Comments on: See the entire world as a blazing inferno. Then, when all has turned to ashes, enter bliss.

By: The Buddha's Face

The Buddha's Face — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:10:13 +0000

Some great pictures here – we have written about this on our website in relation to Buddhism and incense and even put a video together – I hope you enjoy.

Kind regards

Ian

http://www.thebuddhasface.co.uk/fragrance-and-incenses-in-buddhism-72-c.asp

The video is at ;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIsDX-h2axs&feature=player_embedded

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 06:31:31 +0000

I understand and accept each of these polarities: poetry/prose, public/domestic, masculine/feminine, urban/suburban. but I have difficulty in equating them. Obviously, I need to do some more thinking.

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:25:56 +0000

The wikipedia entry for poetry is helpful here:

“Poetry (from the [Greek] ‘poiesis’/ποίησις [poieo/ποιεω], a making: a forming, creating, or the art of poetry, or a poem) is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning.”

I suppose this was the traditional distinction that used to be made between public life (the male sphere) and domestic life (there female sphere).

The public sphere was the place where males experienced a competitive struggle, while the domestic sphere was supposedly a place of comfort and refreshment.
[ http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/386/truewoman.html ]

Seen from this perspective Jane Jacobs’ [ http://www.drivers.com/article/894/ ] opposition to suburbia is more meaningful to gender politics [ http://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-Fl-Ka/Jacobs-Jane.html ] than to the social reform or environmental movements. [ http://reason.org/news/show/122322.html ].

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:31:28 +0000

Poetry cannot be converted to prose. But maybe I see life as ‘a blazing struggle’ and dream of ‘a long rest at the end of the day’.

By: Tian Yuan

Tian Yuan — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 01:42:08 +0000

Tom, maybe, you can share some of thought about understanding the title if you like. What have you got when you see it?

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:44:47 +0000

Each time I see the words in the title of this blog post I like them better.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 06:54:45 +0000

I like the visual idea of flaming torches but (1) the Health and Safety industry would never permit them (2) the symbolism of burning oil and polluting the air is unattractive (3) I think incense is more spiritual and flames are more material – so I agree with Yuan (4) I wish the Olympics were as much about mental culture as physical culture (as they were in Ancient Greece).
Re using thrown cobbles to ‘to gauge the strength of public opinion’ (wonderful understatement), the practice now seems to be working in the Arab countries, with dictatorial regimes topling and falling like dominoes. I would like to see Al-Jazeera, which has been doing a brilliant job, sending reporters to count the number of loose stones after each demonstration. The only problem with stones is that they cause injuries. My suggestion to the Iranians is to flutter protest notes out of their windows each morning and to drop them as they walk the streets. The winds of change blowing through the Islamic countries would then become visible and photographable and reportable.

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:30:16 +0000

ps. Yuan, I think the Hanging temple dates to the introduction of Buddhism into China, rather than from the later period of religious harmonisation. Perhaps this explains the presence of the Taoist and Confucian references in this context. [ http://hubpages.com/hub/Xuan-Kong-Temple-Stuck-on-the-Cliffs ]

It is a fantastic building!

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 01:55:56 +0000

Fortunately the economy of Hong Kong, whose name as the fragrant harbour derives from the incense tree (aquilaria sinesis), no longer relies on the incense trade for its economic prosperity. See the very interesting paper on Joss Stick manufacturing in Hong Kong by Chan Ka Yan.
[ http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/44/4401661.pdf ]

More fascinating still was to see that New South Wales supplied the incense market with sandalwood once Hong Kong became part of the British Empire. After a time it seemed that sandalwood was grown locally in Hong Kong and the manufacture of joss sticks commenced.

Chinese bamboo is used in the manufacture of the longest joss sticks.

By: Tian Yuan

Tian Yuan — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:52:00 +0000

Lawrence, I agree with you about the use of burning stick near to the Olympic Flame in London. It sounds much better than incense and torches. Because “fire” have a dynamic effect and charming color. However, I may not agree with you regarding to the scale of the giant which is appropriate. I think your idea is based on the concern of visual scale, but as a spiritual space
(Temple) will have another ‘scale’ which could be defined as ‘Spiritual scale’. It is a little bit like we still use a very small cup for drinking coffee even although we may live in a very large room. Because we know that if we find a giant cup to suit for the panorama scale, the cup may change to fish tank.

About China’s recent situation: well, I would like to say it is very materialist now, but it would happen in any country if they had experienced a similar/same development process as China. Materialist may be very good for economy, but not at all be good for education. Materialist changes most of the landscape tutors and supervisors to ‘bosses’ for students.