Tăcerea este spaţiul în care omul se trezeşte. ( OSHO )

A fi apt de o pasiune şi a nu o trăi te face incomplet şi limitat. ( OSCAR WILDE )

De ce să folosim cuvinte mari? Înseamnă atât de puţin. ( OSCAR WILDE )

Claire de Lune by Enigma :

Îmi place să vorbesc. Deseori vorbesc cu mine însumi doar ca să mă ascult. ( OSCAR WILDE )

LICĂR TAINIC ...

tăcerea, se lunecă lin pe fiorii trupului meu,

prelingându-se, prea tandră, suavă, subtilă,

să n-o bănui de gânduri zmintite, nu-i greu,

dar, incepe sa-mi placă, gustul ei de felină...

tresar fulgere vii dinspre miezu-i fierbinte,

si mă-nvăluie-n ploaia dezgolită de Lună,

mă prefac că nu ştiu, nu presimt a tăcerii furtună,

ea îmi muşcă din sâmburi şi mă tună nebună...

devorându-mi din zvâcnetul coapsei, încă firav,

mă îmbie cu şoapte risipite pe altarul mirării,

`nrourându-mă licăr în Luceferi concavi,

mă ucide-n iubirea-i zămislită de umbra trădării...

renunţând la vacarmul cojilor frânte-n poesie,

mă torc vis şi dorinţă , îi adulmec sărutul mister,

trăznesc vorbele-n nouri, mă privesc, par pustie,

simt preaplinul de pofte şi-alung gândul stingher...

ma pândeşte, surâzându-mi plăcerii arcuită arcadă,

eu mă mistui clipocindu-mă-n mrejele ei şi deodată...

izbucnesc, o trântesc şi-o izbesc drept în mine să vadă,

adâncimea albastră a înaltului meu, să mă bucure toată...

SIBILLA POESIS

Tăcerea are glasurile ei de înţelepciune: ascult-o! ( NICOLAE IORGA )

Tăcerea este una dintre marile arte ale conversaţiei. ( CICERO )

Tăcerea este prietenul adevărat care nu te trădează niciodată. ( CONFUCIUS )

Iubirea e un sărut furat, un zâmbet inocent, o îmbrăţişare pătimaşă... şi un suflet smuls din piept... ( OCTAVIAN PALER )

Iubesc o singură tăcere dincolo de raţiune, acel suflet ce arde în mine şi nu e al meu, dar ştiu că e. ( MARIANA FULGER )

Iubirea este aripa dăruită de Dumnezeu sufletului, pentru ca să urce până la El. ( MICHELANGELO )

A fi bun înseamnă a fi în armonie cu tine însuţi. Disonanţa înseamnă a fi forţat să fii în armonie cu alţii. ( OSCAR WILDE )

Tinereţea este singurul lucru pe care merită să-l ai. ( OSCAR WILDE )

SIBILLA POESIS

citate preluate de pe : www.citapedia.ro

]]> http://lflwriter.wordpress.com/?p=12 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:32:37 +0000 lflwriter http://lflwriter.wordpress.com/?p=12  

Since China; the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province; Tibet; the Dalai Lama, and the 2008 Olympics are in the news so much, it is only fitting to visit one of the great men of the 19^th century. I believe it is safe to say that there is no one in the position of influence that Robert Hart held for so many decades in China living today. What he accomplished as a peacemaker for not only China but for other countries earned him many honors during his lifetime. The ‘Foreword’ written by my wife, is about Robert Hart, a man forgotten today but honored by a queen, an empress and more than a dozen other countries including the Vatican.

My Splendid Concubine is the story of his early years in China.

Foreword

by Anchee Min

He was the father of China’s modernization. He was the only foreigner the Emperor trusted. As Inspector General for Chinese Maritime Customs, Sir Robert Hart was responsible for generating one third the national revenue crucial to the Ch’ing Dynasty’s survival. I was surprised to discover that today few know that Sir Robert Hart was once a household name in China.

Like the Statue of Liberty in New York City’s harbor, there was once a bronze life-size sculpture of Robert Hart standing by the Huang-pu Bund at the mouth of the Yangtze River in Shanghai, China. The sculpture was commissioned by the Emperor of China and was erected in 1910. It stood for twenty-seven years until the Japanese knocked it down during the invasion in 1937.

Today where Robert Hart’s bronze statue once stood is a figure of Mao’s General Chen Yi. But the old people of Shanghai still tell their young, as my father told me, about the statue of Robert Hart. ‘He was a great man, a true friend of China.’ Furthermore, people remember that there were streets in Shanghai and Beijing (Peking) named after Robert Hart before the Cultural Revolution like ‘Hart Boulevard’.

There were two famous stories about Robert Hart that I knew. One was about his legendary ‘refusal’ of the Emperor’s invitation that he be the ‘Commander in Chief of China’s Army’ in 1887. Hart believed that there would be a ‘conflict of interest’ since he was British. He felt that he could best serve China by staying the Inspector General of Chinese Customs. He wanted to stay ‘behind the scenes’ and to teach China to be a ‘better fisherman’ instead of handing her ‘fish’. Saying ‘no’ to the Emperor’s offer made Robert Hart a giant moral hero, and that was beyond the comprehension of the corrupt imperial royals.

The other story was about Robert Hart’s Chinese concubine, Ayaou. She was a boat-girl by background. During the love affair between Hart and Ayaou, she gave birth to three children. One can hardly imagine the passion, torment and struggle that must have taken place between these two strong-willed individuals during China’s most difficult times.

By learning about Robert Hart, I believe that a Westerner could gain a key to understanding China and the Chinese culture. I introduced Robert Hart to Lloyd while we were still dating. My reason was a selfish one—I wanted Lloyd to learn from a ‘Master’.

It turned out to be the best gift I could give Lloyd. The more he learned about Robert Hart, the more he believed that it was his mission to make Hart’s story known. My Splendid Concubine was a work of nearly nine years of his labor.

I am grateful for what Lloyd has done, especially when building bridges of communication between China and the West is crucial to our survival.

Anchee Min

Author of: Red Azalea (Pantheon); Katherine (Berkley Trade); Wild Ginger (Mariner Books); Becoming Madam Mao (Mariner Books); Empress Orchid (Mariner Books), and The Last Empress (Mariner Books)

__________

Note: Today, I launch the limited serialization of

My Splendid Concubine. Every few days, I will post a chapter or a few pages from a chapter in the short story section of my Author’s Den. Concubine runs twenty-seven chapters. The serialization will cover twelve of those chapters. After chapter twelve is posted, anyone interested in reading the rest of My Splendid Concubine may buy it as an E-book for less than six dollars or from Amazon.com, Book-a-Million.com, or Barnes&Noble.com (B&N.com).

The Lion and the Dragon exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery

James Hung is 14 and is the direct descendent of Confucius. Clive Stewart-Lockart is an Antiques Roadshow expert, but also happens to be the direct descendent of Sir James Stewart-Lockhart. They met for the first time at the exhibition. (see photo above)

(This was not Clive Stewart Lockhart's first visit - he was at the Gallery for the Antiques Roadshow on 19 June).

The Lion and the Dragon exhibition illustrates a period in Chinese history when the British leased some of the Shandong Province, considered one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization.  Confucianism, founded by Confucius, the great thinker, educator and statesman, started here and is the pillar of traditional Chinese culture.

In 1904 Sir James Stewart Lockhart, the British Commissioner, met Duke Kong, the direct descendent of Confucius, and was the first foreigner to be given a formal invitation to see the Temple of Confucius. In exchange Duke Kong was given a framed coronation photograph of King Edward VII, which was paraded through the streets. (see photo left)

The exhibition finishes on the weekend. Hurry along and have a look at these fascinating photos.

Those who revise their own knowledge

and gain a new perspective and benefit from what they already know

are people who can be teachers.

I can't agree more that knowledge that we have inherited throughout our years of studies are taken for granted to stay with us for life. However, the knowledge that are imparted to us are yet to set their roots within us. Come to think about it, they belong to people who have thought deeply about the different lessons and how it could be applied to their lives. All I can say is that they are nice people because they understand the meaning of sharing. They have shared one of the most priceless things - knowledge.

The deep seated understanding of the knowledge imparted by others to us is are like seeds of a plant. Teachers and friends in life might have planted invaluable knowledge in our lives but the plants do not grow if we don't give a damn to what they have said. We have to not only listen but start thinking through what we have learned before the flower that belongs to us blossoms.

By then, we are ready to teach as well.

子曰：“视其所以，观其所由，察其所安。 人焉廋？”

Observe how a person behaves,

observe his motivations in doing a thing,

understand his emotions, what does he desire? What does he fear will happen?

How is it possible for him to fake who he is? How is it possible?

Yes. It's impossible. Observe, observe and observe. If someone wants and has the intention of understanding others it is truly not a difficult task. It just takes patience and a heart to understand a person.

Furthermore, there isn't really anything that one can hide. There is no stones that will be left unturned, no secrets that will be kept forever. Being yourself should be a prideful matter as every being is special. There is no need to be someone else. Just be yourself.

BeiBei obviously represents the blue olympic ring and all aquatic sports. Her headgear is intricately modeled after designs of fish from certain decorative stone-age artifacts from the Neolithic era. In the chinese culture, the fish represents prosperity since in chinese, it sounds exactly the same as the chinese word for surplus (excess amount of/more than enough. The artifacts that inspired her fish and lotus styled headgear was found at a village that resided near the Yellow River, which is obviously a body of water that can be used for fishing. BeiBei represents the Sea and the Element of Water and has a friendly personality. She also represents leadership.

JingJing, the giant panda, is up next. JingJing represents the black olympic ring along with body strength activities such as weight lifting and judo. He was created with the thoughts of the honorable giant panda and the beautiful lotus flower in mind. Since the JingJing is a panda, that makes him stand for several things since, after all, the panda is a national symbol of China and an international symbol of enviroment and the human-nature partnership. Because of this, he stands for hope, happiness and honesty. He represents the Forest and the element of Wood. **Side Note: I do not feel that wood should be an element, even if it is one of the fengshui elements. It just doesn't make sense, because Earth is another element..but Wood is a part of Earth...so it can't be it's own Element! I believe that the standards should be Fire, Water, Earth, and Air! Some cultures require an additional element at which time they include Metal. I guess this is alright, but I think they could choose to alternate Metal with Lightning. Lol ok my rant is done.. haha.**

Now over here we have HuanHuan, the Olympic Flame. He is the guardian of the red olympic ring. He obviously represents Fire. HuanHuan has an enthusiastic personality and is quite the firey extrovert. He stands for the passion of the Olympics (after all, The Olympic Flame is like the spirit of the games) and the passion of sports, specifically ball sports [like volleyball, basketball, baseball, etc]. He is basically the physical embodyment of the fire in the hearts of the Olympic athletes.  "Faster, Higher, Stronger."

YingYing, the representer of the Yellow Olympic Ring, is agile and quick like the Tibetan antelope that he is based on. He is healthy and independant and full of life. He represents the Olympic sports dealing with speed, track & field and cycling for instance. As for his element, he represents Earth (but I think he should be Lightning instead, oh well).

Lastly is Nini, the high flying swallow, guardian of the green ring. She represents the sky since she was inspired by the bird and by Beijing's beautiful shayan kites. She is innocent and kind and symoblizes good fortune. The swallow directly ties to Beijing because the chinese character for the swallow is used in the characters for an old name that was used for Beijing, Yanjing. Her element however is Metal, which I feel is wrong and should be Air instead. She represents the gravity-defying and apparently weightless activities included in gymnastics.

I also included in the banner the Olympic rings and, within each, I put a symbol for one of the activities in that category. Swimming, Sprinting/Running, Gymnastics, and Volleyball (JingJing's head is in the place of the black ring). Then I obviously have the text for Beijing 2008. Lastly I have the title of the blog in blue over red and white stripes for Team USA! Go USA!

The Opening Ceremony has started, I hope you're watching! I am! That countdown was so cool! (With the drummers). And now they are doing like a tai-chi/drum routine to the words of confucius. It's amazing and awe-inpsiring to see all 2,008 drummers doing it all at the same time and in unison, in fact it's even a bit intimidating.

I read a lot. I'd say its a hobby... but i am pretty sure that when your body has a violent reaction to its withdrawal it means you're an addict. I am addicted to reading.
That being said I have been doing a fair amount of it here while i am in Tokyo. News, travel, culture, escapist fiction. You name it.
It becomes really interesting when different pieces that you are reading begin to overlap and touch on the same topics. Or when insights gathered from one piece cause you to reflect on something in another.

For the last few years I have been following with growing distaste the legislation and accompanying opinion pieces on warrantless wiretapping. The idea that a persons privacy and personal life could be so scrutinized with such negligible oversight is, to me, truly reprehensible. This coupled with the scandals over extraordinary rendition, approved 'torture light' techniques, and secret prisons... well. it becomes worrying.

Supreme Court Judge Louis D. Brandeis once stated "Our government is the great, the omnipresent teacher. For good or ill, it teaches the people by its example... If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for the law." This is a concept that is so closely linked to Confucianism that it almost reads verbatim from the Analects. If a people see that their ruler is a gentleman, they will follow his example.
"Raise the straight and put them above the crooked, so that they may straighten the crooked". When did we begin moving away from virtuous individuals and become so enamored with the tough leader, making the hard decisions for us so that we can be spared some greater tragedy?

Confucius was approached by a local lord who asked for his thoughts on capital punishment. He was asked about the morality behind killing the bad to protect the good. Confucius replied by saying: "You are supposed to govern, not to kill. If you yourself desire what is good, the people will be good. The moral power of the gentleman is the wind; the moral power of the common people is the grass. The grass will always bend in the direction of the wind".

The nature of the relationship between those given power and the people they rule or represent is something that i have always been fascinated by, and one that Confucius spent his entire life teaching and writing on. The debates and problems that we are dealing with today are not concerns that haven't been addressed before. The threats and issues facing us in this century, in this war, after 9-11, are not a new face of evil that the world is still figuring out how to react to... its the same problems and conflicts that we have always been combating. And we are still reacting to them with the same 'tried and true' strategies that we used in the last several hundred years....

*Books: 'Confucius lives next door' by T.R. Reid.

This week we have talked about ways to flex analytical thinking capabilities so as to become more adept at developing and executing strategic directives. One of the ways which has contributed substantially to my personal growth in strategic based thinking, has been its application in a variety of strategic games I have played. Most of these games have simple rules, and can be played by a broad spectrum of individuals ranging from children to adults. When we begin to scratch the surface of these rules, we notice more complexities. Strategy development follows similar lines. To develop and deploy an effective strategy is a challenging task. Listed below are five strategy based games through which I have learnt many valuable lessons.

1. Chess: This game teaches several fundamental concepts, such as preparation, patience and sacrifice, key proponents in development of strategic planning. Chess provides an ideal playing ground to practice, and hone skills needed in these particular segments. It teaches us to see patterns, which may lead to future positions, and how to take advantage of them. At the same time it forces us to continue looking at the bigger picture, to ensure that we are aware of all positions on the board, so as to take advantage of them. To read more about the parallels between chess and strategy please click here.

2. Bridge: Is a game which helps develop skills to work with others, communication, learning to trust instinct and, actual 'table' play. As a partnership based game, effective communication with your partner is critical so as to read and understand the partner's hand. Developing and deploying strategic directives works in the same way. We have to learn to work together to formulate them, at the same time we have to communicate them effectively to the rest of the team, to ensure smooth deployment or play. To read more about parallels between bridge and strategy please click here.

3. Poker: Among the many things which can be learnt from this game are aggression, controlling emotions and attention to detail. Most of these qualities are also required to ensure successful deployment of any strategy. Without them, we see poor execution and unravelling of plans midway, due to the inability to master these factors. It is essential that we develop and be adept at understanding our own thresholds and abilities to find success. To read more about the parallels between poker and strategy please click here.

4. Monopoly: An all time favorite strategy based game, this gives players insights into negotiating, deal making and situational analysis. There are several strategies which players take to win at this game, unfortunately they are often short sighted. This is due primarily because we develop strategies based solely on the short term . These could be in the form of hitting quarterly targets or maintaining specific share price. Most of these strategies do not take into account long term implications of these decisions, which have the potential to be detrimental to the company's future. To read more about parallels between monopoly and strategy please click here.

5. Risk: A game with an end goal of, world domination. It teaches players several principles relating to allocation of resources, partnerships and aggression. Most of these principles form the basis of successful strategies. The ability to fully utilize in-hand resources in the most efficient manner is a challenging task. Furthermore, to progress as an organization,  strategic alliances need to be formed to accelerate the rate of growth. These principles are covered in the game, in a simple yet effective manner. To learn more about parallels between risk and strategy please click here.

On the journey as an entrepreneur, learning has to be an ongoing factor. Using creative methods to exercise analytical and thinking capabilities helps to see situations from different angles. This equips us with the ability to make better decisions, be more productive and reach our goals faster. 

Competing for world domination is what the game of Risk is all about. This is a military based game, where players put their respective armies against each other. The game provides each player with the ability to be involved in strategic maneuvering, brings in an element of luck with the dice and gives ample opportunities to form and break alliances. In a way, it simplifies all the complexities of war, into a simple game where the player with the greatest foresight and a little luck, usually emerges victorious. Unlike Monopoly, this game allows for more creativity and imagination due to the movements allowed on the board. Playing straightforward strategies leaves you exposed, and vulnerable to attacks. 

This interesting game has quite a few parallels to the world of business and strategy:

1. Allocation of Resources: Each player has a finite amount of resources allocated to them. The placement of these resources is a critical aspect of the game. One may choose to have loosely scattered armies all over the board, they may decide to fortify certain key positions with the bulk of their resources, or they may aim to use their resources collectively and be aggressive. Each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages, a similar predicament occurs in the real world when we develop strategies. The deployment of limited resources is critical to whether the overall strategy will be successful or not.

2. Partnerships: Conquering the whole world, even in a game, is an arduous task, one that can rarely be done alone. The game calls for players to partner together, to improve their chances of winning and become a more feared adversary. Without these partnerships one is usually outflanked or outnumbered, and an early exit in the the game is imminent. The same principles apply in the real world. In order to reach goals and objectives, partnerships are an essential component. Choosing partners carefully and correctly is vital to ensure the success of any campaign.

3. Aggression: In my experience of playing this game, the opponent who chooses to fortify a small portion of the board heavily, usually faces eventual defeat. Opponents who choose a defensive style of play, lack the creativity or willingness to go out of their comfort zones, fearing the unknown. Unfortunately such behavior is punished heavily in this game as well as in the real world. When pursuing goals and dreams, being aggressive is often vital to acheive them . Focusing efforts on offensive strategies instead of defensive ones will bring a greater share of victories, rather than defeats in my opinion. 

In the game of Risk there is an element of luck, due to the requirement of rolling a dice. Once the dice is rolled, nothing can be done to change what was rolled. What we do have control over, is how we react to what we may have rolled. In life we have the same choice. We cannot change the hand that we have been dealt. What we can change is how we choose to play it. Remember to keep your end goal in mind, and formulate short term tactics to reach it.

There were very few games as exciting as Monopoly when I was growing up. It was by far one of my favorite board games, I still enjoying playing it today. There was something about the game, which drew me to it, maybe it was the immense satisfaction I got from figuring out how to convince my opponent to make a deal, the thrill of watching my opponents land on my hotels or just plain winning. I do believe that playing this game from such a young age was, to an extent, instrumental in developing my passion for business and deal making. As I grew older I began to notice the parallels between the board game and business. 

Listed below are some prominent parallels:

1. Negotiation: Monopoly requires players to make deals for swapping properties or other concessions during the course of the game. Very rarely do players want to give up something which they know will put them at a disadvantage in the game. It all comes down to how convincingly you negotiate and structure deals, so that they fit into your plan and appear to be favorable to your opponents as well. Individuals act in similar ways in the real world, and an ability to close a deal comes down to your negotiation and persuasion skills. 

2. Situation Analysis: In the game of Monopoly, it is critical that you adjust strategy according to the number of opponents as well as the nature of their behaviour patterns. Going ahead blindly and acquiring every piece of property you land on without a set objective, will place you at a definitive disadvantage. When developing business strategy, the same concerns have to be taken into account. Not paying attention to these factors, creates exploitable vulnerabilities in your plan. 

3. Integrity: Sometimes individuals will say just about anything to close a deal. In Monopoly this could be, "I will let you off three times on my hotels", "We can share profits on this property" or "I will never charge you on this square". However, I have seen these promises broken many  a time and a friendly game turn sour. In a game revolving around dealmaking, one's word is really all there is. If no one trusts you or your word does not carry weight, no one will want to make a deal with you. The same rule applies in all aspects of life as well. Keeping true to your word will give your team reason to believe in you, will give investors the confidence to invest in you and will allow you to sleep well at night. 

Looking ahead and adjusting strategy according to forecasts is essential in the game of Monopoly and the game of life. One has to learn to trust gut instincts, and be confident in how to move forward. Keeping your word and honoring deals is mandatory. Understand your opponents and learn what drives them. At the end of the game of Monopoly there can only be one winner, make sure you have the drive and ambition to be that person.