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The Te of Piglet, virtue in action
In 2014 your National Taoism Examiner, reviewed the first part of Benjamin Hoff’s books on Taoist Philosophy; The Tao of Pooh. The first book was recommended for those “looking for a delightful read”, it can serve as a great introduction to Taoist philosophy and as a nice reminder for those who think they know the Tao.
His second book The Te of Piglet, continues where Pooh left off, but shifts the focus onto the smallest animal in the 100 acre forest/woods, and yet despite his size, also the most courageous and virtuous of Poohs friends. If Pooh is the character that embodies the principle of Wu Wei, then Piglet, according to Hoff, embodies another great treasure of Taoism, Te. Te, or Teh, is usually translated as great virtue, or the highest virtue, or Heaven’s Virtue.
Hoff proposes another adaptation of Te: “meaning virtue in action”. This is a thoughtful and worthy addition to the meanings of Te. What value does virtue have, if it is not put to good use? If your virtue has no action, then why have it? What is the point in being a “good person” if you live in a cave alone, cut off from the world? What is the value of not lying or being deceitful, if you are not around people to be honest and truthful with? Would the virtues of the Sun: providing light, warmth etc…matter to us if there was no Earth, would the Suns virtues even still exist?
According to Hoff:
“Te is not, as its English-language equivalent suggests, a one-size fits all sort of goodness or admired behavior that can be recognized as essentially the same no matter who possesses it. It is instead a quality of special character, spiritual strength, or hidden potential unique to the individual—something that comes from the Inner Nature of things. And something, we might add, that the individual who possesses it may be quite unaware of… (p.23)”
The Te of Piglet addresses these questions and more. Where the Tao of Pooh is very philosophical in nature, The Te of Piglet could be called pragmatic. Hoff definitely shares more of his personal observations, some reviewers called them rants, however, he does relate his observations of the modern world to several Taoist Classics.
The book is divided into 11 Chapters and 257 pages:
- What? Another One?
- Interjection
- The—What Was That Again?—of Piglet
- Very Small Animal
- The Eeyore Effect
- The Tigger Tendency
- Things as They Might Be
- Things as They Are
- The Upright Heart
- The Day of Piglet
- Farewell
A very poignent chapter is The Eeyore Effect and is most applicable in our modern society where many are obsessed with 24 hour news, social media, constant information overload and the Critic among others.
He relates the critic to his version of a Chuang tzu story:
“There is a great bird known as the Peng. Its back appears as broad as a mountain range; its wings are like clouds across the sky. It rises up like a whirlwind until it breaks through the high mist and soars into the infinite blue.
As it glides effortlessly along its journey to the sea, a quail in the marsh looks up at it and laughs. ‘What does that bird think it’s doing?’ says the quail. ‘I jump up and fly a few feet; then I come down and flutter from here to there in the bushes. That is what flying is for! Who is that creature trying to fool?’
…So it is that the knowledge of the smallminded cannot reach to that which is great, just as the experience of a few years cannot equal that of many. The mushroom of a morning knows not what takes place at the end of the month; the short-lived cicada has no awareness of what happens in the seasons beyond. (p. 67)”
It is unfortunate that Benjamin Hoff and Penguin Books had a falling out, since he could have created a truly remarkable collection by exploring, in depth, all of the Winnie the Pooh characters.
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Once again Whole Foods is found cheating customers
According to the company info. section Whole Foods Market claims to: “seek out the finest natural and organic foods available, maintain the strictest quality standards in the industry, and have an unshakable commitment to sustainable agriculture. Add to that the excitement and fun we bring to shopping for groceries, and you start to get a sense of what we’re all about. Oh yeah, we’re a mission-driven company too.”
On first appearance this may seem to be true, and in full disclosure your National Taoism Examiner does purchase some items from Whole Foods, however, it is quite alarming the number of times Whole Foods has been accused and caught falsely labeling items, overcharging customers and misleading people, among other accusations.
“…the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, which says it has uncovered ‘systematic overcharging for pre-packaged foods’ at the city’s Whole Foods stores… New York officials said that its investigation of 80 different types of pre-packaged products found none had correct weights, and that that 89% of packages violated federal rules for how much a package can deviate from actual weight. (CNN Money)”
You read correctly, 89% of the items tested violated federal rules with regards to accurate weight. What is the response from Whole Foods: they called the allegations “overreaching” and disagreed with the findings.
If this was the first time Whole Foods was found conducting business in this behavior, then one could possibly, pardon this as a mistake, or perhaps, a vendetta from city officials wanting to raise more revenue from taxes, fines, fees and over-regulation. Unfortunately, however, this is not the first occurrence for Whole Foods.
“In a class-action lawsuit filed in Missouri in April, plaintiffs charge that “evaporated cane juice” is just another healthy-sounding way of identifying sugar, and that by using such a euphemism on the ingredient label for its nutmeal raisin cookies, Whole Foods is engaging in false and misleading advertising, Food Navigator–USA reported. (Yahoo News)”
In a prior lawsuit filed in 2013, Whole Foods was accused of labeling baked goods as “all natural” when they in fact contained synthetic ingredients, in particular sodium acid pyrophosphate, as a leavening agent.
KTLA5 News, reported in June 2014, that Whole Foods agreed to settle ($800,000) with three California cities after allegations of widespread “price violations”. This suit, alleged that Whole Foods overcharged customers by selling products that weighed less then the label stated. Under the settlement Whole Foods did not admit guilt, but promised to charge accurate prices. Well, we should all feel better about that, but wait, they are being accused of the same thing again, this time in New York.
Merchants using accurate weights and measures, is one of the hallmarks and foundations of a proper economy, whether free market or heavily regulated. Without the assurance and trust from the customers that merchants are not willfully ripping them off and doing so in complete disregard for the law and the welfare of their fellow man/customers; incidents like this pose a great threat to the delicate fabric that binds the society together.
If you look at the core of any society, whether modern or ancient, you will see that the economy was first founded on proper weights and measures, and the trust that comes with that. Often, the founding fathers of civilizations, would write some of the first laws about regulating weights and measures. Also, in many of these civilizations, the punishment was far worse than “promising to charge accurate prices next time.” Really! Perhaps, we should let other crooks, thieves, scam artists, hucksters etc… just tell the judge and society, that they promise to behave better and will not commit the crime again. Oh, and the thief will try to improve over the next 5 years. 5 years!
When disregard for reason and the common welfare of man (aka the Golden Mean/Rule) are thrown out the window, what hope does society have? Perhaps, if the legal system does not properly punish companies that blatantly break the law, then society should, by shopping elsewhere.
It is interesting to note that Trader Joe’s does not charge by weight for produce or most items, instead posting per item pricing. Do you need a bag of potatoes? There is one price per bag. Need a loose item, an onion perhaps? You pay per item not per pound. It really is not that revolutionary of an idea, but perhaps more stores could do the same. Otherwise, we might need to start cracking open those “gold weights” to see if it is really lead or clay.
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Over 400 cities march against Monsanto and GMO food
One would think that a major global protest occurring in over 400 cities, on the same day, would be breaking news. Yet, in the United States the global protest against Monsanto and GMO food was barely mentioned. Outside of the US, this was most definitely breaking news.
According to RT News, “Activists accuse the agricultural corporation of selling toxic chemicals, which are bad for people’s health, water supplies, vital crop pollinators and environment in general. The giant is also criticized for its attitude towards food safety regulations and a staunch opposition to GMO labeling. Meanwhile, small farmers blame Monsanto for monopolizing the seed market.”
France alone had over 20 cities participate in the protest. In the United States, protests were held in “New York; Washington, DC; Los Angeles; San Franciso; Chicago; Indianapolis; Portland, Oregon; Oakland, California and dozens of others… protesters marched on the White House and Monsanto’s Washington, DC headquarters as part of the anti-GMO action. (RT.com)”
Monsanto now controls approximately 90% of the seed supply in the United States alone. As reported in prior articles, one of the most dangerous aspects of Monsanto is their use of proprietary trademark laws, which state that anything their seeds touch or grow in becomes a part of their trademark. So if you use Monsanto seeds, technically your land now becomes their land. If you doubt this, then search the internet for all of the cases where Monsanto has sued farmers claiming rights to the farmers land.
With the recent announcements from several restaurants and fast food chains, that they will no longer carry either GMO food or food with artificial ingredients, combined with the ever increasing amount of protests around the world, perhaps, the tide is slowly turning against a truly dangerous and sinister industry. Time will tell. Unfortunately, since most Americans are more interested in reality TV and getting their news from stations that are more Infotainment than true news (CNN, FOX, local news included), they are unaware of this battle and the progress being made.
In future elections, perhaps a major concern for people should be, what politicians have received funding from Monsanto or other GMO companies and interests and who “owns” the politician(s) you are thinking about casting your ballot for.
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
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Humanity is beginning to push back against GMO
For many years it seemed like mankind was doomed to eat “franken-food” made from genetically modified organisms. The United States government and mega international agricultural companies (DuPont and Monsanto to name a few), have been long time supporters of this experimental food.
The risks of food containing GMO have been thoroughly discussed in prior articles and you are encouraged to read those prior to this article.
- The unnatural state of natural food in the US
- World unites against Monsanto and GM food
- NutraSweet: introduces a new poison to the world
- Will Mexico join the movement against GMO food?
- Peru takes a major step in the GMO battle
These prior articles will show the battles that have already taken place in this ongoing struggle for the preservation of “real food”.
Until recently, much of the progress in resisting and standing up to the GMO onslaught, has been waged in other countries, with a continued apathy by most American consumers; who for the most part appeared more than willing to give little or no thought to what they were actually eating. With only a minor pause for reflecting on … “if fries come with that”.
It was with great surprise to discover over the last few weeks that two major “Fast Food” chains have decided to take a stand against unhealthy and dangerous food additives, namely GMO ingredients and chemical additives.
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced in April 2015 that they were now 100% GMO free. They even published a nice list on their website to help educate the public on the dangers of GMO and why they chose to remove them:
- Scientists are still studying the long term implications of GMOs.
- The cultivation of GMOs can damage the environment.
- Chipotle should be a place where people can eat food made with non-GMO ingredients.
Panera Bread also recently announced that by 2016 they will remove all “artificial preservatives, colorings, sweeteners or flavors” and that all of their food will be free of any artificial or synthetic ingredients.
Now one could reasonably ask, why is it going to take them 1-2 years to switch when Chipotle, Trader Joes and others have already made the switch, that is for the consumer to decide, however, at least they have committed to the transition.
These recent decisions are evidence of what is possible when an educated populace begins to make informed decisions that affect the bottom lines of companies. It is highly unlikely, that many of these companies would have, or plan to, made the switch to healthier ingredients, if not for the fear of losing money. McDonalds, a long time advocate of GMO food, with their famous franken-chicken and mystery meat compounds, has lost a lot of business to the likes of Chipotle and Panera Bread.
Two concluding thoughts:
- We all need to make sure we keep up the pressure and insist on natural or organic ingredients and absolutely no GMOs.
- Also, what method is their to ensure that these companies are actually making the changes they are claiming? What guarantee do we have that your next burrito at Chipotle actually is GMO free and not just an elaborate marketing ploy?
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
Do you have a story, photo or video from your area that would be of interest to Taoists? Feel free to email (TJ@theQiInstitute.com) and they may be included or featured in a National Taoism Examiner article.
Suffering from text neck or turkey neck, Taoism to the rescue
Many people spend several hours each day either in front of a computer or using their “smart phones”. There is a good chance that you are reading this article from a “smart” device, whether it be a phone or tablet, or the ever increasing (in size anyway) phablet.
When surveyed, teenagers and people in their early 20’s report that they spend almost the entire day using their phone; texting, posting messages, reading email, browsing facebook and twitter etc… Some people even have the urge to text while sleeping; that’s right, rapid eye movement has been replaced with rapid finger taping while sleeping. If you search for “finger twitching while sleeping” you will find many people looking for advice for this relatively new problem. “According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 8-18 year olds spend an average of seven and a half hours using ‘entertainment media’ every day. (Your smart phone is a pain in the neck)”
This finger twitching/tapping, however, is a minor problem compared to the much larger and potentially problematic condition of the “text neck” or “turkey neck” phenomenon.
This condition is created as a result of repeated and prolonged poor posture that is encouraged by using so called smart devices, in particular smart phones.
The tendency is to hold the phone at chest level and tilt the head and neck forward to look down at the phone. When you do this, a tremendous pressure is placed on the neck and over time the spine begins to degenerate.
“Dean Fishman, a chiropractor in Florida, was examining an X-ray of a 17-year-old patient’s neck in 2009 when he noticed something unusual. The ghostly image of her vertebral column showed a reversal of the curvature that normally appears in the cervical spine — a degenerative state he’d most often seen in middle-aged people who had spent several decades of their life in poor posture.
‘That’s when I looked over at the patient, ‘Fishman says. She was slumped in her chair, head tilted downward, madly typing away on her cellphone. When he mentioned to the patient’s mother that the girl’s posture could be causing her headaches, he got what he describes as an “emotional response.’ It seemed the teen spent much of her life in that position. Right then, Fishman says, ‘I knew I was on to something.”
“The head in neutral has a normal weight” of 10 to 12 pounds, says Fishman, explaining that neutral position is ears over shoulders with shoulder blades pulled back. “If you start to tilt your head forward, with gravity and the distance from neutral, the weight starts to increase.”
This pressure on the neck and spine can vary between neutral to 60 pounds at a 60 degree tilt forward. Imagine carrying around 60 pounds on your neck, for several hours each day!
“Judith Gold, ScD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Temple University’s College of Health Professions and Social Work, presented evidence at this year’s meeting of the American Public Health Association suggesting that the more college students texted, the more pain they reported in their necks and shoulders.”
What can we do to prevent these problems?
The usual recommendations are good, however, they do not go far enough. For instance, recommending that the person sit with a straight back/spine, shoulders relaxed, head straight, bring the phone up to eye level rather than looking down, limit extended use by taking frequent breaks etc…
There is a better solution that will enhance the above recommendations. Practice the ancient Taoist “Turtle Exercise”.
Sit in a comfortable chair or on the floor (if floor then cross your legs), wrap your fingers around your thumbs (baby fist) and rest them on your lap. Sit with the back straight, lightly close the eyes, take a deep breath in and bring your chin down slightly and back towards the throat so the back of the neck stretches upward, exhale and bring the chin up so the back of the neck “folds into the shoulders”, repeat 12 times, slowly and do not strain. Practice 3 sets of 12 once or twice daily, or when needed. This will help to strengthen the spine, and nerves, and also serves as a meditation when combined with “Crane Breathing”.
This in addition to the other Taoist Internal Exercises will help to ensure that you prevent or help improve this painful and damaging problem.
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
Do you have a story, photo or video from your area that would be of interest to Taoists? Feel free to email (TJ@theQiInstitute.com) and they may be included or featured in a National Taoism Examiner article.
Are health gurus trustworthy?
Over the last 50 or 60 years there have been many dietary recommendations. Some of these recommendations have become so popular that the originator of the plan or lead spokesperson has risen to the level of a Diet “Guru”. The world is full of all sorts of gurus; before we examine a recent list of so called diet gurus, lets examine the definition of guru.
Oxford dictionary defines it thus: (in Hinduism) a spiritual teacher, (in Sikhism) any of the first ten leaders of the Sikh religion, an influential teacher, a revered mentor.
Now could be a good time to pause and reflect on why is a Hindu and Sikh term “guru”, being applied to “dietary” advice supposedly targeting and being advocated to the majority of the population? Also, who decides or decided that these people were “gurus” after all. Are they revered mentors, a Hindu spiritual teacher or one of the original leaders of the Sikh religion?
Before we digress further lets examine the list of Diet Gurus Who Died of Poor Health:
- “James Fixx: author of ‘The Complete Book of Running’, ran 10 miles per day, advocated running as being great for the heart and cardiovascular health. Dropped dead of a heart attack at 52 while running.
- Michael Montignac: developed a weight loss program that layed the foundation for the anti-carbohydrate movement, focused on ‘good versus bad carbs’ and the glycemic index. Died of prostate cancer at 66, his book ‘Eat Yourself Slim’ sold millions of copies around the world.
- Nathan Pritikin: recognized a connection between diet and heart disease, and had many media appearances. Battled with Leukemia and committed suicide at 69.
- Robert Atkins: creator of The Atkins Diet, advocated avoiding carbs (similar to Michael Montignac) and eating a diet high in fat and animal protein. Died at 72, and it was later revealed that he suffered from a history of serious heart problems, including congestive heart failure and hypertension.
- Robert Kowalski: His book ‘The New 8 Week Cholesterol Cure’ spent 115 weeks on the New York Times best sellers list, as well as several other ‘8 week cure’ books, died at 65 from a pulmonary embolism.”
The original article which appeared in “Mother Nature Network”, listed a few more “gurus” and also calculated that the average age of these gurus was far below the national average. These five had an average age of 64.8, compared to the national average in the US which is generally around 80 years old, if you average out men and women.
Often times, people will ask “What do you think of the advice given on the TV, radio etc…, regarding diet:? Your National Taoism Examiners answer is usually: “stick with what is tried and tested and does not waver, pick something that has been proven time and time again to be accurate and is not interested in becoming a fad or best selling information.” Then they are reminded of the Taoist Dietary principles and philosophy which have been around for over 5,000 years. Principles such as: eating less meat, drinking less, balancing the 5 tastes and colors, making sure you balance the acid/alkaline nature of the food etc…
We must learn to distrust or at least be wary of the latest fads, which more often than not, are just slick marketing ploys designed to get us to buy something, that we really do not need.
Another tip or principle, is to examine the source of the information. For instance, if you are reading or hearing health related news, ask yourself “what is the health of the person that is telling me this or advocating that”. If the person is not healthy then why listen to them? If a person who is overweight, sells a book about weight loss, why would we listen to them? If a person advocating a particular diet dies from cardiovascular disease, then perhaps, they did not know what they were talking about.
Remember the 100 year principle, which basically states, that if something has been around for at least 100 years, with no negative side effects, and it actually produces the result advocated, then perhaps, that is worth listening to. Everything else just has to wait, and either become time tested, or drift away with the rest of the slick advertising disguised as beneficial advice.
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
Do you have a story, photo or video from your area that would be of interest to Taoists? Feel free to email (TJ@theQiInstitute.com) and they may be included or featured in a National Taoism Examiner article.
2015 Year of the Wood Goat
This year most of the world in one way or another either celebrated , or was at least aware of, Chinese New Year on February 19th.
The celebration usually lasts several days, and in some areas can last an entire week.
There is some discrepancy, especially in the west, whether, this is the year of the Goat, Sheep or Ram. You will hear different names used in conversation, and most likely in advertisements, trying to entice you into their stores.
Yang, is the Chinese word, and its closest western translation would be Goat. On the mainland of China, people will say this is the year of the Goat, and historically the character meant “Goat”.
What can we expect for this year?
Master Zhongxian Wu states:
“Goats give you gentle and peaceful feelings when they chew grass with a slow, grinding motion. Yet they move with great speed and agility when navigating their way through rough, rocky, mountainous areas. They have strong horns and are always ready to defeat their enemies.
Goat is the eighth animal symbol in the 12 Chinese Animals System.
We use Wei 未 to represent the Goat symbol in the 12 Earthly Branches.
Wei is a symbol for the 13:00–14:59 time of day, and for the sixth month in the Chinese Lunar-Solar calendar (which is approximately July 7 to August 8 in the Gregorian solar calendar).
Wei represents the napping time of day and the third summer month when nature is in its ripest season. It is a time or a place where Yang energy (life energy) continues its decline and when the life cycle becomes more mellow. We use the tidal hexagram Dun 遁 ䷠ to symbolize the Goat.”
He cautions those who are prone to lung and digestive trouble, to be extra vigilant and disciplined with their internal exercises.
Lets look at two prior Wood Goat years.
Sometimes, the best way to get an understanding of current conditions is to examine the past and make note of any correlations.
Major events of 1955 (www.historycentral.com):
- Germany becomes a member of NATO
- Vienna Treaty restores Austrian independence
- Geneva summit
- First McDonald’s restaurant opens
- Military coup ousts Peron
- Mirage unveiled
- U-2 tested
- Rosa Parks refuses to give up seat
- Mary McLeod Bethune Dies
- Fidel Castro starts the 26th of July Movement
- US military intervention in Iran
- Great Britain declares State of Emergency due to National Rail Strike
- The Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies sign the Warsaw Pact
- The United States begins its involvement in the Vietnam conflict.
Major events of 1895 (www.worldhistoryproject.org):
- Winston Churchill visits Cuba
- Frederick Douglas dies
- Oscar Wilde Brings Libel Charges Against the Marquess of Queensberry
- Oscar Wilde is Sentenced to Two Years Hard Labor
- Booker T. Washington Delivers His “Atlanta Compromise” Speech
Looking at the last two Wood Goat years we see the potential for peaceful negotiations, however, these were also years either leading up to or the beginnings of revolution and political turmoil. Economically, Goat years tend to be lean, and it is a good time to focus on minimizing ones budget, and increasing savings as much as possible. 1895 was the middle of the 1893-1898 depression, and 1955 saw the rise of “consumerism”, massive increase in personal debt and deflation.
Regardless of what happens in the world this year, make sure you focus on your internal cultivation, remaining calm and balanced, as well as, strengthening your body, mind and spirit.
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
Do you have a story, photo or video from your area that would be of interest to Taoists? Feel free to email (TJ@theQiInstitute.com) and they may be included or featured in a National Taoism Examiner article.
Reasons why this Taoism examiner gave up watching football
For a long time, your National Taoism Examiner enjoyed watching and even playing sports. As a child it was a frequent pastime; gathering together with friends for a pickup game of: basketball, football, soccer, tennis, baseball etc…
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
All across America and most of the world the story is the same, children and young adults love to play sports. Some could argue that there are valuable life lessons being learned: teamwork, discipline, thinking of others more than self, perseverance, value of exercise etc… Recently, the NFL created a program (NFL Play 60) attempting to entice kids to take a break from the computer/video games and go outside to play and exercise. The program even has the full support of the White House.
Every February in the United States, and apparently many countries around the world, millions of people will sit around the TV and partake in the annual Super Bowl tradition, including feast and festivities. Advertisers will spend millions of dollars per 30 second commercial, all hoping to gain our attention as the most memorable product placement of the day.
Children will root for their heroes, and adults will cheer, fight and argue over each play, as if they are in the game themselves. Bookies and gamblers will delight in the odds of winning or losing.
Contradiction?
Is the NFL in particular and professional sports in general (even collegiate) a huge contradiction? How can the NFL create programs to benefit children, while at the same time covering up for some of the most heinous crimes man can commit? The focus is really no longer on the NFL alone, look at the amount of problems facing college athletes, as they are beginning to mirror their professional peers.
What type of society will we create when children grow up following a sport or athletic hero, that encourages the most brutal and animalistic tendencies to not only surface but also flourish? What happens to a game when the object is no longer to win, but to win at all costs, when the organizing body covers up crimes because it will hurt their bottom line, when players and coaches will blatantly cheat even being caught on national TV, with no consequence but a slap on the wrist?
Violent Crime
Lets review some facts of what the NFL has really become. Note, these are only a few to highlight a much larger problem.
“NFL Stars Who’ve Been Charged With Horrible Crimes”:
- Leonard Little: DUI/Vehicular Manslaughter
- Rae Carruth: Conspiracy to Commit Murder
- Chris Terry: Domestic Battery
- Ray Lewis: Murder
- Alonzo Spellman: Terrorizing Passengers on Plane / Simple Assault
- Jim Dunaway: Murder
- Darell Russell: Drugs/ Videotaping a Rape
- Michael Vick: Dog Fighting
- Gene Atkins: Domestic Battery/ Assault on Law Enforcement
- OJ Simpson: Murder/ Robbery/ Kidnapping
- Aaron Hernandez: Murder
According to Reuben Fischer-Baum of deadspin.com:
“By my count, the three most common charges in the NFL database were DUI, assault/battery (including domestic violence), and drug possession, with 72 percent of all incidents including at least one of these charges.”
His research shows that the NFL is far above the national average for crime especially with regards to: weapons, DUI and assault/battery.
The following stats are from research published on besttickets.com and reflects the number of arrests from 2000-2013:
- DUI 185
- Assault 90
- Drugs 84
- Domestic Violence 76
- Alcohol Related 52
- Driving Violations 37
- Weapons Violations 37
- Other 26
- Disorderly Conduct 13
- Sexual Assault 12
- Theft 11
- Traffic Warrants 6
- Animal Abuse 5
- Manslaughter 5
- Hot Checks 4
- Obstruction of Justice 4
- False Info on License 3
- Probation Violation 3
- Burglary 2
- Failure to Appear 2
- Murder 2
- Soliciting a Prostitute 2
- Stalking 2
- Window Tint Violation 2
For a total of 665 arrests over a 13 year period. The research goes on to show that 66% of the crime is “victimless”, and 30% involved violent crime.
507 Arrests in one year
Uscollegeresearch.org has research that shows that the NFL leads all professional sports with violent crime arrests and weapons violations and is second in drug arrests. The NFL had 507 arrests in 2010 alone and Adam “Pacman” Jones led the way with six arrests.
Many of you have probably seen the video of the Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice almost killing his wife, when he punched her in the face knocking her unconscious and then dragging her limp body out of the elevator. His punishment: no prison, no lifetime ban, the NFL decided to reinstate his ability to play and as many victims do, his fiancée has since become his wife, and came to his defense.
The question of whether art mirrors life or life mirrors art, is of no importance, if the outcome is the same decline in morals and values. At some point people need to have the courage to say enough is enough, and in a system where money talks, sometimes the best answer is to disengage and turn the channel.
So what are the morals that the new NFL is teaching your children and society in general: It does not matter who you are or what crimes you commit, if you can hit real hard, throw the ball real far, and run fast then we have a place for you. Killers, Rapists, Thieves, Stalkers, Drunks, Drug Addicts, Cheaters and Animal Abusers all are welcome, and contrary to their recent advertising campaigns, men who like to beat up women are definitely welcome in the NFL. Oh and if you want to make it to the NFL kids, just follow the above character traits.
Lao Tzu said it best in the Tao Teh Ching:
“The five colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious things lead one astray.
Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees.
He lets go of that and chooses this.”
And with that your National Taoism Examiner has let go of football and invites you to do the same. Turn off the game and pick up a book, spend time with your family or children in an environment conducive to becoming a better person.
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Review of the top Taoism stories for 2014
2014, the year of the Yang Wood Horse has proven to be everything one would expect from this type of year. This year we left two years characterized by inward searching energy (water dragon and water snake) and entered a year dominated by an element (wood) known for growth, new beginnings; think of a small plant or tree just beginning to grow/sprout. The horse is known as a noble animal and is associated with being: strong, disciplined, regal, elegant, travel, adventure, also capable of great speed and endurance/perseverance.
When combined a Wood Horse year has the potential for fast growth. In a Yang year this effect can be compounded even further. Those versed in even a rudimentary understanding of Taoist philosophy, know that fast uncontrolled growth often does not have a good outcome, nor is it long lasting.
Surely, there were quite a few incidents this past year that occurred very quickly, and picked up momentum almost “out of nowhere”. Ah, the year of the horse indeed.
In this review, however, we will focus on some of the positive events this past year.
Nine faults a master or teacher must avoid January 23, 2014
Being a master or teacher should be one of the most respected and appreciated positions in society, to a lesser extent coaching as well. Since people in these positions have close personal contact with people from various levels of society…
Nine things that will lead any student to failure January 26, 2014
In a prior article we listed 9 faults or traits masters and teachers of any subject or system must avoid in order to be successful and to help ensure the success of their students. This article is going to shift…
China shares over 5,000 years of scripts with the United Nations February 12, 2014
A major event occurred at the United Nations in New York City, not surprisingly the event was not covered on any of the major Western news networks.The Chinese Ethnic Scripts Exhibition made its debut and was organized by Liu…
Annals of Internal Medicine agrees with Taoism: multivitamins should not be used February 28, 2014
For the last several decades (at least the last four), multivitamins have been promoted as the perfect solution for improper nutrition. Many reports and stories, mainly in the form of advertising and marketing, have portrayed vitamins as preventing various diseases…
World unites against Monsanto and GM food May 15, 2014
Recently, Vermont became the first state in the U.S. To pass a GMO labeling law. This law requires all food that contains any Genetically Modified ingredients to be clearly labeled as such. For instance, if your corn chowder contains…
Unraveling the mysterious and misunderstood concept of P’u July 14, 2014
Many people who study or casually read about Taoism will at some point come across several principles and concepts which are considered important to the Taoist system.Some of the more popular principles are: Wu-wei, Tao and Te, Lao…
Chuang tzu’s advice on recognizing the true nature of things July 27, 2014
In a recent article “Unraveling the mysterious and misunderstood concept of P’u”, we examined how the true meaning of P’u is not the uncarved block, rather it is the ideal of remaining or…
Harvard study proves meditation can hinder the onset of Alzheimer’s September 26, 2014
If you ask most adults who are middle age or older, what their greatest fear is in regards to aging, many will say they do not want to “lose their mind”. They want to be able to…
The unnatural state of natural food in the US November 21, 2014
When you browse the shelves at your local grocery store, you may have noticed that more and more products contain the dubious label “Natural” or “Natural food”, or contains “Natural ingredients”.Morning and evening…
Who were the three kings/wise men of the Orient? December 26, 2014
Many of you may be familiar with the classic Christmas carol “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, some may be listening to it now, and yes, some may be tired of hearing it.Let’s re-examine…
There were many examples of positive things that occurred this past year, most of which, ironically never made it into the mainstream news or the 24 hour infotainment stations.
Let us all commit to making 2015, the Year of the Sheep, a year where we focus on the inner development/cultivation of our body-mind and spirit.
Don’t miss another National Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
Do you have a story, photo or video from your area that would be of interest to Taoists? Feel free to email (TJ@theQiInstitute.com) and they may be included or featured in a National Taoism Examiner article.
Who were the three kings/wise men of the Orient?
Many of you may be familiar with the classic Christmas carol “We Three Kings of Orient Are”, some may be listening to it now, and yes, some may be tired of hearing it.
Let’s re-examine a mystery that has never been fully addressed or adequately answered: Who are these three wise men, and where did they come from?
Many people assume the wise men traveled from Persia (Iran), Jordan, Arabia, or some other location not too far from Bethlehem, but just far enough to be considered a distant travel. This of course, has more to do with the ethnocentric views of most of the religious beliefs in the Judeo/Christian ethos. Anything of importance, came from a particular region and only that region. Therefore, the three wise men must have been from the greater “holy land” region or at least within the “Middle East”.
There are a few sources of information that show us, in all likelihood, where the men came from , and who they were. We will use the following sources to delve into the matter: Lyrics to the Christmas carol “We three kings of Orient are”, King James bible, and knowledge of Taoism and ancient Chinese history.
The first verse of the song states: “We three kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar, Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star.” It is interesting to note that the Orient always referred to the Middle East and China, in particular China. When one thinks of the terms Orient and Oriental, the images that come to mind are distinctly “Asian” and most likely Chinese. This verse also mentions traveling a great distance; past mountains, fields, fountains and moors. Literally, traveling through different climates and vast terrains. This could also be a description of the “Silk Road”, which went from China to Palestine and on to Europe, and other routes, both sea and land.
The second verse “O star of wonder, star of night…”, shows that these wise men had expert celestial and astronomical knowledge. Yes, Persia did contain great scientists, however, to this day, no-one has matched the detail and precision of the ancient Chinese/Taoist star charts. Even our modern day GPS and star maps are based on the ancient Chinese charts and the Taoist system. “Star with royal beauty bright”, the Taoists observed that every time a “great person” was born, there would be a corresponding unusual celestial activity, usually a very bright star would appear, over the location of the birth. The ancient Chinese records, are filled with these recordings, not only of Imperial concerns, but also of births of other “great people”. According to Dr. Stephen Chang in “The Great Tao”:
“During the Han Dynasty …Astronomers were assigned to watch the skies twenty four hours a day. The star that appeared upon Jesus’ birth would have been looked upon as a birth of a great man.” He goes on to recount a story “…recorded by the Han Dynasty historians…of the indisputable accuracy of the observations made by those astronomers. One night, an astronomer sat watching the stars of the Emperor Kuang Wu and his visiting friend Yan Tse-Ling, who was sleeping with the Emperor that night. The astronomer was shocked to find that the brightness of Yan Tse-Ling’s star covered that of the Emperor’s. Suspecting that Yan Tse-Ling was an assassin, the astronomer ran through the halls of the palace in a panic to report that the Emperor was in danger. Just then another astronomer who had taken over the vigil of the heavens observed that the stars had separated and the brightness of Yan’s star had diminished, and he reported this. When the Emperor arose from sleep…the incidence of the stars was relayed to him. The Emperor laughed and said that Yan Tse-Ling, while asleep, had accidentally placed his leg over him.”
“Westward leading, still proceeding…”, clearly shows the wise men came from the East and traveled West, through a well defined course or road.
The song also features the gifts of the wise men: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Many cultures used these three items for different purposes, however, only one used all three, and (according to Dr. Stephen Chang’s research) only one used all three for healing purposes! China and the Taoists. The verse regarding Myrrh, “…breathes of life of gathering gloom, sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying…” is a very poetic way of listing the healing qualities of this herb. It can be used to restore life, reverse bleeding, heal wounds, take away sorrow, sighing etc… as well as many other uses. There is also an ancient Taoist formula called Royal Jade Cream which contains these healing herbs, one such use is after child birth to help the mother heal, among many more.
Let’s jump forward to the verse “…Earth and Heaven replies”, throughout China’s history they have always been regarded as the “Middle Kingdom”, and both the Chinese Emperors and the Taoists saw it as their duty to maintain the balance between the three dimensions of Heaven, Earth and Humanity. Thus a well trained Taoist could elicit a response from both Heaven and Earth, or help restore balance between the realms.
There a few other important facts we will examine in this article, we only have room for a few as a detailed investigation would easily fill an entire volume.
Given their role as the maintainers of balance in the Middle Kingdom, the Chinese Emperors would frequently send emissaries and ambassadors throughout the lands (and seas), to announce new policies, procedures and more often to announce a new Emperor. It was important for other countries to know this, as it would be very disrespectful, to send your tribute in the name of the wrong Emperor, and most of the world at one time or another always paid tribute to China.
If we use the modern dating system to attempt to locate the actual year of Jesus’ birth, we arrive at a very interesting crossroad. His birth occurs around the exact time China was transitioning from one Emperor to another. Emperor Ai (Han Dynasty) ruled from approx. 7 BCE-1 BCE, and Emperor Ping (Han Dynasty) reigned from 1 BCE – 5 CE. Emperor Ai died childless and passed the throne over to his cousin. The fact that one Emperor died and a new Emperor was enthroned, would have caused China to send delegations far and wide to announce this “news of most importance”. The Silk Road would have been one of many routes chosen.
Let’s examine what the Bible says regarding the three wise men. First, in all actuality, there were more than three people, this number is given as an estimate since the story mentions three gifts, therefore, three men must have given them.
An interesting fact arises, when we examine the Bible verses, it becomes apparent that it was impossible for the “wise men” to arrive at or shortly after his birth, but definitely not in the “manger scene”. Luke 2: 22-39, shows that Jesus was brought to Jerusalem to be dedicated at the temple and at this time he was glorified by several people, including Simeon and Anna, this occurs after the traditional manger story. Matthew 2: 11: “And when they [wise men] were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother…” Clearly they found Jesus in his home, not in a manger or stable, and he was a child not a baby. Matthew 2: 16: “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.” Herod ordered the murder of every child under the age of two, because the wise men estimated his age to between 1-2 years old. Thus the wise men traveled for approximately 2 years before arriving in Judea. Surely King Herod would have been informed of the new Emperor of the Middle Kingdom as well as the “great birth” in his own land.
This is most interesting, as the journey from China to Palestine (in ancient times), was approximately two years! Therefore it is most plausible that the wise men/Taoists departed China shortly after Jesus’ birth and arrived when he was approximately two years old. Also, consider the fact that another name for the wise men, were Magi, and another name for the Taoists with regards to western observers, were Magi.
Given this information let’s review why the three wise men were most likely Taoists from China:
- Only the Taoists used (and still use), Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh in a combination for healing purposes.
- Taoists had the awareness and scientific discoveries to understand the correlation between celestial/astronomical occurrences coinciding with the birth or death of “great people”.
- Taoists had the celestial and terrestrial maps required for determining the exact location of the star over its earthly location.
- Taoists and China had an established trade route and had expertise traveling great distances farther than any other civilization.
- Jesus’ birth coincides with the death of a Chinese Emperor and the delegations sent to announce the new Emperor.
- The three wise men met first with King Herod, whom he learned of Jesus’ birth from, this initial meeting with the King is consistent with an official Imperial visit from China.
- Palestine, Judea, Rome, Arabia, Egypt etc… had well established trade with China.
- As mentioned in a previous article, Jesus’ teachings were more similar to Taoist understanding and principles than they were to teachings from his native born area.
Don’t miss another Taoism Examiner article. Receive e-mail alerts when new articles are available. Just click on the “Subscribe” button below; also make sure you click all of those social network buttons and share the article with your friends and family as well. You can also follow the Qi Institutes Taoism blog.
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