they were not only important as armed fighters, but that the Resistance would not have been possible without the infrastructure that women largely maintained, including through courier services and the hiding and care of the wounded, and that women's contributions should be more fully recognized. Documents are still being discovered in basements and attics, which are being historically classified and archived. Guillon, whose great-grandfather was murdered in the Mauthausen concentration camp, also sees his work as his personal commitment to society. In France, too, the conditions of remembrance and commemoration are changing, partly because there are fewer contemporary witnesses. Therefore, Guillon is entrusted with the development of new museum education concepts and projects. Exchange and collaboration with colleagues in institutions in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes department and at memorial sites outside France, especially in Germany, will be given greater attention in the future. At the local level, he also believes that addressing collaboration and the crimes committed by local militias will gain in importance. Until now, such a discussion had not been possible, especially in a rural, rural region like the Vercors, where the families of the victims and the perpetrators often lived next door. In 1944 and afterward, grief and bitterness over the defeat were great. In a telegram, one of the leaders of the uprising, Eugène Chavant, founder of the resistance organization France Combat, accused the Allied forces of "cowardice and betrayal." The insurgents, he argued, were first encouraged and then abandoned and sacrificed to the Germans. Therefore, the Allies and the French government in exile share the blame. This theory continued to shape postwar commemoration. Indeed, Charles de Gaulle's government-in-exile had demanded that all resistance forces in France be mobilized to support the Allied landings in Normandy. Recent research, however, shows that there were never any binding plans or concrete promises for large-scale airborne support, but only hints in this direction. A clear historical assessment of these tragic misunderstandings remains unanswered. Nevertheless, the uprising undeniably contributed to shaking German rule. In several neighboring departments, the Resistance succeeded in almost completely liberating towns and villages from German occupation troops in the following weeks, such as the city of Annecy. The uprising also helped make the Allied landings in Provence on August 15, 1944, possible. On August 21, the Wehrmacht was finally forced to withdraw. The murder of the people and the destruction of the towns in the Vercors were war crimes. But as in many other well-known cases, the Wehrmacht officers responsible were either not convicted at all or were quickly released after short prison sentences. First Lieutenant Friedrich Schäfer, who was directly responsible for the massacres of the civilian population and the destruction of Vassieux, was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions in October 1944. The commander-in-chief of the operation, General Karl Pflaum, was released from pre-trial detention after just a few years for health reasons. In 1973, a street in the Upper Bavarian town of Neuötting was named in his honor. It still bears his name today. These memorial sites will continue to prevent travelers from perceiving the Vercors merely as a beautiful landscape.

 

Kent State University May 4 Memorial, Kent, Portage County, Ohio

 

THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY: THE SEARCH FOR HISTORICAL ACCURACY

 

BY JERRY M. LEWIS and THOMAS R. HENSLEY

 

On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine Kent State students. The impact of the shootings was dramatic. The event triggered a nationwide student strike that forced hundreds of colleges and universities to close. H. R. Haldeman, a top aide to President Richard Nixon, suggests the shootings had a direct impact on national politics. In The Ends of Power, Haldeman (1978) states that the shootings at Kent State began the slide into Watergate, eventually destroying the Nixon administration. Beyond the direct effects of the May 4, the shootings have certainly come to symbolize the deep political and social divisions that so sharply divided the country during the Vietnam War era.

 

In the nearly three decades since May 4, l970, a voluminous literature has developed analyzing the events of May 4 and their aftermath. Some books were published quickly, providing a fresh but frequently superficial or inaccurate analysis of the shootings (e.g., Eszterhas and Roberts, 1970; Warren, 1970; Casale and Paskoff, 1971; Michener, 1971; Stone, 1971; Taylor et al., 1971; and Tompkins and Anderson, 1971). Numerous additional books have been published in subsequent years (e.g., Davies, 1973; Hare, 1973; Hensley and Lewis, 1978; Kelner and Munves, 1980; Hensley, 1981; Payne, 1981; Bills, 1988; and Gordon, 1997). These books have the advantage of a broader historical perspective than the earlier books, but no single book can be considered the definitive account of the events and aftermath of May 4, l970, at Kent State University.(1)

 

Despite the substantial literature which exists on the Kent State shootings, misinformation and misunderstanding continue to surround the events of May 4. For example, a prominent college-level United States history book by Mary Beth Norton et al. (1994), which is also used in high school advanced placement courses.(2) contains a picture of the shootings of May 4 accompanied by the following summary of events: "In May 1970, at Kent State University in Ohio, National Guardsmen confronted student antiwar protestors with a tear gas barrage. Soon afterward, with no provocation, soldiers opened fire into a group of fleeing students. Four young people were killed, shot in the back, including two women who had been walking to class." (Norton et al., 1994, p. 732) Unfortunately, this short description contains four factual errors: (1) some degree of provocation did exist; (2) the students were not fleeing when the Guard initially opened fire; (3) only one of the four students who died, William Schroeder, was shot in the back; and (4) one female student, Sandy Schreuer, had been walking to class, but the other female, Allison Krause, had been part of the demonstration.

 

This article is an attempt to deal with the historical inaccuracies that surround the May 4 shootings at Kent State University by providing high school social studies teachers with a resource to which they can turn if they wish to teach about the subject or to involve students in research on the issue. Our approach is to raise and provide answers to twelve of the most frequently asked questions about May 4 at Kent State. We will also offer a list of the most important questions involving the shootings which have not yet been answered satisfactorily. Finally, we will conclude with a brief annotated bibliography for those wishing to explore the subject further.

 

WHY WAS THE OHIO NATIONAL GUARD CALLED TO KENT?

The decision to bring the Ohio National Guard onto the Kent State University campus was directly related to decisions regarding American involvement in the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon was elected president of the United States in 1968 based in part on his promise to bring an end to the war in Vietnam. During the first year of Nixon's presidency, America's involvement in the war appeared to be winding down. In late April of 1970, however, the United States invaded Cambodia and widened the Vietnam War. This decision was announced on national television and radio on April 30, l970, by President Nixon, who stated that the invasion of Cambodia was designed to attack the headquarters of the Viet Cong, which had been using Cambodian territory as a sanctuary.

 

Protests occurred the next day, Friday, May 1, across United States college campuses where anti-war sentiment ran high. At Kent State University, an anti-war rally was held at noon on the Commons, a large, grassy area in the middle of campus which had traditionally been the site for various types of rallies and demonstrations. Fiery speeches against the war and the Nixon administration were given, a copy of the Constitution was buried to symbolize the murder of the Constitution because Congress had never declared war, and another rally was called for noon on Monday, May 4.

 

Friday evening in downtown Kent began peacefully with the usual socializing in the bars, but events quickly escalated into a violent confrontation between protestors and local police. The exact causes of the disturbance are still the subject of debate, but bonfires were built in the streets of downtown Kent, cars were stopped, police cars were hit with bottles, and some store windows were broken. The entire Kent police force was called to duty as well as officers from the county and surrounding communities. Kent Mayor Leroy Satrom declared a state of emergency, called Governor James Rhodes' office to seek assistance, and ordered all of the bars closed. The decision to close the bars early increased the size of the angry crowd. Police eventually succeeded in using tear gas to disperse the crowd from downtown, forcing them to move several blocks back to the campus.

 

The next day, Saturday, May 2, Mayor Satrom met with other city officials and a representative of the Ohio National Guard who had been dispatched to Kent. Mayor Satrom then made the decision to ask Governor Rhodes to send the Ohio National Guard to Kent. The mayor feared further disturbances in Kent based upon the events of the previous evening, but more disturbing to the mayor were threats that had been made to downtown businesses and city officials as well as rumors that radical revolutionaries were in Kent to destroy the city and the university. Satrom was fearful that local forces would be inadequate to meet the potential disturbances, and thus about 5 p.m. he called the Governor's office to make an official request for assistance from the Ohio National Guard.

 

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS ON SATURDAY MAY 2 AND SUNDAY MAY 3 AFTER THE GUARDS ARRIVED ON CAMPUS?

Members of the Ohio National Guard were already on duty in Northeast Ohio, and thus they were able to be mobilized quickly to move to Kent. As the Guard arrived in Kent at about 10 p.m., they encountered a tumultuous scene. The wooden ROTC building adjacent to the Commons was ablaze and would eventually burn to the ground that evening, with well over 1,000 demonstrators surrounding the building. Controversy continues to exist regarding who was responsible for setting fire to the ROTC building, but radical protestors were assumed to be responsible because of their actions in interfering with the efforts of firemen to extinguish the fire as well as cheering the burning of the building. Confrontations between Guardsmen and demonstrators continued into the night, with tear gas filling the campus and numerous arrests being made.

 

Sunday, May 3 was a day filled with contrasts. Nearly 1,000 Ohio National Guardsmen occupied the campus, making it appear like a military war zone. The day was warm and sunny, however, and students frequently talked amicably with Guardsmen. Ohio Governor James Rhodes flew to Kent on Sunday morning, and his mood was anything but calm. At a press conference, he issued a provocative statement calling campus protestors the worst type of people in America and stating that every force of law would be used to deal with them. Rhodes also indicated that he would seek a court order declaring a state of emergency. This was never done, but the widespread assumption among both Guard and University officials was that a state of martial law was being declared in which control of the campus resided with the Guard rather than University leaders and all rallies were banned. Further confrontations between protesters and guardsmen occurred Sunday evening, and once again rocks, tear gas, and arrests characterized a tense campus.

 

WHAT TYPE OF RALLY WAS HELD AT NOON ON MAY 4?

At the conclusion of the anti-war rally on Friday, May 1, student protest leaders had called for another rally to be held on the Commons at noon on Monday, May 4. Although University officials had attempted on the morning of May 4 to inform the campus that the rally was prohibited, a crowd began to gather beginning as early as 11 a.m. By noon, the entire Commons area contained approximately 3,000 people. Although estimates are inexact, probably about 500 core demonstrators were gathered around the Victory Bell at one end of the Commons, another 1,000 people were "cheerleaders" supporting the active demonstrators, and an additional 1,500 people were spectators standing around the perimeter of the Commons. Across the Commons at the burned-out ROTC building stood about 100 Ohio National Guardsmen carrying lethal M-1 military rifles.

 

Substantial consensus exists that the active participants in the rally were primarily protesting the presence of the Guard on campus, although a strong anti-war sentiment was also present. Little evidence exists as to who were the leaders of the rally and what activities were planned, but initially the rally was peaceful.

 

WHO MADE THE DECISION TO BAN THE RALLY OF MAY 4?

Conflicting evidence exists regarding who was responsible for the decision to ban the noon rally of May 4. At the 1975 federal civil trial, General Robert Canterbury, the highest official of the Guard, testified that widespread consensus existed that the rally should be prohibited because of the tensions that existed and the possibility that violence would again occur. Canterbury further testified that Kent State President Robert White had explicitly told Canterbury that any demonstration would be highly dangerous. In contrast, White testified that he could recall no conversation with Canterbury regarding banning the rally.

 

The decision to ban the rally can most accurately be traced to Governor Rhodes' statements on Sunday, May 3 when he stated that he would be seeking a state of emergency declaration from the courts. Although he never did this, all officials -- Guard, University, Kent -- assumed that the Guard was now in charge of the campus and that all rallies were illegal. Thus, University leaders printed and distributed on Monday morning 12,000 leaflets indicating that all rallies, including the May 4 rally scheduled for noon, were prohibited as long as the Guard was in control of the campus.

 

WHAT EVENTS LED DIRECTLY TO THE SHOOTINGS?

Shortly before noon, General Canterbury made the decision to order the demonstrators to disperse. A Kent State police officer standing by the Guard made an announcement using a bullhorn. When this had no effect, the officer was placed in a jeep along with several Guardsmen and driven across the Commons to tell the protestors that the rally was banned and that they must disperse. This was met with angry shouting and rocks, and the jeep retreated. Canterbury then ordered his men to load and lock their weapons, tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd around the Victory Bell, and the Guard began to march across the Commons to disperse the rally. The protestors moved up a steep hill, known as Blanket Hill, and then down the other side of the hill onto the Prentice Hall parking lot as well as an adjoining practice football field. Most of the Guardsmen followed the students directly and soon found themselves somewhat trapped on the practice football field because it was surrounded by a fence. Yelling and rock throwing reached a peak as the Guard remained on the field for about 10 minutes. Several Guardsmen could be seen huddling together, and some Guardsmen knelt and pointed their guns, but no weapons were shot at this time. The Guard then began retracing their steps from the practice football field back up Blanket Hill. As they arrived at the top of the hill, 28 of the more than 70 Guardsmen turned suddenly and fired their rifles and pistols. Many guardsmen fired into the air or the ground. However, a small portion fired directly into the crowd. Altogether between 61 and 67 shots were fired in a 13-second period.

 

HOW MANY DEATHS AND INJURIES OCCURRED?

Four Kent State students died as a result of the firing by the Guard. The closest student was Jeffrey Miller, who was shot in the mouth while standing in an access road leading into the Prentice Hall parking lot, a distance of approximately 270 feet from the Guard. Allison Krause was in the Prentice Hall parking lot; she was 330 feet from the Guardsmen and was shot in the left side of her body. William Schroeder was 390 feet from the Guard in the Prentice Hall parking lot when he was shot in the left side of his back. Sandra Scheuer was also about 390 feet from the Guard in the Prentice Hall parking lot when a bullet pierced the left front side of her neck.

 

Nine Kent State students were wounded in the 13-second fusillade. Most of the students were in the Prentice Hall parking lot, but a few were on the Blanket Hill area. Joseph Lewis was the student closest to the Guard at a distance of about 60 feet; he was standing still with Four men sit staring at a candle-lit stage, on which there are portraits of the four Kent State students who died as a result of the firing by the Guard.his middle finger extended when bullets struck him in the right abdomen and left lower leg. Thomas Grace was also approximately 60 feet from the Guardsmen and was wounded in the left ankle. John Cleary was over 100 feet from the Guardsmen when he was hit in the upper left chest. Alan Canfora was 225 feet from the Guard and was struck in the right wrist. Dean Kahler was the most seriously wounded of the nine students. He was struck in the small of his back from approximately 300 feet and was permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Douglas Wrentmore was wounded in the right knee from a distance of 330 feet. James Russell was struck in the right thigh and right forehead at a distance of 375 feet. Robert Stamps was almost 500 feet from the line of fire when he was wounded in the right buttock. Donald Mackenzie was the student the farthest from the Guardsmen at a distance of almost 750 feet when he was hit in the neck.

 

WHY DID THE GUARDSMEN FIRE?

The most important question associated with the events of May 4 is why did members of the Guard fire into a crowd of unarmed students? Two quite different answers have been advanced to this question: (1) the Guardsmen fired in self-defense, and the shootings were therefore justified and (2) the Guardsmen were not in immediate danger, and therefore the shootings were unjustified.

 

The answer offered by the Guardsmen is that they fired because they were in fear of their lives. Guardsmen testified before numerous investigating commissions as well as in federal court that they felt the demonstrators were advancing on them in such a way as to pose a serious and immediate threat to the safety of the Guardsmen, and they therefore had to fire in self-defense. Some authors (e.g., Michener, 1971 and Grant and Hill, 1974) agree with this assessment. Much more importantly, federal criminal and civil trials have accepted the position of the Guardsmen. In a 1974 federal criminal trial, District Judge Frank Battisti dismissed the case against eight Guardsmen indicted by a federal grand jury, ruling at mid-trial that the government's case against the Guardsmen was so weak that the defense did not have to present its case. In the much longer and more complex federal civil trial of 1975, a jury voted 9-3 that none of the Guardsmen were legally responsible for the shootings. This decision was appealed, however, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a new trial had to be held because of the improper handling of a threat to a jury member.

 

The legal aftermath of the May 4 shootings ended in January of 1979 with an out-of-court settlement involving a statement signed by 28 defendants(3) as well as a monetary settlement, and the Guardsmen and their supporters view this as a final vindication of their position. The financial settlement provided $675,000 to the wounded students and the parents of the students who had been killed. This money was paid by the State of Ohio rather than by any Guardsmen, and the amount equaled what the State estimated it would cost to go to trial again. Perhaps most importantly, the statement signed by members of the Ohio National Guard was viewed by them to be a declaration of regret, not an apology or an admission of wrongdoing:

 

In retrospect, the tragedy of May 4, 1970 should not have occurred. The students may have believed that they were right in continuing their mass protest in response to the Cambodian invasion, even though this protest followed the posting and reading by the university of an order to ban rallies and an order to disperse. These orders have since been determined by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to have been lawful.

 

Some of the Guardsmen on Blanket Hill, fearful and anxious from prior events, may have believed in their own minds that their lives were in danger. Hindsight suggests that another method would have resolved the confrontation. Better ways must be found to deal with such a confrontation.

 

We devoutly wish that a means had been found to avoid the May 4th events culminating in the Guard shootings and the irreversible deaths and injuries. We deeply regret those events and are profoundly saddened by the deaths of four students and the wounding of nine others which resulted. We hope that the agreement to end the litigation will help to assuage the tragic memories regarding that sad day.

 

A starkly different interpretation to that of the Guards' has been offered in numerous other studies of the shootings, with all of these analyses sharing the common viewpoint that primary responsibility for the shootings lies with the Guardsmen. Some authors (e.g., Stone, 1971; Davies, 1973; and Kelner and Munves, 1980) argue that the Guardsmen's lives were not in danger. Instead, these authors argue that the evidence shows that certain members of the Guard conspired on the practice football field to fire when they reached the top of Blanket Hill. Other authors (e.g., Best, 1981 and Payne, 1981) do not find sufficient evidence to accept the conspiracy theory, but they also do not find the Guard self-defense theory to be plausible. Experts who find the Guard primarily responsible find themselves in agreement with the conclusion of the Scranton Commission (Report , 1970, p. 87): "The indiscriminate firing of rifles into a crowd of students and the deaths that followed were unnecessary, unwarranted, and inexcusable."

 

WHAT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHOOTINGS?

While debate still remains about the extent to which the Guardsmen's lives were in danger at the moment they opened fire, little doubt can exist that their lives were indeed at stake in the immediate aftermath of the shootings. The 13-second shooting that resulted in four deaths and nine wounded could have been followed by an even more tragic and bloody confrontation. The nervous and fearful Guardsmen retreated back to the Commons, facing a large and hostile crowd which realized that the Guard had live ammunition and had used it to kill and wound a large number of people. In their intense anger, many demonstrators were willing to risk their own lives to attack the Guardsmen, and there can be little doubt that the Guard would have opened fire again, this time killing a much larger number of students.

 

A man and young boy stare up at a May 4th Memorial.Further tragedy was prevented by the actions of a number of Kent State University faculty marshals, who had organized hastily when trouble began several days earlier. Led by Professor Glenn Frank, the faculty members pleaded with National Guard leaders to allow them to talk with the demonstrators, and then they begged the students not to risk their lives by confronting the Guardsmen. After about 20 minutes of emotional pleading, the marshals convinced the students to leave the Commons.

 

Back at the site of the shootings, ambulances had arrived and emergency medical attention had been given to the students who had not died immediately. The ambulances formed a screaming procession as they rushed the victims of the shootings to the local hospital.

 

The University was ordered closed immediately, first by President Robert White and then indefinitely by Portage County Prosecutor Ronald Kane under an injunction from Common Pleas Judge Albert Caris. Classes did not resume until the Summer of 1970, and faculty members engaged in a wide variety of activities through the mail and off-campus meetings that enabled Kent State students to finish the semester.

 

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PHOTO OF THE YOUNG WOMAN CRYING OUT IN HORROR OVER THE DYING BODY OF ONE OF THE STUDENTS?

A photograph of Mary Vecchio, a 14-year-old runaway, screaming over the body of Jeffery Miller appeared on the front pages of newspapers and magazines throughout the country, and the photographer, John Filo, was to win a Pulitzer Prize for the picture. The photo has taken on a life and importance of its own. This analysis looks at the photo, the photographer, and the impact of the photo.

 

The Mary Vecchio picture shows her on one knee screaming over Jeffrey Miller's body. Mary told one of us that she was calling for help because she felt she could do nothing (Personal Interview, 4/4/94). Miller is lying on the tarmac of the Prentice Hall parking lot. One student is standing near the Miller body closer than Vecchio. Four students are seen in the immediate background.

 

John Filo, a Kent State photography major in 1970, continues to works as a professional newspaper photographer and editor. He was near the Prentice Hall parking lot when the Guard fired. He saw bullets hitting the ground, but he did not take cover because he thought the bullets were blanks. Of course, blanks cannot hit the ground.

 

WHAT WAS THE LONG-TERM FACULTY RESPONSE TO THE SHOOTINGS?

Three hours after the shootings Kent State closed and was not to open for six weeks as a viable university. When it resumed classes in the Summer of 1970, its faculty was charged with three new responsibilities, their residues remaining today.

 

A student holds a candle at night to remember the victims of the May 4th shootings.First, we as a University faculty had to bring aid and comfort to our own. This began earlier on with faculty trying to finish the academic quarter with a reasonable amount of academic integrity. It had ended about at mid-term examinations. However, the faculty voted before the week was out to help students complete the quarter in any way possible. Students were advised to study independently until they were contacted by individual professors. Most of the professors organized their completion of courses around papers, but many gave lectures in churches and in homes in the community of Kent and surrounding communities. For example, Norman Duffy, an award-winning teacher, gave off-campus chemistry lectures and tutorial sessions in Kent and Cleveland. His graduate students made films of laboratory sessions and mailed them to students.

 

Beyond helping thousands of students finish their courses, there were 1,900 students as well who needed help with gradation. Talking to students about courses allowed the faculty to do some counseling about the shootings, which helped the faculty as much in healing as it did students.

 

Second, the University faculty was called upon to conduct research about May 4 communicating the results of this research through teaching and traditional writing about the tragedy. Many responded and created a solid body of scholarship as well as an extremely useful archive contributing to a wide range of activities in Summer of 1970 including press interviews and the Scranton Commission.

 

Third, many saw as one of the faculty's challenges to develop alternative forms of protest and conflict resolution to help prevent tragedies such as the May 4 shootings and the killings at Jackson State 10 days after Kent State.

 

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAY 4 SHOOTINGS?

Although we have attempted in this article to answer many of the most important and frequently asked questions about the May 4 shootings, our responses have sometimes been tentative because many important questions remain unanswered. It thus seems important to ask what are the most significant questions which yet remain unanswered about the May 4 events. These questions could serve as the basis for research projects by students who are interested in studying the shootings in greater detail.

 

(1) Who was responsible for the violence in downtown Kent and on the Kent State campus in the three days prior to May 4? As an important part of this question, were "outside agitators" primarily responsible? Who was responsible for setting fire to the ROTC building?

 

(2) Should the Guard have been called to Kent and Kent State University? Could local law enforcement personnel have handled any situations? Were the Guard properly trained for this type of assignment?

 

(3) Did the Kent State University administration respond appropriately in their reactions to the demonstrations and with Ohio political officials and Guard officials?

 

(4) Would the shootings have been avoided if the rally had not been banned? Did the banning of the rally violate First Amendment rights?

 

(5) Did the Guardsmen conspire to shoot students when they huddled on the practice football field? If not, why did they fire? Were they justified in firing?

 

(6) Who was ultimately responsible for the events of May 4, l970?

 

WHY SHOULD WE STILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT MAY 4, 1970 AT KENT STATE?

In Robert McNamara's (1995) book, "In Retrospect:The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam" is a way to begin is an illustration of the this process. In it he says that United States policy towards Vietnam was "... terribly wrong and we owe it to future generations to explain why."

 

The May 4 shootings at Kent State need to be remembered for several reasons. First, the shootings have come to symbolize a great American tragedy which occurred at the height of the Vietnam War era, a period in which the nation found itself deeply divided both politically and culturally. The poignant picture of Mary Vecchio kneeling in agony over Jeffrey Miller's body, for example, will remain forever Students gather in a circle, holding hands around a May 4th memorial to remember the victims of the Guard shootings.as a reminder of the day when the Vietnam War came home to America. If the Kent State shootings will continue to be such a powerful symbol, then it is certainly important that Americans have a realistic view of the facts associated with this event. Second, May 4 at Kent State and the Vietnam War era remain controversial even today, and the need for healing continues to exist. Healing will not occur if events are either forgotten or distorted, and hence it is important to continue to search for the truth behind the events of May 4 at Kent State. Third, and most importantly, May 4 at Kent State should be remembered in order that we can learn from the mistakes of the past. The Guardsmen in their signed statement at the end of the civil trials recognized that better ways have to be found to deal with these types of confrontations. This has probably already occurred in numerous situations where law enforcement officials have issued a caution to their troops to be careful because "we don't want another Kent State." Insofar as this has happened, lessons have been learned, and the deaths of four young Kent State students have not been in vain.

24 March 2009. Westward view along Factory Lane, towards High Road, Tottenham.

_________________________

 

"If Haringey Council makes a mistake let’s be candid and honest about it; accept responsibility and accountability; apologise with genuine contrition; and correct the error as quickly as possible. In other words, let’s behave like a reputable business instead of someone flogging dodgy DVDs at a car-boot sale."

— My suggestion to Dr Ita O'Donovan, then Haringey's Chief Executive, on 29 March 2009.

 

_________________________

 

Lines, Signs and Chasing Fines

 

On 19 March 2009 Dr Ita O'Donovan emailed me. Listing "Factory Road" as one of the streets in the Tottenham Hale Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ). She was mistaken - and not just about the name of the street.

 

Dr O'Donovan was told that the CPZ in Factory Lane complied with Statutory Regulations and that parking enforcement was taking place. As my photo shows, there weren't any CPZ bays in this street. At its western end Factory Lane was entirely marked with double yellow lines: meaning no parking at any time. And the restriction was not being enforced when I took this photo.

 

These elementary errors were not the only glaring

mistakes in the information in Dr Ita O'Donovan's

emails to me during March 2009 about the roads

within and just outside the Tottenham Hale CPZ.

 

I'd written to her as part of my ongoing attempts since June 2008 to establish that Haringey needed to correct many hundreds of mistakes in parking lines across the borough.

 

I worked closely on this with Ray Dodds, former Labour councillor for Bruce Grove ward. Another councillor, LibDem Martin Newton, was also raising these issues and finding similar reluctance by the Urban Environment Department even to to admit, let alone correct its numerous mistakes.

 

Of course, as one of the Tottenham Hale ward councillors at that time, I realised that a Chief Executive cannot micro-manage services across a whole Borough. Nor be familiar with parking lines and signs in each back street. Unfortunately Dr Ita O'Donovan chose to rely on information supplied by staff in Haringey Urban Environment Department - the same people who were responsible for the mistakes and who - at that time - were still denying them.

 

Naturally I made my best efforts to help Dr O'Donovan by supplying her with detailed and accurate information - including the evidence of my photos posted on Flickr. I illustrated that what she had been told was comical gobbledegook.

 

Am I exaggerating? Judge for yourself

from the email sequence below.

 

It begins with my Councillor's Enquiry and Freedom of Information Act request on 13 March 2009. It ends with my email to Dr O'Donovan on 29 March 2009. And - after a reminder from me - her polite but minimal acknowledgement on 19 April 2009 that she had received my email.

 

═══════════════════════════════════

 

From : Alan Stanton Tottenham Hale ward councillor

Sent : 13 March 2009 13:39

To : Ita O'Donovan, Chief Executive, Haringey Council

Cc : Cllr Claire Kober (Council Leader); Cllr Lorna Reith (Deputy Leader) ; Cllr Ray Dodds

Subject: Tottenham Hale Controlled Parking Zone.

 

Freedom of Information Act Request & Member Inquiry

 

Dear Dr O'Donovan,

 

Could I please ask you to read the [previous] emails. As you'll see, the reply to my email on 4 March ignored my detailed questions and - as is usual in my inquiries about this area of the Council's service - made unhelpful general statements instead.

 

I therefore wish to restate my questions:

(1) As a Freedom of Information Act Inquiry; as well as

(2) Repeating the questions as a formal Member Inquiry under the Council's Constitution.

 

Could I please request your help to facilitate my receiving full and proper answers; and if possible to ensure that I am not required to wait a further 28 days for this information.

 

As you will appreciate, for many months there has been a clear pattern of delays, denial, obfuscation and supplying partial information about Parking and Lines & Signs issues, experienced by me, Cllr Dodds and Cllr Newton.

 

Therefore can I make an additional request to you: to discover who made the decision to ignore my detailed questions and supply this vague reply; and their reasons for doing so. Though signed by Ms Hancox, I assume the draft reply would have been considered by more senior officers.

 

As well as the above could I please make the suggestion that urgent arrangements are put in hand for Mr Niall Bolger and his colleagues to receive training on:

• the general issue of the need for transparency and openness as good practice by local authorities.

• the general law and provisions of the Haringey Constitution regarding councillors' Access to Information

 

I also wish to make it clear that should I encounter any similar difficulties when making reasonable requests from this Service or Department in response to a future Member Inquiry, I intend

(a) Repeating my Member Inquiry as a formal Freedom of Information Request and,

(b) If necessary referring the matter to the Information Commissioner.

 

I look forward to your reply,

 

----- Original Message -----

From : Ita O'Donovan

To : Cllr Stanton Alan

Sent : Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:47 PM

Subject : LBH 60583 [not 60474] - Tottenham Hale + FOI Request ref 81000153

 

Dear Councillor Stanton,

 

Thank you for your e-mail raising your concerns about the response you received to your enquiry about the enforcement of the Tottenham Hale CPZ. I understand that, unfortunately, there has been a misunderstanding as we were dealing with two inquiries from you on this issue at the same time, one a phone inquiry and one by e-mail.

 

Your phone inquiry on 2nd March to the Parking Service asked for clarification on whether the streets within the Tottenham Hale CPZ were being enforced. This inquiry, reference LBH60474, was the one responded to by Joan Hancox on the 13th March 2009, and cleared by her manager, Beverley Taylor.

 

On the 4th March you e-mailed Frontline Members with more specific questions on this topic. This inquiry was allocated the reference LBH60583 and an acknowledgement was sent to you on the 9th March saying that a full response will be sent to you by the 18th March 2009. Unfortunately, due to an administrative error, a connection was not made between the two inquiries. I have raised this with senior managers in the service who have taken steps to make sure that this does not happen in future.

 

I would like to reassure you that there was no intention by officers to provide you with a less than full response to the issues you raised and these answers are now provided below. I understand that we have provided you with a number of detailed responses on the issue of parking lines and signs in the past, as you mention. If you are dissatisfied with these responses, as you suggest, it would be helpful for me to have specific details.

 

In response to your enquiry LBH 60583 please find below an answer to each of the questions you raise.

 

• Is the Tottenham Hale CPZ currently being enforced or not?

 

Response

Part is being enforced, please see the list of roads below.

 

• If not, when did enforcement cease?

 

Response

Enforcement ceased on the roads listed below in the 14th October 2008.

 

• If it is being enforced, is this on every road within the CPZ? Or only those roads and for cars parked on lines which comply with the law?

 

Response

Enforcement is taking place on roads where all signs and lines are compliant.

 

List of streets where enforcement is not taking place in Tottenham Hale CPZ N17

 

• Holcombe Road • Dawlish Road • Mitchley Road • Junction Road • • Devon close Road • Scales Road • Malvern Road • Park View Road.

 

List of street where enforcement is taking place in Tottenham Hale CPZ N17

• Dowsett Road • Kimberley Road • Ladysmith Road • Carew Road • Mafeking Road • Buller Road • Circular Road • Factory Road • Reform Row • Reed Road • Stoneleigh Road

 

• On what dates is it planned to begin correcting non-compliant parking lines and signs within the Tottenham Hale CPZ; and on what date will the work be complete?

 

Response

We are currently undertaking inventory surveys to identify the extent of works required and envisage that compliance works will be completed by the end of May.

 

• If it is being enforced, could you please tell me how many PCNs were issued in Tottenham Hale CPZ in January 2009 and in February 2009.

 

Response

In January we issued 208 PCNs in the Tottenham Hale CPZ, and in February, 87.

 

I trust that this now answers your inquiry and clarifies any misunderstanding. However, as you have also requested that this enquiry be treated as an FOI, should you have any further queries, or are unhappy with how we have dealt with your request and wish to make a complaint, please contact the Feedback and Information Team as below. [Address and contact details given].

 

Yours sincerely

 

Dr Ita O'Donovan

Chief Executive

 

----- Original Message -----

From : Alan Stanton

To : Ita O'Donovan

Cc: Cllrs Ray Dodds ; Claire Kober ; Lorna Reith

Sent : Friday, March 20, 2009 3:43 PM

Subject : LBH 60583 [not 60474] - Tottenham Hale + FOI Request ref 81000153

 

Dear Dr O'Donovan,

 

My thanks for your rapid response.

 

Reading your email, my initial thought was: 'Welcome to the club'. Plainly, whoever in the Urban Environment Department drafted, authorised and checked this reply approached their task with a similar lack of care and concern as they do with an enquiry from me.

 

The information you have been supplied is factually incorrect in most respects. Before I go on to explain why, let me add my second thought. 'If that's how they respond to the Chief Executive, heaven help residents who write in'.

 

Recent Changes

 

I realise that information about signs-and-lines can quickly become out-of-date as errors are corrected. And, as you will appreciate, I have not had time today to do more than re-check a few roads within Tottenham Hale CPZ.

 

As far as I can tell from my own observations and a quick limited re-check this morning, the only recent changes have been:

 

(1) Ladysmith Road N17 was resurfaced last year. The lines and signs were completely repainted and - as far as I am aware - are compliant with the Statutory Regulations. (But see 2.)

 

(2) Many roads within the CPZ have had traffic calming measures; including entry 'cushions' and corner build-outs. In a few cases these obliterated parking lines or part of the lines. Plainly, inspection of these works should have spotted this problem with minor rectification taking place without delay. Of course, it's possible that such works are already in process. (But were I a betting man, I would not put money on it. Nor, I imagine would you.)

 

(3) A number of parking lines are badly fading. So it could be doubtful if they are compliant. In my view, monitoring and refreshing lines and signs should be a priority call on the parking income. Not - as appears in Haringey - an afterthought.

 

(4) One aspect I've not raised before is the lack of T-bars on single and double-yellow lines. In one case a Parking Adjudicator ruled this was de minimis. However, I am told there is now a Review pending in the High Court which seeks to challenge that ruling. I assume your colleagues in Urban Environment are aware of this.

 

Inventory Survey

 

You said that last October officers in Urban Environment ceased enforcement in roads within the Tottenham Hale CPZ. So I find it mystifying that they are only now "undertaking inventory surveys to identify the extent of works required".

 

I'm surprised that you have not found it equally perplexing that officers compile a list (albeit a grossly inaccurate one) of roads within the CPZ, saying which ones are or are not compliant and which they are currently enforcing; but without having first carried out an accurate survey.

 

Frankly, Tottenham Hale CPZ does not cover a large area or many streets. It is perfectly feasible for someone with the necessary expertise and of reasonable intelligence to survey it using a camera and a notebook. My guess is that no more than 2-3 days would be needed for walking round and then producing a comprehensive and reliable report.

 

The fact that corrective works will not be completed until the end of May I regard as maladministration. Unless I can be given some reasonable explanation for this delay, I am considering taking up the matter with the District Auditor (re loss of income to the Council) and the Ombudsman on behalf of residents in my ward who are paying for a service they do not receive.

 

Roads within Tottenham Hale CPZ

 

Below is an alphabetical list of roads in Tottenham Hale CPZ. For some reason not all of them are in the list you were given; and there are also roads in your list which are not within the CPZ.

 

I have added [original] where a road was in the original CPZ area; and [extension] for roads in the extension. Your email sets out the roads "where all signs and lines are compliant" and enforcement is taking place. I've added my comments below each street where I disagree with this list; giving my reasons why.

 

As officers in Urban Environment are aware, for many months I have posted photos on my Flickr pages for most of the streets in this CPZ; with comments about the compliance (or otherwise) of the lines. These are part of a group of sixty photos - including from other parts of Haringey and elsewhere. You can find them here.

 

Buller Road [Extension added to the CPZ] My two photos show the bays are non-compliant. Not compliant as listed in your email.

Burbridge Way [Extension] This road was omitted altogether from the list in your email. Two photos posted - bays are non-compliant.

Carew Road [Extension] Three photos - bays are non-compliant. Not as listed in your email.

Chesnut Grove [Original CPZ] This street was omitted from your email. My three photos show bays non-compliant. However, like many roads in the original CPZ, this one had double white lines wrongly painted at the ends of the street with the correct single white lines in the middle. This elegant variation on the Statutory Regulations means those end bays are non-compliant.

Circular Road [Original] Shown as compliant in your email. This street has pavement parking and I don't know whether or not the existing signage is compliant as I am told the regulations changed since these lines and signs were installed.

Dawlish Road [Original] Shown as non-compliant in your email. Three photos posted showing the lines at both ends of the road are wrongly painted with a double white line. Otherwise the bays are compliant.

Devon Close [Original] Shown as non-compliant in your email. Pavement parking allowed. The signs and lines appear to be the same as the adjacent Circular Road - which is shown as compliant.

Dowsett Road [Extension] Shown as compliant in your email. My four photos show specific non-compliant bays. Some of the bays in this road may be compliant.

Factory Lane [including Palm Tree Court]. [Extension] This is wrongly shown in your list as 'Factory Road'. It's also shown as compliant. I haven't checked today, but as I recall, is not actually in the CPZ but marked entirely with yellow lines. Which should of course, be enforced.

Holcombe Road [Original] Shown as non-compliant in your email. My two posted photos show that two bays at the Park View Road end of Holcombe Road are indeed wrongly painted with a double white line. (And no T-bars). But apart from this improvisation, all other bays in this street are compliant and should be enforced.

Junction Road [Original] Shown as non-compliant in your email. However, my one photo shows only the two bays at the Scales Road end of Junction Road are wrongly painted with a double white line. Otherwise the bays are compliant.

Kimberley Road [Extension] Shown as compliant in your email. On the contrary, my seven photos show that every bay in this street was wrongly painted with a double white end line - and therefore entirely non-compliant. The end lines at the Dowsett Road junction have been obliterated by the new build-out.

Last week I re-checked all the lines in this street as I have taken-up the case of a resident who was refused a refund of her PCN. Hopefully, this refund will now be forthcoming; either from Haringey or via a complaint to the Ombudsman.

Ladysmith Road [Extension] This is shown in your email as compliant; with enforcement taking place. As I mentioned, this street was resurfaced and re-lined. Although lines obliterated by a new build-out are now needed. Otherwise I agree with your email.

Malvern Road [Original] Shown as non-compliant in your email. However my two photos show the same pattern as in other roads in the original CPZ. The end lines of both pairs of end bays were wrongly given two white lines and are non-compliant. However, the middle bays are okay.

Mafeking Road [Extension] Shown as compliant in your email and enforcement taking place. However my three photos show that the parking bays are in fact non-compliant.

Mitchley Road [Original] Shown as non-compliant in your email. One photo indicates the same pattern as in Malvern Road above. Apart from the end lines on the end bays, the others are compliant.

Park View Road This was partly in the original CPZ and partly in the extension.

It is shown as non-compliant in your email. My one photo shows a single bay near the corner with Dowsett Road which has double white transverse lines at the north end of the bay. Apart from this bay, other parking bay lines (on the western side of this street) appear correctly marked. The eastern side of Park View Road is a double yellow line and should be enforced.

Reed Road [Extension] Shown as compliant in your email. However my photo shows non-compliant lines.

Scales Road [Original] Shown as non-compliant in your email. My photo shows one end of the end bay wrongly marked - the same pattern as in the adjoining Malvern Road and Mitchley above. Other bays are compliant.

Stoneleigh Road [Original] Shown as compliant in your email. I posted one photo. In my view, all the bays appear to be non-compliant

Wilson's Avenue This street was omitted from your list. I am unclear whether or not this was properly included in the Statutory Order which authorised the CPZ. It has a parking bay which is wrongly marked. This street is also outside the area demarcated by the CPZ signage. I raised this several years ago and was assured it made no difference. But that is not my reading of the Regulations.

Reform Row. This street was included in your list as compliant and being enforced. As far as I am aware Reform Row is not and has never been in the Tottenham Hale CPZ.

 

Officers' Intentions

 

We will have to agree to differ on the matter of officers' intentions. When I send an email requesting full and detailed information, I expect a full and detailed answer. However, I am always willing to discuss with officers whether my request is reasonable and constructive; and if it requires an unfeasible amount of work. What I am no longer willing to accept is being fobbed-off.

 

I very much regret to say that my experience does not lead to me to draw the conclusion that these officers are committed to transparency. (Although I also realise that this may not be entirely within their control.)

 

Whatever the reasons, I have - as you put it - frequently been dissatisfied with responses I received. If you would like details, could I please invite you to read my public comments posted on my Flickr photoblog. A search for 'tags' such as: CPZ, PCN, parking; yellow box; should take you to the relevant pages.

 

My thanks for your help.

 

Alan Stanton

Tottenham Hale ward councillor

 

----- Original Message -----

From : Alan Stanton

Sent : 26 March 2009 13:46

To : Ita O'Donovan

Cc : Cllr Ray Dodds Ray; Cllr Claire Kober (Leader of the Council); Cllr Lorna Reith

Subject : LBH 60583 [not 60474] - Tottenham Hale + FOI Request ref 81000153

 

Dear Dr O'Donovan,

 

A brief update to my email [above].

 

As I mentioned, in response to your email last Friday I took new photos of a few streets within Tottenham Hale CPZ. This week I checked two other locations: Wilson's Avenue and Factory Lane.

 

I couldn't spot any corrections to non-compliant CPZ or yellow lines. In some streets the only change was that markings are more faded than before. In others, traffic calming measures had covered over some lines - which had not yet been repainted.

 

All my CPZ photos are collected in a Flickr 'set' which you can access using this 'guest pass' link.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Alan Stanton

Tottenham Hale ward councillor

 

----- Original Message -----

From : Ita O'Donovan

To : Cllr Alan Stanton

Cc : Cllr Ray Dodds ; Cllr Claire Kober (Leader of the Council) ; Cllr Lorna Reith

Sent : Saturday, March 28, 2009 1:03 PM

Subject : LBH 60583 [not 60474] - Tottenham Hale + FOI Request ref 81000153

 

Dear Cllr Stanton,

 

Thank you for your further detailed email on the enforcement situation in Tottenham Hale CPZ. You obviously have a real concern about these matters.

 

In essence these concerns focus on two main issues: firstly, the quality of the responses that you are receiving from Urban Environment and the accuracy of the information which is being supplied to you. Secondly, you are concerned about the length of time it is taking to rectify compliance issues in this area and feel that the end of May is not acceptable.

 

On the first issue, I understand that you feel that the response mainly addressed the questions that you raised but did not go into sufficient detail to satisfy your concerns about the compliance of lines and signs and our reasons for enforcing or not enforcing.

 

In response to your question “If it is being enforced, is this every road within the CPZ? Or is it only those roads and for cars parked on lines which comply with the law?”, the response should have explained that enforcement is taking place in locations in the listed roads where signs are compliant as well as where restrictions are not CPZ specific, for example, footway parking and double yellow lines.

 

I would also confirm that the Council has not ceased enforcement due to the double white line bay markings as it is still clear to drivers where there are bays, irrespective of whether the bay end is marked with a single or a double bay marking. These will of course be addressed as part of our compliance work as will any faded or worn lines.

 

I apologise that there was an error in the roads within the zone. Two roads were included which are just outside as they are on the same parking enforcement beat. I have stressed to Urban Environment officers the need for accuracy in responding to Member Enquiries.

 

On the second issue, you may be aware that the compliance work that is being carried out in Tottenham Hale CPZ is part of an ongoing programme to improve compliance of lines and signs. This work has started with Finsbury Park CPZ and Seven Sisters CPZ and a great deal of this has already been completed. The work on Tottenham Hale CPZ is part of this ongoing programme. I do not feel that the timescales for completing this work are unreasonable given the scale of all the compliance work being undertaken.

 

Thank you for the very detailed information you have provided on the compliance issues within the CPZ. I have asked officers to ensure that this is fed into our work and to invite you to accompany them on a walk around the area, once the compliance work has been completed, to make sure that all of your concerns are fully addressed.

 

Sincerely

Ita O’Donovan

 

----- Original Message -----

From : Alan Stanton

To: Ita O'Donovan

Cc : Cllr Ray Dodds ; Cllr Claire Kober (Leader of the Council) ; Cllr Lorna Reith

Sent : Sunday, March 29, 2009 1:43 PM

Subject : LBH 60583 [not 60474] - Tottenham Hale + FOI Request ref 81000153

 

Dear Dr O’Donovan,

 

Thanks for your email yesterday 28 March.

 

I assume someone else wrote this comical gobbledegook for you. But I’d really appreciate your reading something before it's sent in your name.

 

But perhaps you did read it? In which case you've apparently failed to grasp any of the key issues for which – to use your words – I have “a real concern”. Nor, it seems, have you the slightest inkling that whoever advised on yesterday's email put you in the invidious position of writing almost precisely the opposite to what you wrote before.

 

You are correct of course that I have “concerns” about the accuracy of the information supplied to me by the Urban Environment Department.

 

It is also correct that I am critical about the length of time it has taken to recognise, acknowledge and correct simple errors.

 

But it may be helpful if I make clear that my main “concerns” are not:

• About officers responding to councillors.

• Nor about my “feeling” that officers have not given me enough detail.

• Nor is all this some anorak-issue of single or double white lines or whether or not yellow lines on roads have T-bars.

 

There are far more important public issues involved which are at the heart of the relationship between local councils and their residents. These are issues of trust and confidence; openness and accountability.

 

I asked simple questions. Do the signs and lines in one CPZ comply with the Law of the Land – the Statutory Regulations? Are they being enforced as such?

 

In response to my formal enquiry and Freedom of Information Act request and an enquiry from you as the Chief Executive, we get the answers:

 

"No". "Yes". "Here’s a list." "Well, what we meant to say was not these bays and not these lines." "Oops, sorry, the list is wrong." "It's an ongoing programme." "We are about to do a survey." "We’ll walk round with you at the end of May."

 

It’s like wading through porridge. And if it wasn’t serious it would be hilarious.

 

But it is serious. And not just because we're taking people’s money for permits and fines. We are breaking an implied agreement with our residents. They buy permits; they are entitled to expect and trust us to put in legally correct lines and signs. We enforce these; and they are entitled to expect and have confidence in us to follow the legal rules.

 

If local authorities behave as if they are above the law that is corrosive of the trust and confidence in these councils, in council staff, and in elected councillors.

 

Openness and Accountability.

 

Local government is now fond of referring to ‘customers’; and to ‘business units’, ‘business plans’, delivery', and ‘service offers’. So let’s take an example from a real business.

 

Suppose Waitrose were to overcharge you because their scanning equipment was faulty. You would no doubt be outraged. You would insist they apologised to you and all the other customers; immediately stopped using the faulty equipment and fixed it; and refunded any overcharges. As they are a reputable trader they would do so. And without delay, obfuscation, disinformation; and using weasel-words like “addressing the problem”. I would expect them to be candid and open; because they value the trust and goodwill of their customers.

 

So if Haringey Council makes a mistake let’s be candid and honest about it; accept responsibility and accountability; apologise with genuine contrition; and correct the error as quickly as possible. In other words, let’s behave like a reputable business instead of someone flogging dodgy DVDs at a car-boot sale.

 

Sincerely,

 

Alan Stanton

Councillor Tottenham Hale ward

 

----- Original Message -----

From : Alan Stanton, Tottenham Hale ward councillor

Sent : 09 April 2009 13:45

To : Ita O'Donovan

Cc : Cllr Claire Kober ; Cllr Lorna Reith; Cllr Ray Dodds

Subject : LBH 60583 [not 60474] - Tottenham Hale + FOI Request ref 81000153

 

Dear Dr O'Donovan,

 

I would be grateful if you would let me know if and when I am likely to receive a reply to my email below.

 

Yours sincerely,

Alan Stanton

 

----- Original Message -----

From : Ita O'Donovan

To : Cllr Alan Stanton

Cc : Cllr Claire Kober (Leader of the Council); Cllr Lorna Reith ; Cllr Ray Dodds

Sent : Sunday, April 19, 2009 7:37 PM

Subject : RE: LBH 60583 [not 60474] - Tottenham Hale + FOI Request ref 81000153

 

Dear Cllr Stanton

 

I am confirming that I received and read your email of the 29th March.

 

Sincerely,

Ita O’Donovan

Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി, kathakaḷi; Sanskrit: कथाकळिः, kathākaḷiḥ) is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

 

HISTORY

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'.

 

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called 'Manipravaalam'), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

 

As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to Nritham, Nrithyam and Natyam.

 

KATHAKALI PLAYS

Traditionally there are 101 classical Kathakali stories, though the commonly staged among them these days total less than one-third that number. Almost all of them were initially composed to last a whole night. Nowadays, there is increasing popularity for concise, or oftener select, versions of stories so as the performance lasts not more than three to four hours from evening. Thus, many stories find stage presentation in parts rather than totality. And the selection is based on criteria like choreographical beauty, thematic relevance/popularity or their melodramatic elements. Kathakali is a classical art form, but it can be appreciated also by novices—all contributed by the elegant looks of its character, their abstract movement and its synchronisation with the musical notes and rhythmic beats. And, in any case, the folk elements too continue to exist. For better appreciation, perhaps, it is still good to have an idea of the story being enacted.

 

The most popular stories enacted are Nalacharitham (a story from the Mahabharata), Duryodhana Vadham (focusing on the Mahabharata war after profiling the build-up to it), Kalyanasougandhikam, (the story of Bhima going to get flowers for his wife Panchali), Keechakavadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali, but this time during their stint in disguise), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight, from the Mahabharata), Karnashapatham (another story from the Mahabharata), Nizhalkuthu and Bhadrakalivijayam authored by Pannisseri Nanu Pillai. Also staged frequently include stories like Kuchelavrittam, Santanagopalam, Balivijayam, Dakshayagam, Rugminiswayamvaram, Kalakeyavadham, Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Poothanamoksham, Subhadraharanam, Balivadham, Rugmangadacharitam, Ravanolbhavam, Narakasuravadham, Uttaraswayamvaram, Harishchandracharitam, Kacha-Devayani and Kamsavadham.

 

Recently, as part of attempts to further popularise the art, stories from other cultures and mythologies, such as those of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, Homer's Iliad, and William Shakespeare's King Lear and Julius Caesar besides Goethe's Faust too have been adapted into Kathakali scripts and on to its stage. Synopsis of 37 kathakali stories are available in kathakalinews.com.

 

MUSIC

The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam. Though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtone-heavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is known as the Sopanam style. This typically Kerala style of rendition takes its roots from the temple songs which used to be sung (continues even now at several temples) at the time when Kathakali was born.

 

As with the acting style, Kathakali music also has singers from the northern and southern schools. The northern style has largely been groomed by Kerala Kalamandalam in the 20th century. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, an overarching Kathakali musician of those times, was a product of the institute. His prominent disciples include Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup, Kalamandalam Gangadharan, Kalamandalam P.G. Radhakrishnan, Rama Varrier, Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri, Tirur Nambissan, Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali, Kalamandalam Haridas, Subramanian, Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan and Kalamandalam Bhavadasan. The other prominent musicians of the north feature Kottakkal Vasu Nedungadi, Kottakkal Parameswaran Namboodiri, Kottakkal P.D. Narayanan Namboodiri, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kalamandalam Anantha NarayananKalamandalam Sreekumar Palanad Divakaran, Kalanilayam Rajendran, Kolathappilli Narayanan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri, Kottakkal Madhu, Kalamandalam Babu Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Harish and Kalamandalam Vinod. In the south, some of whom are equally popular in the north these days, include Pathiyur Sankarankutty. Southerner musicians of the older generation include Cherthala Thankappa Panikker, Thakazhi Kuttan Pillai, Cherthala Kuttappa Kurup, Thanneermukkam Viswambharan and Mudakkal Gopinathan.

 

PERFORMANCE

Traditionally, a Kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning. Nowadays it isn't difficult to see performances as short as three hours or fewer. Kathakali is usually performed in front of the huge Kalivilakku (kali meaning dance; vilakku meaning lamp) with its thick wick sunk till the neck in coconut oil. Traditionally, this lamp used to provide sole light when the plays used to be performed inside temples, palaces or abodes houses of nobles and aristocrats. Enactment of a play by actors takes place to the accompaniment of music (geetha) and instruments (vadya). The percussion instruments used are chenda, maddalam (both of which underwent revolutionary changes in their aesthetics with the contributions of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval and Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval) and, at times, edakka. In addition, the singers (the lead singer is called “ponnani” and his follower is called “singidi”) use chengila (gong made of bell metal, which can be struck with a wooden stick) and ilathalam (a pair of cymbals). The lead singer in some sense uses the Chengala to conduct the Vadyam and Geetha components, just as a conductor uses his wand in western classical music. A distinguishing characteristic of this art form is that the actors never speak but use hand gestures, expressions and rhythmic dancing instead of dialogue (but for a couple of rare characters).

 

ACTING

A Kathakali actor uses immense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from regimented training based on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for his demanding role. The training can often last for 8–10 years, and is intensive. In Kathakali, the story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures) and by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra (the tome that deals with the science of expressions) and are classified into nine as in most Indian classical art forms. Dancers also undergo special practice sessions to learn control of their eye movements.

 

There are 24 basic mudras—the permutation and combination of which would add up a chunk of the hand gestures in vogue today. Each can again can be classified into 'Samaana-mudras'(one mudra symbolising two entities) or misra-mudras (both the hands are used to show these mudras). The mudras are a form of sign language used to tell the story.

 

The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' (Navarasas in anglicised form) (literal translation: Nine Tastes, but more loosely translated as nine feelings or expressions) which are Sringaram (amour), Hasyam (ridicule, humour), Bhayanakam (fear), Karunam (pathos), Roudram (anger, wrath), Veeram (valour), Beebhatsam (disgust), Adbhutam (wonder, amazement), Shantam (tranquility, peace). The link at the end of the page gives more details on Navarasas.

 

One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Most often, the make-up can be classified into five basic sets namely Pachcha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku. The differences between these sets lie in the predominant colours that are applied on the face. Pachcha (meaning green) has green as the dominant colour and is used to portray noble male characters who are said to have a mixture of "Satvik" (pious) and "Rajasik" (dark; Rajas = darkness) nature. Rajasik characters having an evil streak ("tamasic"= evil) -- all the same they are anti-heroes in the play (such as the demon king Ravana) -- and portrayed with streaks of red in a green-painted face. Excessively evil characters such as demons (totally tamasic) have a predominantly red make-up and a red beard. They are called Red Beard (Red Beard). Tamasic characters such as uncivilised hunters and woodsmen are represented with a predominantly black make-up base and a black beard and are called black beard (meaning black beard). Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces and this semi-realistic category forms the fifth class. In addition, there are modifications of the five basic sets described above such as Vella Thadi (white beard) used to depict Hanuman (the Monkey-God) and Pazhuppu, which is majorly used for Lord Shiva and Balabhadra.

 

NOTABLE TRAINING CENTRES & MASTERS

Kathakali artistes need assiduous grooming for almost a decade's time, and most masters are products of accomplished institutions that give a minimum training course of half-a-dozen years. The leading Kathakali schools (some of them started during the pre-Independent era India) are Kerala Kalamandalam (located in Cheruthuruthy near Shoranur), PSV Natya Sangham (located in Kottakal near Kozhikode), Sadanam Kathakali and Classical Arts Academy (or Gandhi Seva Sadan located in Perur near Ottappalam in Palakkad), Unnayi Varier Smaraka Kalanilayam (located in Irinjalakuda south of Thrissur), Margi in Thiruvananthapuram, Muthappan Kaliyogam at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district and RLV School at Tripunithura off Kochi and Kalabharathi at Pakalkkuri near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Sandarshan Kathakali Kendram in Ambalapuzha and Vellinazhi Nanu Nair Smaraka Kalakendra in Kuruvattor. Outside Kerala, Kathakali is being taught at the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi, Santiniketan at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, Kalakshetra in Chennai and Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad among others. PadmaSree Guru Chengannur Raman Pillai mostly known as 'Guru Chengannur'was running a traditional Gurukula Style approach to propagate Kathakali.

 

‘Guru Chengannur” is ever renowned as the Sovereign Guru of Kathakali. His precision in using symbols, gestures and steps were highest in the field of Kathakali. Guru Chegannur's kaththi vesham, especially the portrayal of Duryodhana enthralled the audience every time he performed. A master of the art, he found immense happiness and satisfaction in the success and recognition of his disciples.

 

Senior Kathakali exponents of today include Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, Sadanam Krishnankutty, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, FACT Padmanabhan, Kottakkal Chandrasekharan, Margi Vijayakumar, Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair, Vazhenkada Vijayan, Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai, Kalamandalam Kuttan, Mayyanad Kesavan Namboodiri, Mathur Govindan Kutty, Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri, Chavara Parukutty, Thonnakkal Peethambaran, Sadanam Balakrishnan, Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan, Chirakkara Madhavankutty, Sadanam K. Harikumaran, Thalavadi Aravindan, Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Pariyanampatta Divakaran, Kottakkal Kesavan, Kalanilayam Gopi and Kudamaloor Muralikrishnan. The late titan actor-dancers of Kathakali's modern age (say, since the 1930s) include Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Chandu Panicker, Thakazhi Guru Kunchu Kurup, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair, Kurichi Kunhan Panikkar, Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, Padma Shri Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair, Mankulam Vishnu Namboodiri, Oyur Kochu Govinda Pillai, Vellinezhi Nanu Nair, Padma Shri Kavungal Chathunni Panikkar, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Kottakkal Sivaraman, Kannan Pattali, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair, Haripad Ramakrishna Pillai, Champakkulam Pachu Pillai, Chennithala Chellappan Pillai, Guru Mampuzha Madhava Panicker, and Vaikkom Karunakaran.

 

Kathakali is still hugely a male domain but, since the 1970s, females too have made entry into the art form on a recognisable scale. The central Kerala temple town of Tripunithura has, in fact, a ladies troupe (with members belonging to several part of the state) that performs Kathakali, by and large in Travancore.

 

KATHAKALI STYLES

Known as Sampradäyaṃ(Malayalam: സമ്പ്രദായം); these are leading Kathakali styles that differ from each other in subtleties like choreographic profile, position of hand gestures and stress on dance than drama and vice versa. Some of the major original kathakali styles included:

 

Vettathu Sampradayam

Kalladikkodan Sampradyam

Kaplingadu Sampradayam

 

Of late, these have narrowed down to the northern (Kalluvazhi) and southern (Thekkan) styles. It was largely developed by the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon (1881-1949) that is implemented in Kerala Kalamandalam (though it has also a department that teaches the southern style), Sadanam, RLV and Kottakkal. Margi has its training largely based on the Thekkan style, known for its stress on drama and part-realistic techniques. Kalanilayam, effectively, churns out students with a mix of both styles.

 

OTHER FORMS OD DANCE & OFFSHOOTS

Kerala Natanam is a kind of dance form, partly based on Kathakali techniques and aesthetics, developed and stylised by the late dancer Guru Gopinath in the mid-20th century. Kathakali also finds portrayal in Malayalam feature films like Vanaprastham, Parinayam, Marattam, and Rangam. Besides documentary films have also been shot on Kathakali artistes like Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi and Kottakkal Sivaraman.

 

As for fictional literature, Kathakali finds mention in several Malayalam short stories like Karmen (by N.S. Madhavan) and novels like Keshabharam (by P.V. Sreevalsan). Even the Indo-Anglian work like Arundhati Roy's Booker prize-winning The God of Small Things has a chapter on Kathakali, while, of late, Anita Nair's novel, Mistress, is entirely wrapped in the ethos of Kathakali.

 

Similar musical theater is popular in Kasaragod and the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, viz. Yakshagana. Though Yakshagana resembles Kathakali in terms of its costume and makeup to an extent, Yakshagana is markedly different from Kathakali as it involves dialogues and method acting also the narration is in Kannada, wherein philosophical debates are also possible within framework of the character. As per records the art form of Yakshagana was already rooted and well established at the time of Sri Manavedan Raja. There is possibilities of its significant influence in formation of Kathakkali as the troupe of performers of "Krishnanattam" designed the basic costume of the art form already established in other parts of south India including Males playing the female roles (until more recently).

 

Kottayam thamburan's way of presenting kathakali was later known as Kalladikkoden sambradayam. Chathu Paniker,the introducer of Kallikkoden Sambrathayam, stayed in Kottayam for five years with Kottayam Thamburan's residence and practiced Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam. Then he returned to his home place. After a short period Chathu Paniker reached Pulapatta as instructed by Kuthiravattath nair. That was around the year ME 865. Many deciples from Kadathanadu, Kurumbra nadu, Vettathu nadu, Palakkadu and Perumpadappu studied kathakali(Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam ) By that time Chathu Paniker was an old man. Some years later he died from Pulapatta.

 

NOTED KATHAKALI VILLAGES & BELTS

There are certain pockets in Kerala that have given birth to many Kathakali artistes over the years. If they can be called Kathakali villages (or some of them, these days, towns), here are some of them: Vellinezhi, Kuruvattoor, Karalmanna, Cherpulassery, Kothachira, peringode, sreekrishnapuram Kongad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, Vazhenkada in Malappuram district, Thichur or Tichoor, Guruvayur, Thiruvilwamala and Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Tripunithura, Edappally, Thekkan Chittoor in Ernakulam district and Kuttanad, Harippad belt in Alappuzha district besides places in and around Thiruvanathapuram in south Travancore and Payyannur in north Malabar.

 

AWARDS FOR KATHAKALI ARTISTS

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees - Kathakali (1956–2005)

Nambeesan Smaraka Awards—For artistic performances related kathakali{1992-2008}

 

KATHAKALI ATTAMS (ELAKI ATTAMS)

Attams or more specifically "elaki attams" are sequences of acting within a story acted out with the help of mudras without support from vocal music. The actor has the freedom to change the script to suit his own individual preferences. The actor will be supported ably by Chenda, Maddalam, and Elathalam (compulsory), Chengila (not very compulsory).

 

The following are only some examples. 'Kailasa Udharanam' and 'Tapas Attam' are very important attams and these are described at the end. Two of the many references are Kathakali Prakaram, pages 95 to 142 by Pannisheri Nanu Pillai and Kathakaliyile Manodharmangal by Chavara Appukuttan Pillai.

 

VANA VARNANA: BHIMA IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKA

Modern man looks at the forest, indeed the birthplace of primates, with a certain wonder and a certain respect. Kathakali characters are no exception.

 

When Pandavas were living in the forest, one day, a flower, not seen before, wafted by the wind, comes and falls at the feet of Panchali. Exhilarated by its beauty and smell, Panchali asks Bhima to bring her more such flowers. To her pleasure Bhima is ready to go at once. But Panchali asks him what he shall do for food and drink on the way. Bhima thinks and says "Food and Drink! Oh, this side glance (look) of yours. This look of longing. This look of anticipation. The very thought fills me up. I don't need any food and drink at all. Let me go." He takes his mace and off he goes. Ulsaham (enthusiasm) is his Sdhayi Bhavam (permanent feature).

 

"Let me go at once in search of this flower," says Bhima. "The scented wind is blowing from the southern side. Let me go that way." After walking some distance he sees a huge mountain called Gandhamadana and three ways. He decides to take the middle one which goes over the mountain. After going further "The forest is getting thicker. Big trees, big branches in all directions. The forest looks like a huge dark vessel into which even light can not penetrate. This is my (Bhima's) way. Nothing can hinder me." So saying he pulls down many trees. Sometimes he shatters the trees with his mace. Suddenly he sees an elephant. "Oh! Elephant." He describes it. Its trunk. Sharp ears.

 

The itching sensation in the body. It takes some mud and throws on the body. Oh good. Then it sucks water and throws on the body. Somewhat better. Slowly it starts dosing even though alert at times. A very huge python is approaching steadily. Suddenly it catches hold of the elephant's hind leg. The elephant wakes up and tries to disengage the python. The python pulls to one side. The elephant kicks and drags to the other side. This goes on for some time. Bhima looks to the other side where a hungry lion is looking for food. It comes running and strikes the elephants head and eats part of the brain and goes off. The python completes the rest. "Oh my god, how ruthless!" says Bhima and proceeds on his way.

 

UDYANA VARNANA: NALA IN NALACHARITHAM SECOND DAY

Descriptions of gardens are found in most dance forms of India and abroad. These are also common in Kathakali.

 

Newly married Nala and Damayanthi are walking in the garden. When Nala was lovingly looking at Damayanthi a flower falls on her. Nala is overjoyed and thinks that this is a kindness nature has shown on his wife. Nala says "On seeing the arrival of their queen, the trees and climbers are showing happiness by dropping flowers on you." He tells her, "See that tree. When I used to be alone the tree used to hug the climber and seemingly laugh at my condition." Then he looks at the tree and says, "Dear Tree, look at me now. See how fortunate I am with my beautiful wife."

 

Both wander about. A bumblebee flies towards Damayanthi. Immediately Nala protects her face with a kerchief. He looks at the bee and then at Damayanthi. He says, "On seeing your face the bee thought it was a flower and came to drink the nectar." Nala and Damayanthi listen to the sounds coming out of the garden. Damayanti says, "It appears that the whole garden is thrilled. The flowers are blooming and smiling. Cuckoos are singing and the bees are dancing. Gentle winds are blowing and rubbing against our bodies. How beautiful the whole garden looks." Then Nala says that the sun is going down and it is time for them to go back and takes her away.

 

SHABDA VARNANA: HANUMAN IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKAM

While Bhima goes in search of the flower, here Hanuman is sitting doing Tapas with mind concentrated on Sri Rama.

 

When he hears the terrible noises made by Bhima in the forest he feels disturbed in doing his Tapas. He thinks "What is the reason for this?" Then the sounds become bigger. "What is this?" He thinks, "The sounds are getting bigger. Such a terrible noise. Is the sea coming up thinking that the time is ripe for the great deluge (Pralaya). Birds are flying helter-skelter. Trees look shocked. Even Kali Yuga is not here. Then what is it? Are mountains quarreling with each other? No, That can't be it. Indra had cut off the wings of mountains so that they don't quarrel. Is the sea changing its position? No it can't be. The sea has promised it will not change its position again. It can't break the promise." Hanuman starts looking for clues. "I see elephants and lions running in fear of somebody. Oh a huge man is coming this way. Oh, a hero is coming. He is pulling out trees and throwing it here and there. Okay. Let him come near, We will see."

 

THANDEDATTAM: RAVANA IN BALI VADHAM

After his theranottam Ravana is seen sitting on a stool. He says to himself "I am enjoying a lot of happiness. What is the reason for this?" Thinks. "Yes I know it. I did Tapas to Brahma and received all necessary boons. Afterwards I won all ten directions. I also defeated my elder brother Vaishravana. Then I lifted Kailas mountain when Siva and Parvathi were having a misunderstanding. Parvathi got frightened and embraced Siva in fear. Siva was so happy he gave a divine sword called Chandrahasa. Now the whole world is afraid of me. That is why I am enjoying so much happiness." He goes and sits on the stool. He looks far away. "Who is coming from a distance. he is coming fast. Oh, it is Akamba. Okay. Let me find out what news he has for me."

 

ASHRAMA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KIRATHAM

Arjuna wants to do Tapas to Lord Siva and he is looking a suitable place in the Himalayan slopes. He comes to place where there is an ashram. Arjuna looks closely at the place. "Oh. What a beautiful place this is. A small river in which a very pure water is flowing. Some hermits are taking baths in the river. Some hermits are standing in the water and doing Tapsas. Some are facing the Sun. Some are standing in between five fires." Arjuna salutes the hermits from far. He says to himself "Look at this young one of a deer. It is looking for its mother. It seems to be hungry and thirsty. Nearby a female tiger is feeding its young ones. The little deer goes towards the tigress and pushes the young tiger cubs aside and starts drinking milk from the tigress. The tigress looks lovingly at the young deer and even licks its body as if it were its own child. How beautiful. How fulfilling."

 

Again he looks "Here on this side a mongoose and a serpent forgetting their enmity are hugging each other. This place is really strange and made divine by saints and hermits. Let me start my Tapas somewhere nearby."

 

A sloka called "Shikhini Shalabha" can be selected instead of the above if time permits.

 

AN ATTAM BASED ON A SLOKA

Sansrit slokas are sometimes shown in mudras and it has a pleasing and exhilarating effect. Different actors use slokas as per his own taste and liking. However, the slokas are taught to students during their training period. An example is given below.

 

Kusumo Kusumolpatti Shrooyathena Chathushyathe

Bale thava Mukhambuje Pashya Neelolpaladwayam

 

Meaning a flower blooming inside another flower is not known to history. But, my dear, in your lotus like face are seen two blue Neelolpala flowers (eyes).

 

A CONVERSATION BASED ON A SLOKA

Sanskrit slokas can also be used to express an intent. One such example is a sloka used by Arjuna addressed to Mathali the charioteer in Kalakeya Vadham. Sloka:

Pitha: Kushalee Mama hritha Bhujaam

Naatha Sachee Vallabha:

Maatha: kim nu Pralomacha Kushalinee

Soonurjayanthasthayo

Preethim va Kushchate Thadikshnavidhow

Cheta Samutkanuthe

Sutha: tvam Radhamashu Chodaya vayam

Dharmadivam Mathala

 

Meaning: The husband of Indrani and the lord of gods my father - Is he in good health? His son Jayantha - Is he strictly following the commands of his father? Oh, I am impatient to see all of them.

 

SWARGA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KELAKEYA VADHAM

Arjuna goes to heaven on the invitation of his father, Indra. After taking permission from Indrani he goes out to see all the places in Swarga. First he sees a building, his father's palace. It is so huge with four entrances. It is made of materials superior to gold and jewels of the world. Then he goes ahead and sees Iravatha. Here he describes it as a huge elephant with four horns. He is afraid to touch it. Then he thinks that animals in Swarga can't be cruel like in the world and so thinking he goes and touches and salutes Iravatha. He describes the churning of the white sea by gods and demons with many details and how Iravatha also came out of the white sea due to this churning.

 

He walks on and sees his father's (Indra's) horse. It is described as being white and its mane is sizzling like the waves of the white sea from which it came. He touches and salutes the horse also. Then he goes to see the river of the sky (or milky way). He sees many birds by this river and how the birds fly and play is shown.

 

Then he sees the heavenly ladies. Some are collecting flowers, and one of them comes late and asks for some flowers for making garland. The others refuse. She goes to the Kalpa Vriksha and says "please give me some flowers." Immediately a shower of flowers occurs which she collects in her clothes and goes to make garlands chiding the others. "See... I also got flowers." After this he sees the music and dance of the heavenly ladies. First it starts with the adjustments of instruments Thamburu, Mridangam, Veena. Then the actual music starts along with the striking of cymbals. Then two or three types of dances are shown. Then comes juggling of balls. It is described by a sloka thus:

 

Ekopi Thraya Iva Bhathi Kandukoyam

 

Kanthayaa: Karathala Raktharaktha:

Abhrastho Nayanamareechi Neelaneelo

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'. Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called ), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience. As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to

Bhumau Talcharana Naghamshu Gaurgaura:

 

Meaning One ball looks like three balls. When it is in the hands of the juggler, it takes the redness of the hands, when it goes up it takes the blueness of the eyes, when it strikes the ground it becomes white from the whiteness of the leg nails. Once a juggled ball falls down. Then she, the juggler, somehow manages to proceed and remarks "See.. how I can do it".

 

At one time a garment slips from a lady's body and she adjusts the cloth showing shameful shyness (Lajja). Then the ladies go in for a Kummi dance. As Arjuna was enjoying this dance, suddenly somebody calls him. Arjuna feels scared. "Oh God, where am I?" he says and beats a hasty retreat.

 

TAPAS ATTAM: RAVANA IN RAVANA ULBHAVAM

[Background: Mali, Sumali and Malyavan were three brothers ruling Sri Lanka. During a war between them and Indra, Indra requested help from Lord Vishnu and as a consequence Lord Vishnu killed Mali. Sumali and Malyavan escaped to Patala. Kaikasi was the daughter of Sumali. She wandered in the forest. She belong three boys through a great sage called Vishravassu. (Vishravassu had an earlier son called Vaishravana who became the richest among all people.) The eldest boy of Kaikasi was Ravana followed by Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.]

 

SCENE 1

When Ravana was a young boy (Kutti Ravana vesham), one day he was sleeping on his mothers lap in a place called madhuvanam. At that time Kaikasi sees Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (mythical aeroplane). She thinks “Oh, that is Vaishravana, technically a brother of my son who is sleeping on my lap. He is rich and strong. My son is so poor and weak. While thinking thus a drop of tear from her eyes drops on Ravana’s face. Ravana suddenly wakes up and sees his mother crying. When he knew the reason he could not bear it. He says he is going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that he will be strong and rich.

 

SCENE 2

(The tapas itself is shown as a part of autobiographical narration of adult ravana)

 

Ravana (adult Ravana, not kutti Ravana) is sitting on a stool. He thinks “Why am I so happy? How did I become so rich and strong? Oh yes. It is because of the tapas I did. What made me do the tapas? When I was a young boy, one day I was sleeping on my mother’s lap in a place called Madhuvanam. A drop of tear from her eyes falls on my face. I asked her why she was crying. She said she saw Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (plane). She told me Vaishravan was a brother of mine now flying in a plane. He is rich and strong. I am so poor and weak. When I heard this comparison between me and my brother, I could not bear it. I am going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that I will be strong and rich.

 

I made five different types of fires (while doing tapas gods are approached through Agni the god of fire). Then I started my tapas. I asked my brothers to stand guard and also keep the fires burning. Then I fully concentrated on tapas. Time passed but Brahma did not appear. I looked. Why is Brahma not appearing? I doubled my concentration. Time passed. Brahma is not appearing. Still not appearing? I cut one of my heads and put it in the fire. Waited, Brahma did not come. One more head rolls. Still no Brahma comes. Heads roll and roll. No Brahma. Only one head is left. First I thought of stopping my tapas. But no! Never! That will be an insult to me and my family. It is better to die than stop. Also when I die Brahma will be judged as being partial. With great determination I swung the sword at my last neck, when, lo and behold, suddenly Brahma appeared and caught my hand. I looked at him with still un-subsided, but gradually subsiding anger. Brahma asked me what boons I wanted. I asked for a boon that I should win all the worlds and have all the wealth and fame and that I should not be killed except by man. I also asked him to give boons for my brothers.

 

In the next scene Ravana asks Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana what boons they got. Unfortunately Kumbhakarna’s tongue got twisted while asking for boon and he got ‘sleep’ instead of becoming the ‘king of gods’. Ravana laughed it off. As for Vibhishana, he being a bhaktha of Vishnu, asked for Vishnu’s blessings and got it. Ravana laughs it off and also decides to conquer all the worlds and starts preparing his grand army for the big conquest of the worlds.

 

[This method of presentation with a peculiar sequence has a tremendous dramatic affect. The main actor redoes a small part of what happened to kutti Ravana vesham, and this gives a view of the high contrast between the boy and the man Ravana. Similarly the presence of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana in the subsequent scene offers a good smile on the face of the viewer at the end of the play.]

 

KAILASA UDDHARANAM: RAVANA IN BALI VIJAYAM

[Background and Previous scene: After receiving the boons, and widening his kingdom in all directions, Ravana lives in Sri Lanka with great pomp and splendor. One day he sees Saint Narada approaching his palace singing songs in praise of him ‘Jaya jaya Ravana, Lanka Pathe’. Happily he receives Narada and seats him next to him. After telling Narada about the victory of his son Indrajith on Indra, Ravana tells Narada “Now there is nobody on earth or other worlds who can fight with me”. To this Narada replies “ Very true indeed, but there is one huge monkey called Bali who says he can defeat you. He even said that you are just like a blade of grass to him. Well let him say what he wants. You are unbeatable.” Then Narada says ‘let us go there and see him’. Both decide to go. But Ravana takes his famous sword called “Chandrahasam”. Then Narada asks the history of this sword. Ravana’s Attam Starts.]

 

Ravana says “I received this sword from Lord Siva. It happened thus. Once when I was conquering new places and expanding my empire I happened to be going across the Kailasa mountain. The plane got stuck on the mountain unable to move forward. I got down from the plane and looked at the mountain. (Looks from one end to the other first horizontally and then vertically.) So huge it was. Then I decided to lift it with my bare hand and keep it aside and move forward. I started sticking my hands under it one by one. Then I tried to lift it. It doesn’t move. I put more force and more force. It moved just a bit. I pushed harder and harder, slowly it started moving then again and again and it moved easily. Then I lifted it up with my hands and started juggling it (exaggeration evident).

 

“At that particular time Lord Siva was quarreling with his wife Parvathi. Why did they fight? The story is as follows. Parvathi had gone for enjoying swimming and bathing in some beautiful pond. At that time Siva opened his jata (disheveled long hair) and called Ganga for some entertainment after asking Ganapathi and Subramania to go for some errands. Somehow becoming suspicious, right at that time, Parvathi came back in a hurry with wet clothes and saw Siva with Ganga. Siva was wondering what to do and it was at that time that Ravana started lifting the Kailasa. When Kailasa started shaking Parvathi got scared and ran to Siva and hugged him. So the quarrel ended and Siva was happy. “As a reward Siva called me and gave me this famous Chandrahasa sword.”

 

Then Narada and Ravana leave to meet Bali. Ravana wanted to take the sword along with him, but Narada suggested that the sword is not required for teaching a lesson to Bali who is after all an unarmed monkey.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി, kathakaḷi; Sanskrit: कथाकळिः, kathākaḷiḥ) is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

 

HISTORY

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'.

 

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called 'Manipravaalam'), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

 

As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to Nritham, Nrithyam and Natyam.

 

KATHAKALI PLAYS

Traditionally there are 101 classical Kathakali stories, though the commonly staged among them these days total less than one-third that number. Almost all of them were initially composed to last a whole night. Nowadays, there is increasing popularity for concise, or oftener select, versions of stories so as the performance lasts not more than three to four hours from evening. Thus, many stories find stage presentation in parts rather than totality. And the selection is based on criteria like choreographical beauty, thematic relevance/popularity or their melodramatic elements. Kathakali is a classical art form, but it can be appreciated also by novices—all contributed by the elegant looks of its character, their abstract movement and its synchronisation with the musical notes and rhythmic beats. And, in any case, the folk elements too continue to exist. For better appreciation, perhaps, it is still good to have an idea of the story being enacted.

 

The most popular stories enacted are Nalacharitham (a story from the Mahabharata), Duryodhana Vadham (focusing on the Mahabharata war after profiling the build-up to it), Kalyanasougandhikam, (the story of Bhima going to get flowers for his wife Panchali), Keechakavadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali, but this time during their stint in disguise), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight, from the Mahabharata), Karnashapatham (another story from the Mahabharata), Nizhalkuthu and Bhadrakalivijayam authored by Pannisseri Nanu Pillai. Also staged frequently include stories like Kuchelavrittam, Santanagopalam, Balivijayam, Dakshayagam, Rugminiswayamvaram, Kalakeyavadham, Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Poothanamoksham, Subhadraharanam, Balivadham, Rugmangadacharitam, Ravanolbhavam, Narakasuravadham, Uttaraswayamvaram, Harishchandracharitam, Kacha-Devayani and Kamsavadham.

 

Recently, as part of attempts to further popularise the art, stories from other cultures and mythologies, such as those of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, Homer's Iliad, and William Shakespeare's King Lear and Julius Caesar besides Goethe's Faust too have been adapted into Kathakali scripts and on to its stage. Synopsis of 37 kathakali stories are available in kathakalinews.com.

 

MUSIC

The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam. Though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtone-heavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is known as the Sopanam style. This typically Kerala style of rendition takes its roots from the temple songs which used to be sung (continues even now at several temples) at the time when Kathakali was born.

 

As with the acting style, Kathakali music also has singers from the northern and southern schools. The northern style has largely been groomed by Kerala Kalamandalam in the 20th century. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, an overarching Kathakali musician of those times, was a product of the institute. His prominent disciples include Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup, Kalamandalam Gangadharan, Kalamandalam P.G. Radhakrishnan, Rama Varrier, Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri, Tirur Nambissan, Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali, Kalamandalam Haridas, Subramanian, Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan and Kalamandalam Bhavadasan. The other prominent musicians of the north feature Kottakkal Vasu Nedungadi, Kottakkal Parameswaran Namboodiri, Kottakkal P.D. Narayanan Namboodiri, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kalamandalam Anantha NarayananKalamandalam Sreekumar Palanad Divakaran, Kalanilayam Rajendran, Kolathappilli Narayanan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri, Kottakkal Madhu, Kalamandalam Babu Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Harish and Kalamandalam Vinod. In the south, some of whom are equally popular in the north these days, include Pathiyur Sankarankutty. Southerner musicians of the older generation include Cherthala Thankappa Panikker, Thakazhi Kuttan Pillai, Cherthala Kuttappa Kurup, Thanneermukkam Viswambharan and Mudakkal Gopinathan.

 

PERFORMANCE

Traditionally, a Kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning. Nowadays it isn't difficult to see performances as short as three hours or fewer. Kathakali is usually performed in front of the huge Kalivilakku (kali meaning dance; vilakku meaning lamp) with its thick wick sunk till the neck in coconut oil. Traditionally, this lamp used to provide sole light when the plays used to be performed inside temples, palaces or abodes houses of nobles and aristocrats. Enactment of a play by actors takes place to the accompaniment of music (geetha) and instruments (vadya). The percussion instruments used are chenda, maddalam (both of which underwent revolutionary changes in their aesthetics with the contributions of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval and Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval) and, at times, edakka. In addition, the singers (the lead singer is called “ponnani” and his follower is called “singidi”) use chengila (gong made of bell metal, which can be struck with a wooden stick) and ilathalam (a pair of cymbals). The lead singer in some sense uses the Chengala to conduct the Vadyam and Geetha components, just as a conductor uses his wand in western classical music. A distinguishing characteristic of this art form is that the actors never speak but use hand gestures, expressions and rhythmic dancing instead of dialogue (but for a couple of rare characters).

 

ACTING

A Kathakali actor uses immense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from regimented training based on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for his demanding role. The training can often last for 8–10 years, and is intensive. In Kathakali, the story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures) and by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra (the tome that deals with the science of expressions) and are classified into nine as in most Indian classical art forms. Dancers also undergo special practice sessions to learn control of their eye movements.

 

There are 24 basic mudras—the permutation and combination of which would add up a chunk of the hand gestures in vogue today. Each can again can be classified into 'Samaana-mudras'(one mudra symbolising two entities) or misra-mudras (both the hands are used to show these mudras). The mudras are a form of sign language used to tell the story.

 

The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' (Navarasas in anglicised form) (literal translation: Nine Tastes, but more loosely translated as nine feelings or expressions) which are Sringaram (amour), Hasyam (ridicule, humour), Bhayanakam (fear), Karunam (pathos), Roudram (anger, wrath), Veeram (valour), Beebhatsam (disgust), Adbhutam (wonder, amazement), Shantam (tranquility, peace). The link at the end of the page gives more details on Navarasas.

 

One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Most often, the make-up can be classified into five basic sets namely Pachcha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku. The differences between these sets lie in the predominant colours that are applied on the face. Pachcha (meaning green) has green as the dominant colour and is used to portray noble male characters who are said to have a mixture of "Satvik" (pious) and "Rajasik" (dark; Rajas = darkness) nature. Rajasik characters having an evil streak ("tamasic"= evil) -- all the same they are anti-heroes in the play (such as the demon king Ravana) -- and portrayed with streaks of red in a green-painted face. Excessively evil characters such as demons (totally tamasic) have a predominantly red make-up and a red beard. They are called Red Beard (Red Beard). Tamasic characters such as uncivilised hunters and woodsmen are represented with a predominantly black make-up base and a black beard and are called black beard (meaning black beard). Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces and this semi-realistic category forms the fifth class. In addition, there are modifications of the five basic sets described above such as Vella Thadi (white beard) used to depict Hanuman (the Monkey-God) and Pazhuppu, which is majorly used for Lord Shiva and Balabhadra.

 

NOTABLE TRAINING CENTRES & MASTERS

Kathakali artistes need assiduous grooming for almost a decade's time, and most masters are products of accomplished institutions that give a minimum training course of half-a-dozen years. The leading Kathakali schools (some of them started during the pre-Independent era India) are Kerala Kalamandalam (located in Cheruthuruthy near Shoranur), PSV Natya Sangham (located in Kottakal near Kozhikode), Sadanam Kathakali and Classical Arts Academy (or Gandhi Seva Sadan located in Perur near Ottappalam in Palakkad), Unnayi Varier Smaraka Kalanilayam (located in Irinjalakuda south of Thrissur), Margi in Thiruvananthapuram, Muthappan Kaliyogam at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district and RLV School at Tripunithura off Kochi and Kalabharathi at Pakalkkuri near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Sandarshan Kathakali Kendram in Ambalapuzha and Vellinazhi Nanu Nair Smaraka Kalakendra in Kuruvattor. Outside Kerala, Kathakali is being taught at the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi, Santiniketan at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, Kalakshetra in Chennai and Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad among others. PadmaSree Guru Chengannur Raman Pillai mostly known as 'Guru Chengannur'was running a traditional Gurukula Style approach to propagate Kathakali.

 

‘Guru Chengannur” is ever renowned as the Sovereign Guru of Kathakali. His precision in using symbols, gestures and steps were highest in the field of Kathakali. Guru Chegannur's kaththi vesham, especially the portrayal of Duryodhana enthralled the audience every time he performed. A master of the art, he found immense happiness and satisfaction in the success and recognition of his disciples.

 

Senior Kathakali exponents of today include Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, Sadanam Krishnankutty, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, FACT Padmanabhan, Kottakkal Chandrasekharan, Margi Vijayakumar, Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair, Vazhenkada Vijayan, Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai, Kalamandalam Kuttan, Mayyanad Kesavan Namboodiri, Mathur Govindan Kutty, Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri, Chavara Parukutty, Thonnakkal Peethambaran, Sadanam Balakrishnan, Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan, Chirakkara Madhavankutty, Sadanam K. Harikumaran, Thalavadi Aravindan, Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Pariyanampatta Divakaran, Kottakkal Kesavan, Kalanilayam Gopi and Kudamaloor Muralikrishnan. The late titan actor-dancers of Kathakali's modern age (say, since the 1930s) include Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Chandu Panicker, Thakazhi Guru Kunchu Kurup, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair, Kurichi Kunhan Panikkar, Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, Padma Shri Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair, Mankulam Vishnu Namboodiri, Oyur Kochu Govinda Pillai, Vellinezhi Nanu Nair, Padma Shri Kavungal Chathunni Panikkar, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Kottakkal Sivaraman, Kannan Pattali, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair, Haripad Ramakrishna Pillai, Champakkulam Pachu Pillai, Chennithala Chellappan Pillai, Guru Mampuzha Madhava Panicker, and Vaikkom Karunakaran.

 

Kathakali is still hugely a male domain but, since the 1970s, females too have made entry into the art form on a recognisable scale. The central Kerala temple town of Tripunithura has, in fact, a ladies troupe (with members belonging to several part of the state) that performs Kathakali, by and large in Travancore.

 

KATHAKALI STYLES

Known as Sampradäyaṃ(Malayalam: സമ്പ്രദായം); these are leading Kathakali styles that differ from each other in subtleties like choreographic profile, position of hand gestures and stress on dance than drama and vice versa. Some of the major original kathakali styles included:

 

Vettathu Sampradayam

Kalladikkodan Sampradyam

Kaplingadu Sampradayam

 

Of late, these have narrowed down to the northern (Kalluvazhi) and southern (Thekkan) styles. It was largely developed by the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon (1881-1949) that is implemented in Kerala Kalamandalam (though it has also a department that teaches the southern style), Sadanam, RLV and Kottakkal. Margi has its training largely based on the Thekkan style, known for its stress on drama and part-realistic techniques. Kalanilayam, effectively, churns out students with a mix of both styles.

 

OTHER FORMS OD DANCE & OFFSHOOTS

Kerala Natanam is a kind of dance form, partly based on Kathakali techniques and aesthetics, developed and stylised by the late dancer Guru Gopinath in the mid-20th century. Kathakali also finds portrayal in Malayalam feature films like Vanaprastham, Parinayam, Marattam, and Rangam. Besides documentary films have also been shot on Kathakali artistes like Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi and Kottakkal Sivaraman.

 

As for fictional literature, Kathakali finds mention in several Malayalam short stories like Karmen (by N.S. Madhavan) and novels like Keshabharam (by P.V. Sreevalsan). Even the Indo-Anglian work like Arundhati Roy's Booker prize-winning The God of Small Things has a chapter on Kathakali, while, of late, Anita Nair's novel, Mistress, is entirely wrapped in the ethos of Kathakali.

 

Similar musical theater is popular in Kasaragod and the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, viz. Yakshagana. Though Yakshagana resembles Kathakali in terms of its costume and makeup to an extent, Yakshagana is markedly different from Kathakali as it involves dialogues and method acting also the narration is in Kannada, wherein philosophical debates are also possible within framework of the character. As per records the art form of Yakshagana was already rooted and well established at the time of Sri Manavedan Raja. There is possibilities of its significant influence in formation of Kathakkali as the troupe of performers of "Krishnanattam" designed the basic costume of the art form already established in other parts of south India including Males playing the female roles (until more recently).

 

Kottayam thamburan's way of presenting kathakali was later known as Kalladikkoden sambradayam. Chathu Paniker,the introducer of Kallikkoden Sambrathayam, stayed in Kottayam for five years with Kottayam Thamburan's residence and practiced Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam. Then he returned to his home place. After a short period Chathu Paniker reached Pulapatta as instructed by Kuthiravattath nair. That was around the year ME 865. Many deciples from Kadathanadu, Kurumbra nadu, Vettathu nadu, Palakkadu and Perumpadappu studied kathakali(Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam ) By that time Chathu Paniker was an old man. Some years later he died from Pulapatta.

 

NOTED KATHAKALI VILLAGES & BELTS

There are certain pockets in Kerala that have given birth to many Kathakali artistes over the years. If they can be called Kathakali villages (or some of them, these days, towns), here are some of them: Vellinezhi, Kuruvattoor, Karalmanna, Cherpulassery, Kothachira, peringode, sreekrishnapuram Kongad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, Vazhenkada in Malappuram district, Thichur or Tichoor, Guruvayur, Thiruvilwamala and Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Tripunithura, Edappally, Thekkan Chittoor in Ernakulam district and Kuttanad, Harippad belt in Alappuzha district besides places in and around Thiruvanathapuram in south Travancore and Payyannur in north Malabar.

 

AWARDS FOR KATHAKALI ARTISTS

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees - Kathakali (1956–2005)

Nambeesan Smaraka Awards—For artistic performances related kathakali{1992-2008}

 

KATHAKALI ATTAMS (ELAKI ATTAMS)

Attams or more specifically "elaki attams" are sequences of acting within a story acted out with the help of mudras without support from vocal music. The actor has the freedom to change the script to suit his own individual preferences. The actor will be supported ably by Chenda, Maddalam, and Elathalam (compulsory), Chengila (not very compulsory).

 

The following are only some examples. 'Kailasa Udharanam' and 'Tapas Attam' are very important attams and these are described at the end. Two of the many references are Kathakali Prakaram, pages 95 to 142 by Pannisheri Nanu Pillai and Kathakaliyile Manodharmangal by Chavara Appukuttan Pillai.

 

VANA VARNANA: BHIMA IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKA

Modern man looks at the forest, indeed the birthplace of primates, with a certain wonder and a certain respect. Kathakali characters are no exception.

 

When Pandavas were living in the forest, one day, a flower, not seen before, wafted by the wind, comes and falls at the feet of Panchali. Exhilarated by its beauty and smell, Panchali asks Bhima to bring her more such flowers. To her pleasure Bhima is ready to go at once. But Panchali asks him what he shall do for food and drink on the way. Bhima thinks and says "Food and Drink! Oh, this side glance (look) of yours. This look of longing. This look of anticipation. The very thought fills me up. I don't need any food and drink at all. Let me go." He takes his mace and off he goes. Ulsaham (enthusiasm) is his Sdhayi Bhavam (permanent feature).

 

"Let me go at once in search of this flower," says Bhima. "The scented wind is blowing from the southern side. Let me go that way." After walking some distance he sees a huge mountain called Gandhamadana and three ways. He decides to take the middle one which goes over the mountain. After going further "The forest is getting thicker. Big trees, big branches in all directions. The forest looks like a huge dark vessel into which even light can not penetrate. This is my (Bhima's) way. Nothing can hinder me." So saying he pulls down many trees. Sometimes he shatters the trees with his mace. Suddenly he sees an elephant. "Oh! Elephant." He describes it. Its trunk. Sharp ears.

 

The itching sensation in the body. It takes some mud and throws on the body. Oh good. Then it sucks water and throws on the body. Somewhat better. Slowly it starts dosing even though alert at times. A very huge python is approaching steadily. Suddenly it catches hold of the elephant's hind leg. The elephant wakes up and tries to disengage the python. The python pulls to one side. The elephant kicks and drags to the other side. This goes on for some time. Bhima looks to the other side where a hungry lion is looking for food. It comes running and strikes the elephants head and eats part of the brain and goes off. The python completes the rest. "Oh my god, how ruthless!" says Bhima and proceeds on his way.

 

UDYANA VARNANA: NALA IN NALACHARITHAM SECOND DAY

Descriptions of gardens are found in most dance forms of India and abroad. These are also common in Kathakali.

 

Newly married Nala and Damayanthi are walking in the garden. When Nala was lovingly looking at Damayanthi a flower falls on her. Nala is overjoyed and thinks that this is a kindness nature has shown on his wife. Nala says "On seeing the arrival of their queen, the trees and climbers are showing happiness by dropping flowers on you." He tells her, "See that tree. When I used to be alone the tree used to hug the climber and seemingly laugh at my condition." Then he looks at the tree and says, "Dear Tree, look at me now. See how fortunate I am with my beautiful wife."

 

Both wander about. A bumblebee flies towards Damayanthi. Immediately Nala protects her face with a kerchief. He looks at the bee and then at Damayanthi. He says, "On seeing your face the bee thought it was a flower and came to drink the nectar." Nala and Damayanthi listen to the sounds coming out of the garden. Damayanti says, "It appears that the whole garden is thrilled. The flowers are blooming and smiling. Cuckoos are singing and the bees are dancing. Gentle winds are blowing and rubbing against our bodies. How beautiful the whole garden looks." Then Nala says that the sun is going down and it is time for them to go back and takes her away.

 

SHABDA VARNANA: HANUMAN IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKAM

While Bhima goes in search of the flower, here Hanuman is sitting doing Tapas with mind concentrated on Sri Rama.

 

When he hears the terrible noises made by Bhima in the forest he feels disturbed in doing his Tapas. He thinks "What is the reason for this?" Then the sounds become bigger. "What is this?" He thinks, "The sounds are getting bigger. Such a terrible noise. Is the sea coming up thinking that the time is ripe for the great deluge (Pralaya). Birds are flying helter-skelter. Trees look shocked. Even Kali Yuga is not here. Then what is it? Are mountains quarreling with each other? No, That can't be it. Indra had cut off the wings of mountains so that they don't quarrel. Is the sea changing its position? No it can't be. The sea has promised it will not change its position again. It can't break the promise." Hanuman starts looking for clues. "I see elephants and lions running in fear of somebody. Oh a huge man is coming this way. Oh, a hero is coming. He is pulling out trees and throwing it here and there. Okay. Let him come near, We will see."

 

THANDEDATTAM: RAVANA IN BALI VADHAM

After his theranottam Ravana is seen sitting on a stool. He says to himself "I am enjoying a lot of happiness. What is the reason for this?" Thinks. "Yes I know it. I did Tapas to Brahma and received all necessary boons. Afterwards I won all ten directions. I also defeated my elder brother Vaishravana. Then I lifted Kailas mountain when Siva and Parvathi were having a misunderstanding. Parvathi got frightened and embraced Siva in fear. Siva was so happy he gave a divine sword called Chandrahasa. Now the whole world is afraid of me. That is why I am enjoying so much happiness." He goes and sits on the stool. He looks far away. "Who is coming from a distance. he is coming fast. Oh, it is Akamba. Okay. Let me find out what news he has for me."

 

ASHRAMA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KIRATHAM

Arjuna wants to do Tapas to Lord Siva and he is looking a suitable place in the Himalayan slopes. He comes to place where there is an ashram. Arjuna looks closely at the place. "Oh. What a beautiful place this is. A small river in which a very pure water is flowing. Some hermits are taking baths in the river. Some hermits are standing in the water and doing Tapsas. Some are facing the Sun. Some are standing in between five fires." Arjuna salutes the hermits from far. He says to himself "Look at this young one of a deer. It is looking for its mother. It seems to be hungry and thirsty. Nearby a female tiger is feeding its young ones. The little deer goes towards the tigress and pushes the young tiger cubs aside and starts drinking milk from the tigress. The tigress looks lovingly at the young deer and even licks its body as if it were its own child. How beautiful. How fulfilling."

 

Again he looks "Here on this side a mongoose and a serpent forgetting their enmity are hugging each other. This place is really strange and made divine by saints and hermits. Let me start my Tapas somewhere nearby."

 

A sloka called "Shikhini Shalabha" can be selected instead of the above if time permits.

 

AN ATTAM BASED ON A SLOKA

Sansrit slokas are sometimes shown in mudras and it has a pleasing and exhilarating effect. Different actors use slokas as per his own taste and liking. However, the slokas are taught to students during their training period. An example is given below.

 

Kusumo Kusumolpatti Shrooyathena Chathushyathe

Bale thava Mukhambuje Pashya Neelolpaladwayam

 

Meaning a flower blooming inside another flower is not known to history. But, my dear, in your lotus like face are seen two blue Neelolpala flowers (eyes).

 

A CONVERSATION BASED ON A SLOKA

Sanskrit slokas can also be used to express an intent. One such example is a sloka used by Arjuna addressed to Mathali the charioteer in Kalakeya Vadham. Sloka:

Pitha: Kushalee Mama hritha Bhujaam

Naatha Sachee Vallabha:

Maatha: kim nu Pralomacha Kushalinee

Soonurjayanthasthayo

Preethim va Kushchate Thadikshnavidhow

Cheta Samutkanuthe

Sutha: tvam Radhamashu Chodaya vayam

Dharmadivam Mathala

 

Meaning: The husband of Indrani and the lord of gods my father - Is he in good health? His son Jayantha - Is he strictly following the commands of his father? Oh, I am impatient to see all of them.

 

SWARGA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KELAKEYA VADHAM

Arjuna goes to heaven on the invitation of his father, Indra. After taking permission from Indrani he goes out to see all the places in Swarga. First he sees a building, his father's palace. It is so huge with four entrances. It is made of materials superior to gold and jewels of the world. Then he goes ahead and sees Iravatha. Here he describes it as a huge elephant with four horns. He is afraid to touch it. Then he thinks that animals in Swarga can't be cruel like in the world and so thinking he goes and touches and salutes Iravatha. He describes the churning of the white sea by gods and demons with many details and how Iravatha also came out of the white sea due to this churning.

 

He walks on and sees his father's (Indra's) horse. It is described as being white and its mane is sizzling like the waves of the white sea from which it came. He touches and salutes the horse also. Then he goes to see the river of the sky (or milky way). He sees many birds by this river and how the birds fly and play is shown.

 

Then he sees the heavenly ladies. Some are collecting flowers, and one of them comes late and asks for some flowers for making garland. The others refuse. She goes to the Kalpa Vriksha and says "please give me some flowers." Immediately a shower of flowers occurs which she collects in her clothes and goes to make garlands chiding the others. "See... I also got flowers." After this he sees the music and dance of the heavenly ladies. First it starts with the adjustments of instruments Thamburu, Mridangam, Veena. Then the actual music starts along with the striking of cymbals. Then two or three types of dances are shown. Then comes juggling of balls. It is described by a sloka thus:

 

Ekopi Thraya Iva Bhathi Kandukoyam

 

Kanthayaa: Karathala Raktharaktha:

Abhrastho Nayanamareechi Neelaneelo

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'. Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called ), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience. As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to

Bhumau Talcharana Naghamshu Gaurgaura:

 

Meaning One ball looks like three balls. When it is in the hands of the juggler, it takes the redness of the hands, when it goes up it takes the blueness of the eyes, when it strikes the ground it becomes white from the whiteness of the leg nails. Once a juggled ball falls down. Then she, the juggler, somehow manages to proceed and remarks "See.. how I can do it".

 

At one time a garment slips from a lady's body and she adjusts the cloth showing shameful shyness (Lajja). Then the ladies go in for a Kummi dance. As Arjuna was enjoying this dance, suddenly somebody calls him. Arjuna feels scared. "Oh God, where am I?" he says and beats a hasty retreat.

 

TAPAS ATTAM: RAVANA IN RAVANA ULBHAVAM

[Background: Mali, Sumali and Malyavan were three brothers ruling Sri Lanka. During a war between them and Indra, Indra requested help from Lord Vishnu and as a consequence Lord Vishnu killed Mali. Sumali and Malyavan escaped to Patala. Kaikasi was the daughter of Sumali. She wandered in the forest. She belong three boys through a great sage called Vishravassu. (Vishravassu had an earlier son called Vaishravana who became the richest among all people.) The eldest boy of Kaikasi was Ravana followed by Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.]

 

SCENE 1

When Ravana was a young boy (Kutti Ravana vesham), one day he was sleeping on his mothers lap in a place called madhuvanam. At that time Kaikasi sees Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (mythical aeroplane). She thinks “Oh, that is Vaishravana, technically a brother of my son who is sleeping on my lap. He is rich and strong. My son is so poor and weak. While thinking thus a drop of tear from her eyes drops on Ravana’s face. Ravana suddenly wakes up and sees his mother crying. When he knew the reason he could not bear it. He says he is going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that he will be strong and rich.

 

SCENE 2

(The tapas itself is shown as a part of autobiographical narration of adult ravana)

 

Ravana (adult Ravana, not kutti Ravana) is sitting on a stool. He thinks “Why am I so happy? How did I become so rich and strong? Oh yes. It is because of the tapas I did. What made me do the tapas? When I was a young boy, one day I was sleeping on my mother’s lap in a place called Madhuvanam. A drop of tear from her eyes falls on my face. I asked her why she was crying. She said she saw Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (plane). She told me Vaishravan was a brother of mine now flying in a plane. He is rich and strong. I am so poor and weak. When I heard this comparison between me and my brother, I could not bear it. I am going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that I will be strong and rich.

 

I made five different types of fires (while doing tapas gods are approached through Agni the god of fire). Then I started my tapas. I asked my brothers to stand guard and also keep the fires burning. Then I fully concentrated on tapas. Time passed but Brahma did not appear. I looked. Why is Brahma not appearing? I doubled my concentration. Time passed. Brahma is not appearing. Still not appearing? I cut one of my heads and put it in the fire. Waited, Brahma did not come. One more head rolls. Still no Brahma comes. Heads roll and roll. No Brahma. Only one head is left. First I thought of stopping my tapas. But no! Never! That will be an insult to me and my family. It is better to die than stop. Also when I die Brahma will be judged as being partial. With great determination I swung the sword at my last neck, when, lo and behold, suddenly Brahma appeared and caught my hand. I looked at him with still un-subsided, but gradually subsiding anger. Brahma asked me what boons I wanted. I asked for a boon that I should win all the worlds and have all the wealth and fame and that I should not be killed except by man. I also asked him to give boons for my brothers.

 

In the next scene Ravana asks Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana what boons they got. Unfortunately Kumbhakarna’s tongue got twisted while asking for boon and he got ‘sleep’ instead of becoming the ‘king of gods’. Ravana laughed it off. As for Vibhishana, he being a bhaktha of Vishnu, asked for Vishnu’s blessings and got it. Ravana laughs it off and also decides to conquer all the worlds and starts preparing his grand army for the big conquest of the worlds.

 

[This method of presentation with a peculiar sequence has a tremendous dramatic affect. The main actor redoes a small part of what happened to kutti Ravana vesham, and this gives a view of the high contrast between the boy and the man Ravana. Similarly the presence of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana in the subsequent scene offers a good smile on the face of the viewer at the end of the play.]

 

KAILASA UDDHARANAM: RAVANA IN BALI VIJAYAM

[Background and Previous scene: After receiving the boons, and widening his kingdom in all directions, Ravana lives in Sri Lanka with great pomp and splendor. One day he sees Saint Narada approaching his palace singing songs in praise of him ‘Jaya jaya Ravana, Lanka Pathe’. Happily he receives Narada and seats him next to him. After telling Narada about the victory of his son Indrajith on Indra, Ravana tells Narada “Now there is nobody on earth or other worlds who can fight with me”. To this Narada replies “ Very true indeed, but there is one huge monkey called Bali who says he can defeat you. He even said that you are just like a blade of grass to him. Well let him say what he wants. You are unbeatable.” Then Narada says ‘let us go there and see him’. Both decide to go. But Ravana takes his famous sword called “Chandrahasam”. Then Narada asks the history of this sword. Ravana’s Attam Starts.]

 

Ravana says “I received this sword from Lord Siva. It happened thus. Once when I was conquering new places and expanding my empire I happened to be going across the Kailasa mountain. The plane got stuck on the mountain unable to move forward. I got down from the plane and looked at the mountain. (Looks from one end to the other first horizontally and then vertically.) So huge it was. Then I decided to lift it with my bare hand and keep it aside and move forward. I started sticking my hands under it one by one. Then I tried to lift it. It doesn’t move. I put more force and more force. It moved just a bit. I pushed harder and harder, slowly it started moving then again and again and it moved easily. Then I lifted it up with my hands and started juggling it (exaggeration evident).

 

“At that particular time Lord Siva was quarreling with his wife Parvathi. Why did they fight? The story is as follows. Parvathi had gone for enjoying swimming and bathing in some beautiful pond. At that time Siva opened his jata (disheveled long hair) and called Ganga for some entertainment after asking Ganapathi and Subramania to go for some errands. Somehow becoming suspicious, right at that time, Parvathi came back in a hurry with wet clothes and saw Siva with Ganga. Siva was wondering what to do and it was at that time that Ravana started lifting the Kailasa. When Kailasa started shaking Parvathi got scared and ran to Siva and hugged him. So the quarrel ended and Siva was happy. “As a reward Siva called me and gave me this famous Chandrahasa sword.”

 

Then Narada and Ravana leave to meet Bali. Ravana wanted to take the sword along with him, but Narada suggested that the sword is not required for teaching a lesson to Bali who is after all an unarmed monkey.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Location: East Elmhurst, Queens, NY

Copyright.

 

View from album.

 

Te Mania house, Conway Flat, Kaikoura, New Zealand.

Built 1937.

 

The Wilding family farm-house Te Mania, rural Conway Flats near the river mouth, south of Kaikoura, is a notable example of early modern New Zealand architecture. Influenced by Le Corbusier, and the Bauhaus. Architect Richard D. Harman of Christchurch. Built in 1937 of reinforced concrete in-situ. Clean lines, startling for the times, but practical and lasting; depending on advance and recess in balanced proportions. The plan was considered in advance for the time too, with spatial flow. The house has come to fit well with down-to-earth farming and became centre for its famous Angus beef stud. [300 hectare farm]. See also its likeness to other early modern examples by New Zealand architects, such as Connell's 1930 High and Over at Amersham, north of London: www.flickr.com/photos/peteshep/8177531255/in/album-721576... and John Anderson's Auckland Wharatane of 1928: www.flickr.com/photos/peteshep/7776625390/in/photolist-KV...

Architecturally, despite magazine stories, no "Deco" about it -- a misunderstanding of Modern.

It relies on its size, simple lines, frank concrete, and spatial rectilinear expression. It was softened by Virginia creeper as above; then green creeper was balanced with the Virginia.

  

[Conway Flat is a rural locality south of the Conway River mouth, 5+km south-east of Hundalee; Parnassus, Hurunui District.]

  

Fam. Asparagaceae

Subfam. Agavoideae

Probably a 'short-day' plant, it begins to bloom usually until September / October, never in the period from May to July! This year these starts to bloom very early! An flower initiation at this Yucca I never observed if was a day length 15 hours or a night length of less than 9 hours.

Yucca x vomerensis C. Sprenger in Cat., 1901

In his "Mitteilungen über meine Yucca-Hibriden und -Formen" (Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. Nr. 29: 119. 1920) he wrote:.

"Yucca aloifolia x gloriosa gave me a large number of seedlings, but among themselves mostly very consistent, so that one could call them without further ado, one and all as 'vomerensis'."

Yucca x glorifolia nom. nud.

(not an valid name, and there can be misunderstandings because also used for Y. gloriosa x recurvifolia hybrids)

In the Botany of the Bermudas by H. B. Small, 1913, is listed

Yucca Glorifolia. Linn. - but these is probably a possible reading error from Carl Linnaeus handwritten record in his Species Plantarum 1748!/

Similar forms are also called Yucca gloriosa 'aloifolia form'.

alainastruc.com/electricbrainshadows/

Not only I'm not stopping my photoblog but I'm launching a new one for my digital photos. I have an ambivalent relationship with digital but I decided to post the ones of Montreal I like. Some have been posted on flickr but there's also something like 40 ones I just forgot about or took recently.

The name of the blog comes from my misunderstanding of the chinese characters you need to say "digital pictures".

It was initially a little unnerving to see a panda grasp bamboo with as much dexterity as a primate. Though, as bears, giant pandas don't have opposable thumbs, the sesamoid bone of their forelimb palms has evolved into a pseudothumb giving them comparible grasping ability.

 

The Dujiangyan Panda Base and Center for Disease Control, operated by the Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Pandas (CCRCGP), occupies a semi-natural hillside location near Shiqiao Village, Qingchengshan in Dujiangyan county, near the Taoist holy mountain of Qīngchéngshān and 18 km from central Dujiangyan city.

 

A more visitor-friendly name is 'Dujiangyan Giant Panda Base'; it also seems to be known as 'Dujiangyan Panda Ark'.

 

The 51 ha centre (or is that just the visitor-accessible part?) has a specific focus on panda disease control, prevention and research. As such, the 'nursing home' works with sick or injured wild pandas and elderly or disabled captive pandas.

It also acts as quarantine for pandas leaving or entering China; if you've seen giant pandas anywhere else in the world, they either visited or will visit Dujiangyan Panda Base at some point, as the foreign-born cubs of Chinese-loaned pandas (i.e. all of them!) contractually must be returned to China and the breeding programme.

 

This doesn't mean that all the residents are ill or otherwise disabled – I wasn't aware of seeing any in such a condition. Many are entirely healthy, as the CCRCGP's disease-prevention initiative involves separating captive populations, containing any outbreaks to individual bases, and veterinary research also needs to study healthy individuals.

 

The world-famous Chengdu Panda Base (Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, CRBGPB) also has a Field Research Center in Dujiangyan county, seemingly known as Dujiangyan Panda Valley, where pandas are gradually reintroduced to the wild. To avoid misunderstanding: this isn't it.

Jealousy Misunderstanding Unjust resentment Prejudice etc...

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCMqcFAigRg

 

2x blended

 

We came up here at around 4PM as we anticipated a huge crowd at this spot. However there wasn’t much people who came here and it’s just a handful of us who here shooting there.

 

I guess there were some misunderstandings between us and one of the home owners. The Town Council sent a foreign worker up here and the foreign worker passed me his phone as he gestured for me to speak on the phone. The lady on the phone told us one of the residents called in and complained of obstructions on the corridor and she also enquired as to whether we have a permit from the town council for the shoot. I explained that the shoot wasn’t commercial in nature and that everything is for our private usage and that we’ll try not to be an obstruction. About two to three hours into the wait, four policemen showed up as one of the residents lodged a noise complain. The policeman told us our noise level isn’t excessive from his brief observations but nevertheless, told us to watch our noise level (protocol I guess). He then conversed with one of the home owners (I didn’t pay attention to their conversation) and after having my particulars and contact number, they promptly left.

 

There wasn’t much drama after that episode and I guess there’s some sort of misunderstanding between us and the home owner.

Please save my head, chick!

 

Good bye, weak wrapping!

Here is the best way to protect your doll's head.

Please save my head, chick!

Try it now!

 

For large dolls (8~10 inch)

For mini dolls (7~8 inch)

For tiny dolls (6~7 inch)

 

The yellow beak on forehead helps protect the eyelash.

 

Chick - USD 12

  

"Please save my head, chick!"

 

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Each item was done with utmost dedication and effort. :-)

  

German postcard. Film-Sterne, No. 536/4. Richard-Oswald-Film. Julius Spielmann in the German silent film Das Dreimäderlhaus (The House of Three Girls, Richard Oswald, Richard-Oswald-Film 1918), considered a lost film and dealing with the life of composer Franz Schubert (Julius Spielmann, the man with spectacles here). The woman could be Sybille Binder, who plays Schubert's love interest Hannerl.

 

Das Dreimäderlhaus was based on a homonymous operetta, first performed in 1916 and using Schubert's music, while successful operetta adaptations were made as Chanson d'amour (1921), Blossom Time (1921) and Lilac Time (1922). The story deals with the love affairs of the three daughters of court glassmaker Christian Tschöll with Schubert and his two friends. Under the lilac tree Tschöll agrees to the marriage of his three daughters with the three young men, but while Schuberts friends marry, a misunderstanding prevents marriage between Schubert and Hannerl (Sybille Binder). She marries baron Schobert, against whose maneuvers his girlfriend Grisi (Anita Berber) warns. Hannerl instead thinks Grisi warns against Schubert, so she marries Schober instead, and Schubert is left alone.

 

On the last Friday of each month the Edinburgh Bookshop in Bruntsfield holds a Speakeasy night, with an author talk but also serving up gin and tonics and letting readers and writers socialise.

 

The March event this evening saw Simon Beattie giving a talk about Friedo Lampe's At the Edge of Night, which he translated, then doing a reading from the book. Lampe was a writer, librarian and publisher in Germany, he was also disabled and gay. He survived the evils of the Nazi regime (although his home was bombed and his precious lifetime book collection destroyed), only to be shot in a tragic misunderstanding by Soviet soldiers as the war was ending.

 

We were also treated to music and poetry from the fabulous Macsonnetries, with flautist Graham Dickson and poet Petra Reid. Graham started by playing some beautiful pieces by Bach, which feature in Lampe's novel, then he and Petra performed music and poetry together.

 

At one point a woman walked past outside the window, and her wee girl, maybe about eight years old, just stopped, her face lit up, utterly entranced by stumbling across this music, it was gorgeous to see her experiencing a little moment of unexpected magic. Terrific evening.

 

www.edinburghbookshop.com/

 

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.

It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn't matter much to me.

Let me take you down, 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever."

 

The Kinks x cybercar4u x The Beatles

. . . all these photos are not done in a photo studio - they are snap shots during the Kathakali Dance Show on the stage!

________________________________________

 

Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി, kathakaḷi; Sanskrit: कथाकळिः, kathākaḷiḥ) is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

 

HISTORY

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'.

 

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called 'Manipravaalam'), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

 

As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to Nritham, Nrithyam and Natyam.

 

KATHAKALI PLAYS

Traditionally there are 101 classical Kathakali stories, though the commonly staged among them these days total less than one-third that number. Almost all of them were initially composed to last a whole night. Nowadays, there is increasing popularity for concise, or oftener select, versions of stories so as the performance lasts not more than three to four hours from evening. Thus, many stories find stage presentation in parts rather than totality. And the selection is based on criteria like choreographical beauty, thematic relevance/popularity or their melodramatic elements. Kathakali is a classical art form, but it can be appreciated also by novices—all contributed by the elegant looks of its character, their abstract movement and its synchronisation with the musical notes and rhythmic beats. And, in any case, the folk elements too continue to exist. For better appreciation, perhaps, it is still good to have an idea of the story being enacted.

 

The most popular stories enacted are Nalacharitham (a story from the Mahabharata), Duryodhana Vadham (focusing on the Mahabharata war after profiling the build-up to it), Kalyanasougandhikam, (the story of Bhima going to get flowers for his wife Panchali), Keechakavadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali, but this time during their stint in disguise), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight, from the Mahabharata), Karnashapatham (another story from the Mahabharata), Nizhalkuthu and Bhadrakalivijayam authored by Pannisseri Nanu Pillai. Also staged frequently include stories like Kuchelavrittam, Santanagopalam, Balivijayam, Dakshayagam, Rugminiswayamvaram, Kalakeyavadham, Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Poothanamoksham, Subhadraharanam, Balivadham, Rugmangadacharitam, Ravanolbhavam, Narakasuravadham, Uttaraswayamvaram, Harishchandracharitam, Kacha-Devayani and Kamsavadham.

 

Recently, as part of attempts to further popularise the art, stories from other cultures and mythologies, such as those of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, Homer's Iliad, and William Shakespeare's King Lear and Julius Caesar besides Goethe's Faust too have been adapted into Kathakali scripts and on to its stage. Synopsis of 37 kathakali stories are available in kathakalinews.com.

 

MUSIC

The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam. Though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtone-heavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is known as the Sopanam style. This typically Kerala style of rendition takes its roots from the temple songs which used to be sung (continues even now at several temples) at the time when Kathakali was born.

 

As with the acting style, Kathakali music also has singers from the northern and southern schools. The northern style has largely been groomed by Kerala Kalamandalam in the 20th century. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, an overarching Kathakali musician of those times, was a product of the institute. His prominent disciples include Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup, Kalamandalam Gangadharan, Kalamandalam P.G. Radhakrishnan, Rama Varrier, Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri, Tirur Nambissan, Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali, Kalamandalam Haridas, Subramanian, Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan and Kalamandalam Bhavadasan. The other prominent musicians of the north feature Kottakkal Vasu Nedungadi, Kottakkal Parameswaran Namboodiri, Kottakkal P.D. Narayanan Namboodiri, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kalamandalam Anantha NarayananKalamandalam Sreekumar Palanad Divakaran, Kalanilayam Rajendran, Kolathappilli Narayanan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri, Kottakkal Madhu, Kalamandalam Babu Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Harish and Kalamandalam Vinod. In the south, some of whom are equally popular in the north these days, include Pathiyur Sankarankutty. Southerner musicians of the older generation include Cherthala Thankappa Panikker, Thakazhi Kuttan Pillai, Cherthala Kuttappa Kurup, Thanneermukkam Viswambharan and Mudakkal Gopinathan.

 

PERFORMANCE

Traditionally, a Kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning. Nowadays it isn't difficult to see performances as short as three hours or fewer. Kathakali is usually performed in front of the huge Kalivilakku (kali meaning dance; vilakku meaning lamp) with its thick wick sunk till the neck in coconut oil. Traditionally, this lamp used to provide sole light when the plays used to be performed inside temples, palaces or abodes houses of nobles and aristocrats. Enactment of a play by actors takes place to the accompaniment of music (geetha) and instruments (vadya). The percussion instruments used are chenda, maddalam (both of which underwent revolutionary changes in their aesthetics with the contributions of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval and Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval) and, at times, edakka. In addition, the singers (the lead singer is called “ponnani” and his follower is called “singidi”) use chengila (gong made of bell metal, which can be struck with a wooden stick) and ilathalam (a pair of cymbals). The lead singer in some sense uses the Chengala to conduct the Vadyam and Geetha components, just as a conductor uses his wand in western classical music. A distinguishing characteristic of this art form is that the actors never speak but use hand gestures, expressions and rhythmic dancing instead of dialogue (but for a couple of rare characters).

 

ACTING

A Kathakali actor uses immense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from regimented training based on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for his demanding role. The training can often last for 8–10 years, and is intensive. In Kathakali, the story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures) and by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra (the tome that deals with the science of expressions) and are classified into nine as in most Indian classical art forms. Dancers also undergo special practice sessions to learn control of their eye movements.

 

There are 24 basic mudras—the permutation and combination of which would add up a chunk of the hand gestures in vogue today. Each can again can be classified into 'Samaana-mudras'(one mudra symbolising two entities) or misra-mudras (both the hands are used to show these mudras). The mudras are a form of sign language used to tell the story.

 

The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' (Navarasas in anglicised form) (literal translation: Nine Tastes, but more loosely translated as nine feelings or expressions) which are Sringaram (amour), Hasyam (ridicule, humour), Bhayanakam (fear), Karunam (pathos), Roudram (anger, wrath), Veeram (valour), Beebhatsam (disgust), Adbhutam (wonder, amazement), Shantam (tranquility, peace). The link at the end of the page gives more details on Navarasas.

 

One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Most often, the make-up can be classified into five basic sets namely Pachcha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku. The differences between these sets lie in the predominant colours that are applied on the face. Pachcha (meaning green) has green as the dominant colour and is used to portray noble male characters who are said to have a mixture of "Satvik" (pious) and "Rajasik" (dark; Rajas = darkness) nature. Rajasik characters having an evil streak ("tamasic"= evil) -- all the same they are anti-heroes in the play (such as the demon king Ravana) -- and portrayed with streaks of red in a green-painted face. Excessively evil characters such as demons (totally tamasic) have a predominantly red make-up and a red beard. They are called Red Beard (Red Beard). Tamasic characters such as uncivilised hunters and woodsmen are represented with a predominantly black make-up base and a black beard and are called black beard (meaning black beard). Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces and this semi-realistic category forms the fifth class. In addition, there are modifications of the five basic sets described above such as Vella Thadi (white beard) used to depict Hanuman (the Monkey-God) and Pazhuppu, which is majorly used for Lord Shiva and Balabhadra.

 

NOTABLE TRAINING CENTRES & MASTERS

Kathakali artistes need assiduous grooming for almost a decade's time, and most masters are products of accomplished institutions that give a minimum training course of half-a-dozen years. The leading Kathakali schools (some of them started during the pre-Independent era India) are Kerala Kalamandalam (located in Cheruthuruthy near Shoranur), PSV Natya Sangham (located in Kottakal near Kozhikode), Sadanam Kathakali and Classical Arts Academy (or Gandhi Seva Sadan located in Perur near Ottappalam in Palakkad), Unnayi Varier Smaraka Kalanilayam (located in Irinjalakuda south of Thrissur), Margi in Thiruvananthapuram, Muthappan Kaliyogam at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district and RLV School at Tripunithura off Kochi and Kalabharathi at Pakalkkuri near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Sandarshan Kathakali Kendram in Ambalapuzha and Vellinazhi Nanu Nair Smaraka Kalakendra in Kuruvattor. Outside Kerala, Kathakali is being taught at the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi, Santiniketan at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, Kalakshetra in Chennai and Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad among others. PadmaSree Guru Chengannur Raman Pillai mostly known as 'Guru Chengannur'was running a traditional Gurukula Style approach to propagate Kathakali.

 

‘Guru Chengannur” is ever renowned as the Sovereign Guru of Kathakali. His precision in using symbols, gestures and steps were highest in the field of Kathakali. Guru Chegannur's kaththi vesham, especially the portrayal of Duryodhana enthralled the audience every time he performed. A master of the art, he found immense happiness and satisfaction in the success and recognition of his disciples.

 

Senior Kathakali exponents of today include Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, Sadanam Krishnankutty, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, FACT Padmanabhan, Kottakkal Chandrasekharan, Margi Vijayakumar, Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair, Vazhenkada Vijayan, Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai, Kalamandalam Kuttan, Mayyanad Kesavan Namboodiri, Mathur Govindan Kutty, Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri, Chavara Parukutty, Thonnakkal Peethambaran, Sadanam Balakrishnan, Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan, Chirakkara Madhavankutty, Sadanam K. Harikumaran, Thalavadi Aravindan, Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Pariyanampatta Divakaran, Kottakkal Kesavan, Kalanilayam Gopi and Kudamaloor Muralikrishnan. The late titan actor-dancers of Kathakali's modern age (say, since the 1930s) include Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Chandu Panicker, Thakazhi Guru Kunchu Kurup, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair, Kurichi Kunhan Panikkar, Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, Padma Shri Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair, Mankulam Vishnu Namboodiri, Oyur Kochu Govinda Pillai, Vellinezhi Nanu Nair, Padma Shri Kavungal Chathunni Panikkar, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Kottakkal Sivaraman, Kannan Pattali, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair, Haripad Ramakrishna Pillai, Champakkulam Pachu Pillai, Chennithala Chellappan Pillai, Guru Mampuzha Madhava Panicker, and Vaikkom Karunakaran.

 

Kathakali is still hugely a male domain but, since the 1970s, females too have made entry into the art form on a recognisable scale. The central Kerala temple town of Tripunithura has, in fact, a ladies troupe (with members belonging to several part of the state) that performs Kathakali, by and large in Travancore.

 

KATHAKALI STYLES

Known as Sampradäyaṃ(Malayalam: സമ്പ്രദായം); these are leading Kathakali styles that differ from each other in subtleties like choreographic profile, position of hand gestures and stress on dance than drama and vice versa. Some of the major original kathakali styles included:

 

Vettathu Sampradayam

Kalladikkodan Sampradyam

Kaplingadu Sampradayam

 

Of late, these have narrowed down to the northern (Kalluvazhi) and southern (Thekkan) styles. It was largely developed by the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon (1881-1949) that is implemented in Kerala Kalamandalam (though it has also a department that teaches the southern style), Sadanam, RLV and Kottakkal. Margi has its training largely based on the Thekkan style, known for its stress on drama and part-realistic techniques. Kalanilayam, effectively, churns out students with a mix of both styles.

 

OTHER FORMS OD DANCE & OFFSHOOTS

Kerala Natanam is a kind of dance form, partly based on Kathakali techniques and aesthetics, developed and stylised by the late dancer Guru Gopinath in the mid-20th century. Kathakali also finds portrayal in Malayalam feature films like Vanaprastham, Parinayam, Marattam, and Rangam. Besides documentary films have also been shot on Kathakali artistes like Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi and Kottakkal Sivaraman.

 

As for fictional literature, Kathakali finds mention in several Malayalam short stories like Karmen (by N.S. Madhavan) and novels like Keshabharam (by P.V. Sreevalsan). Even the Indo-Anglian work like Arundhati Roy's Booker prize-winning The God of Small Things has a chapter on Kathakali, while, of late, Anita Nair's novel, Mistress, is entirely wrapped in the ethos of Kathakali.

 

Similar musical theater is popular in Kasaragod and the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, viz. Yakshagana. Though Yakshagana resembles Kathakali in terms of its costume and makeup to an extent, Yakshagana is markedly different from Kathakali as it involves dialogues and method acting also the narration is in Kannada, wherein philosophical debates are also possible within framework of the character. As per records the art form of Yakshagana was already rooted and well established at the time of Sri Manavedan Raja. There is possibilities of its significant influence in formation of Kathakkali as the troupe of performers of "Krishnanattam" designed the basic costume of the art form already established in other parts of south India including Males playing the female roles (until more recently).

 

Kottayam thamburan's way of presenting kathakali was later known as Kalladikkoden sambradayam. Chathu Paniker,the introducer of Kallikkoden Sambrathayam, stayed in Kottayam for five years with Kottayam Thamburan's residence and practiced Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam. Then he returned to his home place. After a short period Chathu Paniker reached Pulapatta as instructed by Kuthiravattath nair. That was around the year ME 865. Many deciples from Kadathanadu, Kurumbra nadu, Vettathu nadu, Palakkadu and Perumpadappu studied kathakali(Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam ) By that time Chathu Paniker was an old man. Some years later he died from Pulapatta.

 

NOTED KATHAKALI VILLAGES & BELTS

There are certain pockets in Kerala that have given birth to many Kathakali artistes over the years. If they can be called Kathakali villages (or some of them, these days, towns), here are some of them: Vellinezhi, Kuruvattoor, Karalmanna, Cherpulassery, Kothachira, peringode, sreekrishnapuram Kongad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, Vazhenkada in Malappuram district, Thichur or Tichoor, Guruvayur, Thiruvilwamala and Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Tripunithura, Edappally, Thekkan Chittoor in Ernakulam district and Kuttanad, Harippad belt in Alappuzha district besides places in and around Thiruvanathapuram in south Travancore and Payyannur in north Malabar.

 

AWARDS FOR KATHAKALI ARTISTS

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees - Kathakali (1956–2005)

Nambeesan Smaraka Awards—For artistic performances related kathakali{1992-2008}

 

KATHAKALI ATTAMS (ELAKI ATTAMS)

Attams or more specifically "elaki attams" are sequences of acting within a story acted out with the help of mudras without support from vocal music. The actor has the freedom to change the script to suit his own individual preferences. The actor will be supported ably by Chenda, Maddalam, and Elathalam (compulsory), Chengila (not very compulsory).

 

The following are only some examples. 'Kailasa Udharanam' and 'Tapas Attam' are very important attams and these are described at the end. Two of the many references are Kathakali Prakaram, pages 95 to 142 by Pannisheri Nanu Pillai and Kathakaliyile Manodharmangal by Chavara Appukuttan Pillai.

 

VANA VARNANA: BHIMA IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKA

Modern man looks at the forest, indeed the birthplace of primates, with a certain wonder and a certain respect. Kathakali characters are no exception.

 

When Pandavas were living in the forest, one day, a flower, not seen before, wafted by the wind, comes and falls at the feet of Panchali. Exhilarated by its beauty and smell, Panchali asks Bhima to bring her more such flowers. To her pleasure Bhima is ready to go at once. But Panchali asks him what he shall do for food and drink on the way. Bhima thinks and says "Food and Drink! Oh, this side glance (look) of yours. This look of longing. This look of anticipation. The very thought fills me up. I don't need any food and drink at all. Let me go." He takes his mace and off he goes. Ulsaham (enthusiasm) is his Sdhayi Bhavam (permanent feature).

 

"Let me go at once in search of this flower," says Bhima. "The scented wind is blowing from the southern side. Let me go that way." After walking some distance he sees a huge mountain called Gandhamadana and three ways. He decides to take the middle one which goes over the mountain. After going further "The forest is getting thicker. Big trees, big branches in all directions. The forest looks like a huge dark vessel into which even light can not penetrate. This is my (Bhima's) way. Nothing can hinder me." So saying he pulls down many trees. Sometimes he shatters the trees with his mace. Suddenly he sees an elephant. "Oh! Elephant." He describes it. Its trunk. Sharp ears.

 

The itching sensation in the body. It takes some mud and throws on the body. Oh good. Then it sucks water and throws on the body. Somewhat better. Slowly it starts dosing even though alert at times. A very huge python is approaching steadily. Suddenly it catches hold of the elephant's hind leg. The elephant wakes up and tries to disengage the python. The python pulls to one side. The elephant kicks and drags to the other side. This goes on for some time. Bhima looks to the other side where a hungry lion is looking for food. It comes running and strikes the elephants head and eats part of the brain and goes off. The python completes the rest. "Oh my god, how ruthless!" says Bhima and proceeds on his way.

 

UDYANA VARNANA: NALA IN NALACHARITHAM SECOND DAY

Descriptions of gardens are found in most dance forms of India and abroad. These are also common in Kathakali.

 

Newly married Nala and Damayanthi are walking in the garden. When Nala was lovingly looking at Damayanthi a flower falls on her. Nala is overjoyed and thinks that this is a kindness nature has shown on his wife. Nala says "On seeing the arrival of their queen, the trees and climbers are showing happiness by dropping flowers on you." He tells her, "See that tree. When I used to be alone the tree used to hug the climber and seemingly laugh at my condition." Then he looks at the tree and says, "Dear Tree, look at me now. See how fortunate I am with my beautiful wife."

 

Both wander about. A bumblebee flies towards Damayanthi. Immediately Nala protects her face with a kerchief. He looks at the bee and then at Damayanthi. He says, "On seeing your face the bee thought it was a flower and came to drink the nectar." Nala and Damayanthi listen to the sounds coming out of the garden. Damayanti says, "It appears that the whole garden is thrilled. The flowers are blooming and smiling. Cuckoos are singing and the bees are dancing. Gentle winds are blowing and rubbing against our bodies. How beautiful the whole garden looks." Then Nala says that the sun is going down and it is time for them to go back and takes her away.

 

SHABDA VARNANA: HANUMAN IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKAM

While Bhima goes in search of the flower, here Hanuman is sitting doing Tapas with mind concentrated on Sri Rama.

 

When he hears the terrible noises made by Bhima in the forest he feels disturbed in doing his Tapas. He thinks "What is the reason for this?" Then the sounds become bigger. "What is this?" He thinks, "The sounds are getting bigger. Such a terrible noise. Is the sea coming up thinking that the time is ripe for the great deluge (Pralaya). Birds are flying helter-skelter. Trees look shocked. Even Kali Yuga is not here. Then what is it? Are mountains quarreling with each other? No, That can't be it. Indra had cut off the wings of mountains so that they don't quarrel. Is the sea changing its position? No it can't be. The sea has promised it will not change its position again. It can't break the promise." Hanuman starts looking for clues. "I see elephants and lions running in fear of somebody. Oh a huge man is coming this way. Oh, a hero is coming. He is pulling out trees and throwing it here and there. Okay. Let him come near, We will see."

 

THANDEDATTAM: RAVANA IN BALI VADHAM

After his theranottam Ravana is seen sitting on a stool. He says to himself "I am enjoying a lot of happiness. What is the reason for this?" Thinks. "Yes I know it. I did Tapas to Brahma and received all necessary boons. Afterwards I won all ten directions. I also defeated my elder brother Vaishravana. Then I lifted Kailas mountain when Siva and Parvathi were having a misunderstanding. Parvathi got frightened and embraced Siva in fear. Siva was so happy he gave a divine sword called Chandrahasa. Now the whole world is afraid of me. That is why I am enjoying so much happiness." He goes and sits on the stool. He looks far away. "Who is coming from a distance. he is coming fast. Oh, it is Akamba. Okay. Let me find out what news he has for me."

 

ASHRAMA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KIRATHAM

Arjuna wants to do Tapas to Lord Siva and he is looking a suitable place in the Himalayan slopes. He comes to place where there is an ashram. Arjuna looks closely at the place. "Oh. What a beautiful place this is. A small river in which a very pure water is flowing. Some hermits are taking baths in the river. Some hermits are standing in the water and doing Tapsas. Some are facing the Sun. Some are standing in between five fires." Arjuna salutes the hermits from far. He says to himself "Look at this young one of a deer. It is looking for its mother. It seems to be hungry and thirsty. Nearby a female tiger is feeding its young ones. The little deer goes towards the tigress and pushes the young tiger cubs aside and starts drinking milk from the tigress. The tigress looks lovingly at the young deer and even licks its body as if it were its own child. How beautiful. How fulfilling."

 

Again he looks "Here on this side a mongoose and a serpent forgetting their enmity are hugging each other. This place is really strange and made divine by saints and hermits. Let me start my Tapas somewhere nearby."

 

A sloka called "Shikhini Shalabha" can be selected instead of the above if time permits.

 

AN ATTAM BASED ON A SLOKA

Sansrit slokas are sometimes shown in mudras and it has a pleasing and exhilarating effect. Different actors use slokas as per his own taste and liking. However, the slokas are taught to students during their training period. An example is given below.

 

Kusumo Kusumolpatti Shrooyathena Chathushyathe

Bale thava Mukhambuje Pashya Neelolpaladwayam

 

Meaning a flower blooming inside another flower is not known to history. But, my dear, in your lotus like face are seen two blue Neelolpala flowers (eyes).

 

A CONVERSATION BASED ON A SLOKA

Sanskrit slokas can also be used to express an intent. One such example is a sloka used by Arjuna addressed to Mathali the charioteer in Kalakeya Vadham. Sloka:

Pitha: Kushalee Mama hritha Bhujaam

Naatha Sachee Vallabha:

Maatha: kim nu Pralomacha Kushalinee

Soonurjayanthasthayo

Preethim va Kushchate Thadikshnavidhow

Cheta Samutkanuthe

Sutha: tvam Radhamashu Chodaya vayam

Dharmadivam Mathala

 

Meaning: The husband of Indrani and the lord of gods my father - Is he in good health? His son Jayantha - Is he strictly following the commands of his father? Oh, I am impatient to see all of them.

 

SWARGA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KELAKEYA VADHAM

Arjuna goes to heaven on the invitation of his father, Indra. After taking permission from Indrani he goes out to see all the places in Swarga. First he sees a building, his father's palace. It is so huge with four entrances. It is made of materials superior to gold and jewels of the world. Then he goes ahead and sees Iravatha. Here he describes it as a huge elephant with four horns. He is afraid to touch it. Then he thinks that animals in Swarga can't be cruel like in the world and so thinking he goes and touches and salutes Iravatha. He describes the churning of the white sea by gods and demons with many details and how Iravatha also came out of the white sea due to this churning.

 

He walks on and sees his father's (Indra's) horse. It is described as being white and its mane is sizzling like the waves of the white sea from which it came. He touches and salutes the horse also. Then he goes to see the river of the sky (or milky way). He sees many birds by this river and how the birds fly and play is shown.

 

Then he sees the heavenly ladies. Some are collecting flowers, and one of them comes late and asks for some flowers for making garland. The others refuse. She goes to the Kalpa Vriksha and says "please give me some flowers." Immediately a shower of flowers occurs which she collects in her clothes and goes to make garlands chiding the others. "See... I also got flowers." After this he sees the music and dance of the heavenly ladies. First it starts with the adjustments of instruments Thamburu, Mridangam, Veena. Then the actual music starts along with the striking of cymbals. Then two or three types of dances are shown. Then comes juggling of balls. It is described by a sloka thus:

 

Ekopi Thraya Iva Bhathi Kandukoyam

 

Kanthayaa: Karathala Raktharaktha:

Abhrastho Nayanamareechi Neelaneelo

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'. Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called ), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience. As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to

Bhumau Talcharana Naghamshu Gaurgaura:

 

Meaning One ball looks like three balls. When it is in the hands of the juggler, it takes the redness of the hands, when it goes up it takes the blueness of the eyes, when it strikes the ground it becomes white from the whiteness of the leg nails. Once a juggled ball falls down. Then she, the juggler, somehow manages to proceed and remarks "See.. how I can do it".

 

At one time a garment slips from a lady's body and she adjusts the cloth showing shameful shyness (Lajja). Then the ladies go in for a Kummi dance. As Arjuna was enjoying this dance, suddenly somebody calls him. Arjuna feels scared. "Oh God, where am I?" he says and beats a hasty retreat.

 

TAPAS ATTAM: RAVANA IN RAVANA ULBHAVAM

[Background: Mali, Sumali and Malyavan were three brothers ruling Sri Lanka. During a war between them and Indra, Indra requested help from Lord Vishnu and as a consequence Lord Vishnu killed Mali. Sumali and Malyavan escaped to Patala. Kaikasi was the daughter of Sumali. She wandered in the forest. She belong three boys through a great sage called Vishravassu. (Vishravassu had an earlier son called Vaishravana who became the richest among all people.) The eldest boy of Kaikasi was Ravana followed by Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.]

 

SCENE 1

When Ravana was a young boy (Kutti Ravana vesham), one day he was sleeping on his mothers lap in a place called madhuvanam. At that time Kaikasi sees Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (mythical aeroplane). She thinks “Oh, that is Vaishravana, technically a brother of my son who is sleeping on my lap. He is rich and strong. My son is so poor and weak. While thinking thus a drop of tear from her eyes drops on Ravana’s face. Ravana suddenly wakes up and sees his mother crying. When he knew the reason he could not bear it. He says he is going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that he will be strong and rich.

 

SCENE 2

(The tapas itself is shown as a part of autobiographical narration of adult ravana)

 

Ravana (adult Ravana, not kutti Ravana) is sitting on a stool. He thinks “Why am I so happy? How did I become so rich and strong? Oh yes. It is because of the tapas I did. What made me do the tapas? When I was a young boy, one day I was sleeping on my mother’s lap in a place called Madhuvanam. A drop of tear from her eyes falls on my face. I asked her why she was crying. She said she saw Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (plane). She told me Vaishravan was a brother of mine now flying in a plane. He is rich and strong. I am so poor and weak. When I heard this comparison between me and my brother, I could not bear it. I am going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that I will be strong and rich.

 

I made five different types of fires (while doing tapas gods are approached through Agni the god of fire). Then I started my tapas. I asked my brothers to stand guard and also keep the fires burning. Then I fully concentrated on tapas. Time passed but Brahma did not appear. I looked. Why is Brahma not appearing? I doubled my concentration. Time passed. Brahma is not appearing. Still not appearing? I cut one of my heads and put it in the fire. Waited, Brahma did not come. One more head rolls. Still no Brahma comes. Heads roll and roll. No Brahma. Only one head is left. First I thought of stopping my tapas. But no! Never! That will be an insult to me and my family. It is better to die than stop. Also when I die Brahma will be judged as being partial. With great determination I swung the sword at my last neck, when, lo and behold, suddenly Brahma appeared and caught my hand. I looked at him with still un-subsided, but gradually subsiding anger. Brahma asked me what boons I wanted. I asked for a boon that I should win all the worlds and have all the wealth and fame and that I should not be killed except by man. I also asked him to give boons for my brothers.

 

In the next scene Ravana asks Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana what boons they got. Unfortunately Kumbhakarna’s tongue got twisted while asking for boon and he got ‘sleep’ instead of becoming the ‘king of gods’. Ravana laughed it off. As for Vibhishana, he being a bhaktha of Vishnu, asked for Vishnu’s blessings and got it. Ravana laughs it off and also decides to conquer all the worlds and starts preparing his grand army for the big conquest of the worlds.

 

[This method of presentation with a peculiar sequence has a tremendous dramatic affect. The main actor redoes a small part of what happened to kutti Ravana vesham, and this gives a view of the high contrast between the boy and the man Ravana. Similarly the presence of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana in the subsequent scene offers a good smile on the face of the viewer at the end of the play.]

 

KAILASA UDDHARANAM: RAVANA IN BALI VIJAYAM

[Background and Previous scene: After receiving the boons, and widening his kingdom in all directions, Ravana lives in Sri Lanka with great pomp and splendor. One day he sees Saint Narada approaching his palace singing songs in praise of him ‘Jaya jaya Ravana, Lanka Pathe’. Happily he receives Narada and seats him next to him. After telling Narada about the victory of his son Indrajith on Indra, Ravana tells Narada “Now there is nobody on earth or other worlds who can fight with me”. To this Narada replies “ Very true indeed, but there is one huge monkey called Bali who says he can defeat you. He even said that you are just like a blade of grass to him. Well let him say what he wants. You are unbeatable.” Then Narada says ‘let us go there and see him’. Both decide to go. But Ravana takes his famous sword called “Chandrahasam”. Then Narada asks the history of this sword. Ravana’s Attam Starts.]

 

Ravana says “I received this sword from Lord Siva. It happened thus. Once when I was conquering new places and expanding my empire I happened to be going across the Kailasa mountain. The plane got stuck on the mountain unable to move forward. I got down from the plane and looked at the mountain. (Looks from one end to the other first horizontally and then vertically.) So huge it was. Then I decided to lift it with my bare hand and keep it aside and move forward. I started sticking my hands under it one by one. Then I tried to lift it. It doesn’t move. I put more force and more force. It moved just a bit. I pushed harder and harder, slowly it started moving then again and again and it moved easily. Then I lifted it up with my hands and started juggling it (exaggeration evident).

 

“At that particular time Lord Siva was quarreling with his wife Parvathi. Why did they fight? The story is as follows. Parvathi had gone for enjoying swimming and bathing in some beautiful pond. At that time Siva opened his jata (disheveled long hair) and called Ganga for some entertainment after asking Ganapathi and Subramania to go for some errands. Somehow becoming suspicious, right at that time, Parvathi came back in a hurry with wet clothes and saw Siva with Ganga. Siva was wondering what to do and it was at that time that Ravana started lifting the Kailasa. When Kailasa started shaking Parvathi got scared and ran to Siva and hugged him. So the quarrel ended and Siva was happy. “As a reward Siva called me and gave me this famous Chandrahasa sword.”

 

Then Narada and Ravana leave to meet Bali. Ravana wanted to take the sword along with him, but Narada suggested that the sword is not required for teaching a lesson to Bali who is after all an unarmed monkey.

 

WIKIPEDIA

"Love is not about possession or property. Love is no prison where two people are each other’s slaves. Love is not a commodity, either. Love is not capitalist, it is revolutionary. If anything, true love shows you the way to selflessness."

 

www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/the-locks-on-pa...

FangruidaWorks：

 

Fangruida's natural philosophy: super-spinning super-rotating cosmic structural system and multi-dimensional multi-directionality of natural philosophy. The original theory of "three sexes" (intensive reading)

************************************************** *****************************************

(Original: Fangruida May 2012 in Athens, Bonn, London, revised finalized in New York)

Edit Translation: Cole Susan 2012 electronic version 2012V1.1 version

************************************************** ****************************************

Key words: ██ Multidimensionality of philosophy

█ The three principles of philosophy

● Three-dimensional multidimensional theory

Absolute relativity of the natural world

Abstract macro concrete microscopic concrete macro abstract ultramicro

The breadth and limitations of human wisdom

Natural Revolution, Cosmic Revolution and Social Revolution

Assimilation or alienation of super-smart humans and super-bio-smart players

The end of life, the multi-spin system of the universe

The structure of thinking: convergence and divergence

The chemical abundance of the universe, homogeneity, heterogeneity

Substance-Species-Organics-Inorganics Life Macromolecules Life and Wisdom Human Life ▲▲

  

Philosophy and history

Studying world history, studying human history, including natural science research, such as the structure and evolution of the universe, the ultra-microsystems of particles, the evolution of life, the future of the universe, the developmental variation of the human world and the future, etc., are a big end. The philosophical thoughts, the colorful flowers, can be described as colorful and magnificent. History of philosophy, history of thought, history of civilization, history of religion, and various research works are full of enthusiasm. Masters of world philosophy, masters of thought, and masters of science have left us with an extremely precious cultural heritage, which is worthy of repeated study and in-depth study. For example, the question of thinking and existence, consciousness and material as the source: cosmic structure, particle structure, origin of life, the future of man and the universe, the society of the planet and the universe, the end of the universe and humanity, the pioneering and limitations of science and technology Sex, human brain thinking structure and highly intelligent biological robots, the existence and destruction of the Earth and the solar system, the large-scale structure of the universe and the homogeneity of the universe, the advanced intelligent animals and life macromolecules, matter and species, the space and time of the universe, black holes And dark matter, big bang and steady state, initial, normal ground state and final state, super-spin and super-spin, classical mechanics and quantum mechanics, evolutionary structure of human society, and so on. Of course, philosophy and natural science and technology are inseparable. Here we mainly discuss natural philosophy. Therefore, there are not many discussions on physical mechanics, etc., mainly in the basic categories of philosophy and natural philosophy. Natural science research papers refer to the author's related works.

  

The history of world philosophy and the history of thought have an extremely important position and extremely important guiding role in human history. With the rapid development of modern science and technology, with the substantial growth and leap of the world economy, the development of human society and new Civilized rationality has reached a new milestone. Economic history, civilization history, social history, political history, military history, cultural history, religious history, intellectual history, philosophy history, and history of the universe are very grand and complex. Here, we mainly study and discuss the history of human understanding, the history of thought, and the history of philosophy. . The big end, the clear veins and trajectories of the world, all kinds of doctrines, all kinds of academics, all kinds of thoughts, various schools, flowers and flowers, quite new. Of course, it is not possible to talk about things, but to involve in-depth research and exploration in the field of natural science and technology, as well as other important areas of research, in order to profoundly understand and understand, what is the great revolution of modern philosophy. Otherwise, there is no way to talk about it, or to go biased and extreme. Western philosophy, Eastern philosophy, religious philosophy, etc.

European Philosophy and Western Philosophy

Ancient Greek philosophy school

The early four universities in ancient Greece were the Ionian, Pythagoras, Elia, and the elemental school; the late four-school school: the cynicism school, the Stoic school, the Epicurean school, New Platon School

 

Ionian

 

Miletus School

(Thales, etc.) (to attribute the world to a specific phenomenon or substance of nature, such as water and gas)

Pythagoras School

(Pythagoras) (everything is counted)

Heraclitus

(The universe is a changing fire, dominated by logos (laws))

Democritus

(propose atomism)

Elijah

(Parmenid) (the origin of all things, is the eternal "consciousness of existence", denying change and movement

Socrates

(emphasizes access to knowledge by introspection)

Plato

(The concrete behind everything is the eternal prototype concept)

Aristotle

(The distinction between material and form, the universe consists of five elements: earth, water, gas, fire, and ether, presenting the existence of the first promoter "God", etc., the most comprehensive early philosophy)

Neo-Platonicism

(Protino) ("Taiyi" is the foundation of the world, rational laws, souls, and specific things are too super-existing)

Epicurean school

(Ibi-Ji-lu) (everything and soul are atoms, happiness is the purpose of life)

Cynic school

(Diogenes) (contempt for external utilitarianism, advocates poverty-stricken life)

Stoia

(Marco Aurelius, Abigail Ted) (emphasis on the "goodness" and "de" of human beings, advocating obedience to fate while grasping self)

Medieval Christian philosophy

Augustine

(In the philosophical theory to explain the existence of God, the Trinity, the salvation of the soul)

(Scholastic philosophy)

Aristotle

(Thomas Aquinas) (using Aristotle's rational philosophy to explain the nature, existence, virtue of God)

Willism

(Scott) (with the natural will as the cause of the world movement, the source is God)

Aokangism

(

Modern western philosophy

Early natural philosophy

(Bacon, Da Vinci, Newton and many other scientists, philosophical theorists) (proposes experimental observation-based science to support the theory of interpretation of nature)

Rationalism (rationalism)

(Descartes) (I think so I am, the ultimate source of knowledge is God, material and soul are parallel to each other)

(Spennosha) (emphasizing thinking/concepts and prolongation/substance are two different manifestations of the infinite God, one for the inner and one for the external)

(Leibnitz) (The world consists of consecutive "singles" of nature, including spirit and matter)

Empiricism (empiricalism)

(Locke) (Experience is the only source of knowledge, matter has the first nature and the second nature, the former is in the object itself, and the latter is the product of perception)

(Hume) (Initial perception is the only source of knowledge, time and space are both products of perception)

(Beckley) (The existence is self-perception, and the perception of the whole world is God) (German classical philosophy)

Transcendental idealism

(Kant) (Knowledge originally originated from the inexpressible "object self", which became a formable knowledge or concept/phenomenon after the subject's subjective norms of time, space and causality were recognized.

Absolute idealism

(Ficht) (Experience knowledge is the absolute self in the depths of consciousness, produced by constantly setting non-I, grasping non-I)

(Xie Lin) (Nature gradually self-awake, develops into a self-consciousness that opposes objective nature, and then returns self-consciousness to nature, and will eventually reach the absolute same with objective nature, that is, it can sense its absolute reality)

(Hegel) (ideal dialectics, objective idealism, the world is on the one hand, the evolution of objective existential history, and on the other hand, the continuous leap of subjective consciousness from sensibility to rationality, when realizing the development of self-awareness When the development of objective existence, you reach the absolute truth of God)

Young Hegelian

(Feuerbach) (materialism, pointing out that God is the externalization of the essence of human pursuit, admiring "love") (practical materialism, emphasizing the decisive role of practical labor, so that nature presents objective laws in front of human beings.

Modern western philosophy

Early irrationalism

(Kerkegaard) (denying that people have the essence of fixed unity, emphasizing the contingency and freedom of individual existence, this is the road to God, the pioneer of existentialism)

Voluntarism

(Schopenhauer) (The ontology of the world is the natural will without cause and effect, time and space, causality is the result of rational understanding of the will, and life is endless because of the endless desire and hindrance of desire)

(Nietzsche) (Destiny is controlled by oneself, not the norm of God, so it advocates the "power will" of the weak meat)

Philosophy of life

(Borgsen, Dilthey) (The world is the "stretching" and evolution of "the stream of life" in time)

New hegelism

(Bradley) (Development of Absolute Ideal Dialectics)

Neo-Kantianism

(Cohen, Cassirer) (a product of the combination of transcendental idealism and scientific philosophy, but denying the existence of self-physical independence from consciousness)

utilitarianism

(Bentham, Mill) (Social behavior is actually pursuing the maximization of personal happiness)

pragmatism

(James, Dewey) (The premise that things become the object of knowledge is its practicality. Only through human pursuit and experimentation can the truth be obtained)

Early analytic philosophy

(Freig, Russell, Wittgenstein) (Proposing logical ontology, the ontology of the world is not a separate entity, but an interrelated logical relationship)

Post-analytic philosophy

(Wittgenstein, Strawson, Rorty, etc.) (I believe that the emergence of philosophical problems is the result of misunderstanding of everyday language, and advocates the analysis of semantics to achieve the essential relationship between language and reality)

Falsificationist philosophy of science

(Popper) (Rejecting science can reach absolute truth, proposing three worlds - the material world, the spiritual world, the conceptual world)

Historic philosophy of science

(Kun, Feyerabend) (opposing the pure logic of separation from practice as a way of expressing the world, while emphasizing the accumulation of scientific experience in history)

Freudianism

(Floyd) (emphasizing the decisive role of subconsciousness and sexual desire on individual behavior, dreams, civilized activities, etc. are the result of subconsciousness being suppressed by external morality and disguised at the level of consciousness)

Western Marxism

The Frankfurt School (Marcuse, Habermas) (in Marx's dialectics, Freud's instinct, focuses on the enslavement and alienation of material civilization, advocates changing the social interaction model, and alleviates capitalism Social crisis)

Phenomenology / European Philosophy

(Husser) (Proposed a phenomenological approach, advocating returning to the matter itself, and studying the constructive role of consciousness in knowledge)

Existentialism

(Heidegger, Sartre, Coronation, etc.) (emphasizing the existence of the individual's pre-reflective consciousness in the world is the source of all knowledge. The existence of human beings is different from the existence of objects. The existence of human beings is free, not being Fully prescribed - existence precedes essence

Hermeneutics

(Gadamer, Derrida) (Thinking that the study of history cannot be reduced to historical facts, but the dialogue between modern perspectives and historical relics)

Structuralism

(Sausul, Artusai, Strauss, Lacan) (proposes the study of the overall structure of the various knowledge systems, and emphasizes the a priori and permanence of this structure, it is the correct research system Premise of each element)

Deconstruction

(Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze) (denying the existence of a unified knowledge structure, critical reason loses the richness of the world while unilaterally pursuing the essence, and believes that the relationship between man and the world, author and reader is not the relationship between subject and object. , but the dialogue between the subjects, affirming the diversity of ideas)

Essentials of philosophy science

The history of world philosophy, the history of world science and technology, the history of world social development, and the history of European and American philosophy all have brilliant historical memories.

Thales (about 585 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, was honored as the ancestor of Western philosophy from Aristotle.

 

Heracletitos (about 504-501 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, one of the founders of dialectics.

 

Parmenides (in the year 504-501 BC), the founder of the ancient Greek philosopher, ontology (ontology).

Demokritos (about 420 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, founder of atomism.

 

Socrates (468-399 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher.

 

Platon (427-347 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, with dialogues such as "Socratic Defence", "Ideology", "Barmenid", "The Wise", etc. Works.

 

Aristotles, Plato's students, Greek philosophers, encyclopedic philosophers, founders of many disciplines, masterpieces "Tools", "Physics", "metaphysics", "Nico Marco's Ethics, Political Science.

  

Lucretius (b.c.99-55) Ancient Roman materialist philosopher. I believe that everything is made up of atoms. The atom is infinitely moving in the universe and is infinite. It advocates atheism. The main work: "The Theory of Physical Property."

 

Aurelius Augustinus (354-430 AD), the greatest representative of the medieval godfather philosophy, is entitled "Confessions" and "City of God."

 

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the greatest representative of the philosophy of the medieval scholasticism, with the book "Anti-Beast Encyclopedia" and "Theological Encyclopedia"

(Thomas Aquinas) (using Aristotle's rational philosophy to explain the nature, existence, virtue of God)

Willism

(Scott) (with the natural will as the cause of the world movement, the source is God)

Aokangism

(

Modern western philosophy

Early natural philosophy

(Bacon, Da Vinci, Newton and many other scientists, philosophical theorists) (proposes experimental observation-based science to support the theory of interpretation of nature)

Rationalism (rationalism)

(Descartes) (I think so I am, the ultimate source of knowledge is God, material and soul are parallel to each other)

(Spennosha) (emphasizing thinking/concepts and prolongation/substance are two different manifestations of the infinite God, one for the inner and one for the external)

(Leibnitz) (The world consists of consecutive "singles" of nature, including spirit and matter)

Empiricism (empiricalism)

(Locke) (Experience is the only source of knowledge, matter has the first nature and the second nature, the former is in the object itself, and the latter is the product of perception)

(Hume) (Initial perception is the only source of knowledge, time and space are both products of perception)

(Beckley) (The existence is self-perception, and the perception of the whole world is God) (German classical philosophy)

Transcendental idealism

(Kant) (Knowledge originally originated from the inexpressible "object self", which became a formable knowledge or concept/phenomenon after the subject's subjective norms of time, space and causality were recognized.

Absolute idealism

(Ficht) (Experience knowledge is the absolute self in the depths of consciousness, produced by constantly setting non-I, grasping non-I)

(Xie Lin) (Nature gradually self-awake, develops into a self-consciousness that opposes objective nature, and then returns self-consciousness to nature, and will eventually reach the absolute same with objective nature, that is, it can sense its absolute reality)

(Hegel) (ideal dialectics, objective idealism, the world is on the one hand, the evolution of objective existential history, and on the other hand, the continuous leap of subjective consciousness from sensibility to rationality, when realizing the development of self-awareness When the development of objective existence, you reach the absolute truth of God)

Young Hegelian

(Feuerbach) (materialism, pointing out that God is the externalization of the essence of human pursuit, admiring "love") (practical materialism, emphasizing the decisive role of practical labor, so that nature presents objective laws in front of human beings.

Modern western philosophy

Early irrationalism

(Kerkegaard) (denying that people have the essence of fixed unity, emphasizing the contingency and freedom of individual existence, this is the road to God, the pioneer of existentialism)

Voluntarism

(Schopenhauer) (The ontology of the world is the natural will without cause and effect, time and space, causality is the result of rational understanding of the will, and life is endless because of the endless desire and hindrance of desire)

(Nietzsche) (Destiny is controlled by oneself, not the norm of God, so it advocates the "power will" of the weak meat)

Philosophy of life

(Borgsen, Dilthey) (The world is the "stretching" and evolution of "the stream of life" in time)

New hegelism

(Bradley) (Development of Absolute Ideal Dialectics)

Neo-Kantianism

(Cohen, Cassirer) (a product of the combination of transcendental idealism and scientific philosophy, but denying the existence of self-physical independence from consciousness)

utilitarianism

(Bentham, Mill) (Social behavior is actually pursuing the maximization of personal happiness)

pragmatism

(James, Dewey) (The premise that things become the object of knowledge is its practicality. Only through human pursuit and experimentation can the truth be obtained)

Early analytic philosophy

(Freig, Russell, Wittgenstein) (Proposing logical ontology, the ontology of the world is not a separate entity, but an interrelated logical relationship)

Post-analytic philosophy

(Wittgenstein, Strawson, Rorty, etc.) (I believe that the emergence of philosophical problems is the result of misunderstanding of everyday language, and advocates the analysis of semantics to achieve the essential relationship between language and reality)

Falsificationist philosophy of science

(Popper) (Rejecting science can reach absolute truth, proposing three worlds - the material world, the spiritual world, the conceptual world)

Historic philosophy of science

(Kun, Feyerabend) (opposing the pure logic of separation from practice as a way of expressing the world, while emphasizing the accumulation of scientific experience in history)

Freudianism

(Floyd) (emphasizing the decisive role of subconsciousness and sexual desire on individual behavior, dreams, civilized activities, etc. are the result of subconsciousness being suppressed by external morality and disguised at the level of consciousness)

Western Marxism

The Frankfurt School (Marcuse, Habermas) (in Marx's dialectics, Freud's instinct, focuses on the enslavement and alienation of material civilization, advocates changing the social interaction model, and alleviates capitalism Social crisis)

Phenomenology / European Philosophy

(Husser) (Proposed a phenomenological approach, advocating returning to the matter itself, and studying the constructive role of consciousness in knowledge)

Existentialism

(Heidegger, Sartre, Coronation, etc.) (emphasizing the existence of the individual's pre-reflective consciousness in the world is the source of all knowledge. The existence of human beings is different from the existence of objects. The existence of human beings is free, not being Fully prescribed - existence precedes essence

Hermeneutics

(Gadamer, Derrida) (Thinking that the study of history cannot be reduced to historical facts, but the dialogue between modern perspectives and historical relics)

Structuralism

(Sausul, Artusai, Strauss, Lacan) (proposes the study of the overall structure of the various knowledge systems, and emphasizes the a priori and permanence of this structure, it is the correct research system Premise of each element)

Deconstruction

(Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze) (denying the existence of a unified knowledge structure, critical reason loses the richness of the world while unilaterally pursuing the essence, and believes that the relationship between man and the world, author and reader is not the relationship between subject and object. , but the dialogue between the subjects, affirming the diversity of ideas)

Essentials of philosophy science

The history of world philosophy, the history of world science and technology, the history of world social development, and the history of European and American philosophy all have brilliant historical memories.

Thales (about 585 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, was honored as the ancestor of Western philosophy from Aristotle.

 

Heracletitos (about 504-501 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, one of the founders of dialectics.

 

Parmenides (in the year 504-501 BC), the founder of the ancient Greek philosopher, ontology (ontology).

Demokritos (about 420 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, founder of atomism.

 

Socrates (468-399 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher.

 

Platon (427-347 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, with dialogues such as "Socratic Defence", "Ideology", "Barmenid", "The Wise", etc. Works.

 

Aristotles, Plato's students, Greek philosophers, encyclopedic philosophers, founders of many disciplines, masterpieces "Tools", "Physics", "metaphysics", "Nico Marco's Ethics, Political Science.

  

Lucretius (b.c.99-55) Ancient Roman materialist philosopher. I believe that everything is made up of atoms. The atom is infinitely moving in the universe and is infinite. It advocates atheism. The main work: "The Theory of Physical Property."

 

Aurelius Augustinus (354-430 AD), the greatest representative of the medieval godfather philosophy, is entitled "Confessions" and "City of God."

 

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the greatest representative of the philosophy of the medieval scholasticism, is entitled "Anti-Beast Encyclopedia" and "Theological Encyclopedia".

 

Bruno (1548-1600) Italian materialist philosopher and natural scientist. Propagating Copernicus's heliocentric theory, that the universe has no center, the sun is just an ordinary planet, the solar system is just a celestial system, and matter is the common common essence of all things in the universe. The main work: "On the reasons, the essence and one."

 

Hobbes (1588-1679) was a British materialist philosopher who used to be the secretary and assistant of Bacon. He systematically embodies Bacon's philosophical ideas and advocates the use of mechanics and mathematics to illustrate the world. He is the founder of mechanical materialism. The main works: "On matter", "On the people."

 

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), the ancestor of British empiricism, and the "New Tools".

 

René Descartes (1596-1650), French philosopher, founder of modern philosophy, the founder of the theory, is the "Method Discussion", "The First Philosophical Contemplation", "Philosophy Principles".

 

Benedicus de Spinoza (1632-1677), a Dutch philosopher, one of the main representatives of the theory, with "Ethics" and so on.

 

John Locke (1632-1704), one of the main representatives of British empiricism, is entitled "The Theory of Human Reason."

 

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of the theory, is entitled "Single Theory" and "New Theory of Human Reason."

 

George Berkeley (1685-1753), one of the main representatives of British empiricism, is entitled "The Principles of Human Knowledge."

 

David Hume (1711-1776), one of the main representatives of British empiricism, is entitled "The Theory of Human Nature" and "The Study of Human Reason."

 

Montesquieu (1689-1755), a French enlightenment thinker, with the Persian Letters and The Spirit of the Law.

 

Voltaire (1694-1778), a French enlightenment thinker, and author of "Philosophy Communication."

 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), a French enlightenment thinker, entitled "The Origin and Foundation of Human Inequality", "Social Contract Theory", "Emil", and "Confessions".

  

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the founder of German classical philosophy, is entitled "Critique of Pure Reason", "Critique of Practical Reason" and "Critique of Judgment".

 

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), a master of German classical philosophy, is known for his dialectic in the world, and he is the author of "Psychophenomenology", "Logic" and "Philosophy of Philosophy".

 

Auguste Comte (1798-1857), French philosopher, founder of positivism, and the "Experimental Philosophy Course".

 

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), British philosopher, one of the representatives of positivism, is entitled "Conde and positivism", "system of logic", "utilitarianism".

 

"Arther Schopenhauer (1788-1860), a German philosopher, a voluntarist, has a "world of will and appearance."

 

Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 - 1883, 3, 1)

 

Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Law (1843), on Jewish Nationality (1843), Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 (1844), Feuerbach (1845), Poverty of Philosophy (1845), Employment Labor With Capital (1847), Louis Bonaparte's Misty Moon 18th (1852), Capital Theory Volume 2 (1893), Capital Theory Volume III (1894), etc.

  

William James (1842-1910), an American philosopher, one of the main representatives of pragmatism, is the "Psychology Principles", "Pragmatism", "Complete Empiricism Proceedings".

 

Friedrich Willhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), a German philosopher, with "The Other Side of Good and Evil", "Zarathustra", "Strong Will".

  

Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913), a Swiss linguist, founder of structuralism, and a course in General Linguistics.

 

Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), German philosopher, founder of phenomenology, with "Logical Studies", "Phenomenon of Phenomenology", "The Contemplation of Descartes" and "The Crisis of European Science and Transcendental Phenomenology, etc.

 

Sigmund Freud (1865-1939), an Austrian psychologist, founder of the psychoanalytic school, with "An Analysis of Dreams" and "Introduction to Psychoanalysis."

 

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) British philosopher and educator wrote "The History of Western Philosophy", "Education", "Philosophy Problems", etc., won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950.

  

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), German philosopher, founder of existential philosophy, with "Existence and Time", "Introduction to Metaphysics", "Lin Zhong Lu" and so on.

 

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), one of the founders of Austrian-American philosophy, linguistic philosophy or analytic philosophy, is the author of The Philosophy of Logic and Philosophical Studies.

 

Rudolf Carnap (1891-1970), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of logical positivism, is entitled "The Logical Structure of the World" and "The Logical Syntax of Language."

Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976) is a British philosopher, one of the representatives of the everyday language school, and has the concept of "heart".

 

Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-), the German philosopher, the founder of philosophical hermeneutics, is the author of The Truth and Method.

 

Max Horkheimer (1895-1973), a German philosopher and founder of the Frankfurt School, is the author of Critical Theory, Research in Social Philosophy, and Dialectics of Enlightenment (co-authored with Adorno).

 

Theoder Wiesengrund Adorno (1903-1969), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of the Frankfurt School, is entitled "Negative Dialectics".

 

Herbert Marcuse (1895-1979), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of the Frankfurt School, with "Ration and Revolution", "Eros and

Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980), a French philosopher, one of the main representatives of existentialism, with "existence and nothingness", "existentialism is a kind of humanitarianism" and "criticism of dialectical reason".

 

Claude Levi-Strauss (1908-), French philosopher, anthropologist, one of the main representatives of structuralism, is entitled "Structural Anthropology" and "Wild Thinking."

 

Willard van Orman Quine (1908-), one of the main representatives of analytic philosophy, "from a logical point of view", "logic philosophy."

 

Tomas Kuhn (1922-), an American scientific philosopher, a historian of science, a representative of the Historic School, and the "Structure of the Scientific Revolution" and "Necessary Tension."

  

Michel Foucault (1926-1984), a French philosopher, one of the main representatives of post-structuralism and post-modernism, is entitled "Knowledge Archaeology", "Discipline and Punishment" and so on.

 

Jacques Derrida (1931-), a French philosopher, one of the main representatives of postmodernism, with "writing and difference", "casting", "the edge of philosophy", "the ghost of Marx" and so on.

 

Richard. M. Rorty (1931-), an American philosopher, one of the representatives of post-modern philosophy, is the Mirror of Philosophy and Nature and Post-Philosophy Culture.

 

Fredric Jamason (1931-), an American philosopher and literary critic, one of the main representatives of postmodernism, is entitled "Marxism and Form", "Political Unconsciousness", and "Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism".

  

John Rawls (1921-), an American political philosopher, is the author of The Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism.

 

Robert Nozick (1938-), an American political philosopher, is entitled "Anarchy, State, and Utopia."

 

Western philosophy European and American philosophy has a huge influence on the world. Of course, philosophy and thought are often inseparable. Philosophers also mean thinkers.

 

Philosophers, thinkers, schools of thought, and main ideology

  

Ancient Greek period: 7th century BC - 2nd century BC

Thales (about 624-about 547, the first philosopher of ancient Greece, the founder of the Miletus School)

Anaximandros (about 610-before 546, ancient Greek Miletus school materialist philosopher)

Anaximenes (about 588-about 525, ancient Greek Miletus school materialist philosopher)

Pythagoras (about 580 - about 500 before, ancient Greek mathematician, idealist philosopher)

Xenophanes (about 565-about 473, the ancient Greek philosopher, the first representative of the Elia school)

Herakleitos (between 540 and about 480 and 470 before, the ancient Greek materialist philosopher, the founder of the Efes school)

Kratylos (former fifth century, ancient Greek Efesian philosopher, Heraclitus student)

Parmenides (before the end of the sixth century - about the middle of the first half of the fifth century, the idealist philosopher of the Elia school of ancient Greece) Leukippos (about 500-about 440, the ancient Greek materialist philosopher , the atom said one of the founders)

Anaxagoras (about 500 before - 428 BC, ancient Greek materialist philosopher)

Zeno Eleates (about 490 - about 436 before, ancient Greek idealist philosopher, student of Parmenides) Empedokles (Em. 490 - about 430, Ancient Greek materialist philosopher, founder of rhetoric)

Gorgias (about 483 - about 375, the ancient Greek wise philosopher)

Protagoras (formerly 481-about 411, ancient Greek wise philosopher)

Socrates (formerly 469-before 399, ancient Greek idealist philosopher)

Demokratos (Demokritos, 460- 370 BC, ancient Greek materialist philosopher, and the founder of the atomic theory of Rebecca) Antisthenes (about 435-about 370, ancient Greece Philosopher, founder of the cynic school

Aristippos (about 435-front 360?, ancient Greek philosopher, founder of the Cyrene School, disciple of Socrates)

Plato (Plato, former 427-before 347, ancient Greek objective idealist philosopher, founder of the school, student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle) ​​- "Ideology", "politician", "Bammenides" and "Plato Dialogues"

Diogenes o Sinopeus (about 404-about 323, ancient Greek cynic philosopher)

Aristotles (Aristotles, 384- 322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher, scientist, Plato's student, Alexander the Great's teacher, the founder of the Happy School) - Metaphysics, Tool Theory, Nigma Ethics, Physics, Politics

, "The Complete Works of Aristotle"

Pyrrhon (about 365-about 275, ancient Greek philosopher, skeptic)

Epikouros (formerly 341-pre-270, ancient Greek materialist philosopher)

Zeno (Zionon Kitieus), about 336-about 264, founder of the ancient Greek Stoic school

 

Roman period: the second century BC - the fifth century AD

Cousero (Marcus Tullius Cicero, former 106-43, ancient Roman politician, eloquent, philosopher, philosophically representative of eclecticism)

Titus Lucretius Carus (about 99-about 55, ancient Roman poet, materialist philosopher) - "The Theory of Materiality"

  

Tertullianus (between 150 and 160 - about 222, one of the Christian godfathers)

Aurelius Augustinus (354-430, the Roman Empire Christian thinker, the main representative of the godfather philosophy) - "Confessions", "On Free Will", "The Monologue", "The City of God", "The Handbook of Doctrine"

Hypatia (about 370-about 415, female mathematician, astronomer, neo-Platonic philosopher of the Roman Empire)

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, 480-524 or 525, the idealist philosopher in late Roman times

Medieval: 5th century AD - end of the 14th century

Johannes Scotus Erigena (circa 810-877, a philosopher of the pre-European medieval scholasticism) - "On God's Presupposition", "On the Division of Nature"

Anselmus (1033-1109, a medieval Christian thinker in Europe, the main representative of realism, known as "the last godfather and the first scholastic philosopher")

Roscellinus (about 1050 - about 1112, medieval French philosopher, nominalist)

Guillaume de Champeaux (circa 1070-1121, medieval French philosopher, realist)

Abel (Petrus Abailardus, 1079-1142, philosopher of the medieval French Academy, "concept theory")

Albertus Magnus (1193 or 1206 or 1207-1280, Medieval German philosopher, theologian, Catholic Dominican monk)

Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274, Medieval Theologian and scholastic philosopher, Catholic Dominican Fellow) - Theological Encyclopedia and Anti-Beast Encyclopedia

Sigerus de Brantia (circa 1240-1281 to 1284, Netherland philosopher, Averroist)

Meister Johannes Eckhart (circa 1260-1327, medieval German theologian and mystic philosopher) Johannes Duns Scotus (circa 1265-1308, medieval Scottish scholastic philosopher, nominalist ) - "On Oxford", "Paris on"

William of Occam (or Ockham), about 1300 - about 1350, philosopher of the medieval Soviet scholastic philosopher, nominalist) Jan Hus (circa 1369-1415, Czech patriot and religious reformer)

Dante Alighièri (1265-1321, Italian poet.

Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374, Italian poet, one of the pioneers of humanism in the European Renaissance) - "Secret"

Geovanni Boccàccio (1313-1375, Italian writer of the Renaissance, one of the main representatives of humanism) - "Ten Days"

Paul (John Ball, ?-1381, British folk missionary, one of the leaders of the Wat Taylor Uprising)

John Wycliffe (circa 1320-1384, British, pioneer of the European Reformation Movement)

Nikola (Kusa's) (Nicolaus Cusanus, 1401-1464, Renaissance German philosopher, cardinal, pantheist)

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519, Renaissance Italian artist, natural scientist, engineer, philosopher)

Pietro Pomponazzi (1462-1524 or 1525, the Italian philosopher of the Renaissance, one of the main representatives of humanism)

Desiderius Erasmus (circa 1469-1536, the Renaissance Netherland humanist, formerly known as Gerhard Gerhards, born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands) - "The Fools"

Thomas More (1478-1535, Renaissance British Utopian Communist)

Martin Luther (1483-1546, the founder of the 16th century German Reformation, Christian (Protestant) Road

 

Thomas Münzer (about 1490-1525, leader of the German peasant war of 1524-1525, German peasant and religious reformer of urban civilians)

Calvin (1509-1564, French, European Reformer, founder of Christian Calvin) - "On Benevolence", "Christian Essentials", "Faith Guide", "Christian Masterpieces Integration", From the Renaissance to the Selected Works of Humanitarian Humanity in the 19th Century by Bourgeois Literati Artists, Selected Works of Western Ethical Masterpieces, and History of Medieval Philosophy in Western Europe (Bernardino Telesio, 1509-1588, Renaissance Italy philosopher)

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592, a translation of Montagne, French thinkers and prose writers during the Renaissance) - "Meng Tian Wenxuan"

Pierre Charron (1541-1603, French philosopher of the Renaissance)

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600, Italian philosopher of the Renaissance) - "On Reason, Primitive and Taiyi", "On Infinity, Universe and Worlds", "Basting the Beast", "On Heroic Passion" 》

Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639, Renaissance Italian Utopian Communist)

Jakob B?hme, 1575-1624, Renaissance German mystic philosopher

Grouseus (Hugo Grotius, 1583-1645, Dutch bourgeois jurist, early theorist of the natural law school, studied law, theology, history, literature, and natural sciences, with international law Research is well known)

Lucilio Vanini (1584-1619, Italian philosopher of the Renaissance)

 

Francis Bacon (1561-1626, "-"Chongxue", "New Tools", "Bacon's Anthology", "New Daxi"

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679, British materialist philosopher) - "Leviathan", "On Objects", "On Man", "On Freedom, Inevitability and Accident"

Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655, a translation of garrison, French materialist philosopher, physicist, astronomer) Descartes (1596-1650, French philosopher, physicist, mathematician) , physiologist, founder of analytic geometry) - "Methodology", "The First Philosophical Contemplation", "Philosophical Principles", "On the Passion of the Soul"

Hendrik van Roy (French name Henri Le Roy, Latin name Henricus Regius, 1598-1679, Dutch doctor, philosopher, representative of early mechanical materialism)

Gerrard Winstanley (circa 1609-about 1652, the leader of the bourgeois revolutionary movement in the British bourgeois revolution, the imaginary communist)

John Lilburne (circa 1614-1657, petty bourgeois democrat of the British bourgeois revolution, average leader)

Arnold Geulincx (1625-1669, the Dutch Descartes idealist philosopher, he and Malebranches are also called the causemen)

Spinoza (later renamed Benedictus) Spinoza, 1632-1677, Dutch materialist philosopher) - "Ethics", "Intellectual Improvement", "Theological Politics", "The Principles of Descartes"

Locke (John Locke, 1632-1704, British materialist philosopher) - "Human Understanding", "On the Government", "The Rationality of Christianity"

Nicolas Malebranche (1638-1715, French idealist philosopher) - "The Search for Truth", "Dialogue on Metaphysics"

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716, German natural scientist, mathematician, idealist philosopher) - "Theory of God", "New Theory of Human Reason", "Son Theory", "metaphysical conversation"

Pierre Bayle (1647-1706, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher) - "The Letter about Comet", "General Critique of the History of Calvinism" by Manbull, "Dictionary of Historical Criticism"

 

Christian Wolff (1679-1754, German idealist philosopher)

George Berkeley (1685-1753, British idealist philosopher) - "New Theory of Vision", "Principles of Human Knowledge" Charles Louis de Secondat Montesquieu (1689-1755, French Enlightenment Thinker, Jurist ) - "Persian Letters", "The Causes of the Rise and Fall of Rome", "The Spirit of the Law", "On the Interests of Nature and Art"

Voltaire (1694-1778, French enlightenment thinker, writer, philosopher. Formerly known as François Marie Arouet) - "Oedipus the King", "Philosophy Communication ", Metaphysics", "Philosophy Dictionary"

David Hartley (1705-1757, British materialist philosopher, one of the founders of the psychological association, the deism) Gabriel Bonnot de Mably, 1709-1785, French imaginary communist, Kong Brother of Diak

Ramien Offroy de La Mettrie (1709-1751, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher) - "Man is a machine", "The work of Penelope", "The soul Natural History, "Man is a plant"

Thomas Reid (1710-1796, British philosopher, founder of the Scottish school, the common sense school)

Lomonosov (Миxaил Вacильевич Ломoносοв1711-1765, Russian scholar, poet, founder of Russian materialistic philosophy and natural science)

Hume (David Hume, 1711-1776, British idealist philosopher, agnostic, historian, economist) - "The Theory of Human Nature", "Human Understanding", "Ethics and Politics"

Rousseau (Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1778, French enlightenment thinker, philosopher, educator, writer) - "Confessions", "Fashionable Muse", "Village Wizard", "On the Origin of Human Inequality" And Foundation, "Social Contract Theory", "Ai Mier" ("On Education")

Denis Diderot (1713-1784, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher, atheist, writer, editor-in-chief of Encyclopedia) - "Philosophy of Thought", "Stroll of Skeptics", "For The letter of the blind person, the book on the book of deaf and dumb, the interpretation of nature, the conversation of D'Alembert and Diderot, The Continuation of the Talk, The Deaf of Rama Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten (1714-1762, German philosopher, advocate of the Wolff philosophy system) Claude Adrien Helvétius (1715-1771, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher) - "On the spirit "On the rationality and education of human beings", "The Tablet of Love Knowledge", "The Tablet of Happiness", "The Tablet of Rational Pride and Laziness"

Etienne Bonnot de Condillac (1715-1780, French enlightenment thinker, sensory theorist, Marbury's brother) - "Sensory Theory", "The Origin of Human Knowledge", "System Theory"

Jean Le Rond d' Alembert (1717-1783, a translator of Lambert, French mathematician, enlightenment thinker, philosopher, former deputy editor of the Encyclopedia)

Paul Heinrich Dietrich d' Holbach (1723-1789, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher, atheist) - "Debunked Christianity", "Pocket Theology", "Sacred Plague", "Sound Thought, Natural System, Social System, Universal Ethics

Kanman (Immanuel Kant, 1724-1804, the founder of German classical idealism) - "Critique of Pure Reason", "Critique of Practical Reason", "Critique of Judgment", "Introduction to Future Metaphysics", "Principles of Moral Metaphysics", On Perpetual Peace and the Collection of Critical Criticism of History

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781, thinker, literary theorist, playwright of the German Enlightenment) Henry Dodwell (-1784, British deism)

Jean Baptiste René Robinet (1735-1820, French philosopher)

Jean Antoine Condorcet (1743-1794, French bourgeois revolutionary bourgeois theorist)

Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (1743-1819, German idealist philosopher)

Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803, German literary theorist, philosopher, arrogant movement (the theory of the German bourgeois literary movement in the 1970s and 1980s))

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832, British ethicist, jurist, main representative of bourgeois utilitarianism) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832, German poet, playwright, thinker)

William Godwin (1756-1836, British writer, social thinker, pastor, and later supported atheism and enlightenment)

Pierre Jean Georges Cabanis (1757-1808, French bourgeois revolutionary bourgeois theorist, physiologist, vulgar materialist)

 

Claude Henri de Saint-Simon, 1760-1825, French utopian socialist

Filippo Michele Buonarrotti (1761-1837, French imaginary communist. Originally from Italy, participated in the French Revolution of 1789, won the title of "Citizen of the French Republic")

Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814, German classical idealist philosopher) - "The Foundation of All Knowledge", "The Foundation of Natural Law under the Principles of Knowledge", "The Moral System under the Principles of Knowledge", "On the Mission of Scholars" and "The Mission of Man" Hegel (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, 1770-1831, the master of German classical idealism) - "Psychiatry Phenomenology", "Logic", "Little Logic" , Principles of Legal Philosophy, Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Nature, Philosophy of Spirit, Philosophy of Art, Lectures on History of Philosophy, Hegel Letters

Robert Owen (1771-1858, British Utopian Socialist)

Charles Fourier (1772-1837, French Utopian Socialist)

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (1775-1854, German idealist philosopher) - "Transcendental Idealism System", "On the World Soul"

Bernhard Bolzano (1781-1848, Czech mathematician, philosopher, logician)

Etienne Cabet (1788-1856, French Utopian Communist)

Schopenhauer (1788-1860, German idealist philosopher, voluntarist)

Victor Cousin (1792-1867, French idealist philosopher, professing his philosophical system as eclecticism)

Heinrich Heine (1797-1856, German poet, political commentator, thinker)

Auguste Comte (1798-1857, French positivist philosopher)

Théodore Dézamy (1803-1850, French Utopian Communist)

Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach (1804-1872, German materialist philosopher) - "The selection of Feuerbach's philosophical works", "The Essence of Christianity", "Critique of Hegel's Philosophy", "Principles of Future Philosophy" Herzen (1812-1870): "Nature Research Newsletter", "Scientific Tastes", "To Old Friends"

Louis Auguste Blanqui (1805-1881, French Revolutionary, Utopian Communist)

Max Stirner (1806-1856, Kaspar Schmidt's pseudonym, German idealist philosopher, one of the young Hegelian representatives, the so-called theorists, the anarchist's forerunner By)

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873, British idealist philosopher, economist, logician, son of James Muller)

Pierre Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865, French petty bourgeois economist and sociologist, one of the founders of anarchism)

Powell (Bruno Bauer, 1809-1882, German idealist philosopher, the main representative of the young Hegelian)

Belinsky (Виссарион Григорьевич Белинский,1811-1848, Russian revolutionary democrat, literary critic, philosopher) - "Selection of Bilinsky's Philosophical Works"

Jean Josehp Charles Louis Blanc (1811-1882, French petty bourgeois socialist, historian)

Herzen (Александр Иванович Герцен, 1812-1870, Russian revolutionary democrat, materialist philosopher, writer)

Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855, Danish idealist philosopher, his thought became one of the theoretical basis of modern bourgeois philosophical genre existentialism)

Rudolf Hermann Lotze (1817-1881, German idealist philosopher, professing his philosophy as "the teleological idealism")

Grünn (1817-1887, German petty bourgeois socialist)

Karl Vogt (1817-1895, German naturalist, vulgar materialist, professing his philosophy as "physiology

 

Marx (1818.5.5-1883.3.14, - "Capital", "Economic Manuscript", "The Outline of Feuerbach", "German Ideology"

Spencer (Herbert Spencer, 1820-1903, British sociologist, agnostic, idealist philosopher)

Jacob Moleschott (1822-1893, a Dutch physiologist, philosopher, one of the representatives of vulgar materialism) Ludwig Büchner (1824-1899, German doctor, one of vulgar materialist representatives)

Ferdinand Lassalle (1825-1864, leader of the opportunistic faction in the German workers' movement)

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895, British naturalist) - "Beautiful New World"

Friedrich überweg (1826-1871, German philosopher) - "Introduction to the History of Philosophy"

Friedrich Albert Lange (1828-1875, German idealist philosopher, early neo-Kantian) Joseph Dietzgen (1828-1888, German socialist writer and philosopher, tanner) Chernyshevsky (Николай Гаврилович Чернышевский,

1828-1889, Russian revolutionary democrats, materialist philosophers, literary critics, writers) - "The Aesthetic Relationship between Art and Reality", "An Overview of the Gothic Period in the Russian Literature Circle", "Philosophy Humanism Principles" 》

Hippolyte Adolphe Taine (1828-1893, a translation of Dana, French literary theorist, historian, one of the heirs of Conde's empirical philosophy)

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920, German psychologist, philosopher, one of the founders of structural psychology)

Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911, a German idealist philosopher who originally belonged to neo-Kantianism and later turned to philosophy of life)

Karl Eugen Dühring (1833-1921, German philosopher, vulgar economist)

Harris Torrey Harris (1835-1909, American educator, idealist philosopher, the earliest communicator of Hegelian philosophy in the United States)

Green Hill (Thomas Hill Green, 1836-1882, British idealist philosopher)

Wilhelm Schuppe (1836-1913, German idealist philosopher, founder of internalism)

Ernst Mach (1838-1916, Austrian physicist, idealist philosopher, one of the founders of empirical criticism) Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914, American idealist philosopher, founder of pragmatism)

James (William James, 1842-1910, American idealist philosopher, psychologist, pragmatist, founder of functional psychology)

Eduart Hartmann (1842-1906, German idealist philosopher)

Richard Avenarius (1843-1896, German subjective idealist philosopher, one of the founders of empirical criticism)

Nietzsche (Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German idealist philosopher, voluntarist)

Merlin (Franz Mehring, 1846-1919, one of the left-wing leaders of the German Social Democratic Party, political commentator, historian)

Francis Herbert Bradley (1846-1924, British idealist philosopher, new Hegelian) R (Rudolf Eucken, 1846-1926, German idealist philosopher)

Richard Schubert-Soldern (1852-1935, German idealist philosopher, representative of internalism

Karl Pearson (1857-1936, British idealist philosopher, mathematician, one of the advocates of eugenics) Samuel Alexander (1859-1938, British idealist philosopher, new realist)

Edmund Husserl (1859-1938, German idealist philosopher, founder of modern phenomenology)

Henri Bergson (1859-1941, French idealist philosopher, life philosophy and the main representative of modern irrationalism)

John Dewey (1859-1952, American idealist philosopher, sociologist, educator, pragmatist) Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947, British idealist philosopher, mathematician)

Josef Petzoldt (1862-1929, German idealist philosopher, empirical critic)Heinrich Rickert (1863-1936, German idealist philosopher, one of the main representatives of the New Kant's Freiburg School)

Ferdinand Canning Scott Schiller (1864-1937, British philosopher, pragmatist, called his pragmatic philosophy "humanism")

Benedetto Croce (1866-1952, a translation of Croce, Italian idealist philosopher, historian, new Hegelian)

Hans Driesch (1867-1941, German idealist philosopher, biologist, new vitalist)

 

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970, British idealist philosopher, mathematician, logician)

Bogdanov (Александр Александрович Богданов, 1873-1928, Russian idealist philosopher)

George Edward Moore (1873-1958, British idealist philosopher, one of the main representatives of the new realism)

Giovanni Gentile (1875-1944, Italian idealist philosopher, new Hegelian)

Oswald Spengler (1880-1936, German idealist philosopher, historian)

Deborin (Абрам Моиесевич Деборин, 1881-1963, Soviet philosopher,

Moritz Schlick (1882-1936, idealist philosopher, born in Germany, taught at the University of Vienna, Austria, one of the founders of the Vienna School, one of the founders of logical positivism)

Jalques Maritain (1882-1973, French theologian, idealist philosopher, main representative of new Thomasism) Karl Jaspers (1883-1969, German existentialist philosopher)

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951, Austrian idealist philosopher, logician. After Hitler annexed Austria in 1838, he entered British nationality and taught at Cambridge University)

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976, a German existentialist philosopher who served as university president and professor during Hitler's reign, and supported Nazism)

Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980, French existentialist philosopher.) - "Imagination", "Existence and Nihility", "Existentialism is a Humanism", "Critique of Dialectical Reason", Several Issues in Methodology

Beauvoir Simone de (1908-1986, French existentialist scholar, writer)

Merleau Ponty (1908-1961, French existentialist philosopher)

Of course, philosophy and religion, politics, literature, etc. are also closely related. If you want to know the avenue, you must know the history. Repeated reading of the history of philosophy, world history, benefited a lot, and imagination came together.

  

Eastern philosophy Arabic philosophy Indian philosophy

  

In the history of the world, the East and the Arab countries also have important status and influence. Countries such as India, China, and Arabia are particularly important.

The great wise man of life

(The legend is about 600 years ago - about 470 years ago), surnamed Li Ming Er, the word Bo Yang, Han nationality, Chu State Bian County, is a great ancient Chinese philosopher, thinker, Taoist school founder, and in the Valley It was written in the ethics of the Five Thousand Words.

 

Confucius

Confucius (September 28th, 551th to April 11th, 479th) Mingqiu, the word Zhongni, Lu Guoyu, Han nationality at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period. English: Confucius, Kung Tze. Confucius was a great educator and thinker in ancient China, the founder of the Confucian school, and a world cultural celebrity. Confucius's thoughts and doctrines have had a profound impact on later generations.

  

Zhuangzi (about 369 years ago - 286 years ago), Han nationality. A famous thinker, philosopher, and writer is the representative of the Taoist school, the successor and developer of Laozi's philosophy, and the founder of the pre-Qin Zhuangzi school. His doctrine covers all aspects of social life at that time, but the fundamental spirit is still dependent on Laozi's philosophy. Later generations will call him and Laozi "Laozhuang", and their philosophy is "Lao Zhuang philosophy."

 

Mencius, the pioneer of the people-oriented thinking

Mencius (from 372 to 289) Han nationality, Zoucheng, Shandong. The great thinker of ancient China. One of the representative figures of Confucianism during the Warring States Period. He is the author of "Meng Zi", a collection of essays. "The Book of Mencius" is a compilation of Mencius's remarks, written by Mencius and his disciples, and records the Confucian classics of Mencius' words and deeds.

 

Xunzi (Xunzi 313 years ago - 238 years ago), the name of the famous thinker, writer, politician, representative of the Confucian school, - Han Fei, Li Si is his disciple.

  

Dong Zhongshu (before 179~104), Dong Zi, Han Dynasty thinker, politician. Great contribution to the orthodox status of Confucianism. It is a thinker of the Western Han Dynasty who is advancing with the times. He is a famous idealist philosopher in the Western Han Dynasty and a master of modern Chinese studies. When Emperor Jingdi was a Ph.D., he taught "The Ram Spring and Autumn." In the first year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (134 BC), Dong Zhongshu put forward the basic points of his philosophical system in the famous "Measures for Raising the Virtue," and suggested that "the slogan of 100 schools and the unique Confucianism" should be adopted by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Later generations have different opinions on this.

 

Master of Science

Zhu Xi was a master of Song's agency studies. He inherited the science of Cheng Song and Cheng Wei of the Northern Song Dynasty and completed the system of objective idealism. It is said that reason is the essence of the world, "reasonable first, gas is behind", and puts forward "preserving the heavens, destroying human desires." Zhu Xi has a profound knowledge of the study of Confucian classics, history, literature, music, and even the natural sciences.

 

The development of Indian philosophy can be roughly divided into ancient philosophy (about 3000 BC ~ 750 AD), medieval philosophy (750 to 18th century AD), modern philosophy (about 18th century to 1947), modern philosophy (after 1947) ) Four periods.

 

Ancient

India has emerged as the bud of the worldview in the era of the Rigveda in the end of the original commune. After entering the slavery society, it began to form a systematic philosophy. The earliest philosophical book "The Upanishads."

 

middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, religion dominated, and the philosophy of the ruling class was included in the Hindu theology system. India traditionally recognized the Vatican’s authoritative figures, the Yoga School, the Victory School, the Orthodox School, and the Vedanta School. The Six-sect philosophy, such as the Miman sentiment, is called the orthodox school, and the Shunshi, Buddhism, Jainism, etc., which deny the authority of the Vedic, are called unorthodox.

  

Islam Arabia

 

The main differences between the Moor Taiqilai and the Hadith in philosophy are: the nature of Allah and the relationship between Allah and the world. MooreThe Taiqilai faction denies that Allah has all kinds of unfounded virtues such as knowledge, energy, sight, hearing, speech, life, etc., because these are considered to be the beginning of virtue and the personalization of Allah, and the true The uniqueness is incompatible; the Hadith is recognized as the virtue of Allah. Secondly, the debate about "freedom of will" and "pre-determination", that is, the relationship between man and Allah, the Hadith believes that the good and evil of man is the premise of Allah, and the act of man is created by Allah. The Moor Taiqilai faction believes that people have unlimited freedom of will, and that human behavior is created by themselves. Allah is rewarded and punished according to his good and evil, thus proving that Allah is fair.

 

After the 10th century, the Sunni philosophical system, the "New Kailam", the doctrine of Islam, was formed. The founder, Ashley, and his disciples reconciled the doctrines of “pre-determination” and “freedom of will”, emphasizing the all-powerfulness of Allah, and there is no causal connection between all things in the world, created by Allah. They try to show that all actions of human beings are determined by Allah, but people have the ability to "reach" their own actions, so people are responsible for their actions before Allah. The faction was supported by the ruling class and was regarded as an orthodox official creed.

Philosophy-theologians and their schools In the 9th and 12th centuries, there were numerous famous philosophers in the vast areas under the caliphate state, and there were also groups and factions of philosophers. These philosophers and factions, called "Hokma" by the Arabs, formed the main body of Arab medieval philosophy at that time, divided into two things, centered on Baghdad and Córdoba. Many of these philosophers are engaged in secular affairs (doctors, natural scientists, etc.), attaching importance to empirical knowledge and emphasizing theoretical understanding. Although they still have not got rid of the control of orthodox theology, they have largely accepted the influence of Greek-Roman philosophy, especially Aristotle and Neo-Platonicism and Eastern traditional ideas.

The philosopher Lacy and the sincere brothers. They attempted to reconcile Greek natural philosophy (including mathematics, astronomy, astrology, music, alchemy, medicine, etc.) and Islamic teachings to create a religious philosophy. Lacy's medical theory begins with the recognition of the close connection between the body and the soul, asserting that matter is eternal, that movement is an inseparable property of objects, and that feelings cause people to have an understanding of the object. The sincere Brothers Society was originally a politically-religious group of religious and philosophical groups in the Basra area in the 10th century. They collectively compiled an encyclopedic collection of essays. Their cosmology is Islam Shiite, New Pythago The combination of lasism and neo-Platonicism.

Philosophers Kendi, Farabi, and Ibn Sina, influenced by Greek Aristotle and Neo-Platonicism. Kendy is known as an Arab philosopher. He systematically studied Greek philosophy and tried to combine it with Islamic teachings, arguing that matter is a form of “flowing out” from the spirit of Allah, and that the soul can leave the body and be independent. Faraby is recognized as the "first philosopher" after Aristotle. His philosophical system is a mixture of Plato, Aristotle and Sufism, propagating the immortal "ration of Allah" . I think that the world is made up of many elements, and people can know the world through feelings. Ibn Sinah proposed the "dual truth theory" of religion and science. He is arrogant between materialism and idealism. He believes that the material world is eternal. They are not created by Allah, but they also think that the spirit overflows from Allah. The spirit gives form to the material and then forms everything. It is also claimed that the soul and the body are different and are a special ability that goes beyond the physical properties of ordinary things. On the issue of commonality, it is believed that the common phase exists before things, as the idea of ​​creation, exists in things; as the essence of things, after things, is the form of existence of concepts.

Sufism and orthodox theology - philosopher Ansari. The Sufism faction appeared at the end of the 7th century and has undergone significant development since the end of the 8th century. Influenced by Neo-Platonicism and the Indian Yoga School, they promoted the "oneness of man and God" and "the connection between man and God" and advocated the doctrine of abstinence, perseverance, self-restraint, and was suppressed by the orthodox Islam. The orthodox school of the famous theology-philosopher Ansari, who was the master of

FangruidaWorks：

 

Fangruida's natural philosophy: super-spinning super-rotating cosmic structural system and multi-dimensional multi-directionality of natural philosophy. The original theory of "three sexes" (intensive reading)

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(Original: Fangruida May 2012 in Athens, Bonn, London, revised finalized in New York)

Edit Translation: Cole Susan 2012 electronic version 2012V1.1 version

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Key words: ██ Multidimensionality of philosophy

█ The three principles of philosophy

● Three-dimensional multidimensional theory

Absolute relativity of the natural world

Abstract macro concrete microscopic concrete macro abstract ultramicro

The breadth and limitations of human wisdom

Natural Revolution, Cosmic Revolution and Social Revolution

Assimilation or alienation of super-smart humans and super-bio-smart players

The end of life, the multi-spin system of the universe

The structure of thinking: convergence and divergence

The chemical abundance of the universe, homogeneity, heterogeneity

Substance-Species-Organics-Inorganics Life Macromolecules Life and Wisdom Human Life ▲▲

  

Philosophy and history

Studying world history, studying human history, including natural science research, such as the structure and evolution of the universe, the ultra-microsystems of particles, the evolution of life, the future of the universe, the developmental variation of the human world and the future, etc., are a big end. The philosophical thoughts, the colorful flowers, can be described as colorful and magnificent. History of philosophy, history of thought, history of civilization, history of religion, and various research works are full of enthusiasm. Masters of world philosophy, masters of thought, and masters of science have left us with an extremely precious cultural heritage, which is worthy of repeated study and in-depth study. For example, the question of thinking and existence, consciousness and material as the source: cosmic structure, particle structure, origin of life, the future of man and the universe, the society of the planet and the universe, the end of the universe and humanity, the pioneering and limitations of science and technology Sex, human brain thinking structure and highly intelligent biological robots, the existence and destruction of the Earth and the solar system, the large-scale structure of the universe and the homogeneity of the universe, the advanced intelligent animals and life macromolecules, matter and species, the space and time of the universe, black holes And dark matter, big bang and steady state, initial, normal ground state and final state, super-spin and super-spin, classical mechanics and quantum mechanics, evolutionary structure of human society, and so on. Of course, philosophy and natural science and technology are inseparable. Here we mainly discuss natural philosophy. Therefore, there are not many discussions on physical mechanics, etc., mainly in the basic categories of philosophy and natural philosophy. Natural science research papers refer to the author's related works.

  

The history of world philosophy and the history of thought have an extremely important position and extremely important guiding role in human history. With the rapid development of modern science and technology, with the substantial growth and leap of the world economy, the development of human society and new Civilized rationality has reached a new milestone. Economic history, civilization history, social history, political history, military history, cultural history, religious history, intellectual history, philosophy history, and history of the universe are very grand and complex. Here, we mainly study and discuss the history of human understanding, the history of thought, and the history of philosophy. . The big end, the clear veins and trajectories of the world, all kinds of doctrines, all kinds of academics, all kinds of thoughts, various schools, flowers and flowers, quite new. Of course, it is not possible to talk about things, but to involve in-depth research and exploration in the field of natural science and technology, as well as other important areas of research, in order to profoundly understand and understand, what is the great revolution of modern philosophy. Otherwise, there is no way to talk about it, or to go biased and extreme. Western philosophy, Eastern philosophy, religious philosophy, etc.

European Philosophy and Western Philosophy

Ancient Greek philosophy school

The early four universities in ancient Greece were the Ionian, Pythagoras, Elia, and the elemental school; the late four-school school: the cynicism school, the Stoic school, the Epicurean school, New Platon School

 

Ionian

 

Miletus School

(Thales, etc.) (to attribute the world to a specific phenomenon or substance of nature, such as water and gas)

Pythagoras School

(Pythagoras) (everything is counted)

Heraclitus

(The universe is a changing fire, dominated by logos (laws))

Democritus

(propose atomism)

Elijah

(Parmenid) (the origin of all things, is the eternal "consciousness of existence", denying change and movement

Socrates

(emphasizes access to knowledge by introspection)

Plato

(The concrete behind everything is the eternal prototype concept)

Aristotle

(The distinction between material and form, the universe consists of five elements: earth, water, gas, fire, and ether, presenting the existence of the first promoter "God", etc., the most comprehensive early philosophy)

Neo-Platonicism

(Protino) ("Taiyi" is the foundation of the world, rational laws, souls, and specific things are too super-existing)

Epicurean school

(Ibi-Ji-lu) (everything and soul are atoms, happiness is the purpose of life)

Cynic school

(Diogenes) (contempt for external utilitarianism, advocates poverty-stricken life)

Stoia

(Marco Aurelius, Abigail Ted) (emphasis on the "goodness" and "de" of human beings, advocating obedience to fate while grasping self)

Medieval Christian philosophy

Augustine

(In the philosophical theory to explain the existence of God, the Trinity, the salvation of the soul)

(Scholastic philosophy)

Aristotle

(Thomas Aquinas) (using Aristotle's rational philosophy to explain the nature, existence, virtue of God)

Willism

(Scott) (with the natural will as the cause of the world movement, the source is God)

Aokangism

(

Modern western philosophy

Early natural philosophy

(Bacon, Da Vinci, Newton and many other scientists, philosophical theorists) (proposes experimental observation-based science to support the theory of interpretation of nature)

Rationalism (rationalism)

(Descartes) (I think so I am, the ultimate source of knowledge is God, material and soul are parallel to each other)

(Spennosha) (emphasizing thinking/concepts and prolongation/substance are two different manifestations of the infinite God, one for the inner and one for the external)

(Leibnitz) (The world consists of consecutive "singles" of nature, including spirit and matter)

Empiricism (empiricalism)

(Locke) (Experience is the only source of knowledge, matter has the first nature and the second nature, the former is in the object itself, and the latter is the product of perception)

(Hume) (Initial perception is the only source of knowledge, time and space are both products of perception)

(Beckley) (The existence is self-perception, and the perception of the whole world is God) (German classical philosophy)

Transcendental idealism

(Kant) (Knowledge originally originated from the inexpressible "object self", which became a formable knowledge or concept/phenomenon after the subject's subjective norms of time, space and causality were recognized.

Absolute idealism

(Ficht) (Experience knowledge is the absolute self in the depths of consciousness, produced by constantly setting non-I, grasping non-I)

(Xie Lin) (Nature gradually self-awake, develops into a self-consciousness that opposes objective nature, and then returns self-consciousness to nature, and will eventually reach the absolute same with objective nature, that is, it can sense its absolute reality)

(Hegel) (ideal dialectics, objective idealism, the world is on the one hand, the evolution of objective existential history, and on the other hand, the continuous leap of subjective consciousness from sensibility to rationality, when realizing the development of self-awareness When the development of objective existence, you reach the absolute truth of God)

Young Hegelian

(Feuerbach) (materialism, pointing out that God is the externalization of the essence of human pursuit, admiring "love") (practical materialism, emphasizing the decisive role of practical labor, so that nature presents objective laws in front of human beings.

Modern western philosophy

Early irrationalism

(Kerkegaard) (denying that people have the essence of fixed unity, emphasizing the contingency and freedom of individual existence, this is the road to God, the pioneer of existentialism)

Voluntarism

(Schopenhauer) (The ontology of the world is the natural will without cause and effect, time and space, causality is the result of rational understanding of the will, and life is endless because of the endless desire and hindrance of desire)

(Nietzsche) (Destiny is controlled by oneself, not the norm of God, so it advocates the "power will" of the weak meat)

Philosophy of life

(Borgsen, Dilthey) (The world is the "stretching" and evolution of "the stream of life" in time)

New hegelism

(Bradley) (Development of Absolute Ideal Dialectics)

Neo-Kantianism

(Cohen, Cassirer) (a product of the combination of transcendental idealism and scientific philosophy, but denying the existence of self-physical independence from consciousness)

utilitarianism

(Bentham, Mill) (Social behavior is actually pursuing the maximization of personal happiness)

pragmatism

(James, Dewey) (The premise that things become the object of knowledge is its practicality. Only through human pursuit and experimentation can the truth be obtained)

Early analytic philosophy

(Freig, Russell, Wittgenstein) (Proposing logical ontology, the ontology of the world is not a separate entity, but an interrelated logical relationship)

Post-analytic philosophy

(Wittgenstein, Strawson, Rorty, etc.) (I believe that the emergence of philosophical problems is the result of misunderstanding of everyday language, and advocates the analysis of semantics to achieve the essential relationship between language and reality)

Falsificationist philosophy of science

(Popper) (Rejecting science can reach absolute truth, proposing three worlds - the material world, the spiritual world, the conceptual world)

Historic philosophy of science

(Kun, Feyerabend) (opposing the pure logic of separation from practice as a way of expressing the world, while emphasizing the accumulation of scientific experience in history)

Freudianism

(Floyd) (emphasizing the decisive role of subconsciousness and sexual desire on individual behavior, dreams, civilized activities, etc. are the result of subconsciousness being suppressed by external morality and disguised at the level of consciousness)

Western Marxism

The Frankfurt School (Marcuse, Habermas) (in Marx's dialectics, Freud's instinct, focuses on the enslavement and alienation of material civilization, advocates changing the social interaction model, and alleviates capitalism Social crisis)

Phenomenology / European Philosophy

(Husser) (Proposed a phenomenological approach, advocating returning to the matter itself, and studying the constructive role of consciousness in knowledge)

Existentialism

(Heidegger, Sartre, Coronation, etc.) (emphasizing the existence of the individual's pre-reflective consciousness in the world is the source of all knowledge. The existence of human beings is different from the existence of objects. The existence of human beings is free, not being Fully prescribed - existence precedes essence

Hermeneutics

(Gadamer, Derrida) (Thinking that the study of history cannot be reduced to historical facts, but the dialogue between modern perspectives and historical relics)

Structuralism

(Sausul, Artusai, Strauss, Lacan) (proposes the study of the overall structure of the various knowledge systems, and emphasizes the a priori and permanence of this structure, it is the correct research system Premise of each element)

Deconstruction

(Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze) (denying the existence of a unified knowledge structure, critical reason loses the richness of the world while unilaterally pursuing the essence, and believes that the relationship between man and the world, author and reader is not the relationship between subject and object. , but the dialogue between the subjects, affirming the diversity of ideas)

Essentials of philosophy science

The history of world philosophy, the history of world science and technology, the history of world social development, and the history of European and American philosophy all have brilliant historical memories.

Thales (about 585 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, was honored as the ancestor of Western philosophy from Aristotle.

 

Heracletitos (about 504-501 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, one of the founders of dialectics.

 

Parmenides (in the year 504-501 BC), the founder of the ancient Greek philosopher, ontology (ontology).

Demokritos (about 420 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, founder of atomism.

 

Socrates (468-399 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher.

 

Platon (427-347 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, with dialogues such as "Socratic Defence", "Ideology", "Barmenid", "The Wise", etc. Works.

 

Aristotles, Plato's students, Greek philosophers, encyclopedic philosophers, founders of many disciplines, masterpieces "Tools", "Physics", "metaphysics", "Nico Marco's Ethics, Political Science.

  

Lucretius (b.c.99-55) Ancient Roman materialist philosopher. I believe that everything is made up of atoms. The atom is infinitely moving in the universe and is infinite. It advocates atheism. The main work: "The Theory of Physical Property."

 

Aurelius Augustinus (354-430 AD), the greatest representative of the medieval godfather philosophy, is entitled "Confessions" and "City of God."

 

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the greatest representative of the philosophy of the medieval scholasticism, with the book "Anti-Beast Encyclopedia" and "Theological Encyclopedia"

(Thomas Aquinas) (using Aristotle's rational philosophy to explain the nature, existence, virtue of God)

Willism

(Scott) (with the natural will as the cause of the world movement, the source is God)

Aokangism

(

Modern western philosophy

Early natural philosophy

(Bacon, Da Vinci, Newton and many other scientists, philosophical theorists) (proposes experimental observation-based science to support the theory of interpretation of nature)

Rationalism (rationalism)

(Descartes) (I think so I am, the ultimate source of knowledge is God, material and soul are parallel to each other)

(Spennosha) (emphasizing thinking/concepts and prolongation/substance are two different manifestations of the infinite God, one for the inner and one for the external)

(Leibnitz) (The world consists of consecutive "singles" of nature, including spirit and matter)

Empiricism (empiricalism)

(Locke) (Experience is the only source of knowledge, matter has the first nature and the second nature, the former is in the object itself, and the latter is the product of perception)

(Hume) (Initial perception is the only source of knowledge, time and space are both products of perception)

(Beckley) (The existence is self-perception, and the perception of the whole world is God) (German classical philosophy)

Transcendental idealism

(Kant) (Knowledge originally originated from the inexpressible "object self", which became a formable knowledge or concept/phenomenon after the subject's subjective norms of time, space and causality were recognized.

Absolute idealism

(Ficht) (Experience knowledge is the absolute self in the depths of consciousness, produced by constantly setting non-I, grasping non-I)

(Xie Lin) (Nature gradually self-awake, develops into a self-consciousness that opposes objective nature, and then returns self-consciousness to nature, and will eventually reach the absolute same with objective nature, that is, it can sense its absolute reality)

(Hegel) (ideal dialectics, objective idealism, the world is on the one hand, the evolution of objective existential history, and on the other hand, the continuous leap of subjective consciousness from sensibility to rationality, when realizing the development of self-awareness When the development of objective existence, you reach the absolute truth of God)

Young Hegelian

(Feuerbach) (materialism, pointing out that God is the externalization of the essence of human pursuit, admiring "love") (practical materialism, emphasizing the decisive role of practical labor, so that nature presents objective laws in front of human beings.

Modern western philosophy

Early irrationalism

(Kerkegaard) (denying that people have the essence of fixed unity, emphasizing the contingency and freedom of individual existence, this is the road to God, the pioneer of existentialism)

Voluntarism

(Schopenhauer) (The ontology of the world is the natural will without cause and effect, time and space, causality is the result of rational understanding of the will, and life is endless because of the endless desire and hindrance of desire)

(Nietzsche) (Destiny is controlled by oneself, not the norm of God, so it advocates the "power will" of the weak meat)

Philosophy of life

(Borgsen, Dilthey) (The world is the "stretching" and evolution of "the stream of life" in time)

New hegelism

(Bradley) (Development of Absolute Ideal Dialectics)

Neo-Kantianism

(Cohen, Cassirer) (a product of the combination of transcendental idealism and scientific philosophy, but denying the existence of self-physical independence from consciousness)

utilitarianism

(Bentham, Mill) (Social behavior is actually pursuing the maximization of personal happiness)

pragmatism

(James, Dewey) (The premise that things become the object of knowledge is its practicality. Only through human pursuit and experimentation can the truth be obtained)

Early analytic philosophy

(Freig, Russell, Wittgenstein) (Proposing logical ontology, the ontology of the world is not a separate entity, but an interrelated logical relationship)

Post-analytic philosophy

(Wittgenstein, Strawson, Rorty, etc.) (I believe that the emergence of philosophical problems is the result of misunderstanding of everyday language, and advocates the analysis of semantics to achieve the essential relationship between language and reality)

Falsificationist philosophy of science

(Popper) (Rejecting science can reach absolute truth, proposing three worlds - the material world, the spiritual world, the conceptual world)

Historic philosophy of science

(Kun, Feyerabend) (opposing the pure logic of separation from practice as a way of expressing the world, while emphasizing the accumulation of scientific experience in history)

Freudianism

(Floyd) (emphasizing the decisive role of subconsciousness and sexual desire on individual behavior, dreams, civilized activities, etc. are the result of subconsciousness being suppressed by external morality and disguised at the level of consciousness)

Western Marxism

The Frankfurt School (Marcuse, Habermas) (in Marx's dialectics, Freud's instinct, focuses on the enslavement and alienation of material civilization, advocates changing the social interaction model, and alleviates capitalism Social crisis)

Phenomenology / European Philosophy

(Husser) (Proposed a phenomenological approach, advocating returning to the matter itself, and studying the constructive role of consciousness in knowledge)

Existentialism

(Heidegger, Sartre, Coronation, etc.) (emphasizing the existence of the individual's pre-reflective consciousness in the world is the source of all knowledge. The existence of human beings is different from the existence of objects. The existence of human beings is free, not being Fully prescribed - existence precedes essence

Hermeneutics

(Gadamer, Derrida) (Thinking that the study of history cannot be reduced to historical facts, but the dialogue between modern perspectives and historical relics)

Structuralism

(Sausul, Artusai, Strauss, Lacan) (proposes the study of the overall structure of the various knowledge systems, and emphasizes the a priori and permanence of this structure, it is the correct research system Premise of each element)

Deconstruction

(Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze) (denying the existence of a unified knowledge structure, critical reason loses the richness of the world while unilaterally pursuing the essence, and believes that the relationship between man and the world, author and reader is not the relationship between subject and object. , but the dialogue between the subjects, affirming the diversity of ideas)

Essentials of philosophy science

The history of world philosophy, the history of world science and technology, the history of world social development, and the history of European and American philosophy all have brilliant historical memories.

Thales (about 585 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, was honored as the ancestor of Western philosophy from Aristotle.

 

Heracletitos (about 504-501 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, one of the founders of dialectics.

 

Parmenides (in the year 504-501 BC), the founder of the ancient Greek philosopher, ontology (ontology).

Demokritos (about 420 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, founder of atomism.

 

Socrates (468-399 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher.

 

Platon (427-347 BC), an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Socrates, with dialogues such as "Socratic Defence", "Ideology", "Barmenid", "The Wise", etc. Works.

 

Aristotles, Plato's students, Greek philosophers, encyclopedic philosophers, founders of many disciplines, masterpieces "Tools", "Physics", "metaphysics", "Nico Marco's Ethics, Political Science.

  

Lucretius (b.c.99-55) Ancient Roman materialist philosopher. I believe that everything is made up of atoms. The atom is infinitely moving in the universe and is infinite. It advocates atheism. The main work: "The Theory of Physical Property."

 

Aurelius Augustinus (354-430 AD), the greatest representative of the medieval godfather philosophy, is entitled "Confessions" and "City of God."

 

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the greatest representative of the philosophy of the medieval scholasticism, is entitled "Anti-Beast Encyclopedia" and "Theological Encyclopedia".

 

Bruno (1548-1600) Italian materialist philosopher and natural scientist. Propagating Copernicus's heliocentric theory, that the universe has no center, the sun is just an ordinary planet, the solar system is just a celestial system, and matter is the common common essence of all things in the universe. The main work: "On the reasons, the essence and one."

 

Hobbes (1588-1679) was a British materialist philosopher who used to be the secretary and assistant of Bacon. He systematically embodies Bacon's philosophical ideas and advocates the use of mechanics and mathematics to illustrate the world. He is the founder of mechanical materialism. The main works: "On matter", "On the people."

 

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), the ancestor of British empiricism, and the "New Tools".

 

René Descartes (1596-1650), French philosopher, founder of modern philosophy, the founder of the theory, is the "Method Discussion", "The First Philosophical Contemplation", "Philosophy Principles".

 

Benedicus de Spinoza (1632-1677), a Dutch philosopher, one of the main representatives of the theory, with "Ethics" and so on.

 

John Locke (1632-1704), one of the main representatives of British empiricism, is entitled "The Theory of Human Reason."

 

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of the theory, is entitled "Single Theory" and "New Theory of Human Reason."

 

George Berkeley (1685-1753), one of the main representatives of British empiricism, is entitled "The Principles of Human Knowledge."

 

David Hume (1711-1776), one of the main representatives of British empiricism, is entitled "The Theory of Human Nature" and "The Study of Human Reason."

 

Montesquieu (1689-1755), a French enlightenment thinker, with the Persian Letters and The Spirit of the Law.

 

Voltaire (1694-1778), a French enlightenment thinker, and author of "Philosophy Communication."

 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), a French enlightenment thinker, entitled "The Origin and Foundation of Human Inequality", "Social Contract Theory", "Emil", and "Confessions".

  

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the founder of German classical philosophy, is entitled "Critique of Pure Reason", "Critique of Practical Reason" and "Critique of Judgment".

 

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), a master of German classical philosophy, is known for his dialectic in the world, and he is the author of "Psychophenomenology", "Logic" and "Philosophy of Philosophy".

 

Auguste Comte (1798-1857), French philosopher, founder of positivism, and the "Experimental Philosophy Course".

 

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), British philosopher, one of the representatives of positivism, is entitled "Conde and positivism", "system of logic", "utilitarianism".

 

"Arther Schopenhauer (1788-1860), a German philosopher, a voluntarist, has a "world of will and appearance."

 

Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 - 1883, 3, 1)

 

Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Law (1843), on Jewish Nationality (1843), Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844 (1844), Feuerbach (1845), Poverty of Philosophy (1845), Employment Labor With Capital (1847), Louis Bonaparte's Misty Moon 18th (1852), Capital Theory Volume 2 (1893), Capital Theory Volume III (1894), etc.

  

William James (1842-1910), an American philosopher, one of the main representatives of pragmatism, is the "Psychology Principles", "Pragmatism", "Complete Empiricism Proceedings".

 

Friedrich Willhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900), a German philosopher, with "The Other Side of Good and Evil", "Zarathustra", "Strong Will".

  

Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913), a Swiss linguist, founder of structuralism, and a course in General Linguistics.

 

Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), German philosopher, founder of phenomenology, with "Logical Studies", "Phenomenon of Phenomenology", "The Contemplation of Descartes" and "The Crisis of European Science and Transcendental Phenomenology, etc.

 

Sigmund Freud (1865-1939), an Austrian psychologist, founder of the psychoanalytic school, with "An Analysis of Dreams" and "Introduction to Psychoanalysis."

 

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) British philosopher and educator wrote "The History of Western Philosophy", "Education", "Philosophy Problems", etc., won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950.

  

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), German philosopher, founder of existential philosophy, with "Existence and Time", "Introduction to Metaphysics", "Lin Zhong Lu" and so on.

 

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), one of the founders of Austrian-American philosophy, linguistic philosophy or analytic philosophy, is the author of The Philosophy of Logic and Philosophical Studies.

 

Rudolf Carnap (1891-1970), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of logical positivism, is entitled "The Logical Structure of the World" and "The Logical Syntax of Language."

Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976) is a British philosopher, one of the representatives of the everyday language school, and has the concept of "heart".

 

Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900-), the German philosopher, the founder of philosophical hermeneutics, is the author of The Truth and Method.

 

Max Horkheimer (1895-1973), a German philosopher and founder of the Frankfurt School, is the author of Critical Theory, Research in Social Philosophy, and Dialectics of Enlightenment (co-authored with Adorno).

 

Theoder Wiesengrund Adorno (1903-1969), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of the Frankfurt School, is entitled "Negative Dialectics".

 

Herbert Marcuse (1895-1979), a German philosopher, one of the main representatives of the Frankfurt School, with "Ration and Revolution", "Eros and

Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980), a French philosopher, one of the main representatives of existentialism, with "existence and nothingness", "existentialism is a kind of humanitarianism" and "criticism of dialectical reason".

 

Claude Levi-Strauss (1908-), French philosopher, anthropologist, one of the main representatives of structuralism, is entitled "Structural Anthropology" and "Wild Thinking."

 

Willard van Orman Quine (1908-), one of the main representatives of analytic philosophy, "from a logical point of view", "logic philosophy."

 

Tomas Kuhn (1922-), an American scientific philosopher, a historian of science, a representative of the Historic School, and the "Structure of the Scientific Revolution" and "Necessary Tension."

  

Michel Foucault (1926-1984), a French philosopher, one of the main representatives of post-structuralism and post-modernism, is entitled "Knowledge Archaeology", "Discipline and Punishment" and so on.

 

Jacques Derrida (1931-), a French philosopher, one of the main representatives of postmodernism, with "writing and difference", "casting", "the edge of philosophy", "the ghost of Marx" and so on.

 

Richard. M. Rorty (1931-), an American philosopher, one of the representatives of post-modern philosophy, is the Mirror of Philosophy and Nature and Post-Philosophy Culture.

 

Fredric Jamason (1931-), an American philosopher and literary critic, one of the main representatives of postmodernism, is entitled "Marxism and Form", "Political Unconsciousness", and "Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism".

  

John Rawls (1921-), an American political philosopher, is the author of The Theory of Justice and Political Liberalism.

 

Robert Nozick (1938-), an American political philosopher, is entitled "Anarchy, State, and Utopia."

 

Western philosophy European and American philosophy has a huge influence on the world. Of course, philosophy and thought are often inseparable. Philosophers also mean thinkers.

 

Philosophers, thinkers, schools of thought, and main ideology

  

Ancient Greek period: 7th century BC - 2nd century BC

Thales (about 624-about 547, the first philosopher of ancient Greece, the founder of the Miletus School)

Anaximandros (about 610-before 546, ancient Greek Miletus school materialist philosopher)

Anaximenes (about 588-about 525, ancient Greek Miletus school materialist philosopher)

Pythagoras (about 580 - about 500 before, ancient Greek mathematician, idealist philosopher)

Xenophanes (about 565-about 473, the ancient Greek philosopher, the first representative of the Elia school)

Herakleitos (between 540 and about 480 and 470 before, the ancient Greek materialist philosopher, the founder of the Efes school)

Kratylos (former fifth century, ancient Greek Efesian philosopher, Heraclitus student)

Parmenides (before the end of the sixth century - about the middle of the first half of the fifth century, the idealist philosopher of the Elia school of ancient Greece) Leukippos (about 500-about 440, the ancient Greek materialist philosopher , the atom said one of the founders)

Anaxagoras (about 500 before - 428 BC, ancient Greek materialist philosopher)

Zeno Eleates (about 490 - about 436 before, ancient Greek idealist philosopher, student of Parmenides) Empedokles (Em. 490 - about 430, Ancient Greek materialist philosopher, founder of rhetoric)

Gorgias (about 483 - about 375, the ancient Greek wise philosopher)

Protagoras (formerly 481-about 411, ancient Greek wise philosopher)

Socrates (formerly 469-before 399, ancient Greek idealist philosopher)

Demokratos (Demokritos, 460- 370 BC, ancient Greek materialist philosopher, and the founder of the atomic theory of Rebecca) Antisthenes (about 435-about 370, ancient Greece Philosopher, founder of the cynic school

Aristippos (about 435-front 360?, ancient Greek philosopher, founder of the Cyrene School, disciple of Socrates)

Plato (Plato, former 427-before 347, ancient Greek objective idealist philosopher, founder of the school, student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle) ​​- "Ideology", "politician", "Bammenides" and "Plato Dialogues"

Diogenes o Sinopeus (about 404-about 323, ancient Greek cynic philosopher)

Aristotles (Aristotles, 384- 322 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher, scientist, Plato's student, Alexander the Great's teacher, the founder of the Happy School) - Metaphysics, Tool Theory, Nigma Ethics, Physics, Politics

, "The Complete Works of Aristotle"

Pyrrhon (about 365-about 275, ancient Greek philosopher, skeptic)

Epikouros (formerly 341-pre-270, ancient Greek materialist philosopher)

Zeno (Zionon Kitieus), about 336-about 264, founder of the ancient Greek Stoic school

 

Roman period: the second century BC - the fifth century AD

Cousero (Marcus Tullius Cicero, former 106-43, ancient Roman politician, eloquent, philosopher, philosophically representative of eclecticism)

Titus Lucretius Carus (about 99-about 55, ancient Roman poet, materialist philosopher) - "The Theory of Materiality"

  

Tertullianus (between 150 and 160 - about 222, one of the Christian godfathers)

Aurelius Augustinus (354-430, the Roman Empire Christian thinker, the main representative of the godfather philosophy) - "Confessions", "On Free Will", "The Monologue", "The City of God", "The Handbook of Doctrine"

Hypatia (about 370-about 415, female mathematician, astronomer, neo-Platonic philosopher of the Roman Empire)

Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, 480-524 or 525, the idealist philosopher in late Roman times

Medieval: 5th century AD - end of the 14th century

Johannes Scotus Erigena (circa 810-877, a philosopher of the pre-European medieval scholasticism) - "On God's Presupposition", "On the Division of Nature"

Anselmus (1033-1109, a medieval Christian thinker in Europe, the main representative of realism, known as "the last godfather and the first scholastic philosopher")

Roscellinus (about 1050 - about 1112, medieval French philosopher, nominalist)

Guillaume de Champeaux (circa 1070-1121, medieval French philosopher, realist)

Abel (Petrus Abailardus, 1079-1142, philosopher of the medieval French Academy, "concept theory")

Albertus Magnus (1193 or 1206 or 1207-1280, Medieval German philosopher, theologian, Catholic Dominican monk)

Thomas Aquinas (1226-1274, Medieval Theologian and scholastic philosopher, Catholic Dominican Fellow) - Theological Encyclopedia and Anti-Beast Encyclopedia

Sigerus de Brantia (circa 1240-1281 to 1284, Netherland philosopher, Averroist)

Meister Johannes Eckhart (circa 1260-1327, medieval German theologian and mystic philosopher) Johannes Duns Scotus (circa 1265-1308, medieval Scottish scholastic philosopher, nominalist ) - "On Oxford", "Paris on"

William of Occam (or Ockham), about 1300 - about 1350, philosopher of the medieval Soviet scholastic philosopher, nominalist) Jan Hus (circa 1369-1415, Czech patriot and religious reformer)

Dante Alighièri (1265-1321, Italian poet.

Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374, Italian poet, one of the pioneers of humanism in the European Renaissance) - "Secret"

Geovanni Boccàccio (1313-1375, Italian writer of the Renaissance, one of the main representatives of humanism) - "Ten Days"

Paul (John Ball, ?-1381, British folk missionary, one of the leaders of the Wat Taylor Uprising)

John Wycliffe (circa 1320-1384, British, pioneer of the European Reformation Movement)

Nikola (Kusa's) (Nicolaus Cusanus, 1401-1464, Renaissance German philosopher, cardinal, pantheist)

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519, Renaissance Italian artist, natural scientist, engineer, philosopher)

Pietro Pomponazzi (1462-1524 or 1525, the Italian philosopher of the Renaissance, one of the main representatives of humanism)

Desiderius Erasmus (circa 1469-1536, the Renaissance Netherland humanist, formerly known as Gerhard Gerhards, born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands) - "The Fools"

Thomas More (1478-1535, Renaissance British Utopian Communist)

Martin Luther (1483-1546, the founder of the 16th century German Reformation, Christian (Protestant) Road

 

Thomas Münzer (about 1490-1525, leader of the German peasant war of 1524-1525, German peasant and religious reformer of urban civilians)

Calvin (1509-1564, French, European Reformer, founder of Christian Calvin) - "On Benevolence", "Christian Essentials", "Faith Guide", "Christian Masterpieces Integration", From the Renaissance to the Selected Works of Humanitarian Humanity in the 19th Century by Bourgeois Literati Artists, Selected Works of Western Ethical Masterpieces, and History of Medieval Philosophy in Western Europe (Bernardino Telesio, 1509-1588, Renaissance Italy philosopher)

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592, a translation of Montagne, French thinkers and prose writers during the Renaissance) - "Meng Tian Wenxuan"

Pierre Charron (1541-1603, French philosopher of the Renaissance)

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600, Italian philosopher of the Renaissance) - "On Reason, Primitive and Taiyi", "On Infinity, Universe and Worlds", "Basting the Beast", "On Heroic Passion" 》

Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639, Renaissance Italian Utopian Communist)

Jakob B?hme, 1575-1624, Renaissance German mystic philosopher

Grouseus (Hugo Grotius, 1583-1645, Dutch bourgeois jurist, early theorist of the natural law school, studied law, theology, history, literature, and natural sciences, with international law Research is well known)

Lucilio Vanini (1584-1619, Italian philosopher of the Renaissance)

 

Francis Bacon (1561-1626, "-"Chongxue", "New Tools", "Bacon's Anthology", "New Daxi"

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679, British materialist philosopher) - "Leviathan", "On Objects", "On Man", "On Freedom, Inevitability and Accident"

Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655, a translation of garrison, French materialist philosopher, physicist, astronomer) Descartes (1596-1650, French philosopher, physicist, mathematician) , physiologist, founder of analytic geometry) - "Methodology", "The First Philosophical Contemplation", "Philosophical Principles", "On the Passion of the Soul"

Hendrik van Roy (French name Henri Le Roy, Latin name Henricus Regius, 1598-1679, Dutch doctor, philosopher, representative of early mechanical materialism)

Gerrard Winstanley (circa 1609-about 1652, the leader of the bourgeois revolutionary movement in the British bourgeois revolution, the imaginary communist)

John Lilburne (circa 1614-1657, petty bourgeois democrat of the British bourgeois revolution, average leader)

Arnold Geulincx (1625-1669, the Dutch Descartes idealist philosopher, he and Malebranches are also called the causemen)

Spinoza (later renamed Benedictus) Spinoza, 1632-1677, Dutch materialist philosopher) - "Ethics", "Intellectual Improvement", "Theological Politics", "The Principles of Descartes"

Locke (John Locke, 1632-1704, British materialist philosopher) - "Human Understanding", "On the Government", "The Rationality of Christianity"

Nicolas Malebranche (1638-1715, French idealist philosopher) - "The Search for Truth", "Dialogue on Metaphysics"

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716, German natural scientist, mathematician, idealist philosopher) - "Theory of God", "New Theory of Human Reason", "Son Theory", "metaphysical conversation"

Pierre Bayle (1647-1706, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher) - "The Letter about Comet", "General Critique of the History of Calvinism" by Manbull, "Dictionary of Historical Criticism"

 

Christian Wolff (1679-1754, German idealist philosopher)

George Berkeley (1685-1753, British idealist philosopher) - "New Theory of Vision", "Principles of Human Knowledge" Charles Louis de Secondat Montesquieu (1689-1755, French Enlightenment Thinker, Jurist ) - "Persian Letters", "The Causes of the Rise and Fall of Rome", "The Spirit of the Law", "On the Interests of Nature and Art"

Voltaire (1694-1778, French enlightenment thinker, writer, philosopher. Formerly known as François Marie Arouet) - "Oedipus the King", "Philosophy Communication ", Metaphysics", "Philosophy Dictionary"

David Hartley (1705-1757, British materialist philosopher, one of the founders of the psychological association, the deism) Gabriel Bonnot de Mably, 1709-1785, French imaginary communist, Kong Brother of Diak

Ramien Offroy de La Mettrie (1709-1751, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher) - "Man is a machine", "The work of Penelope", "The soul Natural History, "Man is a plant"

Thomas Reid (1710-1796, British philosopher, founder of the Scottish school, the common sense school)

Lomonosov (Миxaил Вacильевич Ломoносοв1711-1765, Russian scholar, poet, founder of Russian materialistic philosophy and natural science)

Hume (David Hume, 1711-1776, British idealist philosopher, agnostic, historian, economist) - "The Theory of Human Nature", "Human Understanding", "Ethics and Politics"

Rousseau (Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1778, French enlightenment thinker, philosopher, educator, writer) - "Confessions", "Fashionable Muse", "Village Wizard", "On the Origin of Human Inequality" And Foundation, "Social Contract Theory", "Ai Mier" ("On Education")

Denis Diderot (1713-1784, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher, atheist, writer, editor-in-chief of Encyclopedia) - "Philosophy of Thought", "Stroll of Skeptics", "For The letter of the blind person, the book on the book of deaf and dumb, the interpretation of nature, the conversation of D'Alembert and Diderot, The Continuation of the Talk, The Deaf of Rama Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten (1714-1762, German philosopher, advocate of the Wolff philosophy system) Claude Adrien Helvétius (1715-1771, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher) - "On the spirit "On the rationality and education of human beings", "The Tablet of Love Knowledge", "The Tablet of Happiness", "The Tablet of Rational Pride and Laziness"

Etienne Bonnot de Condillac (1715-1780, French enlightenment thinker, sensory theorist, Marbury's brother) - "Sensory Theory", "The Origin of Human Knowledge", "System Theory"

Jean Le Rond d' Alembert (1717-1783, a translator of Lambert, French mathematician, enlightenment thinker, philosopher, former deputy editor of the Encyclopedia)

Paul Heinrich Dietrich d' Holbach (1723-1789, French enlightenment thinker, materialist philosopher, atheist) - "Debunked Christianity", "Pocket Theology", "Sacred Plague", "Sound Thought, Natural System, Social System, Universal Ethics

Kanman (Immanuel Kant, 1724-1804, the founder of German classical idealism) - "Critique of Pure Reason", "Critique of Practical Reason", "Critique of Judgment", "Introduction to Future Metaphysics", "Principles of Moral Metaphysics", On Perpetual Peace and the Collection of Critical Criticism of History

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781, thinker, literary theorist, playwright of the German Enlightenment) Henry Dodwell (-1784, British deism)

Jean Baptiste René Robinet (1735-1820, French philosopher)

Jean Antoine Condorcet (1743-1794, French bourgeois revolutionary bourgeois theorist)

Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (1743-1819, German idealist philosopher)

Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803, German literary theorist, philosopher, arrogant movement (the theory of the German bourgeois literary movement in the 1970s and 1980s))

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832, British ethicist, jurist, main representative of bourgeois utilitarianism) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832, German poet, playwright, thinker)

William Godwin (1756-1836, British writer, social thinker, pastor, and later supported atheism and enlightenment)

Pierre Jean Georges Cabanis (1757-1808, French bourgeois revolutionary bourgeois theorist, physiologist, vulgar materialist)

 

Claude Henri de Saint-Simon, 1760-1825, French utopian socialist

Filippo Michele Buonarrotti (1761-1837, French imaginary communist. Originally from Italy, participated in the French Revolution of 1789, won the title of "Citizen of the French Republic")

Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814, German classical idealist philosopher) - "The Foundation of All Knowledge", "The Foundation of Natural Law under the Principles of Knowledge", "The Moral System under the Principles of Knowledge", "On the Mission of Scholars" and "The Mission of Man" Hegel (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, 1770-1831, the master of German classical idealism) - "Psychiatry Phenomenology", "Logic", "Little Logic" , Principles of Legal Philosophy, Philosophy of History, Philosophy of Nature, Philosophy of Spirit, Philosophy of Art, Lectures on History of Philosophy, Hegel Letters

Robert Owen (1771-1858, British Utopian Socialist)

Charles Fourier (1772-1837, French Utopian Socialist)

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (1775-1854, German idealist philosopher) - "Transcendental Idealism System", "On the World Soul"

Bernhard Bolzano (1781-1848, Czech mathematician, philosopher, logician)

Etienne Cabet (1788-1856, French Utopian Communist)

Schopenhauer (1788-1860, German idealist philosopher, voluntarist)

Victor Cousin (1792-1867, French idealist philosopher, professing his philosophical system as eclecticism)

Heinrich Heine (1797-1856, German poet, political commentator, thinker)

Auguste Comte (1798-1857, French positivist philosopher)

Théodore Dézamy (1803-1850, French Utopian Communist)

Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach (1804-1872, German materialist philosopher) - "The selection of Feuerbach's philosophical works", "The Essence of Christianity", "Critique of Hegel's Philosophy", "Principles of Future Philosophy" Herzen (1812-1870): "Nature Research Newsletter", "Scientific Tastes", "To Old Friends"

Louis Auguste Blanqui (1805-1881, French Revolutionary, Utopian Communist)

Max Stirner (1806-1856, Kaspar Schmidt's pseudonym, German idealist philosopher, one of the young Hegelian representatives, the so-called theorists, the anarchist's forerunner By)

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873, British idealist philosopher, economist, logician, son of James Muller)

Pierre Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865, French petty bourgeois economist and sociologist, one of the founders of anarchism)

Powell (Bruno Bauer, 1809-1882, German idealist philosopher, the main representative of the young Hegelian)

Belinsky (Виссарион Григорьевич Белинский,1811-1848, Russian revolutionary democrat, literary critic, philosopher) - "Selection of Bilinsky's Philosophical Works"

Jean Josehp Charles Louis Blanc (1811-1882, French petty bourgeois socialist, historian)

Herzen (Александр Иванович Герцен, 1812-1870, Russian revolutionary democrat, materialist philosopher, writer)

Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855, Danish idealist philosopher, his thought became one of the theoretical basis of modern bourgeois philosophical genre existentialism)

Rudolf Hermann Lotze (1817-1881, German idealist philosopher, professing his philosophy as "the teleological idealism")

Grünn (1817-1887, German petty bourgeois socialist)

Karl Vogt (1817-1895, German naturalist, vulgar materialist, professing his philosophy as "physiology

 

Marx (1818.5.5-1883.3.14, - "Capital", "Economic Manuscript", "The Outline of Feuerbach", "German Ideology"

Spencer (Herbert Spencer, 1820-1903, British sociologist, agnostic, idealist philosopher)

Jacob Moleschott (1822-1893, a Dutch physiologist, philosopher, one of the representatives of vulgar materialism) Ludwig Büchner (1824-1899, German doctor, one of vulgar materialist representatives)

Ferdinand Lassalle (1825-1864, leader of the opportunistic faction in the German workers' movement)

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895, British naturalist) - "Beautiful New World"

Friedrich überweg (1826-1871, German philosopher) - "Introduction to the History of Philosophy"

Friedrich Albert Lange (1828-1875, German idealist philosopher, early neo-Kantian) Joseph Dietzgen (1828-1888, German socialist writer and philosopher, tanner) Chernyshevsky (Николай Гаврилович Чернышевский,

1828-1889, Russian revolutionary democrats, materialist philosophers, literary critics, writers) - "The Aesthetic Relationship between Art and Reality", "An Overview of the Gothic Period in the Russian Literature Circle", "Philosophy Humanism Principles" 》

Hippolyte Adolphe Taine (1828-1893, a translation of Dana, French literary theorist, historian, one of the heirs of Conde's empirical philosophy)

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920, German psychologist, philosopher, one of the founders of structural psychology)

Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911, a German idealist philosopher who originally belonged to neo-Kantianism and later turned to philosophy of life)

Karl Eugen Dühring (1833-1921, German philosopher, vulgar economist)

Harris Torrey Harris (1835-1909, American educator, idealist philosopher, the earliest communicator of Hegelian philosophy in the United States)

Green Hill (Thomas Hill Green, 1836-1882, British idealist philosopher)

Wilhelm Schuppe (1836-1913, German idealist philosopher, founder of internalism)

Ernst Mach (1838-1916, Austrian physicist, idealist philosopher, one of the founders of empirical criticism) Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914, American idealist philosopher, founder of pragmatism)

James (William James, 1842-1910, American idealist philosopher, psychologist, pragmatist, founder of functional psychology)

Eduart Hartmann (1842-1906, German idealist philosopher)

Richard Avenarius (1843-1896, German subjective idealist philosopher, one of the founders of empirical criticism)

Nietzsche (Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German idealist philosopher, voluntarist)

Merlin (Franz Mehring, 1846-1919, one of the left-wing leaders of the German Social Democratic Party, political commentator, historian)

Francis Herbert Bradley (1846-1924, British idealist philosopher, new Hegelian) R (Rudolf Eucken, 1846-1926, German idealist philosopher)

Richard Schubert-Soldern (1852-1935, German idealist philosopher, representative of internalism

Karl Pearson (1857-1936, British idealist philosopher, mathematician, one of the advocates of eugenics) Samuel Alexander (1859-1938, British idealist philosopher, new realist)

Edmund Husserl (1859-1938, German idealist philosopher, founder of modern phenomenology)

Henri Bergson (1859-1941, French idealist philosopher, life philosophy and the main representative of modern irrationalism)

John Dewey (1859-1952, American idealist philosopher, sociologist, educator, pragmatist) Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947, British idealist philosopher, mathematician)

Josef Petzoldt (1862-1929, German idealist philosopher, empirical critic)Heinrich Rickert (1863-1936, German idealist philosopher, one of the main representatives of the New Kant's Freiburg School)

Ferdinand Canning Scott Schiller (1864-1937, British philosopher, pragmatist, called his pragmatic philosophy "humanism")

Benedetto Croce (1866-1952, a translation of Croce, Italian idealist philosopher, historian, new Hegelian)

Hans Driesch (1867-1941, German idealist philosopher, biologist, new vitalist)

 

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970, British idealist philosopher, mathematician, logician)

Bogdanov (Александр Александрович Богданов, 1873-1928, Russian idealist philosopher)

George Edward Moore (1873-1958, British idealist philosopher, one of the main representatives of the new realism)

Giovanni Gentile (1875-1944, Italian idealist philosopher, new Hegelian)

Oswald Spengler (1880-1936, German idealist philosopher, historian)

Deborin (Абрам Моиесевич Деборин, 1881-1963, Soviet philosopher,

Moritz Schlick (1882-1936, idealist philosopher, born in Germany, taught at the University of Vienna, Austria, one of the founders of the Vienna School, one of the founders of logical positivism)

Jalques Maritain (1882-1973, French theologian, idealist philosopher, main representative of new Thomasism) Karl Jaspers (1883-1969, German existentialist philosopher)

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951, Austrian idealist philosopher, logician. After Hitler annexed Austria in 1838, he entered British nationality and taught at Cambridge University)

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976, a German existentialist philosopher who served as university president and professor during Hitler's reign, and supported Nazism)

Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980, French existentialist philosopher.) - "Imagination", "Existence and Nihility", "Existentialism is a Humanism", "Critique of Dialectical Reason", Several Issues in Methodology

Beauvoir Simone de (1908-1986, French existentialist scholar, writer)

Merleau Ponty (1908-1961, French existentialist philosopher)

Of course, philosophy and religion, politics, literature, etc. are also closely related. If you want to know the avenue, you must know the history. Repeated reading of the history of philosophy, world history, benefited a lot, and imagination came together.

  

Eastern philosophy Arabic philosophy Indian philosophy

  

In the history of the world, the East and the Arab countries also have important status and influence. Countries such as India, China, and Arabia are particularly important.

The great wise man of life

(The legend is about 600 years ago - about 470 years ago), surnamed Li Ming Er, the word Bo Yang, Han nationality, Chu State Bian County, is a great ancient Chinese philosopher, thinker, Taoist school founder, and in the Valley It was written in the ethics of the Five Thousand Words.

 

Confucius

Confucius (September 28th, 551th to April 11th, 479th) Mingqiu, the word Zhongni, Lu Guoyu, Han nationality at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period. English: Confucius, Kung Tze. Confucius was a great educator and thinker in ancient China, the founder of the Confucian school, and a world cultural celebrity. Confucius's thoughts and doctrines have had a profound impact on later generations.

  

Zhuangzi (about 369 years ago - 286 years ago), Han nationality. A famous thinker, philosopher, and writer is the representative of the Taoist school, the successor and developer of Laozi's philosophy, and the founder of the pre-Qin Zhuangzi school. His doctrine covers all aspects of social life at that time, but the fundamental spirit is still dependent on Laozi's philosophy. Later generations will call him and Laozi "Laozhuang", and their philosophy is "Lao Zhuang philosophy."

 

Mencius, the pioneer of the people-oriented thinking

Mencius (from 372 to 289) Han nationality, Zoucheng, Shandong. The great thinker of ancient China. One of the representative figures of Confucianism during the Warring States Period. He is the author of "Meng Zi", a collection of essays. "The Book of Mencius" is a compilation of Mencius's remarks, written by Mencius and his disciples, and records the Confucian classics of Mencius' words and deeds.

 

Xunzi (Xunzi 313 years ago - 238 years ago), the name of the famous thinker, writer, politician, representative of the Confucian school, - Han Fei, Li Si is his disciple.

  

Dong Zhongshu (before 179~104), Dong Zi, Han Dynasty thinker, politician. Great contribution to the orthodox status of Confucianism. It is a thinker of the Western Han Dynasty who is advancing with the times. He is a famous idealist philosopher in the Western Han Dynasty and a master of modern Chinese studies. When Emperor Jingdi was a Ph.D., he taught "The Ram Spring and Autumn." In the first year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (134 BC), Dong Zhongshu put forward the basic points of his philosophical system in the famous "Measures for Raising the Virtue," and suggested that "the slogan of 100 schools and the unique Confucianism" should be adopted by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Later generations have different opinions on this.

 

Master of Science

Zhu Xi was a master of Song's agency studies. He inherited the science of Cheng Song and Cheng Wei of the Northern Song Dynasty and completed the system of objective idealism. It is said that reason is the essence of the world, "reasonable first, gas is behind", and puts forward "preserving the heavens, destroying human desires." Zhu Xi has a profound knowledge of the study of Confucian classics, history, literature, music, and even the natural sciences.

 

The development of Indian philosophy can be roughly divided into ancient philosophy (about 3000 BC ~ 750 AD), medieval philosophy (750 to 18th century AD), modern philosophy (about 18th century to 1947), modern philosophy (after 1947) ) Four periods.

 

Ancient

India has emerged as the bud of the worldview in the era of the Rigveda in the end of the original commune. After entering the slavery society, it began to form a systematic philosophy. The earliest philosophical book "The Upanishads."

 

middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, religion dominated, and the philosophy of the ruling class was included in the Hindu theology system. India traditionally recognized the Vatican’s authoritative figures, the Yoga School, the Victory School, the Orthodox School, and the Vedanta School. The Six-sect philosophy, such as the Miman sentiment, is called the orthodox school, and the Shunshi, Buddhism, Jainism, etc., which deny the authority of the Vedic, are called unorthodox.

  

Islam Arabia

 

The main differences between the Moor Taiqilai and the Hadith in philosophy are: the nature of Allah and the relationship between Allah and the world. MooreThe Taiqilai faction denies that Allah has all kinds of unfounded virtues such as knowledge, energy, sight, hearing, speech, life, etc., because these are considered to be the beginning of virtue and the personalization of Allah, and the true The uniqueness is incompatible; the Hadith is recognized as the virtue of Allah. Secondly, the debate about "freedom of will" and "pre-determination", that is, the relationship between man and Allah, the Hadith believes that the good and evil of man is the premise of Allah, and the act of man is created by Allah. The Moor Taiqilai faction believes that people have unlimited freedom of will, and that human behavior is created by themselves. Allah is rewarded and punished according to his good and evil, thus proving that Allah is fair.

 

After the 10th century, the Sunni philosophical system, the "New Kailam", the doctrine of Islam, was formed. The founder, Ashley, and his disciples reconciled the doctrines of “pre-determination” and “freedom of will”, emphasizing the all-powerfulness of Allah, and there is no causal connection between all things in the world, created by Allah. They try to show that all actions of human beings are determined by Allah, but people have the ability to "reach" their own actions, so people are responsible for their actions before Allah. The faction was supported by the ruling class and was regarded as an orthodox official creed.

Philosophy-theologians and their schools In the 9th and 12th centuries, there were numerous famous philosophers in the vast areas under the caliphate state, and there were also groups and factions of philosophers. These philosophers and factions, called "Hokma" by the Arabs, formed the main body of Arab medieval philosophy at that time, divided into two things, centered on Baghdad and Córdoba. Many of these philosophers are engaged in secular affairs (doctors, natural scientists, etc.), attaching importance to empirical knowledge and emphasizing theoretical understanding. Although they still have not got rid of the control of orthodox theology, they have largely accepted the influence of Greek-Roman philosophy, especially Aristotle and Neo-Platonicism and Eastern traditional ideas.

The philosopher Lacy and the sincere brothers. They attempted to reconcile Greek natural philosophy (including mathematics, astronomy, astrology, music, alchemy, medicine, etc.) and Islamic teachings to create a religious philosophy. Lacy's medical theory begins with the recognition of the close connection between the body and the soul, asserting that matter is eternal, that movement is an inseparable property of objects, and that feelings cause people to have an understanding of the object. The sincere Brothers Society was originally a politically-religious group of religious and philosophical groups in the Basra area in the 10th century. They collectively compiled an encyclopedic collection of essays. Their cosmology is Islam Shiite, New Pythago The combination of lasism and neo-Platonicism.

Philosophers Kendi, Farabi, and Ibn Sina, influenced by Greek Aristotle and Neo-Platonicism. Kendy is known as an Arab philosopher. He systematically studied Greek philosophy and tried to combine it with Islamic teachings, arguing that matter is a form of “flowing out” from the spirit of Allah, and that the soul can leave the body and be independent. Faraby is recognized as the "first philosopher" after Aristotle. His philosophical system is a mixture of Plato, Aristotle and Sufism, propagating the immortal "ration of Allah" . I think that the world is made up of many elements, and people can know the world through feelings. Ibn Sinah proposed the "dual truth theory" of religion and science. He is arrogant between materialism and idealism. He believes that the material world is eternal. They are not created by Allah, but they also think that the spirit overflows from Allah. The spirit gives form to the material and then forms everything. It is also claimed that the soul and the body are different and are a special ability that goes beyond the physical properties of ordinary things. On the issue of commonality, it is believed that the common phase exists before things, as the idea of ​​creation, exists in things; as the essence of things, after things, is the form of existence of concepts.

Sufism and orthodox theology - philosopher Ansari. The Sufism faction appeared at the end of the 7th century and has undergone significant development since the end of the 8th century. Influenced by Neo-Platonicism and the Indian Yoga School, they promoted the "oneness of man and God" and "the connection between man and God" and advocated the doctrine of abstinence, perseverance, self-restraint, and was suppressed by the orthodox Islam. The orthodox school of the famous theology-philosopher Ansari, who was the master of

spiritcloth.typepad.com/spirit_cloth/2009/05/undoing-misu...

Fjodor Rokotov (Russian, 1735-1808)

EKM VM 409

Kadriorg Museum, Tallinn, Estonia

 

According to Wikipedia, "Ekaterina Orlova (1758-1781), was a Russian courtier. She served as lady in waiting to empress Catherine the Great in 1773-1777, and married in 1777 to her cousin Grigory Orlov."

 

While few facts about the Countess are easily accessible, there's a wealth of fascinating information about her husband, Grigory:

========================================================

 

Grigory Orlov was a Russian statesman and favorite of Catherine the Great who organized the coup to place her on the Russian throne and subsequently helped the Empress rule the country.

 

Grigory Orlov was born on October 17, 1734, into a Russian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, diplomats, and soldiers. Grigory Orlov senior served the Tsar and achieved the rank of State Adviser. In the early 1740’s, he was one of the vice-governors of the city of Novgorod. He married late and his wife was three times his junior.

 

They had 9 sons, but only 5 of them survived. The five brothers each went on to great service and deeds in the Russian court; Grigory became the paramour of Catherine II, Aleksey would command the Russian fleet in the war against the Turks, Vladimir became a senator, and Fyodor and Ivan were made chamberlains after the coup which enthroned Catherine II while killing her husband, Peter III.

 

Grigory started his love affair with Catherine while she was only Grand Duchess. The details of Grigory Orlov’s childhood have escaped history, but it is known he was educated at the cadet corps in St. Petersburg. In 1749, he began his military career in the Seven Years' War of 1756–1763, a global military conflict that affected a number of countries including Russia.

 

Orlov was an officer in the artillery division, while two of his brothers, Aleksey and Vladimir, were merely common soldiers in the guards. While serving in the capital as an artillery officer, he caught the fancy of the Empress-to-be Catherine, and led the conspiracy to overthrow and murder her husband Peter III in 1762

 

Orlov was a very strong and handsome man, always popular with women. There was one incident involving an affair between Orlov and Princess Kourakina, the mistress of his colleague Pyotr Shuvalov. The conflict between the two men ended in a duel, in which Orlov killed Shuvalov. The whole series of events was followed by a great scandal.

 

Rumors of this incident reached the ears of Catherine, and out of curiosity she wished to meet the youth whose great exploits in love were the subject of public conversation. Orlov was secretly introduced to the Grand Duchess, and when they became lovers, she unveiled to him her ambitious plans to take the throne from her husband. Orlov was resolved to make Catherine his sole sovereign and started gathering a team of supporters.

 

Peter III, Catherine’s husband had been on the throne for a short time and was a failure as a ruler and a husband. One example of his neglect of Catherine was that months after their wedding, she was still a virgin. In her later years, she would more than compensate for this sour beginning of her personal life.

As soon as Empress Catherine II saw herself firmly seated on the throne, she rewarded the participants of the revolt by lavishing titles and money on them. Grigory Orlov was promoted to the rank of Major-General and was awarded the title of count. He was her favorite and first counselor. Apart from his good looks and brevity, Orlov possessed neither the advantages of a noble birth nor a good education.

 

Even according to Catherine II, who had always been more inclined to exaggerate the merits of her lovers, Orlov was poorly educated and his knowledge of French was so limited that he couldn’t read in it and didn’t understand poetry. However, Catherine considered him to be “an amazing creature, endowed with beauty, a wonderful soul and intelligence”.

=

She thought him to be the most handsome man of the time. He surpassed his brothers in beauty, strength, courage, and resolve. He had a warm heart and was recklessly generous. But unfortunately he was occasionally indiscreet, making him appear less sophisticated than he probably was.

 

Orlov was very witty, had a fairly accurate appreciation of current events, and was a useful and sympathetic counselor during the earlier portion of Catherine's reign. He undertook the issue of improving the lives of serfs and their partial emancipation with great enthusiasm. As the President of the Free Economic Society, he was also their most prominent advocate in the great commission of 1767, though his primary aim was pleasing the Empress, who displayed great liberality in her earlier years.

 

Orlov had a passion for natural sciences. He enjoyed trying various simple experiments in chemistry and physics and he would fervently describe to the Empress how a glass filled with water would crack after it freezes. He had equipped an observatory with a telescope where he spent hours gazing upon incredible views.

 

Of course, he was no more than an amateur at science, but it was Orlov who bought and collected documents left behind by Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov after his death. He also introduced then unknown inventor Ivan Kulibin and satirical writer Denis Fonvizin to the Empress.

 

Orlov always abstained from taking part in the political life of the country. He only participated in foreign relations at Catherine’s urging, but foreign diplomats never saw him as a reliable partner. Having no particular political stance, he often changed his views. His court life was interrupted by an outbreak of plague in Moscow, where he was sent to deal with the disaster.

 

The Empress had already sent assistance to stop the spreading disease, but it had no effect. It was necessary that some man of authority should go to Moscow to make them submit to the regulations prescribed, and to the observance of more cleanliness than usual. Grigory Orlov had the courage to go and brave both the pestilence and superstition. Count Orlov, endowed by the Empress with exceptional powers, arrived in the city.

 

He set up a preventative executive commission, took measures to ensure the supply of provisions for the population still remaining in the city, and increased the number of quarantine stations and hospitals. He prohibited and prevented all kinds of assemblies. The sick were provided not only with free food, but also with clothing and money. He offered the use of his own home as a hospital; a government-financed orphanage was opened; more than six thousand houses with sick residents were disinfected.

 

According to his contemporaries, Orlov personally visited hospitals, provided assistance for the infected, appeared among the public, and took part in religious processions. On his instructions, the dead were buried in special cemeteries. The sickness at last yielded to the unceasing attentions of Orlov and the severity of the winter.

 

On his return to St. Petersburg, Grigory Orlov found in Catherine a grateful sovereign. He was given a very warm reception. A special medal "For Delivering Moscow from the Plague" was struck in his honor, and triumphal marble gates were erected in the Tsarkoye Selo Gardens with the inscription "Moscow saved from Disaster by Orlov".

 

It was during this period that Orlov began overextending his prospects, his actions bordering on pretentiousness. He flattered himself on the kind of access he had to the Empress, and although she was annoyed by his arrogant self-confidence, she could not risk an argument with the man who put her on the throne.

 

In 1762 Catherine gave birth to Aleksey, her and Orlov’s illegitimate son. He was named after the village of Bobriki where he lived, officially beginning the noble line of the Bobrinsky Counts.

 

Orlov's influence became immense after the discovery of a plot to murder the whole Orlov family. At that time the Empress even thought of marrying her favorite, but the plan was ruined by her influential advisor Nikita Panin.

 

Though there was no open misunderstanding between Panin and count Grigory Orlov, Panin nevertheless desired Orlov’s downfall. Shrewd, and certainly too timid to openly attack Orlov, he missed no opportunity to attack him on the side. Orlov’s behavior was almost the exact opposite. He never hated anyone, though he was hated by many. His arrogance had gained him a great number of enemies.

 

Catherine had been, and was still very attached to Orlov. He, on the contrary, had never felt any natural affection for Catherine, but only that which arose from gratitude and ambition. Proud of the favor of his sovereign, he cultivated his success, and as soon as he found he had gained sufficient reputation and authority, his passion began to cool; he assumed a distant air and even started an intrigue with his niece who was also the Empress’s lady-in-waiting.

 

The more Catherine wished to renew his affections, the more he seemed inclined to retreat and seek his amusement in the company of other ladies. The Empress could not but resent this ungrateful conduct. However, on account of her fondness for Bobrinsky (Orlov’s child), she did not discard him at once. She privately raised the boy in the suburbs of Saint Petersburg, and often disguised herself when visiting him.

 

In the meantime, Orlov was informed that the Empress had finally decided to get rid of him. In order to rekindle Catherine's affection, Grigory presented to her one of the greatest diamonds in the world, known ever since as the Orlov Diamond.

 

He was one of the earliest proponents of the Slavophile idea to emancipate the Christians from the Ottoman yoke. In 1771 he was sent as first Russian plenipotentiary to the peace congress, but he failed in his mission, due to the obstinacy of the Ottomans, and partly - according to Nikita Panin - to his own outrageous insolence.

 

On returning without permission to his Marble Palace at St Petersburg, he found himself superseded in the Empress's favor by the younger Potemkin. Orlov became a person of no account at court, and went abroad for a few years.

 

He returned to Russia a few months prior to his death in Moscow on April, 13 1783. For some time before his death, he suffered from delusions. Later in life he married his niece, Ekaterina Zinovyeva, but their marriage was childless. He was buried in the village of Otradnoye in the Serpukhov district near Moscow.

russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/the-romanov-dynasty...

  

Let me take you down,

Cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real

And nothing to get hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

Living is easy with eyes closed

Misunderstanding all you see.

It's getting to be someone.

But it all works out,

It doesn't matter much to me.

Let me take you down,

'Cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real

And nothing to get hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

No one I think is in my tree,

I mean it must be high or low.

That is you can't you know tune in.

But it's all right.

That is I think it's not too bad.

Let me take you down,

'Cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real

And nothing to get hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

Always, no sometimes, I think it's me,

But you know I know when it�s a dream.

I think I know I mean a 'Yes'.

But it's all wrong.

That is I think I disagree.

Let me take you down,

'Cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields.

Nothing is real

And nothing to get hungabout.

Strawberry Fields forever.

Strawberry Fields forever.

Alright, since I probably won't take another photo of all my Xbox 360 games until Spring of 2010, I thought I'd take a quick moment to review Borderlands and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, since they both deserve it.

 

The MW2 review will be longer than normal, but I have strong opinions on it.

 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

★★☆☆☆

 

This game was absolutely disappointing. I will speak about the single player and "Special Ops" game modes briefly, but the main reason I purchased this game was for the multiplayer, and the multiplayer component of the game will be the main topic as a result.

  

Multiplayer

 

First off, let me say that in theory, the changes and additions from COD4, overall, look like good decisions. Things like HQ being up for a while before you can capture and changes to perks are all things I either outright like or things I am open minded about. It's the matchmaking, UI, netcode and Party Chat restrictions that I have the most issues with, and that frustration is likely having an impact on how much I actually enjoy the multiplayer games themselves.

 

None of the three dozen or so people (friends and friends of friends) that I have played with have seen issues like this with COD4 or COD:WaW, and every single one of them has experienced issues with Modern Warfare 2. Those of you who have been following Modern Warfare 2 for a while now may remember that back in September, Infinity Ward's community manager, Robert Bowling (aka Fourzerotwo), said the following:

 

"Alright, let me attempt to clarify as much as possible as its clear that there is some misunderstanding on how matchmaking works in Modern Warfare 2 for international users. The functionality you're asking for, the ability to connect to BEST connection rather than first available game aka quickest match, is already built into the matchmaking. There is no need to include an additional toggle where you manually have to ask it to put you in the game best suited for your connection, that should all be done automatically without requiring you, the player, to go through an extra step to request it. That's what I was referring to in the tweet of, "you don't select a region or country, it is auto-assist". Meaning, matchmaking will automatically put you in the best game for YOUR connection."

 

If that's true, why is MW2 the only game where I've spent upwards of 30 minutes with five other friends, all within 20 km of each other, with each of us on fiber internet connection, being unable to get a game started, despite regularly gaming together for quite a while?

 

(To give you a background on what that "YOUR connection" would mean to me, SpeedTest shows I'm on the following connection: Download 94.63 Mb/s, Upload 65.67 Mb/s, 3 ms ping, Open NAT dedicated IP that is MAC tied exclusively to my primary Xbox 360 )

 

The matchmaking isn't necessarily fast, I've seen it be very fast, and I've seen it take several minutes. Regardless of whether it is fast or slow, my friends and I find ourselves losing party members more than half the time. That is unacceptably bad.

 

I fail to understand how, with my connection, people who connect to me with no problems, who play COD 4 and COD:WaW with me with no problems, don't even have a 50/50 chance of joining a game with me successfully.

 

When we do lose people, they have no way of telling us, as you might have already heard about Infinity Ward's controversial decision to restrict Party Chat from all but a few maps. That means we have to visually scan for who is and who isn't there. If Modern Warfare 2 would allow Party Chat, they'd be able to say, "Hey guys, I got booted." But virtually every game mode requires you to leave party chat to play. Even game modes where you can speak to living teammates while waiting for your respawn.

 

I understand there will be those people who prefer the lack of party chat, in hopes that it will encourage team communication between strangers, but literally everyone I know who's playing MW2 either mutes everyone or now has their 360 set so that they can only hear people on their friend list.

 

The lack of Party Chat irks me as I am one of those people who mutes everyone. I would prefer not to eliminate game chat from every other game I own just because of Infinity Ward's restrictions on Party Chat. I do want the option of people able to talk to the people I play in fighting games, most recently Street Fighter IV, so often times I will use game chat in games like Street Fighter IV. But when it comes to a social team game like the Call of Duty titles, I want to jump on with a group of friends as a team and socialize with them while playing. No one else wants to hear the details of how work is going, and I don't want strangers listening in while I'm socializing and talking about game strategy concurrently.

 

You do have the option to mute people rather quickly, but as Tycho said in his Penny-Arcade news post, "There are playlists that support Party Chat, identified by a black asterisk, but players who are just beginning to play don't have access to any gametypes that actually support multiple party members. it wasn't a dealbreaker, in that we could mute people (everyone) in either the lobby on the in-game roster, but anytime you take a process that involves zero inputs and substitute fourteen, it's something you should take pretty f**king seriously."

 

Again, just the lack of Party Chat wouldn't be a deal breaker, but coupled with the ridiculous difficulty of getting five friends into a single game successfully does make it extremely frustrating.

 

When we did finally get into a game, over half the games we entered were yellow connections or worse, and the majority of those were quit out of because the connection was so bad it was unplayable. The same problem plagued Call of Duty 4 but wasn't nearly as pronounced as it is here.

 

Treyarch was able to add a "Local" and "Locale Only" search option to Call of Duty: World at War, which allowed my friends and I to wait for a good game. If it took 10 minutes to get a game going, it was better than spending 30 minutes jumping out of unplayable games that we were repeatedly thrown into, losing friends on the way, and constantly having to re-invite people to the party but being unable to talk with them half the time due to the lack of Party Chat. (Party chat allows you to talk during loading screens and when people are booted or trying to join.) The "Locale Only" search option was a key reason World at War was my group of friends' game of choice over the last year. After a full year of caring about each win (2,747), and loss (645), in World at War, I very quickly hit the point that I no llonger care about taking a loss in Modern Warfare 2, because the number of unplayable connections and friends lost when joining games means that dropping out of games is a regular occurrence, and win/loss stats mean nothing as a result.

 

Treyarch's World at War was also smart enough to include a "Leave with party" option that meant the party leader could pull everyone out of a game together. If someone was getting a drink or using the restroom, the party leader didn't need to wait for them to return to change game types. In MW2, everyone needs to quit out individually, and again, without Party Chat, people sometimes get lost. This may not seem like a big deal for many, but for those of us who work and have families, we're rarely all jumping on or logging off at the same time, and what was a brief wait in World at War has become a point of dread in MW2. (Jumping out to get someone means there's a possibility that you'll spend the next 30 minutes unsuccessfully trying to enter a playable game without losing a party member again.)

 

Now you may wonder why I'm waiting so long to talk about the game play. The truth is that I've yet to formulate a final opinion. There are really fun games and there are really frustrating games...but the game community is still evolving. If camping seems problematic or levels seem unfair, those issues may change as players become familiar with the maps, other people's tactics and the vast majority of people have seen all the perks and weapons. I'm giving Modern Warfare 2 a much longer look than I would give most games, because I truly do want it to be great. I want it to be more fun than World at War with a larger active community than World at War had. However, truthfully, I'm not sure how enjoyable this game will be, nor how many people will stick around after the first month.

 

Here are the things I think urgently need to be addressed, as they're easy to fix but complete game breakers for many:

 

1. Party Chat: Put party chat back in for everything but S&D. Put in an MLG game room or whatever alternative rooms you want for angry young racists with a mic that don't want anyone using Party Chat, and let them yell at each other in there. Those of us who view online games as a social outlet to play with friends want this...BADLY. Even Penny-Arcade is wondering why this decision was made. If it was to keep us from talking after we die...why can we still talk after we're dead in game chat in every game type I've played so far? (I have not played S&D yet) Is it technologically impossible to prevent people in Party Chat from playing on the other team? I would love it if Party Chat guaranteed that people in your party would be on your team.

 

2. Match Making - Lost Team Members: I'm still repeatedly losing party members when trying to get games going. Is this really that difficult to fix? I can understand there are bugs that need to be worked out, but thanks to the lack of Party Chat, there's no way for dropped people to let their team know they've been dropped. A message like, "Party Members were unable to join the game, would you like to back out and get them or continue the game without them?" would be helpful. Baring that, making your squad members easy to visually differentiate (possibly a blue background or text for everyone in the party) which would make it possible to quickly confirm all X number of party members made it. Also, just enabling Party Chat would make it easier to communicate in cases where some people don't make it.

 

3. Match Making - Bad Connections: I'm still regularly being thrown into games where we have unplayable connections (people in our squad will be all red and yellow connections, even when there's six of us geographically within 20 km of each other jumping into a 6-on-6 game). A "Locale Only" option would be very welcome. I'm happy to sit around for minutes waiting for a playable game. I doubt a patch will come soon enough to make me care about my W/L stats...so I will continue jumping out of games with bad connections...but again, I'm more than willing to wait for a game where everyone on both teams has a reasonable playable connection. Net code improvements? Server upgrades? You guys can do whatever you want there...but until I see a "Locale Only" or "Maximum acceptable ping" or similar option, I'll be of the assumption that you really don't care about my interest in a playable connection, and my team will keep jumping out of matches with bad connections, which is a less than ideal solution when it isn't an issue in other games...

  

The following are improvements that seem obvious to me, most of which are probably seen in the majority of online games:

 

1. Leave with Party: This one is obvious. If a group of friends playing together wants to change games types, the party leader should have the option to leave with group. The group can enter games together...why can't they leave games together? COD:WaW did this, so it can't be hard to implement. Everyone dropping in and out separately is annoying enough when you are able to use Party Chat. It's horrible without Party Chat.

 

2. Add to Squad: There were squads in COD that meant we didn't all have to jump out every time a friend jumped on. They could join the game and if they were on our team, they could join our squad and stay on our team without everyone having to drop out and try to jump back into a game again. Again, this was in COD:WaW, so it can't be that hard to implement and it keeps people playing instead of having them search for games...(with the currently inevitable booting of people randomly and joining games with unplayable connections.)

 

3. "Invite" option: Why would I want to invite people from the game menu and then play against them? The only benefit I can see for this is people who spam invite people they've played against and beaten... If I use the invite option to invite a friend, I want to play with them. Why not have invites sent this way automatically add them to your squad when they accept? I don't want random spam invites to play against people I don't know, and I was excited at the possibility that we could just invite friends to our team without quitting out of the game.

 

4. X to skip: I'm not big on skipping levels, and I haven't played enough to dislike any levels enough to skip, so I didn't notice this at first, but why make skipping more difficult than it needs to be? Neither this or the items the follow below are nearly as important as the first six points in my mind.

 

5. Volume control: Another option I used in World at War that disappeared is the ability to adjust individual volume sliders for the game sound effects, music, and other noises. I have A40 headphones now, so it's no longer an issue for me personally, but if someone's trying to keep the volume at a reasonable level, let them lower the BGM slider and other non game sounds while keeping the SFX (the important game sounds) at the highest setting. When I did adjust these settings, I never felt it gave me any sort of advantage in hearing people in the game, it just lowered the pre and post game music enough to placate my wife.

  

Lastly, improvements that I'd like to see when getting into games with friends and having fun is taken care of:

 

1. Barracks Leaderboards: Where did the breakdown by game type go? I could care less about K/D in any game type other than Deathmatch, as that's the only time it's the main point. Even in Free-For-All, killing 25 people and dying 20 times is better than killing 15 people and not dying if you're playing in the spirit of the game...so why create leaderboards that encourage people to focus on kills in game types that focus on objectives? (In the last COD game, I'm 2.27 k/d in TDM and 1.5 in Headquarters, but I believe I have a better win rate in HQ because I play the game...) The new stat system leaves a lot to be desired. It would be great to see a lot of information available, and I understand this may be coming in the future.

 

2. Lobby Leaderboard: Something to look at between matches when you aren't adjusting classes, and wondering who exactly you're playing with and against.

 

3. Online Leaderboards: Again these are all things that can be added in the future, and would add to the fun, but aren't as important as the points above: Online stats, iPhone app, Web based challenges you can complete in game, being able to compare accolades with friends, being able to compare individual gun stats with friends, stats by game type, trending stats (k/d average for each hour of a given game type, etc.), etc, etc, etc. There's plenty of data people would love to gobble up, and stats added to my enjoyment of Halo 3 and Call of Duty: World at War. But really, it's secondary to all the multiplayer issues I listed above, and I'd be very happy if IW took those points into consideration and made changes to improve the multiplayer experience for everyone.

 

Honestly speaking, if every single one of the improvements above had been included out of the box, my rating for multiplayer would almost certainly be 3 or 4 stars, with the potential for a 5 star rating depending on how multiplayer holds up over time...but even if there's a great game under all the BS, the BS is currently getting in the way.

 

Single Player

 

I honestly enjoyed World at War more than COD4 for multiplayer, and I doubt that was just due to the improved matchmaking, but I will also say that COD4's single player is probably the greatest FPS campaign I have played. Even though I bought MW2 for the multiplayer, I was hoping that the single player would also be amazing.

 

Visually, this game is amazing. The sound and music are excellent. If a grade were as simple as rating how it looks and sounds, the single player would be a home run. However, this is a poor successor to COD4. The game has bugs, is short, and the story is feels like a roll of duct tape used to connect different environment and mission types.

 

A friend of mine said, "If you're going to make a highly detailed game, expect people to focus on the details." One such detail is the checkpoints. Multiple times I would go well past a checkpoint, yet at my death I would spawn back at a prior checkpoint, only to have the checkpoint triggered on the second time through. Near the end of the game, I was in a house on a staircase with an enemy just outside the front door (straight ahead, but just to the side of the door frame) and in the room to the right (just behind the door leading to the base of the stairs) and the game saved my check point with a flash bang about to go off at my feet. Every time I spawned, I was flash banged. After dozens and dozens of tries, I eventually was able to kill both enemies while completely blinded and continue with the game, but I knew that if I didn't make it to the next checkpoint, that I would need a lot of time and luck to pull that trick off again.

 

The HUD is minimalistic, which I appreciate, but multiple times the verbal directions and on screen directions are either difficult to follow or a complete lie. I don't remember my own specific examples, but a friend of mine tells me that one such point is being told to jump off a building. If you actually jump, you die from the fall. However, if you just run off the building, you're fine. (That may not be the best example, but I'm not going to bother playing with single player again to be reminded of the ones I encountered.)

 

While you have almost certainly already heard about the terrorist level, consider this warning for anyone who hasn't, as the next three paragraphs mention it. It occurs in the first quarter of the game, and I think any potential purchaser of this game should know about it. Discussing the game story as little as possible, I will say that it essentially ruined the game for me. First, even if you do not kill any innocent people, you cannot clear the level without attacking soldiers. I had attempted to knife terrorists in the back when they separated from the others. I attempted to shoot the terrorists. I attempted to run to the end of the level without engaging the army...despite the fact that the story could progress at my death without forcing me to play to the end of the level, the game shoe horns you into a movie that I personally wouldn't pay to see. You die at the end of the level regardless, but the game forces you to kill the soldiers trying to stop terrorists. The single player campaign lost me at this point.

 

The reason is simple. Good stories require the viewer/user to have empathy for the characters. If you follow the "They're not real!" school of thought, you're left with apathy for these characters, and the experience of the game suffers a result. So yeah, they're not real, and that notion stayed with me for the rest of the single player campaign. Moving my character through the level was what I did. In Modern Warfare, I crawled past the troops in the sniper level, and II felt the tension. In MW2, my character did what ever the developers demanded to progress from one checkpoint to another.

 

What surprises me about the terrorist level is not the people with empathy or the people with apathy, but rather the large contingent of what seems to be angry young males with antipathy for their fellow man who will tell you how they enjoyed shooting the people because it was "fun". If that was the demographic that IW was going for with this game, than it's no wonder that it missed the mark with me.

 

Having me select a "No, I will not be offended" option the first time I start this game up doesn't mean I won't be offended by a short, disjointed game with a bad story, mostly uninspired levels, buggy checkpoints and unclear objectives. Dying doing what I'm told to do in order to figure out the hard way what I'm actually supposed to do is not my idea of an enjoyable game.

 

That said, breaching was fun (and they certainly realized that, as they included more than enough), the snow level was fun, and the final cinematic quick time event ending would have been great if I cared about the characters or the game at that point. Unfortunately, a few enjoyable moments do not make a sub-par game enjoyable. As a single player game, it's several notches below World at War and a flight of stairs below Call of Duty 4.

 

Special Ops

 

If someone asked me to criticize Special Op, my response would be that you can only play with one friend at a time. Special Ops is the best part of Modern Warfare 2 in my opinion, which is shame, because it's the part of the game I was least interested in.

 

If you have exactly one friend you want to play with who's roughly near your skill level and wants to play bite sized portions of co-op player vs. computer scenarios, Special Ops is fantastic fun. There are 15 separate challenges with no check points, and you and your friend must work together to complete them. (With the exception of the sniper level, which was fun alone, these games really need a friend to give you the proper experience.) There are a few minor design issues, such as the fact that if a friend hasn't unlocked a specific level, they won't get credit for completing it with you, and not all levels are created equal, but there's some very good fun there.

 

I'm not sure what the rational was for restricting the Special Ops levels. It meant that in order to play with a friend who hadn't tried it yet, he either had to play without getting credit, or I had to play through several games I'd already played so he could unlock the levels I wanted to play. All that did was confirm that these are great fun the first time, but not something I enjoy enough to want to go back and play again after completing them on Veteran difficulty.

 

I can't imagine anyone buying this game specifically for Special Ops, but it's a nice addition to an otherwise disappointing game so far, although I finished the 15 challenges rather quickly.

  

I believe that I've outlined why I've had more frustration than fun with the mutliplayer, how I felt about the single player, and what I think about Special Ops. While also disappointed with the single player, I bought this game primarily for the multiplayer, and expected that the matchmaking, UI and feature set would reflect the fact that this game had a humongous budget and that the previous iteration of Call of Duty had so many matchmaking improvements and additions. Instead the feature set and functionality feels barebones and buggy, and the problems are so bad that the ability to enjoy the game suffer. A controversial decision to restrict Party Chat from almost every game type compounds things even worse. To quote a friend:

 

"It's such a damned shame. Some small details are killing a fantastic game. The thing is that those small details add up freaking fast and it makes the game sooo much less fun."

 

That friend has spent his last 24+ gaming hours playing COD:WaW and Borderlands because, in his words, "I just want to get online and play a fun games where I can talk to my friends."

  

Gaming details: Completed single player campaign on Hardened, completed every Special Ops on Veteran and played +19 hours of multiplayer with an additional +8 hours trying to play multiplayer games, but with matchmaking failing to put the entire party into a game successfully.

  

I've done reviews for the majority of the games I've owned. Check out my March 2009 collection, my April 2008 collection or my Borderlands (★★★★★) review by clicking on the links if you're interested.

 

Update: You can now see my August 2010 Xbox 360 games collection photo here, and a list of my XBLA games along with ratings for each here.

8 Jan 2015 | Lego Challenge 8/365

 

One should have the right to freedom of expression and the right to disagree, but under no circumstance should violence be the "solution".

 

(This is a parody of cartoonist David Pope's image to honour those who have fallen in the name of freedom of expression: twitter.com/davpope/status/552844593046097920/photo/1)

 

It was really shocking to watch the news unfold last night. As a journalism student who has already written for a newspaper and will be entering the industry in a couple of months' time, I fully believe in the freedom of expression - censorship does not benefit society. But at the same time, coming from a country that comprises four main racial groups, I also understand the importance of respecting one another's religion, beliefs and culture. If we are to avoid misunderstandings and conflict of ideas, then perhaps sometimes it is best to take a step back and listen.

 

Using violence as a means to an end will not solve any problems. But after two millennia, it seems Mankind has still not understood this fundamental rule to living in peace and harmony on this planet.

2010

monochromatic in violet

acrylic on canvas board

 

© All rights reserved. Using these images without permission is in violation of international copyright laws (633/41 DPR19/78-Disg 154/97-L.248/2000)

 

this work was done as a prayer for guidance and protection ....

and to bring about positive understanding towards people and their actions... the bird she holds to her head, to her face, is to touch the life on a gentle and soft measure, and hear the heartbeat of us all.. the woman holds in protection a fish,which can slip away at any moment... her necklace medallion being the fish's eye, the eye seeing beyond the concrete world and deeper into the energy of life... the food representing nourishment and fulfillment, overabundance taken for granted....

 

the stars on the right are the solid decorations of life ... the beauties that are created and sold and struggled for, bought and enjoyed, ignored and wasted ... thrown away...

the woman lounging across the back of her mind, is herself trying to feel grounded... while feeling her feet floating in the cold water of anxiety and hurt ... her arms reaching down into the earth for the peace of just feeling on solid ground .., energy coming through her, energy flowing out into the earth... the mountains are strength and surrounding protection from the earth ... the sun, warmth.. heat... love... to melt the misunderstandings into a flowing stream of contentment ...

 

I used to think that this fly was a jerk. Now we're friends...it was just a misunderstanding.

 

Update: This is a female sunflower maggot. I'm not sure but it seems like it may be Strauzia Longipennis...which is a rather unfortunate name for a female.

Kathakali (Malayalam: കഥകളി, kathakaḷi; Sanskrit: कथाकळिः, kathākaḷiḥ) is a stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved looks, refined gestures and added themes besides more ornate singing and precise drumming.

 

HISTORY

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'.

 

Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called 'Manipravaalam'), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience.

 

As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to Nritham, Nrithyam and Natyam.

 

KATHAKALI PLAYS

Traditionally there are 101 classical Kathakali stories, though the commonly staged among them these days total less than one-third that number. Almost all of them were initially composed to last a whole night. Nowadays, there is increasing popularity for concise, or oftener select, versions of stories so as the performance lasts not more than three to four hours from evening. Thus, many stories find stage presentation in parts rather than totality. And the selection is based on criteria like choreographical beauty, thematic relevance/popularity or their melodramatic elements. Kathakali is a classical art form, but it can be appreciated also by novices—all contributed by the elegant looks of its character, their abstract movement and its synchronisation with the musical notes and rhythmic beats. And, in any case, the folk elements too continue to exist. For better appreciation, perhaps, it is still good to have an idea of the story being enacted.

 

The most popular stories enacted are Nalacharitham (a story from the Mahabharata), Duryodhana Vadham (focusing on the Mahabharata war after profiling the build-up to it), Kalyanasougandhikam, (the story of Bhima going to get flowers for his wife Panchali), Keechakavadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali, but this time during their stint in disguise), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight, from the Mahabharata), Karnashapatham (another story from the Mahabharata), Nizhalkuthu and Bhadrakalivijayam authored by Pannisseri Nanu Pillai. Also staged frequently include stories like Kuchelavrittam, Santanagopalam, Balivijayam, Dakshayagam, Rugminiswayamvaram, Kalakeyavadham, Kirmeeravadham, Bakavadham, Poothanamoksham, Subhadraharanam, Balivadham, Rugmangadacharitam, Ravanolbhavam, Narakasuravadham, Uttaraswayamvaram, Harishchandracharitam, Kacha-Devayani and Kamsavadham.

 

Recently, as part of attempts to further popularise the art, stories from other cultures and mythologies, such as those of Mary Magdalene from the Bible, Homer's Iliad, and William Shakespeare's King Lear and Julius Caesar besides Goethe's Faust too have been adapted into Kathakali scripts and on to its stage. Synopsis of 37 kathakali stories are available in kathakalinews.com.

 

MUSIC

The language of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam. Though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtone-heavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is known as the Sopanam style. This typically Kerala style of rendition takes its roots from the temple songs which used to be sung (continues even now at several temples) at the time when Kathakali was born.

 

As with the acting style, Kathakali music also has singers from the northern and southern schools. The northern style has largely been groomed by Kerala Kalamandalam in the 20th century. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, an overarching Kathakali musician of those times, was a product of the institute. His prominent disciples include Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup, Kalamandalam Gangadharan, Kalamandalam P.G. Radhakrishnan, Rama Varrier, Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri, Tirur Nambissan, Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali, Kalamandalam Haridas, Subramanian, Kalanilayam Unnikrishnan and Kalamandalam Bhavadasan. The other prominent musicians of the north feature Kottakkal Vasu Nedungadi, Kottakkal Parameswaran Namboodiri, Kottakkal P.D. Narayanan Namboodiri, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kalamandalam Anantha NarayananKalamandalam Sreekumar Palanad Divakaran, Kalanilayam Rajendran, Kolathappilli Narayanan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri, Kottakkal Madhu, Kalamandalam Babu Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Harish and Kalamandalam Vinod. In the south, some of whom are equally popular in the north these days, include Pathiyur Sankarankutty. Southerner musicians of the older generation include Cherthala Thankappa Panikker, Thakazhi Kuttan Pillai, Cherthala Kuttappa Kurup, Thanneermukkam Viswambharan and Mudakkal Gopinathan.

 

PERFORMANCE

Traditionally, a Kathakali performance is usually conducted at night and ends in early morning. Nowadays it isn't difficult to see performances as short as three hours or fewer. Kathakali is usually performed in front of the huge Kalivilakku (kali meaning dance; vilakku meaning lamp) with its thick wick sunk till the neck in coconut oil. Traditionally, this lamp used to provide sole light when the plays used to be performed inside temples, palaces or abodes houses of nobles and aristocrats. Enactment of a play by actors takes place to the accompaniment of music (geetha) and instruments (vadya). The percussion instruments used are chenda, maddalam (both of which underwent revolutionary changes in their aesthetics with the contributions of Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval and Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval) and, at times, edakka. In addition, the singers (the lead singer is called “ponnani” and his follower is called “singidi”) use chengila (gong made of bell metal, which can be struck with a wooden stick) and ilathalam (a pair of cymbals). The lead singer in some sense uses the Chengala to conduct the Vadyam and Geetha components, just as a conductor uses his wand in western classical music. A distinguishing characteristic of this art form is that the actors never speak but use hand gestures, expressions and rhythmic dancing instead of dialogue (but for a couple of rare characters).

 

ACTING

A Kathakali actor uses immense concentration, skill and physical stamina, gained from regimented training based on Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, to prepare for his demanding role. The training can often last for 8–10 years, and is intensive. In Kathakali, the story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures) and by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra (the tome that deals with the science of expressions) and are classified into nine as in most Indian classical art forms. Dancers also undergo special practice sessions to learn control of their eye movements.

 

There are 24 basic mudras—the permutation and combination of which would add up a chunk of the hand gestures in vogue today. Each can again can be classified into 'Samaana-mudras'(one mudra symbolising two entities) or misra-mudras (both the hands are used to show these mudras). The mudras are a form of sign language used to tell the story.

 

The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' (Navarasas in anglicised form) (literal translation: Nine Tastes, but more loosely translated as nine feelings or expressions) which are Sringaram (amour), Hasyam (ridicule, humour), Bhayanakam (fear), Karunam (pathos), Roudram (anger, wrath), Veeram (valour), Beebhatsam (disgust), Adbhutam (wonder, amazement), Shantam (tranquility, peace). The link at the end of the page gives more details on Navarasas.

 

One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Most often, the make-up can be classified into five basic sets namely Pachcha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, and Minukku. The differences between these sets lie in the predominant colours that are applied on the face. Pachcha (meaning green) has green as the dominant colour and is used to portray noble male characters who are said to have a mixture of "Satvik" (pious) and "Rajasik" (dark; Rajas = darkness) nature. Rajasik characters having an evil streak ("tamasic"= evil) -- all the same they are anti-heroes in the play (such as the demon king Ravana) -- and portrayed with streaks of red in a green-painted face. Excessively evil characters such as demons (totally tamasic) have a predominantly red make-up and a red beard. They are called Red Beard (Red Beard). Tamasic characters such as uncivilised hunters and woodsmen are represented with a predominantly black make-up base and a black beard and are called black beard (meaning black beard). Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces and this semi-realistic category forms the fifth class. In addition, there are modifications of the five basic sets described above such as Vella Thadi (white beard) used to depict Hanuman (the Monkey-God) and Pazhuppu, which is majorly used for Lord Shiva and Balabhadra.

 

NOTABLE TRAINING CENTRES & MASTERS

Kathakali artistes need assiduous grooming for almost a decade's time, and most masters are products of accomplished institutions that give a minimum training course of half-a-dozen years. The leading Kathakali schools (some of them started during the pre-Independent era India) are Kerala Kalamandalam (located in Cheruthuruthy near Shoranur), PSV Natya Sangham (located in Kottakal near Kozhikode), Sadanam Kathakali and Classical Arts Academy (or Gandhi Seva Sadan located in Perur near Ottappalam in Palakkad), Unnayi Varier Smaraka Kalanilayam (located in Irinjalakuda south of Thrissur), Margi in Thiruvananthapuram, Muthappan Kaliyogam at Parassinikkadavu in Kannur district and RLV School at Tripunithura off Kochi and Kalabharathi at Pakalkkuri near Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Sandarshan Kathakali Kendram in Ambalapuzha and Vellinazhi Nanu Nair Smaraka Kalakendra in Kuruvattor. Outside Kerala, Kathakali is being taught at the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi, Santiniketan at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, Kalakshetra in Chennai and Darpana Academy in Ahmedabad among others. PadmaSree Guru Chengannur Raman Pillai mostly known as 'Guru Chengannur'was running a traditional Gurukula Style approach to propagate Kathakali.

 

‘Guru Chengannur” is ever renowned as the Sovereign Guru of Kathakali. His precision in using symbols, gestures and steps were highest in the field of Kathakali. Guru Chegannur's kaththi vesham, especially the portrayal of Duryodhana enthralled the audience every time he performed. A master of the art, he found immense happiness and satisfaction in the success and recognition of his disciples.

 

Senior Kathakali exponents of today include Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Gopi, Madavoor Vasudevan Nair, Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, Sadanam Krishnankutty, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri, Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, FACT Padmanabhan, Kottakkal Chandrasekharan, Margi Vijayakumar, Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair, Vazhenkada Vijayan, Inchakkattu Ramachandran Pillai, Kalamandalam Kuttan, Mayyanad Kesavan Namboodiri, Mathur Govindan Kutty, Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri, Chavara Parukutty, Thonnakkal Peethambaran, Sadanam Balakrishnan, Kalanilayam Gopalakrishnan, Chirakkara Madhavankutty, Sadanam K. Harikumaran, Thalavadi Aravindan, Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Pariyanampatta Divakaran, Kottakkal Kesavan, Kalanilayam Gopi and Kudamaloor Muralikrishnan. The late titan actor-dancers of Kathakali's modern age (say, since the 1930s) include Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Chandu Panicker, Thakazhi Guru Kunchu Kurup, Padma Shri Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, Kavalappara Narayanan Nair, Kurichi Kunhan Panikkar, Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, Padma Shri Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair, Mankulam Vishnu Namboodiri, Oyur Kochu Govinda Pillai, Vellinezhi Nanu Nair, Padma Shri Kavungal Chathunni Panikkar, Kudamaloor Karunakaran Nair, Kottakkal Sivaraman, Kannan Pattali, Pallippuram Gopalan Nair, Haripad Ramakrishna Pillai, Champakkulam Pachu Pillai, Chennithala Chellappan Pillai, Guru Mampuzha Madhava Panicker, and Vaikkom Karunakaran.

 

Kathakali is still hugely a male domain but, since the 1970s, females too have made entry into the art form on a recognisable scale. The central Kerala temple town of Tripunithura has, in fact, a ladies troupe (with members belonging to several part of the state) that performs Kathakali, by and large in Travancore.

 

KATHAKALI STYLES

Known as Sampradäyaṃ(Malayalam: സമ്പ്രദായം); these are leading Kathakali styles that differ from each other in subtleties like choreographic profile, position of hand gestures and stress on dance than drama and vice versa. Some of the major original kathakali styles included:

 

Vettathu Sampradayam

Kalladikkodan Sampradyam

Kaplingadu Sampradayam

 

Of late, these have narrowed down to the northern (Kalluvazhi) and southern (Thekkan) styles. It was largely developed by the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon (1881-1949) that is implemented in Kerala Kalamandalam (though it has also a department that teaches the southern style), Sadanam, RLV and Kottakkal. Margi has its training largely based on the Thekkan style, known for its stress on drama and part-realistic techniques. Kalanilayam, effectively, churns out students with a mix of both styles.

 

OTHER FORMS OD DANCE & OFFSHOOTS

Kerala Natanam is a kind of dance form, partly based on Kathakali techniques and aesthetics, developed and stylised by the late dancer Guru Gopinath in the mid-20th century. Kathakali also finds portrayal in Malayalam feature films like Vanaprastham, Parinayam, Marattam, and Rangam. Besides documentary films have also been shot on Kathakali artistes like Chenganoor Raman Pillai, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi and Kottakkal Sivaraman.

 

As for fictional literature, Kathakali finds mention in several Malayalam short stories like Karmen (by N.S. Madhavan) and novels like Keshabharam (by P.V. Sreevalsan). Even the Indo-Anglian work like Arundhati Roy's Booker prize-winning The God of Small Things has a chapter on Kathakali, while, of late, Anita Nair's novel, Mistress, is entirely wrapped in the ethos of Kathakali.

 

Similar musical theater is popular in Kasaragod and the coastal and Malenadu regions of Karnataka, viz. Yakshagana. Though Yakshagana resembles Kathakali in terms of its costume and makeup to an extent, Yakshagana is markedly different from Kathakali as it involves dialogues and method acting also the narration is in Kannada, wherein philosophical debates are also possible within framework of the character. As per records the art form of Yakshagana was already rooted and well established at the time of Sri Manavedan Raja. There is possibilities of its significant influence in formation of Kathakkali as the troupe of performers of "Krishnanattam" designed the basic costume of the art form already established in other parts of south India including Males playing the female roles (until more recently).

 

Kottayam thamburan's way of presenting kathakali was later known as Kalladikkoden sambradayam. Chathu Paniker,the introducer of Kallikkoden Sambrathayam, stayed in Kottayam for five years with Kottayam Thamburan's residence and practiced Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam. Then he returned to his home place. After a short period Chathu Paniker reached Pulapatta as instructed by Kuthiravattath nair. That was around the year ME 865. Many deciples from Kadathanadu, Kurumbra nadu, Vettathu nadu, Palakkadu and Perumpadappu studied kathakali(Kalladikkoden Sambrathayam ) By that time Chathu Paniker was an old man. Some years later he died from Pulapatta.

 

NOTED KATHAKALI VILLAGES & BELTS

There are certain pockets in Kerala that have given birth to many Kathakali artistes over the years. If they can be called Kathakali villages (or some of them, these days, towns), here are some of them: Vellinezhi, Kuruvattoor, Karalmanna, Cherpulassery, Kothachira, peringode, sreekrishnapuram Kongad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, Vazhenkada in Malappuram district, Thichur or Tichoor, Guruvayur, Thiruvilwamala and Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Tripunithura, Edappally, Thekkan Chittoor in Ernakulam district and Kuttanad, Harippad belt in Alappuzha district besides places in and around Thiruvanathapuram in south Travancore and Payyannur in north Malabar.

 

AWARDS FOR KATHAKALI ARTISTS

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardees - Kathakali (1956–2005)

Nambeesan Smaraka Awards—For artistic performances related kathakali{1992-2008}

 

KATHAKALI ATTAMS (ELAKI ATTAMS)

Attams or more specifically "elaki attams" are sequences of acting within a story acted out with the help of mudras without support from vocal music. The actor has the freedom to change the script to suit his own individual preferences. The actor will be supported ably by Chenda, Maddalam, and Elathalam (compulsory), Chengila (not very compulsory).

 

The following are only some examples. 'Kailasa Udharanam' and 'Tapas Attam' are very important attams and these are described at the end. Two of the many references are Kathakali Prakaram, pages 95 to 142 by Pannisheri Nanu Pillai and Kathakaliyile Manodharmangal by Chavara Appukuttan Pillai.

 

VANA VARNANA: BHIMA IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKA

Modern man looks at the forest, indeed the birthplace of primates, with a certain wonder and a certain respect. Kathakali characters are no exception.

 

When Pandavas were living in the forest, one day, a flower, not seen before, wafted by the wind, comes and falls at the feet of Panchali. Exhilarated by its beauty and smell, Panchali asks Bhima to bring her more such flowers. To her pleasure Bhima is ready to go at once. But Panchali asks him what he shall do for food and drink on the way. Bhima thinks and says "Food and Drink! Oh, this side glance (look) of yours. This look of longing. This look of anticipation. The very thought fills me up. I don't need any food and drink at all. Let me go." He takes his mace and off he goes. Ulsaham (enthusiasm) is his Sdhayi Bhavam (permanent feature).

 

"Let me go at once in search of this flower," says Bhima. "The scented wind is blowing from the southern side. Let me go that way." After walking some distance he sees a huge mountain called Gandhamadana and three ways. He decides to take the middle one which goes over the mountain. After going further "The forest is getting thicker. Big trees, big branches in all directions. The forest looks like a huge dark vessel into which even light can not penetrate. This is my (Bhima's) way. Nothing can hinder me." So saying he pulls down many trees. Sometimes he shatters the trees with his mace. Suddenly he sees an elephant. "Oh! Elephant." He describes it. Its trunk. Sharp ears.

 

The itching sensation in the body. It takes some mud and throws on the body. Oh good. Then it sucks water and throws on the body. Somewhat better. Slowly it starts dosing even though alert at times. A very huge python is approaching steadily. Suddenly it catches hold of the elephant's hind leg. The elephant wakes up and tries to disengage the python. The python pulls to one side. The elephant kicks and drags to the other side. This goes on for some time. Bhima looks to the other side where a hungry lion is looking for food. It comes running and strikes the elephants head and eats part of the brain and goes off. The python completes the rest. "Oh my god, how ruthless!" says Bhima and proceeds on his way.

 

UDYANA VARNANA: NALA IN NALACHARITHAM SECOND DAY

Descriptions of gardens are found in most dance forms of India and abroad. These are also common in Kathakali.

 

Newly married Nala and Damayanthi are walking in the garden. When Nala was lovingly looking at Damayanthi a flower falls on her. Nala is overjoyed and thinks that this is a kindness nature has shown on his wife. Nala says "On seeing the arrival of their queen, the trees and climbers are showing happiness by dropping flowers on you." He tells her, "See that tree. When I used to be alone the tree used to hug the climber and seemingly laugh at my condition." Then he looks at the tree and says, "Dear Tree, look at me now. See how fortunate I am with my beautiful wife."

 

Both wander about. A bumblebee flies towards Damayanthi. Immediately Nala protects her face with a kerchief. He looks at the bee and then at Damayanthi. He says, "On seeing your face the bee thought it was a flower and came to drink the nectar." Nala and Damayanthi listen to the sounds coming out of the garden. Damayanti says, "It appears that the whole garden is thrilled. The flowers are blooming and smiling. Cuckoos are singing and the bees are dancing. Gentle winds are blowing and rubbing against our bodies. How beautiful the whole garden looks." Then Nala says that the sun is going down and it is time for them to go back and takes her away.

 

SHABDA VARNANA: HANUMAN IN KALYANA SAUGANDHIKAM

While Bhima goes in search of the flower, here Hanuman is sitting doing Tapas with mind concentrated on Sri Rama.

 

When he hears the terrible noises made by Bhima in the forest he feels disturbed in doing his Tapas. He thinks "What is the reason for this?" Then the sounds become bigger. "What is this?" He thinks, "The sounds are getting bigger. Such a terrible noise. Is the sea coming up thinking that the time is ripe for the great deluge (Pralaya). Birds are flying helter-skelter. Trees look shocked. Even Kali Yuga is not here. Then what is it? Are mountains quarreling with each other? No, That can't be it. Indra had cut off the wings of mountains so that they don't quarrel. Is the sea changing its position? No it can't be. The sea has promised it will not change its position again. It can't break the promise." Hanuman starts looking for clues. "I see elephants and lions running in fear of somebody. Oh a huge man is coming this way. Oh, a hero is coming. He is pulling out trees and throwing it here and there. Okay. Let him come near, We will see."

 

THANDEDATTAM: RAVANA IN BALI VADHAM

After his theranottam Ravana is seen sitting on a stool. He says to himself "I am enjoying a lot of happiness. What is the reason for this?" Thinks. "Yes I know it. I did Tapas to Brahma and received all necessary boons. Afterwards I won all ten directions. I also defeated my elder brother Vaishravana. Then I lifted Kailas mountain when Siva and Parvathi were having a misunderstanding. Parvathi got frightened and embraced Siva in fear. Siva was so happy he gave a divine sword called Chandrahasa. Now the whole world is afraid of me. That is why I am enjoying so much happiness." He goes and sits on the stool. He looks far away. "Who is coming from a distance. he is coming fast. Oh, it is Akamba. Okay. Let me find out what news he has for me."

 

ASHRAMA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KIRATHAM

Arjuna wants to do Tapas to Lord Siva and he is looking a suitable place in the Himalayan slopes. He comes to place where there is an ashram. Arjuna looks closely at the place. "Oh. What a beautiful place this is. A small river in which a very pure water is flowing. Some hermits are taking baths in the river. Some hermits are standing in the water and doing Tapsas. Some are facing the Sun. Some are standing in between five fires." Arjuna salutes the hermits from far. He says to himself "Look at this young one of a deer. It is looking for its mother. It seems to be hungry and thirsty. Nearby a female tiger is feeding its young ones. The little deer goes towards the tigress and pushes the young tiger cubs aside and starts drinking milk from the tigress. The tigress looks lovingly at the young deer and even licks its body as if it were its own child. How beautiful. How fulfilling."

 

Again he looks "Here on this side a mongoose and a serpent forgetting their enmity are hugging each other. This place is really strange and made divine by saints and hermits. Let me start my Tapas somewhere nearby."

 

A sloka called "Shikhini Shalabha" can be selected instead of the above if time permits.

 

AN ATTAM BASED ON A SLOKA

Sansrit slokas are sometimes shown in mudras and it has a pleasing and exhilarating effect. Different actors use slokas as per his own taste and liking. However, the slokas are taught to students during their training period. An example is given below.

 

Kusumo Kusumolpatti Shrooyathena Chathushyathe

Bale thava Mukhambuje Pashya Neelolpaladwayam

 

Meaning a flower blooming inside another flower is not known to history. But, my dear, in your lotus like face are seen two blue Neelolpala flowers (eyes).

 

A CONVERSATION BASED ON A SLOKA

Sanskrit slokas can also be used to express an intent. One such example is a sloka used by Arjuna addressed to Mathali the charioteer in Kalakeya Vadham. Sloka:

Pitha: Kushalee Mama hritha Bhujaam

Naatha Sachee Vallabha:

Maatha: kim nu Pralomacha Kushalinee

Soonurjayanthasthayo

Preethim va Kushchate Thadikshnavidhow

Cheta Samutkanuthe

Sutha: tvam Radhamashu Chodaya vayam

Dharmadivam Mathala

 

Meaning: The husband of Indrani and the lord of gods my father - Is he in good health? His son Jayantha - Is he strictly following the commands of his father? Oh, I am impatient to see all of them.

 

SWARGA VARNANA: ARJUNA IN KELAKEYA VADHAM

Arjuna goes to heaven on the invitation of his father, Indra. After taking permission from Indrani he goes out to see all the places in Swarga. First he sees a building, his father's palace. It is so huge with four entrances. It is made of materials superior to gold and jewels of the world. Then he goes ahead and sees Iravatha. Here he describes it as a huge elephant with four horns. He is afraid to touch it. Then he thinks that animals in Swarga can't be cruel like in the world and so thinking he goes and touches and salutes Iravatha. He describes the churning of the white sea by gods and demons with many details and how Iravatha also came out of the white sea due to this churning.

 

He walks on and sees his father's (Indra's) horse. It is described as being white and its mane is sizzling like the waves of the white sea from which it came. He touches and salutes the horse also. Then he goes to see the river of the sky (or milky way). He sees many birds by this river and how the birds fly and play is shown.

 

Then he sees the heavenly ladies. Some are collecting flowers, and one of them comes late and asks for some flowers for making garland. The others refuse. She goes to the Kalpa Vriksha and says "please give me some flowers." Immediately a shower of flowers occurs which she collects in her clothes and goes to make garlands chiding the others. "See... I also got flowers." After this he sees the music and dance of the heavenly ladies. First it starts with the adjustments of instruments Thamburu, Mridangam, Veena. Then the actual music starts along with the striking of cymbals. Then two or three types of dances are shown. Then comes juggling of balls. It is described by a sloka thus:

 

Ekopi Thraya Iva Bhathi Kandukoyam

 

Kanthayaa: Karathala Raktharaktha:

Abhrastho Nayanamareechi Neelaneelo

Popular belief is that kathakali is emerged from "Krishnanattam", the dance drama on the life and activities of Lord Krishna created by Sri Manavedan Raja, the Zamorin of Calicut (1585-1658 AD). Once Kottarakkara Thampuran, the Raja of Kottarakkara who was attracted by Krishnanattam requested the Zamorin for the loan of a troupe of performers. Due to the political rivalry between the two, Zamorin did not allow this. So Kottarakkara Thampuran created another art form called Ramanattam which was later transformed into Aattakatha. Krishnanaattam was written in Sanskrit, and Ramanattam was in Malayalam. By the end of 17th century, Attakatha was presented to the world with the title 'Kathakali'. Kathakali also shares a lot of similarities with Krishnanattam, Koodiyattam (a classical Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiyattam (an adaptation of 12th-century musical called Gitagovindam). It also incorporates several other elements from traditional and ritualistic art forms like Mudiyettu, Thiyyattu, Theyyam and Padayani besides a minor share of folk arts like Porattunatakam. All along, the martial art of Kalarippayattu has influenced the body language of Kathakali. The use of Malayalam, the local language (albeit as a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam, called ), has also helped the literature of Kathakali sound more transparent for the average audience. As a part of modernising, propagating, promoting and popularizing Kathakali, the International Centre for Kathakali at New Delhi has taken up a continuing project since 1980 of producing new plays based on not only traditional and mythological stories, but also historical stories, European classics and Shakespeare's plays. Recently they produced Kathakali plays based on Shakespeare's Othello and Greek-Roman mythology of Psyche and Cupid.

 

Even though the lyrics/literature would qualify as another independent element called Sahithyam, it is considered as a component of Geetha or music, as it plays only a supplementary role to

Bhumau Talcharana Naghamshu Gaurgaura:

 

Meaning One ball looks like three balls. When it is in the hands of the juggler, it takes the redness of the hands, when it goes up it takes the blueness of the eyes, when it strikes the ground it becomes white from the whiteness of the leg nails. Once a juggled ball falls down. Then she, the juggler, somehow manages to proceed and remarks "See.. how I can do it".

 

At one time a garment slips from a lady's body and she adjusts the cloth showing shameful shyness (Lajja). Then the ladies go in for a Kummi dance. As Arjuna was enjoying this dance, suddenly somebody calls him. Arjuna feels scared. "Oh God, where am I?" he says and beats a hasty retreat.

 

TAPAS ATTAM: RAVANA IN RAVANA ULBHAVAM

[Background: Mali, Sumali and Malyavan were three brothers ruling Sri Lanka. During a war between them and Indra, Indra requested help from Lord Vishnu and as a consequence Lord Vishnu killed Mali. Sumali and Malyavan escaped to Patala. Kaikasi was the daughter of Sumali. She wandered in the forest. She belong three boys through a great sage called Vishravassu. (Vishravassu had an earlier son called Vaishravana who became the richest among all people.) The eldest boy of Kaikasi was Ravana followed by Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana.]

 

SCENE 1

When Ravana was a young boy (Kutti Ravana vesham), one day he was sleeping on his mothers lap in a place called madhuvanam. At that time Kaikasi sees Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (mythical aeroplane). She thinks “Oh, that is Vaishravana, technically a brother of my son who is sleeping on my lap. He is rich and strong. My son is so poor and weak. While thinking thus a drop of tear from her eyes drops on Ravana’s face. Ravana suddenly wakes up and sees his mother crying. When he knew the reason he could not bear it. He says he is going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that he will be strong and rich.

 

SCENE 2

(The tapas itself is shown as a part of autobiographical narration of adult ravana)

 

Ravana (adult Ravana, not kutti Ravana) is sitting on a stool. He thinks “Why am I so happy? How did I become so rich and strong? Oh yes. It is because of the tapas I did. What made me do the tapas? When I was a young boy, one day I was sleeping on my mother’s lap in a place called Madhuvanam. A drop of tear from her eyes falls on my face. I asked her why she was crying. She said she saw Vaishravana flying overhead in his vimana (plane). She told me Vaishravan was a brother of mine now flying in a plane. He is rich and strong. I am so poor and weak. When I heard this comparison between me and my brother, I could not bear it. I am going to do tapas to Brahma to get boons so that I will be strong and rich.

 

I made five different types of fires (while doing tapas gods are approached through Agni the god of fire). Then I started my tapas. I asked my brothers to stand guard and also keep the fires burning. Then I fully concentrated on tapas. Time passed but Brahma did not appear. I looked. Why is Brahma not appearing? I doubled my concentration. Time passed. Brahma is not appearing. Still not appearing? I cut one of my heads and put it in the fire. Waited, Brahma did not come. One more head rolls. Still no Brahma comes. Heads roll and roll. No Brahma. Only one head is left. First I thought of stopping my tapas. But no! Never! That will be an insult to me and my family. It is better to die than stop. Also when I die Brahma will be judged as being partial. With great determination I swung the sword at my last neck, when, lo and behold, suddenly Brahma appeared and caught my hand. I looked at him with still un-subsided, but gradually subsiding anger. Brahma asked me what boons I wanted. I asked for a boon that I should win all the worlds and have all the wealth and fame and that I should not be killed except by man. I also asked him to give boons for my brothers.

 

In the next scene Ravana asks Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana what boons they got. Unfortunately Kumbhakarna’s tongue got twisted while asking for boon and he got ‘sleep’ instead of becoming the ‘king of gods’. Ravana laughed it off. As for Vibhishana, he being a bhaktha of Vishnu, asked for Vishnu’s blessings and got it. Ravana laughs it off and also decides to conquer all the worlds and starts preparing his grand army for the big conquest of the worlds.

 

[This method of presentation with a peculiar sequence has a tremendous dramatic affect. The main actor redoes a small part of what happened to kutti Ravana vesham, and this gives a view of the high contrast between the boy and the man Ravana. Similarly the presence of Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana in the subsequent scene offers a good smile on the face of the viewer at the end of the play.]

 

KAILASA UDDHARANAM: RAVANA IN BALI VIJAYAM

[Background and Previous scene: After receiving the boons, and widening his kingdom in all directions, Ravana lives in Sri Lanka with great pomp and splendor. One day he sees Saint Narada approaching his palace singing songs in praise of him ‘Jaya jaya Ravana, Lanka Pathe’. Happily he receives Narada and seats him next to him. After telling Narada about the victory of his son Indrajith on Indra, Ravana tells Narada “Now there is nobody on earth or other worlds who can fight with me”. To this Narada replies “ Very true indeed, but there is one huge monkey called Bali who says he can defeat you. He even said that you are just like a blade of grass to him. Well let him say what he wants. You are unbeatable.” Then Narada says ‘let us go there and see him’. Both decide to go. But Ravana takes his famous sword called “Chandrahasam”. Then Narada asks the history of this sword. Ravana’s Attam Starts.]

 

Ravana says “I received this sword from Lord Siva. It happened thus. Once when I was conquering new places and expanding my empire I happened to be going across the Kailasa mountain. The plane got stuck on the mountain unable to move forward. I got down from the plane and looked at the mountain. (Looks from one end to the other first horizontally and then vertically.) So huge it was. Then I decided to lift it with my bare hand and keep it aside and move forward. I started sticking my hands under it one by one. Then I tried to lift it. It doesn’t move. I put more force and more force. It moved just a bit. I pushed harder and harder, slowly it started moving then again and again and it moved easily. Then I lifted it up with my hands and started juggling it (exaggeration evident).

 

“At that particular time Lord Siva was quarreling with his wife Parvathi. Why did they fight? The story is as follows. Parvathi had gone for enjoying swimming and bathing in some beautiful pond. At that time Siva opened his jata (disheveled long hair) and called Ganga for some entertainment after asking Ganapathi and Subramania to go for some errands. Somehow becoming suspicious, right at that time, Parvathi came back in a hurry with wet clothes and saw Siva with Ganga. Siva was wondering what to do and it was at that time that Ravana started lifting the Kailasa. When Kailasa started shaking Parvathi got scared and ran to Siva and hugged him. So the quarrel ended and Siva was happy. “As a reward Siva called me and gave me this famous Chandrahasa sword.”

 

Then Narada and Ravana leave to meet Bali. Ravana wanted to take the sword along with him, but Narada suggested that the sword is not required for teaching a lesson to Bali who is after all an unarmed monkey.

 

WIKIPEDIA

"I asked for a big cock, not a big raven. And anyway I wasn't talking about birds."

Laura

 

Homage to Edgar Allan Poe, The raven

Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

MY LITTLE SONG AND DANCE

 

Being kind can be hard when you’ve had

Your kindness ignored, laughed at, used

Against you, but unless you show it how

Will someone who wants to be kind to you

Ever know it? So once again I do my little

Song and dance. You may not understand,

May not get the point, but if it amuses you,

Throw me a coin. The story it tells may mean

Nothing to you but maybe you’ll get some

Ideas you can use. Although I’ve had to work

On it, I wouldn’t exactly say it’s an act. If it’s

An act, then so is kissing, so is hurting, so is

Joy, so is knowing right direction, wrong road.

That’s the story that’s told in my little song

And dance. One chapter might be over but

The story goes on probably forever. The song

Will change as it tells of all things over time

And back again. It’s always different, then,

My little song and dance. Someone’s singing

Harmony and dancing in time somewhere

I can’t see to my little song and dance, and

Though our act may be split, the parts will

Always fit. Oh, I’m quite sure of it, like night

Is sure of day. That’s who I hope will hear

My little song and dance through the clamor

Of traffic, the static from tv and phones, so

If your antennae tune me in, if my song and

Dance ring true, trust your insect instinct, it’s

Meant for you.

 

OBJECTIVE

 

You can’t be objective about

Someone you love. It’s not like

You forget right and wrong and the

Standards of fairness we’ve all

Come to cherish, but that all gets

Swept aside by a more urgent

Focus on what your love’s up to.

And if your love is true. And if

She thinks you’re peerless or

Useless. Life as a Zen monk or

Forty days in the desert would

Never teach me to transcend

This feeling, which, like air,

You can neither touch nor do

Without while your blood flows.

The hounds will wade into water

And the captain go down with the

Ship because when you love

Someone there’s no such

Thing as objective.

 

BUILD

 

You can only build based on whatever your

Understanding of building is at the moment.

Cavemen couldn’t conceive of skyscrapers,

But there they are. So skyscrapers remind us

That understanding can evolve beyond the

Conviction that caves are our most suitable

Accommodations. Don’t you hate it when

People’s so-called understanding isn’t based

On what they really know but on what they’re

Projecting?

 

KNIVES

 

My ego’s been slashed so much

I’m don’t know if you can even

Call it an ego anymore. But lo and

Behold, this scarred old ego is

Still out there every day looking

For breakfast, lunch and dinner.

My ego likes to take its meals

With my soul when it can, and

The conversation goes something

Like ego saying how long must I

Keep walking into knives? And the

Soul saying until knives aren’t the

Only thing that makes you feel

Anything at all.

 

UNDERSTANDING

 

Santa, if it’s not too much to ask, think you

Could leave some understanding under the

Tree? I used to think I had plenty, but now I

Wonder if I really have any. It’s needed cause

Without understanding it’s hard to communicate.

Without understanding it’s hard to trust. Without

Understanding it’s hard to reach out. Without

Understanding, passion can get twisted into anger.

Without understanding, natural compatibility can

Get twisted into natural antagonism. Without

Understanding, misunderstanding and doubt

Undermine your foundation. So much we need to

Understand , or else watch something slip away not

For a lack of caring, but a lack of understanding.

 

PINBALL

 

I wish I could just be still but my

Mind’s like a pinball ricocheting

All over the map, dizzy, bouncing

From one extreme to another.

Sometimes your words trigger

My knockabout flight through

The game, hoping I’ll hit your

Grand prize button before I

Fall out of play. Hard way to

Earn points with you, but a

Pinball just feels he’s fated to

Roll with it no matter what.

  

THUNDER

 

Thunder and rain – life comes from

Waters intermingled. What comes

When thoughts blend like waters from

Two rivers? Life for our species began

In the sea, to instinct pointing the way

To swim. Now on a stormy night, water

All around us again. Intuitions form a

Floating consciousness, our beginnings

As tiny impulses clinging to life. Many

Cycles later we’re still the raw nerve ends

Of our world’s own mysterious flow. One

With every raindrop. Longing to roar like

Thunder. Waters waiting to intermingle.

 

SHADOWS

 

What’s happening in the shadows might

Seem kind of scary. In the dark, shadows

Insinuate vague threats with just enough

Of the real to make us jumpy. Shadows

Like it when we’re on edge and susceptible

To their whispers of private confidences,

As if the truth can only be told in the dark.

Truth is, we choose what’s real, and I’d

Rather trust what’s in the light. Don’t

Invest those shadows with any power

Over you. They’re just an absence of

Light making scary shapes of nothing.

 

CLOWNS

 

I may look like a clown upfront, but the ones

You trust reveal themselves over time to be

Evert bit as much a clown as me, or worse.

Will these clowns still care whether you

Laugh or cry once they’ve tamed the tiger

In you,bound you in a cage, and forced you

Into the circus of their lives?

 

A GOOD CAPTAIN

 

Little mouse, you must know the torture of

Wishing you could do something but having

No idea of what would be right. You must

Know what it’s like when the last thing you

Want to do is give up but the longer you hang

On the worse you make it. Or so it seems but

You’re not sure. What we project on a situation

Often says more about ourselves than the

Situation itself, but the more I try projecting

Something positive on to this situation the

Less it makes sense. If I were to go on what’s

Obvious alone, I’d be gone, but it feels like

There’s something I’m missing, something

Between the lines I’m not seeing. A good

Captain is supposed to go down with the ship,

Not push women and children off the lifeboat

And then turn around and claim it was all just

A misunderstanding. Right, little mouse? You

Look puzzled. Imagine how I feel. If someone

Made you a captain, wouldn't you want to be a

Good captain? What?Tthere are no captains of

Mice? Wow... Maybe you mice are smarter than

Us humans give you credit for.

 

UNTITLED

 

Little mouse, are you still fascinated by what I

Have to say? If you were human, I’d say it’s not

Very gracious of you to consume my thoughts

And share none of yours in return, but you’re

Just a mouse so what does it matter? What are

You tapping out in Morse code? Let me listen…

T-a-l-k a-b-o-u-t l-o-v-e? Did someone send you

To spy on me? Does anyone really give a rip what

I have to say on that subject? Let me think… Ok,

These are just random thoughts. Love makes me

Feel like a king. Love makes me feel like a Lazarus.

Love makes me feel big like King Kong. Love makes

Me feel small like something an ant would consider

Small. Love makes me feel like I knew it all along.

Love makes me feel like I’ve never been right about

Anything and never will be. Love brings out the best

In me. Love brings out the worst in me. How can I

Tell this is love? I’ve finally figured it out. It must be

:Love because I don’t care how fat she gets. She

Could get twice as fat and still thrill me like no

Other. Little mouse, is that the best or the worst

In me? Tap out your answer in Morse code. (Tap,

Tap, tap...) You don’t know either? Fair enough.

Here, you’ve earned your cheese tonight just

For listening and not collapsing from shock.

 

SYMPATHY FOR THE WITCH

 

I can relate to the woman burned alive by

A mob in PNG because they thought she

Was a witch. In their minds, they gave her

A power she didn’t really have, put their

Full faith and belief behind the notion that

She was evil, and punished her accordingly.

I can relate because I know what it’s like to

Have to answer to what other people think

They know about you, based on nothing

More than some rumor or some shoe that

Seems to fit. While I escaped being burned

Alive, something tells me it was just my luck

That the more zealous and righteous minded

Of my peers weren’t given the opportunity.

You have to have some underlying reason

To find someone else guilty and subject them

To that level of violence, like maybe they make

You think of the things you yourself would do or

What kind of person you’d really be if you could

Get away with it. Every attack on another person

Is in some way an attack on yourself. So the mob,

Who would all love to have supernatural control

Over their own fates, murdered someone for

Supposedly having that same supernatural control.

It says far more about them than about the

Woman they sacrificed to their ignorance. In

Their minds, they’ve rid their community of evil,

But now they’re going to have to work very hard

To convince themselves that the real evil doesn’t

Firmly reside in their own minds and hearts.

 

TURN DOWN THE SILENCE

 

Mouse, this silence is so loud I can't

Even concentrate. It may be silent,

But it feels so thick it's doing funny

Things to the air. The plants are

Very sensitive to these things, and

They're sending off worried vibes.

Cats and dogs are nervous. Lizards

Are acting suspicious. Roaches are

Getting bolder. Why? It's all your

Oppressive silence! Can't you at

Least give a station ID at the top

Of the hour or something?

 

UNTO OTHERS

 

Been talking to the Man Upstairs? Funny

How we can talk to him all we want, but

We have to imagine how he’d reply. At

The risk of sounding self-serving, when I

Ask the Man Upstairs how I should handle

What’s happening between you and I, the

Response I imagine is, “Do unto others.”

So I’m just going to be honest with you like

I wish you’d be honest with me. On the

Subject of you, I’m basically clueless now.

If I were to judge solely by what’s on the

Surface, could you blame me for getting

The impression you don’t want to have

Anything to do with me? And yet I know

You keep coming back here. That’s my

One reason left to give you the benefit of

A doubt. So when you keep coming back,

Is there something that you’re still hoping

I’ll say? I wish I knew what it was . If you

Want to me to say you mean something

To me, uh… Would I have written enough

About my feelings for you to fill a small

Book if you didn’t mean something to me?

When you come back to check what I’ve

Said, is there something you’re still

Hoping I’ll do? Once again, I wish I knew

What it was. What do you want me to do?

Just get out of the way and let you do your

Thing? Welcome you back with open arms?

Try to convince you there’s something more

Important than every difficulty in its way? I’d

Like to assume something but maybe that’s

Just me. Truth is, I'll never know why you

Keep coming back unless you want me to.

So I’m left to get what solace I can from that

Wise advice, “Do unto others.” Here’s how

I’d have you do unto me: I recognize that

Really caring for someone is not just about

Bending their life to your own will, so I can’t

Fault you for pursuing your happiness where

You think it is, though I also can’t comprehend

How you’d think the kind of losers you’ve let

Yourself get close to were going to treat you

Better than I would. But judging by recent

Events, you appear firmly convinced that

To open yourself to me would be even

Worse than opening yourself to them. I

Beg to differ, but it's your decision. If you

Should find yourself not so firmly convinced

Of that, you can still talk to me if you want to.

You might get good news, you might get bad

News,but either way it means something if

You try. If you don't want to try, just remember

It's not because anyone said you couldn't.

Were the tables turned, that's how I'd have

You do unto me.

 

SHORT STACK

 

You know there's a lot worse things

I could have called you than Mouse.

 

EGO CHECK

 

While I seem to have tapped into a well

That doesn’t want to run dry, any time I

Think I’m any good at poetry, I’m brought

Back down to earth by the realization that

The deepest thoughts and feelings, the

Real source of the sorrows and joys,

Simply cannot be put into words. I’m

Lucky if I can share even a fleeting

Glimpse of them, or an allusion that

Makes some little light go on in your

Head when you realize you know the

Same thing. If I’m entertaining you, or

Giving you something you like, I’m very

Happy about that, but the best I could

Possibly have to say I wouldn’t say

Here for just anyone to see.

 

ON REPAIRS

 

I can’t fix what I didn’t break in the first place.

Only the one who broke it can fix it. Otherwise,

It will just rot in the rain and sun, slowly rusting,

Until one day it washes away in a downpour.

 

BY THE END OF TODAY

 

When I say I wish I could trust you it doesn’t

Mean you have to submit, you have to regret,

You have to commit, you have to be right, you

Have to be wrong, or you have to be pure. All

It means is I wish you would open up to me

Just enough for me to open up to you. I won’t

Make a big deal about you not being pure and

Perfect if you’d do the same for me, because

Heaven knows I’m not. What does It matter?

Some things you can’t plan out, only figure out

As you go along. It’s never going to be as perfect

As we idealize perfection to be, but when you

Consider that either or both of us could be dead

By the end of today, suddenly everything ceases

To matter much except for the deepest wishes

Of the heart.

 

LOVE AND ANGER

 

What a strange but inseparable couple love and

Anger make. Aside from a common passion, they

Share very little. Love is all devotion and caring,

While anger is all demanding and all too often

Destroying. You’d think they’d be far better off

Apart, yet anywhere you find one the other is

Usually not far away. Maybe love needs anger

As a defense against those who would misuse

It, while anger needs love to make it more than

Mere cruelty or aggression. With its loud and

Fierce displays and vows of finality, you would

Think that anger is the stronger of the two, but

In truth it’s always been love that’s had the final

Say. Anger may erupt like a volcano, then cool

Down to nothing, while love may be quiet or

Loud, hard or soft, tender or coarse, but it never

Really goes away. And if you think controlling

Anger is hard, try controlling love. Some thoughts

Will make you very angry, but love will remind you

Of itself when you’re not thinking at all, in quiet

Moments when you think you’ve found peace of

Mind. Anger is often our reaction to expectations

We should never have had in the first place, or

Sometimes the most honest response to love

Wronged, while love is both a response and a

Reaction as well as something else, something

More like a timeless truth that never changes.

The pain of anger without love is just fruitless

Annoyance, like traffic moving too slow, whereas

The pain of love without the buffer of anger hits

Harder than whiskey straight from the bottle.

It’s a sharp, brutal cut right to the core of your

Ability to feel at all. You can’t control it, only come

To some kind of peace with it regardless of whether

Your story ends happily or otherwise. Or else, you

May as well feel forever ill at ease for not being able

To control the weather.

 

WAITING OR HIDING

 

You can be either waiting for me or

Hiding from me, but if you try and be

Both, or you flip-flop from one to the

Other as suits your whims, then I

Can neither show up nor cease to be

Someone you want to hide from.

 

RESENTMENT

 

Resentment comes to me quite naturally,

I’ve just had to learn how to process it. I

Sometimes wonder whether there isn’t

Some kind of resentment you still carry

Around inside towards me. In your heart

Or mind, am I someone who’s done you

Wrong? We often can’t admit everything

We really feel, and sometimes something

Is so buried you feel it without really being

Aware. There I go playing psychiatrist like

Some wannabe Sigmund Freud. Maybe

You just aren’t that fond of me, simple as

That. There’s always that possibility. But

If the problem is an old hurt, I’d just ask

You to consider, how do you make up

For an old hurt? And do you think there

Was really any malice behind whatever

The perceived injury was, or was it just

Unfortunate circumstance? All of this

May have nothing to do with the present,

But if it does then once again, how do

You make up for an old hurt? You can’t,

Except to try and show that the old

Resentments are no longer applicable.

Or maybe they’re in fact still quite

Applicable, unless I recognize them

And make a conscious decision that

They no longer have to apply. Or I

Could just hang on to an old hurt too,

Put you in the hurters' column of my

Personal history, and say that’s that.

But unless you need your resentment

As some kind of protection, or some

Constant reminder of wolves disguised

As lambs, wouldn't you rather make room

For warmer,kinder and sweeter feelings?

 

LAST WORD

 

Regardless of what either of us

May have been thinking, feeling

Or dreaming, the reality is you

Treated me like someone who

Means nothing to you. Far as I

Know, that’s your last word on

That subject, and here’s mine:

Should you ever wonder why I

Can't reach out to you, just cast

Your memory back to what

Happened when I tried.

 

TURTLES

 

Millions of loves hatched every moment

Like baby turtles. Right from the egg into

Dangers that most of them won’t survive.

Predators hungry for the vulnerable lie in

Wait as the small ones cross the sand in

Search of the sea. Moonlight calls to them,

This way, this way, but other lights confuse

Them like our own fickleness keeping us

From choosing a path. Through this crucible

Of panic and instinct, some find the water’s

Life-giving embrace and become one with

Their true home, just humans who naturally

Fit together can also become one. Others,

Too weak, too confused, or simply unlucky,

Sadly fall prey to the dangers, each one’s

Potential going to waste, like a great love

Ending when it’s barely begun.

 

HEAVEN

 

What belongs to the earth belongs to

The earth but what belongs to Heaven

Is something else altogether. It’s water

Where you’d expect only sand. It’s life

Where you’d expect only death. It’s joy

Where you’d expect only pain. It’s

Abundance where you’d expect only

Destitution. Anyone can have it but few

Do have it. You’re lucky to even find it,

But luckier if you can hold it or maybe

It decides it likes staying in your life.

It’s a test of how you take care of it.

Can you give it life or will it pass from

Your hands, its spirit returning from

Whence it came? Careful how you

Treat a gift from Heaven.

 

MR. SPOCK

 

Sometimes I wish I could be like Mr. Spock and

Address everything so rationally. Instead I have

Emotions that sometimes feel like a grenade,

Explosive and liable to do some harm, especially

To me. Even Mr. Spock would tell you emotions

Are natural and sharing them is healthy, but he’s

Analyzing not feeling. Analysis might say just give

Up, while emotions would rather die than do that.

Analysis says what has never been expressed

Cannot be answered, while emotions say stop

Looking at me or I’ll kill you. Mr. Spock says,

Highly irrational, and I say, that's kind of the point.

 

MILLION

 

In these times of elaborate distractions

And temporary cures, some age-old

Truths inconveniently refuse to be any

Less applicable. One such truth is that

We will only be happy when we find trust

And understanding. You can take a

Million easy ways out, but only find

You’ve diminished yourself a million

Times over.

 

NIGHT

 

There’s a long, long night I feel I’ve been

Banished to. The wrong king is on your

Throne. Lies compromise your invented

History. Everyone involved is smiling but

Inside wants to do murder on the nearest

Easy target. Something about this wedding

Is the soul of sin itself. The children from

This union will find that a placid surface

Disguises an endless turbulence beneath.

Their innocence will last about as long as

Yours did.

 

TWO TRUTHS

 

Personal truth can be fluid, anything you

Want it to be. All in the mind, you have

Total control. It’s natural to listen to your

Personal truth, let it cry, laugh, sing, speak

Softly, howl or intone something like a prayer

For the mysteries it feels yet cannot speak.

It’s fine to listen to your personal truth as

Long as you don’t confuse it with shared

Truth. Shared truth must be negotiated,

Must follow certain rules, must be weighed

For its pros and cons, occasionally must be

Bargained over. Shared truth follows policies

To keep some semblance of social order. We’d

All like to run wild, sometimes do, but after

Awhile everyone gets tired if chaos and so

Shared truth is really about control. You need

To both listen to your personal truth and

Know the rules of shared truth. This is not to

Say the two never mingle. How lucky we are

Those times we find another with a personal

Truth similar enough to our own that something

Can be shared.

 

CAREER SERVICE (AS IF)

 

I can’t send my love into exile as if it’s

Been caught raping a schoolgirl, because

It’ hasn’t. My love does not rape, it’s just

Got all the embarrassment of someone

Who does and got caught. I can’t banish

My love from the tribe as if the war party

It led came home not only without any

Enemy heads as trophies, but missing a

Few of their own, because that’s not the

Real story. My love is as brave as any, but

Met an enemy called mistrust that knows

How to fight dirty. I can’t demote my love

From manager to janitor as if it’s been

Secretly videotaped being handcuffed and

Whipped by drunken nuns, because that

Never happened. My love’s not as kinky as

The kinky care to imagine, but what they

Imagine is my love is as guilty as sin, and

My love feels the weight of their disdain.

Fortunately, my love has Career Service

Status, as if it gets to collect a paycheck

While on extended leave of absence.

 

EXIST TO GIVE

 

Open my skull and channel surf, but please

Don’t shoplift, otherwise I’ll be walking into

Doors and moving vehicles, so deeply will I

Ponder the thought, something’s missing,

What could it be? Cook up my love in a

Spoon to shoot your fix, but please don’t

Overdose. Hasn't anyone told you it’s a

Tolerance you’re supposed to build up,

Not an intolerance? Load up your plate

With generous portions of my barbecued

Heart, bless the food, chomp away, it’s

Tasty and promotes healthy self-esteem.

My life is service, for better or worse I exist

To give, through so many ways of sharing,

Even through kindness so one-sided.

 

STUPIDITY

 

Seeing someone stupid act stupid doesn't exactly

Shock, but seeing someone intelligent act stupid

Just sems tragic. Have you exhausted every other

Option and the only way forward seems to be

Going backwards? If you said stop right there and

You reminded me that stupid is a judgement and

Sometimes people act stupid for reasons that

Really aren't so stupid, just no so obvious, I'd

Have to agree with you. But I'd aslo ask that you

Consider how stupidity can come from not

Seeing more intelligent options or rom refusing

To acknowledge more intelligent options. The

First is an honest mistake while the second is

A stab in the back of intelligence itself, which is

Why I say seeing someone intellgent act stupid

Just seems tragic. If intelligence haunted your

Electronic media, it would write across your

Screen, what the f--k am I doing here if you

Aren't even going to acknowledge me?

 

ATTACK DOG

 

I’m not really mean, I’m just direct. If

I know who I’m talking to, I’ll do all I

Can to make sure the conversation

Is comfortable, considerate, even fun,

But in my thoughts, there’s no sugar

Coating, I go right for the throat. I

Respond to verbal evasiveness with

A deeply felt disappointment, and to

Those who don’t know what they’re

Talking about, but keep talking anyway,

Like an attack dog watching a cat

Display arrogance. Can’t wait to rip it

Apart. But like an attack dog trained to

Quickly sniff out any vulnerable point in

A verbal trespass and sink in its fangs,

Sometimes my snarl and snap are

More instinct than insight, I’ll admit it.

So how should an attack dog react

When you approach looking and

Sounding like someone I should

Protect, but smelling like someone

I need to protect myself against? I

Wish you’d wash that smell of lies

Off you so that I could relax around

You once again.

 

MILLION

 

In these times of elaborate distractions

And temporary cures, some age-old

Truths inconveniently refuse to be any

Less applicable. One such truth is that

We will only be happy when we find trust

And understanding. You can take a

Million easy ways out, but only find

You’ve diminished yourself a million

Times over.

 

NIGHT

 

There’s a long, long night I feel I’ve been

Banished to. The wrong king is on your

Throne. Lies compromise your invented

History. Everyone involved is smiling but

Inside wants to do murder on the nearest

Easy target. Something about this wedding

Is the soul of sin itself. The children from

This union will find that a placid surface

Disguises an endless turbulence beneath.

Their innocence will last about as long as

Yours did.

 

TWO TRUTHS

 

Personal truth can be fluid, anything you

Want it to be. All in the mind, you have

Total control. It’s natural to listen to your

Personal truth, let it cry, laugh, sing, speak

Softly, howl or intone something like a prayer

For the mysteries it feels yet cannot speak.

It’s fine to listen to your personal truth as

Long as you don’t confuse it with shared

Truth. Shared truth must be negotiated,

Must follow certain rules, must be weighed

For its pros and cons, occasionally must be

Bargained over. Shared truth follows policies

To keep some semblance of social order. We’d

All like to run wild, sometimes do, but after

Awhile everyone gets tired if chaos and so

Shared truth is really about control. You need

To both listen to your personal truth and

Know the rules of shared truth. This is not to

Say the two never mingle. How lucky we are

Those times we find another with a personal

Truth similar enough to our own that something

Can be shared.

 

CAREER SERVICE (AS IF)

 

I can’t send my love into exile as if it’s

Been caught raping a schoolgirl, because

It’ hasn’t. My love does not rape, it’s just

Got all the embarrassment of someone

Who does and got caught. I can’t banish

My love from the tribe as if the war party

It led came home not only without any

Enemy heads as trophies, but missing a

Few of their own, because that’s not the

Real story. My love is as brave as any, but

Met an enemy called mistrust that knows

How to fight dirty. I can’t demote my love

From manager to janitor as if it’s been

Secretly videotaped being handcuffed and

Whipped by drunken nuns, because that

Never happened. My love’s not as kinky as

The kinky care to imagine, but what they

Imagine is my love is as guilty as sin, and

My love feels the weight of their disdain.

Fortunately, my love has Career Service

Status, as if it gets to collect a paycheck

While on extended leave of absence.

 

EXIST TO GIVE

 

Open my skull and channel surf, but please

Don’t shoplift, otherwise I’ll be walking into

Doors and moving vehicles, so deeply will I

Ponder the thought, something’s missing,

What could it be? Cook up my love in a

Spoon to shoot your fix, but please don’t

Overdose. Hasn't anyone told you it’s a

Tolerance you’re supposed to build up,

Not an intolerance? Load up your plate

With generous portions of my barbecued

Heart, bless the food, chomp away, it’s

Tasty and promotes healthy self-esteem.

My life is service, for better or worse I exist

To give, through so many ways of sharing,

Even through kindness so one-sided.

 

STUPIDITY

 

Seeing someone stupid act stupid doesn't exactly

Shock, but seeing someone intelligent act stupid

Just sems tragic. Have you exhausted every other

Option and the only way forward seems to be

Going backwards? If you said stop right there and

You reminded me that stupid is a judgement and

Sometimes people act stupid for reasons that

Really aren't so stupid, just no so obvious, I'd

Have to agree with you. But I'd aslo ask that you

Consider how stupidity can come from not

Seeing more intelligent options or rom refusing

To acknowledge more intelligent options. The

First is an honest mistake while the second is

A stab in the back of intelligence itself, which is

Why I say seeing someone intellgent act stupid

Just seems tragic. If intelligence haunted your

Electronic media, it would write across your

Screen, what the f--k am I doing here if you

Aren't even going to acknowledge me?

 

ATTACK DOG

 

I’m not really mean, I’m just direct. If

I know who I’m talking to, I’ll do all I

Can to make sure the conversation

Is comfortable, considerate, even fun,

But in my thoughts, there’s no sugar

Coating, I go right for the throat. I

Respond to verbal evasiveness with

A deeply felt disappointment, and to

Those who don’t know what they’re

Talking about, but keep talking anyway,

Like an attack dog watching a cat

Display arrogance. Can’t wait to rip it

Apart. But like an attack dog trained to

Quickly sniff out any vulnerable point in

A verbal trespass and sink in its fangs,

Sometimes my snarl and snap are

More instinct than insight, I’ll admit it.

So how should an attack dog react

When you approach looking and

Sounding like someone I should

Protect, but smelling like someone

I need to protect myself against? I

Wish you’d wash that smell of lies

Off you so that I could relax around

You once again.

 

BRAT MODE

 

In the parliament of my consciousness,

Cynicism took the floor and indicted my

Self on the grounds of pretended

Commitment. His embrace of a lost

Cause he knows he can't do anything

About gives him the perfect excuse not

To act, said Cynicism, with which I'd

Have no issue were it not our emotional

Resources he's squandering in service

Of a sulk while refusing to even pursue

Other options more potentially fruitful.

This is not commitment, continued

Cynicism, this is more like brat mode.

A stubborn refusal to do the adult thing.

Well Self, said the head speaker, have

You anything to say in your defense?

Steeling himself as usual against the

Frequent attacks by Cynicism, Self rose,

Cleared his throat and intoned, my lords,

I say without frivolity that I'm of rather

Advanced in age to be compared with a

Spoiled child. But if the comparison is to

Be begged then let me remind you what

Transpired when we allowed our fellow

Colleague Cynicism control over our

Emotional bank. He locked the doors,

Closed all existing accounts, laughed

At all applications, and refused to lend

Even the most modest of sympathy to

Any possibility of a genuine emotional

Return. Sirs, my cause is not lost, but

Like any worthy cause it cannot be won

Or definitively lost overnight. Cynicism

Wants not a more worthy cause, but

Simply a more convenient one. Will you

Allow him to sway your loyalties? At

Least I kept our fortune, Cynicism

Retorted in a voice little short of a

Shriek, rather than waste it on a

Dream you know is hopeless just to

Show you can hold out the longest.

Order! Order! the speaker intervened.

Clearly a vote is called for. And so the

Parliament honored the democratic

Process and... Never mind them, how

Would you vote?

 

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

 

Pretending taken to an elevated level turns

Into acting. We all do it to some degree,

Sometimes for art, sometimes for fun and

Sometimes for survival. It’s still pretending.

Actors who do brilliantly at ill-fitting roles,

Characters so unlike themselves, sometimes

Get voices in their heads screaming, I want

Out, this isn’t me. I know the leopard in you

As well as the lamb. You’re trying to not just

Act the role, but live it from a misguided need

To please everyone but yourself, which will

Backfire when you can’t step out of the part

As easily as you stepped in. When Hollywood

Stars verge on going nova, studios pack them

Off to the funny farm, fat farm, or pharmacy

Farm for a few weeks and they bounce back

Brighter than ever. But who’s going to do

That for you? For you to admit you’ve had a

Falsehood overdose would mean admitting

There’s a soap opera posing as your life.

 

LIKE A CROSS

 

Funny how it’s me who ends up punished for

Your deeds. Who ends up mistrusted for your

Hypocrisies. Who’s deemed untrue for your

Faithlessness. Who’s seen as unworthy for

Your failures. Who’s considered wrong when

You don’t get it right. Who’s seen as sinful as

If any of your sins have been with me. Who’s

Seen as harmful even though I’m not the one

Who did the damage. Who’s representative

Of everything bad even while denied any

Chance to be good. It all makes a twisted

Kind of sense. The one who loves the most

Now and ever shall be the one made to

Bear that love like a cross.

 

BAT DURING THE DAY

 

Bat during the day, it just doesn’t

Look right. You’re not supposed to

Be here. You’re going against the

Organization we’re all so fond of

Following without question. Let

Questions start coming and they

Might never stop till the wrong

Question upsets the apple cart

Of our comfortable existence,

Wise understanding, belonging,

Order to our daily chaos. Bat

During the day raises too many

Questions we can’t honestly

Answer, so either say you didn’t

See it, or scream loudly it’s a bad

Omen and shoot it for flying out

Of line. No written law forbids a

Bat during the day, but without

Recognition it has no protection.

 

CAMERA

 

Camea, my companion all over the globe,

To think I've killed you without intending like

Hamlet and that geezer behind the curtain,

Is breaking my heart. Six thousand of your

Flowers will always bloom in this collection,

Unless I forget to renew the subscription.

Camera, it was only with you that I've ever

Made anyone happy. Not that they ever

Paid me, but who cares? You were like

Santa, I just took you for granted, and now

What can I look forward to at Christmas

Besides the usual aloha shirts my family

Sends me but I never wear because

They're too small. I mean the shirts, not

My family. Anyway, goodbye camera you'll

Always be something special to me,

Something I'm sure will become ever

More apparent as time goes on. Or

Maybe not, we'll just have to see. I'm

Not sure. As usual. Your pictures will

Always be a part of me, even though

I'm mostly not in them. I don't know

How to end the poem, but you can

Be a camera ghost and take shots

For a gallery in the afterlife - that'll

Show 'em!

 

View large

The word blond was first used in England in the 15th century. It's origins can be traced to the old French word 'blont' meaning "a color midway between golden and light chestnut". Blond hair is characterised by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin and higher levels of the pale pigment pheomelanin with less than 2% of the worlds populations being blond.

 

In 2002 a hoax e-mail spread around the world stating that according to research conducted by the World Health Organisation, on account of mixing between the worlds different ethnities (and a misunderstanding of recessive genes) true blonde would dissapear by 2202. So strong was the hoax that press such as the New York Times, the Sunday Times, La Republica and even the BBC fell prey to it! And in recent years, the hoax featured on the "Threat-Down" segment of The Colbert Report on March 6, 2006, where Stephen Colbert suggested a selective breeding program to save blondes - he he.

 

Anyway, my thanks to Francesca without whose help last weeks conference in Germany would have been an absolute nightmare, and she is no doubt proof that the hoax is in fact, a hoax!

Before heading to Foundation Lounge for Candy's B-day shin dig we had dinner at Konnichiwa, located in Baldwin Village (a lovely street that's filled with a collection of multi-ethnic cuisine offerings in the middle of downtown Toronto). Konnichiwa is supposed to have great ramen (one of the better places in Toronto), and while I didn't succomb to that temptation, I went with the sampling shown above. Trouble is, in ordering we didn't ask for all these items, but miscommunication (or rather, the waitress' misunderstanding) resulted in the above selection. All I have to say is that I was sodium overloaded by the time we headed to Foundation....

 

Kaiso salad - marinated in shoyu

Soba Salad - chilled soba noodles, mixed greens, cucumbers, pickled ginger, carrots in a soy based dressing

Hiyayakko - chilled tofu with scallions, cucumbers, sprouts and bonito flakes served with soy

Grilled kamaboko - with grated ginger and soy sauce

Age-dashi-dofu - in soy sauce

Miso Ramen - Taku's dish that came with "spam" filled gyoza (ha ha) which was the only item that was indirectly soya-related (although miso is soya bean paste).

 

More tea please!

    

Stock exchange for agricultural products

(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of the site!)

Vienna, 10 Tabor Road, stock exchange for agricultural products, 2008

Picture from 1900

The Attic inscriptions

The back side of the Great Mohrengasse

Interior, adapted as Odeon Theatre 2010

The market for agricultural products in Vienna, in short, Commodity Exchange, is a in 1869 founded produce exchange, without time bargain. It is located since 1890 in a 1887-1890 specifically created building in Tabor street in Vienna's Leopoldstadt.

During National Socialism in Austria (1938-1945) as well as because of market organisation act, from 1949 to 1994 the stock market possessed no power. With Austria's EU accession in 1995 the stock market was reactivated and resumed the function of the finding of the target price (Richtpreisfindung) for the Austrian market by the major market participants. Stock exchange listings are taking place on a weekly basis.

In addition, the Vienna Commodity Exchange has a tribunal that is responsible for all members and trading partners in the event of disputes.

History

Since 1812, the grain trade is a free business in Austria, therefore, therefore, corn a commodity. With the development of trade in 1853 arose the Viennese fruit and flour stock exchange. This was for the moment subordinated under the Vienna Magistrate and was only on 24 June 1869 independent. This was the birth year of the Vienna Commodity Exchange. Whose trade for the moment took place in the café Commodity Exchanges in Vienna's Leopoldstadt (2nd district). With the increase of trading volume and the trading participants, the construction of a separate stock exchange building was decided. The contract for this got in 1887 the architect Karl König, who built the Stock Exchange building in Tabor street, near the café in the Neo-Renaissance style. The completion and the start of trading took place on 23 August, 1890. In Latin letters the motto of the stock market was walled in: in usum negotiatorum cuiuscumque Nationis ac linguae ("the merchants of all nations and all languages ​​dedicated").

Until the First World War, the Stock Exchange was the most important market for agricultural products of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. After its demise, and the years of inflation, stock exchange trading experienced a large decline, of which the stock market not recovered until the mid-20s.

In 1938, after the annexation of Austria to Germany, the stock market was closed. During the Second World War, the stock market was hit in air raids on Vienna, the trading hall burned down . After the war was began with the rebuilding. On 10 November 1948 followed the reconstitution of the Stock Exchange Chamber and on Wednesday, the 29th July 1949, the first stock exchange meeting was held in Taborstraße in the repaired stock exchange building. The stock market was now, however, because of market regulation law determining the fixing of prices by the social partnership largely meaningless. It merely served as a weekly meeting place of key market participants. From the 1980s on, the great hall was used by the Odeon Theatre.

With the accession of Austria to the EU market in 1995, the Market Organsation Act had to be abrogated. The Commodity Exchange sat together again and took up again its function as place of target price finding of the key market participants.

The Vienna Commodity Exchange was decisively involved in the making of a unified Italian-Austrian-German model agreement for the grain trade.

Stock exchange dealing

Merchandises

Actual trading does not take place at the Produce Exchange. However, there are business transactions from a certain minium dimension for the purpose of target price finding of the traded commodities - depending on traded good, differently high, as a rule, not less than 100 tons - recorded. The exchange traffic includes substantially all in the region grown agricultural raw materials and semi-finished products which are used for human and animal consumption. Excluded from the exchange traffic are forestry products, spices, herbs as well as raw materials serving for the production of fabrics and spun yarns, such as jute. Also excluded are almost all "colonial goods", ie sugar, coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, and the like.

Trade practices

As binding basis of the in business occurring terms, business conditions, deadlines, settlement procedures and trade practices are serving the practices of the stock exchange for agricultural products Vienna. They should prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations and thus facilitate domestic and international trade.

In addition, special provisions specify what requirements quality or brand denominations must fulfill - such as, "quality" or "Premium Wheat".

Quotation

The quotations occure ​​on the basis of actual having taken place trade, hence, without contracts such as options and futures, which are not traded in Vienna, once a week on Wednesday at 13.30 clock. For assessment used are only large trades from a certain minimum quantity at wholesale price. Fixed are the prices ultimately by the Price Determination Commission, which is under the supervision of the Exchange Commissioner. The publication of the prices takes place in the official list.

Organs

Exchange Chamber

The management of the stock exchange for agricultural products behooves the chamber of the market for agricultural products in Vienna. This is composed of 30 stock exchange councilors called members, who are elected or appointed for a term of four years. They are appointed in equal numbers by the Ministry of Agriculture from by the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture proposed persons. More, in all, three members are appointed by the Chambers of Agriculture of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland. The remaining 17 members are elected by the stock exchange members six of which must be coming from the milling industry or the milling craft, one from the flour processing industry or sector, six from the grain trade. The other four may belong to other professional groups participating in the exchange market. A further condition on the 30 trading councils is, that at least half of them reside in Vienna.

Out of the stock exchange councils, as well for four years are elected a governing body, the executive of the stock exchange plus the chairman of the stock exchange with his three vice-presidents and the treasurer.

As supervising organ acts the commissioner of the stock exchange with his two deputies, which are provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Economy.

Also appointed by the stock exchange chamber are the four-member panel of arbitrators and the three-member college of experts.

Former Presidents of the Exchange Chamber:

1869-1872: Konstantin Dora

1872-1875: Roman Uhl

1876-1894: Wilhelm Naschauer

1895-1916: Paul Ritter von Schoeller

1917-1925: Fritz Mendl

1926-1928: Hugo Hauser

1929-1931: Hermann Reif

1932-1933: Jakob Handl

1934-1938: Josef Zwetzbacher

1948-1958: Josef Rupp

1959-1963: Alfred Fromm

1963-1976: Leopold Holzschuh

1976-1977: Hermann Grün

1978-1993: Ernst Polsterer

1994-1997: Kurt Engleitner

since 1998: Rudolf Kunisch

Arbitration

Members of the Exchange are legally bound by the trade practices. These fixe also the recognition of the Arbitration Court of the Vienna Stock Exchange for agricultural products as competent tribunal in the event of disputes or disagreements. This is not bound by procedural requirements of the ordinary courts, and therefore against judgments of the tribunal also can not be appealed. The procedures usually last less than a month and the sayings of the tribunal on the Vienna Stock Exchange are, in contrast to many other European stock exchanges, immediately enforceable executory titles.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6rse_f%C3%BCr_landwirtschaftl...

   

Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

Gateway Camp Verse

(Pin1) Ging1 Mahn4

Isaiah 62:10

 

What Dale instructed about going out of our way to treat the Mainland Chinese well resonated within me. To be sure, just as the Koreans have gone out of their way to bless me so I must step out to bless and to love my Mainland brethren.

 

After the first meeting, Ed and I wandered off campus and found inside a shopping mall a cha chaan teng where we had a late-night snack. And hardly had we tucked into our meals when in walked several dozen volunteers, all locals, who were overcome, it seemed, by the same munchies that infected Ed and me. It’s surprising how such a primal urge, at such a time, drives everyone to no less than the same, impossibly far location.

 

I thus far have met so many people that, had I not brought along my iPod, I would have already lost track of the multitudinous names flying around like fireflies at night, sparkling luminously one moment and then disappearing the next. And this is only the beginning: more and more people will arrive both today and tomorrow so I had better stay awake, alert, and writing.

 

I am working with a partner who really challenges me, and indeed that is why I chose to work with him. From the first words that came streaming out of his mouth, I knew he would be a special one, and as if to conifrm my conjecture, indeed, the more he spoke, the more confused I became. The challenge, I have realized after much ruminating, isn’t so much the pace of his speech as his choice of words, which fall outside a normal lexical range; that is, at least with me, when he talks, he doesn’t use familiar collocations to communicate; besides, he has an uncanny Tin Shui Wai accent; those, along with his amazing resistance to Chinglish, which impresses me, by the way, have made our communication tedious, since I am bombarded by peculiar lexical constructions that I generally never encounter in Cantonese conversation and must therefore stop our flow to clarify his speech. It’s too bad that he doesn’t speak English as I would love to hear how he structures ideas in my native language to determine whether or not this strange lexis has spilled over into his other modes of communication.

 

Regardless, in being with him, I have learned to be patient, and if I am truly to walk away from resentment, I must continue rather to engage him than to keep him at arm’s length. It helps us, then, that he is a congenial fellow, prone more to expressing love, much in the same way that I do by warmly grabbing a forearm or a shoulder, than to venting his frustration, which with me could certainly be great. He is verily a good guy, and so long as the Lord keeps him — I am sure Daddy will — Tin Shui Wai, that small patch of concrete moon colony, is in capable, faithful human hands.

 

Sau2 muhn6 je2

Mihng6 dihng6

Kyuhn4 lihk6

Lihk6 leuhng6

Chong3 yi3 adjective

Chong3 jouh6 verb

 

Romans 5:3-5

 

Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

 

I cried this morning when I read these words, because they are true, and comfort my soul as water to a dry, parched land. However many times I’ve lamented this place and its people, I am still inextricably tied to this rock, per God’s will for my life; and God really is faithful in providing a way out not from this place but from these spiritual hindrances. These past few days, what with communication failures and fatigue setting in, I could have more easily give into my rationality, in defense of my weaknesses, than resisted this bait of satan. Thank God, hence, for the words which are like fuel for the refiner’s fire that burns up all my expectations, my pride and my flesh. I can survive, nay, rejoice, indeed, because of God, who, in me, day by day teaches me to suffer long with a smile.

 

This is what the gateway is all about, I believe: jumping head-first out of my comfort zone to confront the nations, for my brothers and sisters and I must face each other if we are to raise the banners together. Battling through enemy strongholds of mistrust ad resentment, we demolish carnal thoughts and dig deep in the Spirit for the unity that shall overcome as much language as culture; God, after all, is bigger, even, than the battlefield. In these ways can my brethren and I love each other as ourselves, as we shall be one in the Father, with audacious power and boldness laying hands on His kingdom which advances, in this kairos moment, over all of China, including, no doubt, Hong Kong. No longer will there be curses thrown upon the nations; but rather the river of life will flow through the city, and the leaves of the tree on each side of the river will be for the healing of the nations.

 

1) Welcoming the Father

2) Unifying the body

3) Partnering with the Chinese

4) Serving the city

5) Supporting the Chinese

 

Isaac and I have worked quite hard this morning, putting up signs all over campus, and as if to reward me for my assiduity, he offered to buy me a drink, an offer which I took up. Indeed, this man’s care and concern for others, genuine, doubtlessly, fills me with joy, for, to be sure, the joy of the lord is his strength. My friend is indefatigable, always encouraging and never slighting, no matter the circumstances, rain (that has happened a lot today) or shine. Praise God!

 

Much like my relationship with Isaac, my relationships with my other team members have improved considerably since, even, this morning’s briefing during which, the code-switching, happening too fast and too furiously for my comfort, vexed me so terribly that if Isaac had not put a generous arm around my shoulder immediately afterwards, I surely would have blown my top in frustration at the perplexing language option. Thankfully, my team and I settled our language arrangements: Isaac, Dorcas and I will intractably speak Cantonese to each other whereas my other group mates and I will use English with as little code-switching as possible; and I, along with Ed, no doubt, am satisfied. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Lihng4 Mahn4 (soul)

Sihng4 jeung2

Muhng6 Seung2 (dreams)

 

The Lord’s mercies are new everyday. Just now, during the morning rally, by His Spirit, hundreds of brothers and sisters received a new anointing, to be spiritual mothers and fathers of a new generation so as to minister to the next. This outpouring of the Spirit was sudden, and so captivated me that when the call came to reap, I rushed to the front to ask my father for this anointing, and naturally, my life was transformed. In the same way, the pastor called up a new generation of spiritual children to receive the love, care and support of these new parents; and likewise, so many young men and women heeded this call that verily, the pit in front of the stage was soon awash in hugs and tears between generations that, once lost, were now found. Indeed, no sooner did these people embrace their father than Dad immediately swept them up in his strong arms and showered them with audacious encouragement and support. Praise God!

 

An Outburst

 

I was angry this morning during our team time. I temporarily lost my ability to be merciful and to live in God’s grace. When my team leader began to address me in English, yet again, I couldn’t help but berate him for doing so when Cantonese, I argued, would be a more economical medium of delivery. And then I compounded this already incendiary situation by ranting about the hypocrisy of Hong Kong being a gateway to China but not a gateway into its own neighborhoods teeming with Chinese people, 97% of whom, according to one of the pastors at this camp, do not know the Lord Jesus. Cantonese will matter, I posit, if anyone dares to take on the onerous mission in this vexing place.

 

To be sure, even my brother announced that language was a prohibitive barrier to closer relationships with these local people, and therefore, since he neither speaks Cantonese nor is going to give learning the language a go, he is relegated to the outer walls of the gates into Hong Kong.

 

In hindsight, I thought I cared enough about God’s purposes for me in Hong Kong, but I realize now that I still care a lot about myself, and resentment. Though I have prayed and declared boldly that God is bigger than language and culture, I know I don’t believe it; and that’s upsetting. For the time being, I don’t verily believe in my heart that I can have deeper, closer relationships with Chinese people without the benefit of language and culture, patterns of action.

 

OK. This is actually an opportune start for my spiritual parentship, for now I have an opportunity to put aside my very compelling arguments for the necessity of language and culture in deep and close relationships, these conclusions born out of my reason, and to step out in faith, to trust in the Lord who, I pray, will show me deep and close relationships sans language and culture, and with whom my deep and close relationship shall obviously be the key to this victory.

 

I’m thinking about events at this camp that heretofore demonstrated loving relationships without language and culture, and I recalled two acts: the first happened yesterday when I spontaneously joined a line of ushers to high-five and to cheer the audience as they flooded out of the auditorium, the morning rally having scarcely finished; and the second, this was my meeting Yao, a man from the Ivory Coast, whom I befriended in those first, fleeting, if not frantic moments before the opening rally on Friday evening. That encounter was immediate and sudden, neither words nor habits needed; Yao and I simply high-fived, hugged and sat beside each other; and wow, that was terrific companionship — praise God!

 

Finally, however hard my diatribe may have struck my team members’ hearts, my merciful group mates still forgave me, not only on an personal level, but also, as I had sought forgiveness on behalf of all foreigners who have ever cursed locals or stood passively outside the gateway, on a corporate level, thereby releasing countless non-Chinese people into the freedom of these Hong Kong people’s forgiveness; just as brothers and sisters had so recently been reconciled to each other in my church, so local and non-local people have received the others’ freedom of forgiveness; more than a homecoming, that, indeed, is a breakthrough.

 

In listening to this morning’s sermon, I hear such verses as I know God is speaking to me through His word. 2Corinthians 4:16-18, this scripture in particular carries a buoyant, hopeful currency in my heart. My spirit soaks in this divine revelation as a sponge soaks in water and thus becomes malleable, able to be formed and shaped according to its holder’s will: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

Disagreeable

 

I don’t know why my brother and I undermine each others’ comments; why we no more know consensus than the deaf music. Our interactions have been especially abrasive recently since we have spent so much time together without the benefit of our other brother to act as a natural, vociferous buffer; and as a result we argue like pieces of sand paper being rubbed against flesh, which inevitably leads to significant soreness. I feel sore now.

 

I think back to my outburst this morning and can appreciate my role in this evening’s embarrassing outcome; I am certainly not without fault, for I choose these days not only to venture my opinions but to do so passionately, if not emotionally. People consequently who otherwise are phlegmatic at best are put in a discomfiting position by my impassioned pleas. Besides, I recall Interrupting my brother prolifically, which understandably would not make him a happy camper; just as a hyperactive child doesn’t know when to stop pestering his sibling, so I don’t know nowadays when to hold my tongue. Indeed, I would rather not respond at all to my brother, even after he has fired off his rejoinder, than to strike him down in mid-speech.

 

In view of this latest incident, I have resolved to take the former course of action. To be sure, I simply stopped our petty dispute about a stupid basketball game by, awkward as it was, taking out my book and perusing it as fixedly as my tattered mind would allow. I will try my best to stay away from my brother for a spell, to create physical and spiritual space between us, so hopefully, in this way at least one of us will be able to come to his senses about this matter; better yet, now would be an opportune time for our father in his mercy to reveal to us the fault lines in our flesh so that we could surrender these tremulous spots in our soul, crucifying them to the father for our healing and the redemption of our relationship. I will pray about this.

 

…Praise God. If I had not separated myself from my brother’s presence, I wouldn’t have been sitting at that bench at the exact moment when Isaac came over to me in a plaintive mood. Obviously upset, he had been so recently wronged, he lamented on the verge of tears. And at that, mercy swept over my countenance, for my brother felt as aggrieved as I did earlier; and this appointment, per God’s unfailing, obstinate love, had at last come for me, convicting me to be very, very agreeable, sympathetic and kind to my fellow long-suffering brother. In this instance, thank God, language did not matter so much as empathy, carrying each others’ burdens and thus fulfilling the rule of Christ. We prayed and blessed each other in Jesus’ name, and then boldly went forward into the rally.

 

I suspect the enemy has infiltrated our team what with my outbursts and Isaac’s failing out as evidence. My group mates and I must be more vigilant in prayer and in digging deep into the Father’s word if we are to overcome the spies in our camp that have planted incendiary devices in our mouths and in our hearts. We certainly need such encouragement as the Lord provides for the edification and encouragement of each other, even more so, in fact, in the face of adversity, despite our fatigue and other physical ills that befall us like a hail of arrows. In faith, I’m sure, faith will see us through; and per what the pastors exhorted at the rally, we will become as if the smooth stone in David’s sling, ready to fly into the air to crush the Goliath in this world.

 

Sihng4 jauh6 achievement

Ngwuih misunderstanding

Nggaai2 to misunderstand

Yuhn4 leuhng6 forgive

Gaan2syun2 chosen

 

The Security Guard

 

At the morning rally, a security guard left an indelible impression on my heart what with her showing of unconditional support and her proffering of words of encouragement, which like a waterfall fell in force and power over my friends and me. To my amazement, I first saw her out of the corner of my eye stepping out of her role as a security guard to pray as a spiritual parent to two spiritual children during the morning rally’s prayer time; there she was, clad in her blue uniform, laying hands on those weeping kids; finally, I had witnessed someone courageous enough to step out of that rule of law, her boundary in Hong Kong, to be bound to that which is ethereal, the rule of Christ to carry each others’ burdens. Later, as the audience passed through the exit, I had time to confirm her love for the Lord and at that, we broke into a torrent of encouragement and followed this with a flurry of picture-taking. Indeed, never have I stumbled upon such good will from a dragon security guard in HK so I am hopeful, therefore, that this is but the the start of a greater movement within that particular demon-worshipping core, that at this time, God is opening up the heavenly armory and placing his prayer warriors inside that particular stronghold in Hong Kong to demolish every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and placing in its stead a profusion of love, gentleness and kindness. I look forward to the day when wisdom, and not languid stares, shall emanate from all the people who man the facilities in these universities.

 

Reconciliation

 

This is special. No sooner had Isaac and I stepped into the auditorium than we heard the plaintive cry of the mainland Chinese on the stage forgiving the Hong Kong people for their trespasses against their brethren from the north. A flurry of hugs, replete with a few tears, ensued. That was, as Dale announced from the stage, a delicious moment. Jesus must have been breaking out the good champagne in heaven for a rousing celebration in view of this victory.

 

Sex Talk – Part One

 

The kids finally received the sex talk this morning; a fiery pastor delivered the message which was as much shocking as informative; and gasps and wincing abounded in the audience.

 

While I have recently heard the sex talk at the men’s retreat, and have furthermore by God’s grace been inoculated against this particular area of struggle, it was nonetheless refreshing to hear the news, as shocking and as sensational as it was. I am willing, in addition, to believe that some of the atrocious acts that the pastor referenced, such as gruesome abortions and bizarre sexual acts, are more prevalent than my reason will believe, because my scope is limited by experience, but as the Father witnesses everything, if the Spirit has convicted this man and has told him that the world is heading closer and closer into the mouth of Jezebel in this way, I accept this. In fact, believing this is important if I am to be a good spiritual parent who will not only protect but educate the new generation from the prowling enemy that lurks these days, even, in our computers.

 

Prayer

 

The Holy Spirit fell over me this morning during my group’s team time. He convicted me to pray in Cantonese for the first time, and so I did without fear, those Chinese words pouring out of me as if perfume from an alabaster jar. Praise God: he is good; and this was the moment I have been waiting for.

 

I think about what happened, and am amazed at the Father’s favor; despite my critiques against this culture, and in spite of my recent lamentations, the Lord, ever faithfully, provided a way out under which I could stand and by which I could be protected from the bait of Satan. Little did I know that the escape route would, in fact, ironically, direct me to the very thing that heretofore has stood as an obstruction, a spiritual roadblock, in my mind.

 

A missionary on the stage just spoke into my life when she said about her experience learning Putonghua in China: the difficult part was not learning the language but learning to love those people as Jesus loves them. This will always be my mission, no matter where I am.

 

Keuhng4 jong3

Lai1 hei2 (pull up)

 

In the afternoon, my team had a reconciliation meeting during which, in small groups, each team member at last was given an opportunity to share alternately their joys and struggles. At that time, though having staved off an open rebuke for several days, I could no longer hold back this challenge to my small group: to step out in faith to be a gateway to the nations; and second, per the morning’s message, to on their guard against the sexually explicit, insidious media. I laid out my argument with much cogency, and such a response as I saw fit knocked my group mates into a stupor, because they certainly didn’t have much to say afterwards.

 

Oscillate between…and…

Vacillate…

Equivocated

Prevaricate

 

Sex Talk – Part Two

 

1) Jesus came to show us the Father; John1:18

2) Grace First, Truth Second; John 1:24:25; 16-18

 

Pahn4 mohng6 (hope)

 

Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Then lay hands.

 

Dale and I are men who have shared similar struggles. His testimony is riveting.

 

Suddenly, I realized that this rally is, in fact, a continuation of yesterday morning’s sex talk, because we ended the previous rally praying more against the shame of abortion than against personal sexual immorality. Notionally, what is being discussed will enable people to really experience the love of the Father such that to change permanently our behavior. So when we are tempted:

 

1) Call for help; Romans 10:13

2) Escape Plan; 1Corinthians 10:13

 

Remember not to stand and rebuke the enemy with your own strength; move physically from the situation.

 

3) Run Away; 2Timothy 2:22

4) Into the Father’s Arms; Hebrews 4:14

 

I like this talk. This might be the first time that these young people get straight sex talk from their leaders; and there is no better time than now for these young people to break through in this particular area of struggle, just as the young men of SP broke through these obstinate barriers during our men’s retreat.

 

5) Confess and be Healed; James 5:16

 

I hope these young people find faithful accountability brothers and sisters in this service.

 

6) Walk in Transparent Accountable Relationships; 1John 1:7

7) Resist the Enemy; James 4:7

Oneness Pentecostalism

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Oneness Pentecostalism is a movement of Pentecostal Christianity that believes in the atoning death of Jesus Christ, His resurrection, His soon return, and the Word of God as contained in the Bible, but differs from mainstream Pentecostalism by following the doctrine of Oneness. Oneness Pentecostalism teaches a literal interpretation of the biblical teaching of salvation with emphasis on the teaching of Jesus Christ & His Apostles, citing "John 3:1-12 & Acts 2:38 experience" as necessary for salvation and places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. It teaches that personal conversion is to be followed by holy living and exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Contents

[hide]

 

* 1 Overview

* 2 History

o 2.1 The early Church

o 2.2 Modern History

* 3 Doctrine and theology

o 3.1 God

o 3.2 Salvation

o 3.3 Holiness

* 4 Common misunderstandings

o 4.1 Jesus' Name vs. Jesus Only

o 4.2 Oneness Theology IS NOT Unitarianism

* 5 Followers of Oneness Pentecostalism

o 5.1 Gospel and Contemporary Christian artists

* 6 References

* 7 See also

* 8 External links

o 8.1 Articles, indexes, & other resources

+ 8.1.1 Favoring views

+ 8.1.2 Comparative articles

+ 8.1.3 Other

* 9 Oneness Pentecostal Groups

o 9.1 North America

o 9.2 Other countries

 

[edit] Overview

 

Although both Oneness and Trinitarian denominations acknowledge the God of the Bible as the only God in existence, and that Jesus was born, died, and resurrected, Oneness doctrine differs from mainstream Christian denominations in that the traditional concept of the Trinity is rejected as an inadequate and inaccurate description of God. According to the United Pentecostal Church International, the largest Oneness Pentecostal body in the United States, Oneness Pentecostals identify Jesus essentially as the human manifestation of God (Jehovah), i.e. God incarnate. [1].

 

Citing 1Timothy 2:5, the Oneness doctrine affirms that God is indivisibly one, and sees the biblical distinction between God the Father and the man Jesus, as being a proper, observable father-son distinction, except between an incorporeal, transcendent, eternal God as Father, and a human, begotten man as Son, in whom God manifested Himself for the purpose of salvation. Oneness doctrine affirms the full deity of Jesus, by holding that God incarnate manifested Himself to humanity in the man Jesus. It refutes the Trinitarian proposal that the one, true God is composed of three co-divine, co-equal, co-eternal, co-powerful persons. In the sense that the one God and one man of 1Timothy 2:5 co-exist simultaneously, they teach that Jesus exists simultaneously both as man Jesus and as God (God the Father an invisible, transcendent, Spirit) inseparably united (see John 10:30) as the Son of God. Citing John 4:24 (God is a Spirit), Oneness doctrine uses the terms God the Father and Holy Spirit as references to the same one God, who is Spirit. It affirms that the Holy Spirit and God the Father are one in the same Godhead, but only as separate manifestations or relationships of the one person or being that is God.

 

"Oneness", "Apostolic" and "Jesus' Name" are adherents' preferred self-designations.[1].

 

Oneness Pentecostals have also been identified as "Holy Rollers" for their lively style of worship, which can include running church aisles, known as victory marches, as well as jumping, dancing, shouting, and clapping. The church services are also punctuated at times with acts of speaking in tongues (glossolalia), interpretations of tongues, prophetical messages, and the laying of hands for the purposes of healing. These events can happen spontaneously during normal service with no forewarning or direct guidance by the leader of the service, or more often at massive altar calls where the entire congregation is encouraged to come and pray together for various purposes at the altar.

 

Oneness Pentecostals commonly refer to all saved Christians as saints and often refer to the men as brothers and the women as sisters, often as a title (i.e. Bro. Smith or Sis. Henderson),in their normal day-to-day speech both in and outside of church.

 

While the UPCI, PAW, and other Oneness Pentecostal churches do allow women to serve as pastors and evangelize, some Oneness Pentecostals hold the belief that women ministers are unscriptural. Ministers at all levels are allowed to marry and have children. Homosexual marriages are forbidden under all circumstances.

 

[edit] History

 

Many people believe that the Oneness doctrine came into existence only in the early 20th century during the latter days of the Azusa Street Revival. Church historians, however, such as Dr. Curtis Ward, William Chalfant, Talmadge French, Dr. David Bernard, and Thomas Weisser in their research and writings argue there were Oneness believers long before the Azusa Street Revival that lead all the way to the beginning of the first century Christian church. Dr. Ward has proposed the view of an unbroken Church lineage and has chronologically traced its perpetuity throughout history. (see Matthew 16:18). Dr. Reckart has also done significant research in this area. Others teach the Apostolic church went into apostasy and became the Catholic Church. They believe modern Pentecostalism is a total restoration culminating after a step by step separation within Protestantism until the early Apostolic Church was fully restored (Acts 2:38 baptism and Oneness being the final restorations).

 

There are indications that the pioneering Oneness Pentecostal figures in the early twentieth century were guided and inspired by prior restorations within Protestantism. Yet none of them had any influence upon them by the ancient Modalists such as Sabellius, Noetus or Praxeas. Modern Oneness people respect the prior restorations within Protestantism but still stress dependence solely upon God and the Bible for the formation of their doctrines, seeking guidance not from ante and post-Nicene writings of men, but from illumination by the Holy Spirit upon the Scriptures. Pre and ante Nicene church history is deemed by Oneness people to be of great interest, but the neo-platoism, dogmas, creeds, and private interpretations are not binding upon them for their faith or doctrinal views. Thus, they are unorthodox to trinitarians but orthodox according to the literal sense of the word. Oneness Christians regard the historic Ecumenical Councils and creeds to be the opinions of men within an apostate falling away from the first Church. In contrast, Nicene (Catholic & Protestant) Christians (by their very definition of orthodox) regard all post-apostolic doctrinal developments as being guided by God's will using the councils and church leadership. As such all of the post-biblical stream of creeds, dogmas, decrees, papal decisions, and judgments of the councils and church leaders as binding upon them for their doctrinal views. Oneness discovered within trinitarian writings that the post-biblical interpretation of the trinity taken not from the Bible but classical Greek philosophy. It cannot be both Apostolic and a Greek invention thrust upon the Council of Nicaea. Catholics claim if Oneness Pentecostals deny the creeds and the actions of Catholic Bishops, they should not accept the Bible, as it was allegedly collected, compiled, and canonized by councils who believed in the Trinity. Oneness counter this by saying there was no Catholic church when the New Testament was written, therefore it was compiled and in a collected form two centuries before the Catholic church was born in 325AD. There are references to this collection before Nicaea and any such canonizing councils. In addition, sola scriptures, defines Oneness faith and that additional creeds, dogmas, papal decrees are unacceptable for doctrine, faith, and practice.

 

In the New Testament, Jews are described as rejecting Jesus' claims to divinity, accusing him of blasphemy. In the Gospel of Mark, for instance, Jesus forgives a man's sins and some Jewish teachers thought to themselves: "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" In the Gospel of John, some Jews began to stone Jesus, explaining that they did so "for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." This is the origin of dynamic monarchianism (Jesus is not God only a man). (see Unitarianism, Iglesia Ni Cristo, To God Be The Glory by Joel Hemphill, and Islam.

 

[edit] The early Church

 

Citing various sources, Oneness theologian David K. Bernard traces Oneness adherents back to the first converted Jews of the Apostolic Age, citing no evidence of Jews having any issues comprehending the new teachings and integrating them with their existing strict Judaistic monotheistic beliefs. In the Post-apostolic Age, he claims that Hermas, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Polycrates and Ignatius from 90 to 140 A.D., and Irenaeus who died about 200 A.D, were either Oneness, modalist, or at most a follower of an "economic Trinity" (temporary Trinity, not eternal). [2]

 

Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. (The coming of the Messiah was not to bring the revelation of 2 or 3 god's [tritheism]- it was to make manifest the revelation of the One God (Jehovah/Yahweh) that manifested himself in human form.

—Deuteronomy 6:4

 

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

—1Ti 3:16

 

In support of the theory that the majority of all believers up until Tertullian (died c. 225; first to use introduce the term "Trinity" to describe God) were Oneness adherents, Bernard quotes Tertullian as writing, "The simple, indeed (I will not call them unwise or unlearned), who always constitute the majority of believers, are startled at the dispensation (of the Three in One), on the very ground that their very Rule of Faith withdraws them from the world's plurality of gods to the one only true God; not understanding that, although He is the one only God, He must yet be believed in with His own economy. The numerical order and distribution of the Trinity, they assume to be a division of the Unity.[3]

 

Later Oneness, or closely similar to Oneness, teachers have been pointed out through history include the following: Abelard (1079-1142) who was accused of Sabellianism and forced into refuge in a monastery in France; Michael Servetus (1511-1553) eminent physician from Spain, sometimes cited as a motivating force of Unitarianism, who wrote, "There is no other person of God but Christ ... the entire Godhead of the Father is in him,"[4] was burned at the stake for heresy on October 27, 1553 for his anti-trinitarian doctrine, with the approval of John Calvin (for whom of Calvinism was named), though Calvin preferred Servetus be beheaded; Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772); Presbyterian minister John Miller, author of Is God a Trinity? (1876), John Clowes, pastor of St. John's Church in Manchester, reportedly wrote a book in 1828 that taught Oneness[5].

 

Bernard, as well as other Oneness historians and theologians, deny any direct link from earlier Oneness believers to the current Oneness Pentecostal movement.

 

[edit] Modern History

 

Oneness historian Morris Golder, cites PAW Bishop G. T. Haywood in an article from 1915 in The Voice in the Wilderness, as dating Oneness Pentecostalism to at least 1906 with the formation of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World - PAW. The founders were E. W. Doak, G. T. Haywood, and D. C. Opperman. According to Dr. David Bundy, a Pentecostal historian at the Christian Theological Seminary, as early as 1907, a white Baptist minister in Los Angeles, was preaching non-Trinitarian water baptism in the Name of Jesus. According to Dr. Deborah Sims LeBlanc, William and Maggie Bowden, the parents of former Assistant Presiding Bishop Frank Bowden, were baptized in the Name of Jesus after the Azusa Street Mission Revival (1906-1909).

 

However, the beginning for many was in April 1913 at The World-Wide Apostolic Camp Meeting held in Arroyo Seco, California and conducted by Maria Woodworth-Etter, organizers promised that God would "deal with them, giving them a unity and power that we have not yet known." [6] Canadian R. E. McAlister preached a message about water baptism "just prior to a baptismal service to be conducted". His message defended the "single immersion" method and "noted that apostolic baptism was administered as a single immersion in a single name, Jesus Christ", saying "'The words Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were never used in Christian baptism.'" This caused a controversy to erupt immediately when Frank Denny, missionary to China, jumped on the platform and tried to censor McAlister.

 

Oneness Pentecostals mark this occasion as the initial "spark" in the Oneness revival movement. "John G. Schaepe, a young minister, was so moved by McAlister's revelation, that after praying and reading the Bible all night, he ran through the camp the following morning shouting that he'd received a 'revelation' on baptism that the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost was Lord Jesus Christ." [7] Ironically, Frank Denny himself, along with G. T. Haywood, Harry Morse, John G. Schaepe, R. J. Scott, George Studd, R. E. McAlister, Andrew D. Urshan, and Homer L. Falkner embraced Lord Jesus Christ as the three-in-one name of the trinity for baptism as the "exclusive apostolic formula." When other Oneness objected to this trinitarian baptism and said Lord Jesus Christ was the full name only of Jesus (began Jesus-Only new issue), trinitarians such as John Schaepe, Robert McAlister, and E. N. Bell bolted and returned to the use of the titles "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in Matthew 28:19.[8]

 

Schaepe (whose name is often misspelled Scheppe in a number of sources) claimed that the revelation he'd received during the camp meeting revival was that the baptismal command posited by Peter in Acts 2:38 - i.e., baptism "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" - was the fulfillment and counterpart of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 - i.e., baptism "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." This conclusion was accepted by several others in the camp and developed further theologically by a minister named Frank J. Ewart. By 1914, Frank Ewart and Glenn Cook publicly baptized each other in "the name of the Lord Jesus Christ but as the one name of Jesus not as a trinitarian formula." Thus, in 1913 Oneness Pentecostalism was again "revealed and restored" to a group of Holy Spirit filled individuals. In 1914 it was again publicly practiced as was done in the Apostles time in Acts 2:38. A number of ministers claimed they were baptized "in the Name of Jesus Christ" before 1914, including Frank Small and Andrew D. Urshan. Urshan claims to have baptized in Jesus Christ name as early as 1910. [9] Even Charles Parham himself baptized using a Christological baptismal formula prior to Azusa Street (Dr. Charles Wilson, Our Heritage, p. 12). However it was not their baptismal formula which was the issue, but rather the rejection of the Trinity that was the bigger issue to other Pentecostal ministers.

 

Schaepe's revelation caused a great stir within Pentecostalism. During the next year, Frank J. Ewart, another Pentecostal minister, struggled between his Trinitarian teachings and the new issue. He often spent hours debating with R. E. McAlister, attempting to bring the two doctrines together. (R.E. McAlister, the man who had fired the shot heard around the world at Arroyo Seco, defected. He formally renounced the Oneness doctrine in 1919 [8]. Thereafter, he became one of the Canadian teachers of orthodox Trinitarianism among Pentecostals in Canada as well as a propagator of the 'finished work of Calvary' doctrine[10]. The camp ground in Arroyo Seco, California, just outside Los Angeles, where the revelation occurred was also owned by Seymour's Mission. Many were re-baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, including E.N.Bell, who did so out of conviction for obedience to scripture. He recanted after undergoing severe pressure from J.Roswell Flowers. The re-baptisms also had the opposite effect on the Assemblies causing a backlash from many Trinitarians who feared the direction their organization might be heading. The fear was within J. Roswell Flowers, who initiated a resolution designed to cause the "Jesus' name" baptizers to withdraw from the organization. He was successful and is now considerered the "father" of the AG. By October 1916 the issue finally came to a head at the Fourth General Council of the Assemblies of God. The mostly Trinitarian leadership, fearing the new issue might overtake their organization, drew up a doctrinal statement affirming the Trinity among other issues. When the final votes were tallied the "Statement of Fundamental Truths" was adopted. More than one quarter of their ministerial and assembly membership left to form their own Oneness fellowships.[citation needed]

 

According to PAW historians, "From 1913 to 1914, for one year, the battle raged within the Association regarding the God-head and the "new issue."[citation needed] Consequently, in 1914, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World experienced its first split.[citation needed] Essentially, there were two questions around which the debate was centered: (1) "Is there one God, or are there three distinct persons in the God-head? and (2) How then, should an individual be baptized? Should one be baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, or should one be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ? In 1916, after four years (1912-1916) of this intense and bitter debate, those leaders and individuals who embraced the Trinitarian concept (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) did not want the "Jesus' Name" baptizers among them any longer.[citation needed] The ministers who were rejected then formed the PAW which had no organizational board until 1919. During the transition period some minsters took their ministerial credentials from the Church of God in Christ group. In 1916 the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World was loosely organized in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Christ Temple Assembly of the Apostolic Faith, where Bishop G. T. Haywood was the pastor.[citation needed] Bishop Haywood became the organization's first Presiding Bishop at that meeting.[citation needed] During that meeting, the organization's headquarters were established in Portland, Oregon.[citation needed] In 1919, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World headquarters were moved from Portland to Indianapolis, and was incorporated in the state of Indiana. The incorporators were E. W. Doak, G. T. Haywood, and D. C. Opperman". [11]

 

Several small Oneness ministerial groups formed after the 1914 restorations. Many of these merged into the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) and some remained independent. Division occurred within the PAW over the role of women in ministry, wine or grape juice for communion, divorce and remarriage, and proper mode of water baptism. There were reports of racial tension in the early PAW. African Americans were joining the PAW in great numbers and were in many significant positions of leadership.[citation needed] In particular the African-American pastor G. T. Haywood served as General Secretary and signed all ministerial credentials. PAW resolutions were proposed that credentials be signed by individuals of the same race.[citation needed] This factor, along with Jim Crow segregation policy, contributed greatly to the split primarily along racial lines. In later decades progress has somewhat been made in racial relations in the UPCI in regard to leadership roles for all members of this fellowship.[citation needed] In 1932, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World was reorganized and elected Elder Samuel Grimes of New York, as the new Presiding Bishop.[citation needed] Bishop Grimes served as the Presiding Bishop for 35 years (1932-1967).

 

In 1945, a merger of two predominantly White Oneness Pentecostal organizations (the Pentecostal Church Incorporated and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ) resulted in the formation of the United Pentecostal Church [12] Presently they are called United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), adding the word "International" in 1972.

 

The UPCI has suffered several splinters since its inception in 1945.

 

* In 1955, a group of ministers led by Bishop C. B. Gillespie (Fairmont, WV), Bishop Ray Cornell (Cleveland, Ohio), and Bishop Carl Angle (Nashville, Tennessee) rechartered the PAJC using the original charter.[citation needed]

 

* 1968 a number of ministers organized the Apostolic Ministerial Fellowship - AMF, citing the UPCI as 'too liberal'. Central issues were holiness and local church government.

 

* In 1986, Pastor L. H. Hardwick, a UPCI pastor in Nashville, Tennessee, broke away from what he called "legalists" (referring to the issue of dress code and standards), and formed Global Christian Ministries (now Global Network of Christian Ministries).[citation needed]

 

* In 2001, Bishop Teklemarim Gezahagne and the more than 1 million members of the Apostolic Church of Ethiopia (ACI)broke their 45 year alignment with the UPCI. The official position of the UPCI is that the division was over Christology. Bishop Teklemarim taught that the flesh of Jesus was God and had no human connection to the seed of Adam, David, or his mother Mary. He taught one nature in Christ and it was divine. The UPCI has always taught two natures in Christ, human and Divine. Bishop Tekelmarim refused to reconsider his stance after high ranking envoys came from the UPCI to Ethiopia to discuss his error. Thus the interpretation of Christology caused the division.

 

* The Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus (AAFCJ) and its sister church the Apostolic Church of the Faith in Christ Jesus (IAFCJ), left the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World to serve the Hispanic community in the United States and the nations of Latin America.[citation needed] The Apostolic Assembly is the largest Oneness Pentecostal group of primarily Spanish-speaking denomination in the United States of America, and it is also the oldest primarily Hispanic denomination in the World.[citation needed]

 

The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World has never left their original vision of a racially integrated body of believers. To this day, although predominantly black, they continue to reach out and work toward racial unity in worship and organization. There have been both white and black presiding bishops in this group. The United Pentecostal Church International in its worldwide ministry has accomplished a racially integrated body and this can be witnessed at the annual general convention. The same may be said of other "Jesus' Name" groups who are not only integrated, they hold no overt racist policies and engage in missionary work in many nations.

 

The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World is the oldest Oneness Pentecostal organization in existence.[citation needed] As a result of the Azusa Street Revival, a number of independent Pentecostal churches and their leaders, in an effort to stabilize these new works, felt the need to come together and form an Association of Churches of "like precious faith", thus forming the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Its goal was to further spread the Gospel and to give support to each other. It should be noted, that after 1914 and the Hot Springs meeting, G.T.Haywood was baptized by Glen Cook, a white man, who had been the treasurer at Azusa street mission in Los Angeles.[citation needed]

 

The substantial number of Pentecostal congregations formed in the years immediately following the Azusa Street Revival inevitably caused the new movement to be faced with the problem of formal organization. The independent churches and missions of the first type were somewhat remedied by the recognition of lay boards and elected pastors.

 

For the next few years, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World focused upon general meetings and the development of its organizational structure.[citation needed] The late Bishop Morris E. Golder wrote: "The original organization bearing the name of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World came into existence in the year of 1906 in the city of Los Angeles, State of California.[citation needed] The late Bishop G. T. Haywood concurs with this fact, writing in the Voice In The Wilderness in 1921: "It (The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World) was started in 1906 in Los Angeles, California."[citation needed]

 

This was also the position asserted by Bishop Ross Paddock, the former Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. He declared that after one year of being organized, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World had its first annual business meeting and that, at the same time, it was Trinitarian in its doctrine and liturgy of water baptism.[citation needed]

 

It was in this context of varying ideas, personal differences, doctrinal and other conflicting elements that not only was the need of organization seen, but the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in its original state (1906) came into existence.[citation needed] However, it was not until 1919 that it became incorporated and took on the identity of being an Apostolic "Oneness" body of ministers and believers.[citation needed]

 

According to Dr. David Bundy, a Pentecostal historian at the Christian Theological Seminary, as early as 1907, a white Baptist minister in Los Angeles, was preaching non-Trinitarian water baptism in the Name of Jesus. According to Dr. Deborah Sims LeBlanc, William and Maggie Bowden, the parents of former Assistant Presiding Bishop Frank Bowden, were baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ after the Azusa Street Mission Revival (1906-1909). It began in 1906, the same year the Azusa Street Revival began, making it older than even most of the Trinitarian Pentecostal organizations.[citation needed] It was never a part of the Assemblies of God and therefore never came out from it.[citation needed] "A few in the group which was ousted by the Assemblies of God later joined the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, but then demerged later [13].

 

[edit] Doctrine and theology

 

[edit] God

 

Oneness Pentecostalism holds to a conservative Jewish monotheistic view of God and stress Jesus Christ is the visible manifestation of God in the New Testament (the Father in the Son). God was known by several names and titles in the Old Testament, but with the New Covenant He has revealed His name as Jesus. It rejects all concepts of a polytheism, trinity, or other doctrines they see as representing multiple and separate Gods. As such it rejects three separate persons in the trinity who are each separately God. All concepts of Jesus Christ are explained as either the Father or the Son, the divine Spirit or the man Christ in two different modes. Jesus is fully God and fully human. As to his humanity Christ is the only begotten Son of God. They reject Jesus being seen as only one of three Gods. They believe Jesus as the Son is the only present high priest and at the same time God. Attempts to put into the mouth of Oneness that they believe the Son was only human (Unitarianism) have failed.

 

[edit] Salvation

 

Oneness Pentecostal doctrine and theology typically maintains that salvation comes by faith through grace. The acts of faith and subsequent grace is by obedience to specific commands and requirements that are found in the New Testament. These requirements necessary for salvation are: faith in Jesus Christ, repentance by faith, water baptism by faith in the name of Jesus Christ, and the gift of Holy Ghost baptism by faith with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The view of Oneness Pentecostals is that scripture either records the commandment of these acts of faith for salvation and explains that the lack of them would result in not having salvation. However, it should also be noted that not all Pentecostals who are Oneness regarding their view of the nature of God hold to this type of soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) and believe that water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are subsequent to salvation. One of the predecessor organizations of the UPCI, the Pentecostal Church, Inc. (PCI),brought this view over into the Oneness merger in 1945. These were called "one steppers"(which this view was held by a vocal minority) whereas those of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ (PAJC) following strictly Acts 2:38 were called "three steppers.

 

[edit] Holiness

 

Oneness Pentecostals believe that a Christian's lifestyle should be one characterized by holiness. This holiness begins at baptism where the blood of Jesus washes away sin and a person stands before God holy for the first time in their life. Subsequent to this sanctification, they hold separation from the world in both practical and moral areas will keep converts from lapsing back into the sins of their baptism. Moral or inward holiness is righteous living guided and powered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Practical or outward holiness involves modest apparel and gender distinction. For some Oneness Pentecostal organizations, because of what they consider the amoral conduct of society in dress and nakedness, this involves establishing dress codes for its members (also known as "holiness standards") similar to those all Pentecostal denominations used for much of the first half of the 20th century. While these dress codes are officially treated as a matter of personal conviction, in practice there is strong social pressure in most circles to comply. Generally, women are expected not to wear pants, wear makeup or cut their hair; men are expected to be clean-shaven and short-haired. For a more in-depth review, see Oneness Pentecostalism (doctrine)

 

For a contrast and comparison of Oneness and Trinity, see Oneness vs Trinity.

 

[edit] Common misunderstandings

 

[edit] Jesus' Name vs. Jesus Only

 

Jesus' Name doctrine is often misunderstood as is the pejorative "Jesus Only". These terms are even misunderstood and applied by Oneness believers themselves. Critics of Oneness believers refer to them as "Jesus Only", meaning they deny the Father and the Holy Spirit of the trinity. Most Oneness Pentecostals consider that term to be a misreprentation of their true beliefs on the issue. Oneness believers do not deny the Father or the Son; they just describe them differently from trinitarians. Oneness historians claim the usage of the term "Jesus-Only" is misleading many to believe they reject the Father and the Holy Spirit. Rejection and different interpretation are two different things. Oneness believers prefer the phrase Jesus' Name when referring to their baptism beliefs or themselves as believers who were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ only (with no reference to the Father or Holy Spirit). "Jesus' Name", to Oneness Pentecostals refers to the revealed name of God for the present Church age. Jesus inherited his name from the eternal name of the Godhead. I am come in my Father's name. Oneness Pentecostals place "essential" emphasis on use of the name of Jesus, and regard it as the "Name above all names". They invoke it in word or deed in all things.

 

Oneness Pentecostals generally see the use of the term "Jesus Only" by trinitarians as being an attempt to mislead and/or confuse those interested in study of the Oneness doctrine. The label arose early on in reference to their insistence on baptizing only in the name of Jesus, but it tends to be used only by the movement's critics. The Oneness position is that do indeed believe in baptism into the name of Jesus only, but that to describe them as "Jesus Only" Pentecostals implies a denial of the Father and Holy Spirit -- a contention they vigorously reject as false.

 

Oneness believers generally consider the term "Jesus Only" to be inflammatory, because the speaker is generally a trinitarian critic trying to lead interested persons away from the Oneness doctrine. True, Oneness believers do not believe in three separate persons in the Godhead who each have a separate Spirit, Body, Mind, and Being. To Oneness believers this constitutes three Gods. They see Jesus as the true personality of God manifest in the flesh (1Timothy 3:16). Trinitarians infer by this that Oneness Pentecostals deny the separate being of Father and the separate being of the Holy Spirit. Oneness believers in fact deny the entire concept of a Trinity including the use of the term "God the Son", since this is never found in the New Testament. "Jesus Only" as explained by trinitarians is an incorrect use of the term because Oneness Pentecostals actually affirm the Father and the Holy Spirit, but assert that the Father is the Holy Spirit, and vice versa. Oneness Pentecostals believe there is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: one God.

 

[edit] Oneness Theology IS NOT Unitarianism

 

Some confuse the terms Unitarian and Oneness. Although Unitarians and Oneness people are similar in the belief that there is not a plurality of persons in the Godhead, Unitarians believe that Jesus was only a moral authority whereas the Deity and humanity of Jesus Christ are essential to Oneness doctrine.

 

[edit] Followers of Oneness Pentecostalism

 

Some of the better-known persons associated, or said to be associated, with Oneness Pentecostals are

 

* T.D. Jakes [14]

* Noel Jones

* Dr Bernie L. Wade

* Gaddi Vasquez

* Norman Wagner

* Tommy Tenney

 

[edit] Gospel and Contemporary Christian artists

 

* The Katinas

* Phillips, Craig and Dean

* Lee Greenwood

* Elvis Presley, the well known entertainer of early rock and roll, frequented Oneness Pentecostal Churches as well as Trinitarian Assemblies of God Churches and it is claimed that from these sources he picked up the rhythm and lively antics he incorporated into his performances. It is reported that Presley was baptized in the AG church, but was later rebaptized in the name of Jesus Christ by Bishop Joseph Rex Dyson a Oneness Pentecostal with the Church of Jesus Christ in Tennessee. (http://www.calvaryslighthouse.com/Memphis,TN.htm) [15] (http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/elvis_presley/article/0,1426,MCA_457_1328348,00.html)[16]

* Jonny Lang, Grammy award winning singer and guitar player. Attends a UPCI church in Los Angeles.

 

[edit] References

 

1. ^ Dr. David K. Bernard, Unmasking Prejudice, Cyberjournal for Pentecostal-Charismatic Research

2. ^ Bernard, David K., The Oneness of God, Word Aflame Press, 1983, Ch. 10.

3. ^ Tertullian, Against Praxeas, 3, rpt. in Alexander Robers and James Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers (rpt. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), III, 598-599.

4. ^ "Unitarianism", Encyclopedia of Religion and Thics, XII, 520.

5. ^ Campbell, David, All the Fulness, Word Aflame Press, 1975, p. 167-173.

6. ^ "World-Wide Apostolic Faith Camp Meeting", Word and Witness, 20 March 1913, 1; Blumhofer, The Assemblies of God, 222; Blumhofer, Restoring, 20.

7. ^ Reckart, Sr. Dr. Gary P., Great Cloud Of Witnesses, Apostolic Theological Bible College, 124; Ewart, Phenomenon, 123-124; C. M. Rabic, Jr., "John G. Schaepe", in Dictionary, Burgess and McGee, 768-769; J. Schaepe, "A Remarkable Testimony", Meat in Due Season, 21 August 1917, 4; Minute Book and Ministerial Record of the General Assembly of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, 1919-1920, 11.

8. ^ a b Reckart, Sr. Dr. Gary P, Great Cloud Of Witnesses, Apostolic Theological Bible College, 1998, 124

9. ^ Andrew D. Urshan, Pentecost As It Was in the Early 1900's (by the author, 1923; revised edition Portland, OR: ApostolicBook Publishers, 1981, 77; The Life Story of Andrew Bar David Urshan: An Autobiography of the Author's First Forty Years (Apostolic Book Publishers, 1967),102; Cf. E. N. Bell, "The Sad New Issue", Word & Witness, June 1915, 2-3; Anderson, Disinherited, 176.

10. ^ Miller, Thomas William, Canadian Pentecostals, A History of Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Full Gospel Publishing House, Messissauga, ON, 1994

11. ^ PAW - Taking the Word to the World!

12. ^ PCI and the remaining PAJC ministers, composed mostly of whites merged as the United Pentecostal Church (UPC). Beginning with 1,800 ministers and 900 churches, it has become the largest and, through aggressive evangelism and publishing efforts, most influential Oneness organization. thebereans.net/prof-onep.shtml

13. ^ (Dr. Charles Wilson, Our Heritage, p. 22)

14. ^ Christianity Today, February 2000

15. ^ www.calvaryslighthouse.com/Memphis,TN.htm

16. ^ Was the King baptized in two beliefs? : Local : Memphis Commercial Appeal

 

[edit] See also

[show]

v • d • e

Oneness Pentecostalism

Denominations

AAFCJ • ALJC • AM • Bible Way COOLJC • CJCI • CLJC • COOLJC • ICOF• PAJC • PAW • TJC • UPCI

People

Gilson Levi • Charles Gillespie • Raymond Cornell • T. D. Jakes • Bernie L. Wade • Noel Jones • William M. Branham; Kenneth Haney • Nathaniel Urshan • Don Johnson • John Pollard • David Bernard • Harold McFarlane •

Other Pages of Interest

Oneness Pentecostalism (doctrine) •Oneness vs Trinity • Jesus' Name doctrine

 

* Jesus' Name doctrine

 

[edit] External links

 

[edit] Articles, indexes, & other resources

 

[edit] Favoring views

 

* Apostolic Network Ministries

* Institute for Biblical Studies (Index of Oneness Pentecostal theological articles)

* Website of Apostolic results

* The Oneness of God (Book by Oneness scholar David K. Bernard, J.D., part of Series in Pentecostal Theology, Volume 1, freely available online)

* Testimonies of Jesus Christ by Oneness Pentecostals

* The Voice of the Pastor Study And The Word Became Flesh

* Understanding Pentecostal Theology (Blog about Oneness Pentecostal Theology with articles)

* Center for Oneness Research and Education (Blog by scholar Dr. Daniel Segraves with articles)

* Pentecostales del Nombre de Jesucristo page in Spanish

* Spanish Web Site Apostolic Studies in Spanish

* Articles of Study By Oneness Theologian Mike Blume

* Apostolic Theology.com Oneness Pentecostal Theology Site

 

[edit] Comparative articles

 

* Oneness Versus Trinity Links to various writings concerning Oneness vs. Trinity. Link is an opposing view site.

* Responding to Oneness Pentecostalism in the Light of Scripture

 

[edit] Other

 

* Apostolic Doctrine

* My Views on the Godhead - Christianity Today Magazine Bishop T. D. Jakes responds to Christianity Today article, "Apologetics Journal Criticizes Jakes."

* Apostolic Archives International Web Site dedicated to preserve the history of organizational leaders of various Oneness Pentecostal Denominations

 

[edit] Oneness Pentecostal Groups

 

Here are major and historical Oneness Pentecostal organizations. Not all Oneness Pentecostal churches affiliate with an organization. See Category:Oneness Pentecostalism for individual churches and organizations that may not be listed here.

 

[edit] North America

 

This is a list of Oneness Pentecostal organizations headquartered in North America.

 

* United Pentecostal Church International

* Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ Jesus

* Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ

* Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ

* Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith

* International Circle of Faith

* Pentecostal Assemblies of the World

* Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ

* Church of the Lord Jesus Christ

* Churches of Jesus Christ International

* World Christian Ministries Association

* Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship

* Truelight Pentecostal Church

 

[edit] Other countries

 

This is a list of Oneness Pentecostal organizations headquartered outside North America.

 

* United Pentecostal Church of Australia

* True Jesus Church - China/Taiwan

* Assemblies Lord Jesus Christ - Canada

* Apostolic Church International - Ethiopia

* International Circle of Faith of Togo

* Church of Jesus Christ-Greece

* Jesus' Name Apostolic Church - Ecuador

* Apostolische Pfingstgemeinde Deutschland - Germany

* Assemblea Apostolica della fede in Cristo Gesù - Italy

garyashcraft.com/default.aspx

 

You will wake me at daylight's first glimmer,

Step outside barefoot as I am leaving,

And the memories always will linger,

I will never see you again and i will never forget you...

 

And our misunderstanding will appear to be so minimal

Compared to the future misunderstanding of the two souls

With the dead emptiness…

Week#72 No dogs were harmed in the making of this photo.