Blizzard

      The blizzard scene from the movie is an emotional and, at first, dismal situation where a group of mountain climbers are struck by a fierce snowstorm and find themselves unable to continue. The men become frustrated with the circumstances they are in and begin to accept that they can not go on any further, or so they think. During the blizzard, elements of Shintoism can be seen in the leader's actions when he is trying to rile up his men to be able to put one foot in front of the other and continue their tread through the harsh mountain climate. He seeks the best outcome for his team so that they do not end up failing their mission and facing death. This is an example of trying to avoid dishonor by failing to set out what they attempted to do, an important concept in Shintoism, as dishonor is worse than death. Additionally, the leader's actions can be paralleled to Bushido ideals, in that he was attempting to be courageous, as well as loyal to his men.

      Unable to properly galvanize his men, the leader then accepts a “short break” as he hunches over and falls into the snow on the ground. While he is “unconscious”, he has a vision of a benevolent spiritual entity, perhaps something like a kami, that tells him that the “snow is warm” and that the “ice is cold”. He stares at her for a while as she comforts him, then he falls back asleep. When he wakes, their safety camp is only a few feet away from them and, to top it all off, the storm has dissipated.

The Tao of Who? The Tao of Pooh!

The Tao of Pooh

Even a smiling, whimsical cartoon bear with childlike innocence can be a master of a religion. Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh cleverly follows the adventures of the famous cartoon character Winnie-the-Pooh and relates them to aspects of Taoism. Taoist pretenses such as wu-wei (non-action), is explained on page 67, and Pu (the uncarved block) can be sighted throughout the book, such as on page 19 when Piglet, Pooh, and Rabbit converse about the Pu (Hoff). My reaction to this book is overwhelmingly positive. I fell in love with it after just reading the front page, and even the front cover was entertaining to the eye. I will likely read this book again, and pass it on to my friends to enjoy as well.

“Busy Backsons” is a term that describes the American way of life. I strongly agree with the way that it is presented and the sentiment it passes on. "Busy Backsons" are always too caught up with fighting back and manipulating their surroundings in order to make it work for them. This is against the Taoist way and fights against the Tao itself. To go with the flow like Pooh is the best way to do nothing and get things done (Hoff, 70). If one spends all their time trying to get things to work their way, they never really experience the way things truly are. A Taoist might say that they never really align themselves with the Tao, constantly condemning themselves to ignorant and possibly harmful paths.

To an extent, I believe that Taoism could act as a solution to the distracted fast life that American's live today. Since we are never really where we are physically in America (by this I mean to say that our minds are always elsewhere), it may be nice to stop for a second and, instead of manipulating things to go the way you want them to be, to act in the natural course of where things take you, much like a leaf in a river. Instead of trying to call the shots, experiencing the current situation and taking action through non-action might be the peaceful way out. In fact, action through non-action could be the key for many Americans to  relieve their stress, thus potentially ending up as a major preventative for hair loss.

Works Cited

Hoff, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. New York, NY: Penguin, 1983. Print.

American Buddhist Stereotypes

Source: http://www.artofdharma.org/

     This comical visual that I've chosen represents a widespread American stereotype of the Buddhist culture, and one that is wholly inaccurate, especially in the eyes of Brad Warner, author of Zen Wrappen in Karma Dipped in Chocolate. The stereotype in question is that Buddhist monks are always concerning themselves with emptiness of thought, or the absence of conscious or deliberate cognizance, especially during periods of meditation or zazen. The stereotype also incurs thoughts of renunciation of secular happenings, and tuning oneself in to the channel of silent bliss. In reality, Buddhist practitioners suggest that, when meditating, to merely becoming an observer, and to witness the flux of body and mind. To elaborate, this practice of meditation does not advocate forcefully ejecting your thoughts (or blanking the mind), but rather witnessing their flow and simply watching their patterns of wandering.

     Brad Warner not only suggests the reflection of thoughts when he discusses his zazen practices at the Great Sky Sesshins, but explicity admonishes the deliberate emptying of the mind. This is found in the statement where he says, “It never does you any good to try and forcibly stop your thoughts” (Page 131). The comic strip parallels the Buddhist mind, or, at the very least, their mentality, with the blank or empty television. Warner's statement is a direct contrary to this American stereotype, and disproves its validity indefinitely. To take this even further, Warner advocates keeping a day job even as a Buddhist monk in the West, since there is far less support for monks available here (Page 27). This implies the responsibility of maintaining a secular connection, despite seeking a liberating detachment.

     Though the point of the image is purely comical, it does raise another interesting notion discussed in Warner's book. The entire concept of the monks having a television while seeking devout renunciation can be seen as upsetting, as Warner says the more possessions one have, the more responsibilities they incur. This is such through his statement on Page 22 where he says, “Everything you have... is an obligation”. I realize that this is a pretty farfetched comparison, but regardless, it is a concept in Warner's book, and, while we're on the tangent of extremist or broad stereotypes, it seems to fit the bill.

Blog Assignment #2 - Worldly Success and Liberation

Worldly Success

1) DJ Khaled, "All I Do Is Win", Hip Hop, 2010

2) B.o.B ft. Rivers Cuomo, "Magic", Alternative Hip Hop, 2010

3) Juelz Santana, "The Second Coming", Hip Hop, 2007

4) David Glen Eisley, "Sweet Victory", Rock and Roll, 2007

5) Trapt, "Headstrong", Alternative Metal, 2001

Liberation

1) Tupac, "Starin' Through My Rearview", Hip Hop, 2003

2) Eminem, "Lose Yourself", Rap, 2002

3) Far East Movement, "Rocketeer", Alternative Hip Hop, 2010

4) The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Bob Marley, "Hold Ya' Head", Rap, 2006

5) Metallica, "Fade to Black", Metal, 1984

     Of the two aims, worldly success and liberation, worldly success was far more prevalent. There were many more songs out there that addressed this aim. Our society has a strong focus on worldly success. Riches, fame, envy, and other related things are often sung about and flaunted in order to attract attention and generate respect for oneself. People in our society view liberation as freedom from debt, stress, and the drudgery of work, and is not really a realistic aim that someone would adopt, unless, of course, it's through the subjects highlighted under worldly success, namely freedom through fortune.

     Songs often speak of worldly success. Money, fame, fast cars, and women are easy to show off, and great ways to get attention and respect from those less fortunate. It endows people with aspirations to try to become like them. A particular observation I made is that worldly success was not entirely materialistic in many of the songs. For example, songs such as Trapt's “Headstrong” speak on the prowess required to push forward and attain success; to be the dominant alpha male in the course of your obstacles and face any challenge head-on. Also, I was surprised to find that songs of liberation were not entirely difficult to find. Many people share the epiphanies that they have come to realize through their songs and impart this wisdom onto others. Still, these songs were not as prevalent as songs about success.

     The Hindu understanding of these two aims differs in some respects, but also shares many similarities. For example, liberation in the Hindu sense could primarily refer to moksha, or freedom from the cycle of life, whereas liberation in many American pop songs referred to simply taking a step back and overcoming the current situation, rather than looking at things in a larger scale. An example of a similarity can be found in terms of worldly success, in that both Hinduism and these pop songs regard worldly success in having strong value and veneration from others. Though the approach may be different, such as the comparison of being a priest versus being a celebrity, the overlying message is still similar in nature. In conclusion, similar to the previous aims of the last assignment, while there is a contrast in the literal expressions of the aims, there are certainly similar premises that are easily notable.

Blog Assignment #1 - Pleasure and Community Service

Pleasure

1) Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell, "Wanna Love You Girl", Pop/R&B, 2005

2) Bang Camaro, "Pleasure (Pleasure)", Rock n' Roll, 2007

3) Avant, "Makin' Good Love", R&B, 2002

4) Akon ft. Eminem, "Smack That", Hip Hop/R&B, 2006

5) Bobby McFerrin, "Don't Worry, Be Happy", Jazz/A Cappella, 1988

Community Service

1) Tupac Shakur, "Changes", Rap, 1998

2) Ben Harper, "With My Own Two Hands", Reggae, 2002

3) Steve Angrisano, "Go Make a Difference", Christian R&R, 2004

4) Nickelback, "If Everyone Cared", Rock n' Roll, 2006

5) Michael Jackson, "Man in the Mirror", Pop, 1988

     Between the two goals, pleasure and community service, pleasure is outstandingly prevalent in the choices of music. While community service is seen as an emphasis in our society, the desire for sex and pleasure is paramount. The rich and famous are often seen telling stories of their hedonistic encounters, sparking a myriad of articles and visual reports in the media about them, as well as a strong impact upon the youth who wish to be like them. An overwhelming desensitization has lurked in the brains of Americans for much time, leading to the belief that the use of drugs, alcohol, and experiencing debauchery are idealizations that each individual, whether capricious or steadfast, should strive to indulge in. These ideas are no longer kept subtle. Songs openly preach seeking pleasure through drugs or sex or recount tales of immoral stories being told by the artist. After all, that's why they call it the mainstream.

     When I initially set out to look for songs regarding pleasure, it occurred to me that most of my findings would be sexual in some way. The lyrics, even the music videos, are explicit or suggestive in some way in most of these songs. There is a notable trend, in that, the later the songs are released, at least under the statute of pleasure, the more suggestive they are, either in language, concept, or visual content. An example of this is the 1980's song from Bobby McFerrin “Don't Worry, Be Happy” versus Akon's “Smack That” from 2006. Of course this is not to say that there are not any romantically docile songs that are still being made in the current time, but it is notable that the openness of songs have changed as society has, for better or for worse. There was not much that surprised me with the community service songs. They're fairly straightforward and outline their messages rather clearly, usually summing up to “help society, help yourself.”

     The Hindu understanding of these aims has a moderate clash with the American pop music understanding of them. While seeking pleasure is important in the Hindu description of the aims, they also establish that keeping your morals under considerable vigilance is necessary. That is to say, don't sacrifice your sense of right and wrong in order to get a pleasure fix. American pop music may not directly state against that, however they emphasize a tawdry and lavish approach to seeking pleasure. Flaunt what you have and go after that which appeals to you, with little regard for the consequences. All you need to do is “win” in the eyes of the public. It's the ticket to the top. In terms of community service, the ideas align a bit more. They both make prominent the need to better your surroundings and the importance of sacrifice. It seems that the American pop music standpoint seems to attack a corruption and seek to mend it, rather than asking people to wake up and grab a shovel to plant some trees. In conclusion, the differences are there, but the overlying principles are still similar in nature. The concepts of society and the interpretations of artists and gurus have given different approaches to adhering to or seeking out these principles, but their overall nature still parallels one another, even if it is just slightly.

Test Post

Here goes nothing:

A Promotional Video of one of my Heroes (Tony Horton)