Aikido - A Definition - Part #2

Aikido - A Definition - Part #2

Excerpt from : "The Elements of Aikido" by Greg O'Connor

" The techniques of the Art Of Peace are neither fast nor slow, nor are they inside or outside. They transcend time and space."- Morihei Ueshiba

 Aikido is the word that Morihei Ueshiba eventually used to describe his new martial art. It is a combination of Japanese concepts and can be translated to mean 'The Way of Uniting Ki Spirit'. The premise of Aikido is to blend with an opponent's energy and spirit and redirect the attack safely away, resulting in no harm coming to the aikidoka and, ideally, even to the attacker. It is circular and fluid in its techniques as opposed to linear, harsh and static, which I will talk more about later.

Aikido is not a religion or a religious pursuit and it holds to no religious doctrine. It is, however, a spiritual path. Therefore, because of the attention Aikido gives to both individual and universal spirit, it can be, and is practiced comfortably and enthusiastically by people everywhere, and by people of many religions.

Aikido is, of course, a powerful method of self-defense - a martial art. However, paradoxically, it is one that is an alternative to violence. Its techniques have a unique range of application, from soft to severe. Joints are not broken, although if the situation warrants it they could be. One who wishes to master Aikido prefers not to hurt.

 Indeed, some say it is a method of learning how to kill. To some extent this may be true; because it is only through learning what can kill that one can exercise the option and the choice not to kill. All Aikido techniques, if applied poorly and irresponsibly, can be potentially dangerous and even deadly. However, Aikido's unique ethics offer alternatives to that undesirable option.

Practitioners of Aikido often describe it as a powerful method of self-exploration. They might even say that it is a cohesive method of holistic integration. It can be defined further as a meditative art where one develops a deep calm that is incorporated into all activities. Poetically, Aikido is a dynamic and exhilarating art where one dances in the flash and flow of energy. Socially, it is a method of conflict resolution resulting in a 'win-win' scenario; winner/winner rather than winner/loser, and victor/victor rather than victor/vanquished.

Aikido is beautiful to watch. Its movements are fluid and dance-like; its results incredible. It can be unbelievable: explosive, magical, and so complicated in its simplicity. Everything in nature is contained in Aikido: the lightness of air; the solidity of earth and rock; the adaptability of water; the sting of fire; the blinding shock of lightning; the unending resonance of thunder.

 Aikido can be as soft and comforting as a sun-warmed breeze or as decisive and complete as a grizzly bear attack. Aikido can be performed with the power of a crashing wave or the passiveness of an autumn leaf drifting away from its branch. All the elements and characteristics of nature are found in Aikido. Its power is from the universe that is both in us and around us. There is no separation from everything else. For those of us who are addicted to its practice, this is its appeal.

Aikido - A Definition - Part #1

Aikido - A Definition - Part #1

Excerpt from : "The Elements of Aikido" by Greg O'Connor

"... listen to the voice of Aikido. It is not for correcting others; it is for correcting your own mind."- Morihei Ueshiba

 

 Aikido is a martial art for lovers. Lovers of peace. It requires that you love yourself, that you love others, the good and not so, that you love the ground you walk on, the air your breathe, the dog who digs up your garden and the stars that beckon infinity. Aikido's magical techniques, its miraculous results and its use of the mysterious cosmic forces that we all possess have given it a mystical reputation, and deservedly so. It is in a class of its own among the martial arts. It has at its core a unique philosophical approach for a martial art: that the attacker must be cared for. The paradox of Aikido is that it is potentially lethal yet benevolently peaceful. Despite its real capabilities as a devastating method of self-defense, it is a system whose powerful techniques are mastered only through the pursuit of non-violence.

Aikido is beautiful to watch and even more rewarding to perform. To the uninitiated, Aikido is seen as a predominantly throwing and pinning art where one blends with an attack instead of clashing with it. The attacker's strength, momentum and energy are used to redirect the attack into dynamic projections or simple, yet effective, controlling pins. All the techniques in Aikido move one's partner in a natural manner. Because of the ethics of the art, the bends of the body and its joints are merely accentuated in a natural direction, allowing redirection and control without injury. If any minor pain is inflicted, it is merely for motivational purposes and as soon as the technique is released, any discomfort or pain disappears. Aikido's principles and ethics are such that if we do injure someone it simply is not good Aikido. In fact, I will go so far to say, it is not true Aikido.

 Aikido is based on co-operation, mutual respect and friendship. Aikido is finesse - not force. Its philosophy, ideals and ethics are inseparable from the actual training. Its practice develops a strong, yet supple, relaxed body as well as a calm, clear mind, providing an inner peace which can then be passed on to others.

Those who are attracted to Aikido wish to be able to protect themselves, as well as others, easily and effectively, without resorting to the use of violence. Aikido's circular flowing techniques are fun, effective, and can be learned by anyone regardless of size, age, gender or athletic ability. Men, women and children all find Aikido appealing because its techniques are not based on pitting one's strength against another's. It is an art for anyone who seeks to be at peace with themselves and their surroundings.

As a martial art, Aikido gives one the ability to defend oneself without resorting to aggression. Concentration, awareness and focusing power are greatly enhanced while allowing for balance and calmness to be maintained in all situations. A healthy self-esteem, a clear head and a sound body are the result. This state of being is then naturally carried off the mat and into the activity of daily life.

The practitioner begins with a calm, balanced state of mind, body and spirit; in a state of peace. As an attack comes in, the Aikido practitioner, or aikidoka, maintains this state of being while adjusting and blending with the attack. The aikidoka can then redirect the attack safely away and into a variety of throws and pins while remaining fully aware of the opportunities for striking and retaliation, which present themselves within the openings created by the Aikido technique. Despite these opportunities, the aikidoka chooses to exercise the more peaceful, nonviolent resolution in completing the defense. The aikidoka can, if needed in a real life-and-death situation, perform any of Aikido's throws and pins with severe consequences. However, because of the preferred non-violence of the philosophy, the aikidoka trains to exercise the more ethical approach of every technique's capabilities. In the founder's words, 'Aikido is the loving protection of all things'. In essence, this means that Aikido is a method of protection for all beings, protection of the transgressor as well as the transgressed. In his words, 'it is a way to reconcile the world'.

<Continued - Part #2>

Aikido - A Brief History - Part #2

Aikido - A Brief History - Part #2

Excerpt from : "The Elements of Aikido" by Greg O'Connor

"You and I and everything in this universe exist as a part of the endless flow of God's love. Realizing this we recognize that all creation is bound together by the same benevolence.

To harmonize with life is to come into accord with that part of God which flows through all things.

To foster and protect all life is both our mission and our prayer, and we call our path 'Take Musu Aiki'". - Morihei Ueshiba

 O Sensei, in explaining Aikido, often referred to the phrase take-musu aiki. Take-musu aiki means, roughly, that Aikido is the martial way of unending rebirth and rejuvenation with limitless and boundless creativity. It is misogi, purification. Through the practice of Aikido one continually renews oneself through that purification process. He felt that martial artists who only practised combat techniques were short-sighted in their true value; that in acquiring the ability to take life, they should also develop the power to give life.

 He felt that winning at someone else's cost was not truly winning at all, and that true victory was winning over oneself and one's own demons. He came to realize that physical force could not possibly win over the power of a spirit rooted and connected to the divine spirit. Throughout his years O Sensei's teaching of Aikido was filled with references to the divine, and how his Aikido connected him to God and revealed the true natures of both himself and the universe.

He often used references to obscure Japanese mythology with which even his Japanese students were unfamiliar. He spoke metaphorically of the sword that takes life and the sword that gives life. Literally speaking, an actual sword can be used to kill, yet it can be used wisely to protect and preserve righteousness. The impetuous and the fearful draw the sword easily. The sword that remains sheathed remains there only by the fearlessness, wisdom and strength of character of its owner. Metaphorically speaking, the sword that kills also destroys its master. The sword that gives life is used to cut through our own ego and selfishness, and opens us to the reality that we all share. O Sensei, therefore, admonished that 'Aikido is not for correcting others. It is a tool for correcting and polishing your own mind'.

 Most are familiar with the advice of Jesus Christ when he said, 'He that lives by the sword, dies by the sword'. This is the same advice the founder of Aikido would offer. This death is not so much a physical death, but an internal one: a spiritual death. O Sensei said, 'When an enemy tries to fight with me, the universe itself, he has to break the harmony of the universe. Hence, at the moment he has the mind to fight with me, he is already defeated.' We refer to those that lose as such because they have indeed lost; they have lost something of importance to them, something of value. The most important thing we can lose is our sense of peace and contentment. We value our own serenity. True serenity comes from loving and supporting the world around and in us and, hopefully, having it returned in kind. In using violence, or when winning at the expense of another, we lose. We have lost our connection with universal harmony. We have lost our serenity.

Violence is an act of desperation that often has its beginnings in frustration and pain. The reliance on violence harms the one committing it as well - either immediately or ultimately. In such a situation such people have lost the ability to control themselves, and to see other options. They have lost their sense of personal power and dignity. They have lost peace. They have lost love.

If your character, personal resolve and capacity for compassion are strong enough, there is no need to use violence. One knows that violence is a knife that cuts both ways. One can choose to have the wisdom and intelligence to explore more productive, and therefore more desirable, alternatives. These alternatives should benefit all.

O Sensei realized that the people of the world needed the help that Aikido could bring; and so, in the 1950s and early '60s he encouraged some of his students to live and teach abroad. Today Aikido can be found in nearly every country and practically every major city in the world.

 O Sensei developed two dojo which remain active today. The main dojo is in the Shinjuku section of Tokyo, and is referred to as Aikido Hombu Dojo, or Aikido home dojo. It continues today as World Headquarters for Aikido. Since O Sensei's passing in 1969, Aikido Hombu Dojo and since then The International Aikido Federation was headed by O Sensei's son, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, who, in Aikido terms, is referred to as Doshu or 'leader of the way'. Kisshomaru continued his father's work at Aikido World Headquarters (Hombu Dojo) until he passed away in 1999. Today, O'Sensei's grandson, the third Doshu, Moriteru Ueshiba, continues to enlighten the lives of men, women and children from over seventy countries.

 O Sensei's other dojo is located in the Japanese countryside town of Iwama in Ibaraki Prefecture. The Iwama dojo also contains the Aiki Shrine, or Aiki Jinja, which was built and dedicated by O Sensei to the spirit of Aikido. The Iwama dojo was very special to O Sensei for it was there that he was able to devote himself to his gardening. Working with the earth, nurturing and growing his plants provided a communication with nature that O Sensei valued a great deal. He felt that his gardening and his Aikido were intertwined. Morihiro Saito Sensei, having cared for O Sensei at Iwama for many years, is now the caretaker and chief instructor of the Iwama dojo. He also works with Aikido Hombu Dojo for its continued preservation.

O Sensei died on 26 April 1969, and Aikido dojo around the world commonly hold special remembrances on that day to commemorate his life and his gift of Aikido. His way, his Aikido, is his gift of transcendence to anyone who comes to it.

 It is interesting that O Sensei never took credit for being the source of Aikido. He said he was merely allowing the divine nature of universe to move through him.

Aikido - A Brief History - Part #1

Aikido - A Brief History - Part #1

Excerpt from : "The Elements of Aikido" by Greg O'Connor

"The secret of Aikido is to harmonize with the movement of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself. He who has gained the secret of Aikido has the universe in himself and can say 'I am the universe'." - Morihei Ueshiba

Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba, a renowned Japanese martial arts master, as a way of combining his formidable martial capabilities with his deep spiritual pursuits. Master Ueshiba was born in the small fishing village of Tanabe on the eastern coast of Japan in 1883. As a young boy he witnessed his father being roughed up by local hoodlums and he was powerless to come to his aid. Even though he was a small and sickly child, this experience added to his resolve that he would develop himself to become strong in both body and spirit. He began to study many martial arts including jujitsu, kenjitsu, jojitsu, sojutsu and sumo, as well as various other sword and staff arts. As years passed he became nationally known for his extraordinary abilities as a martial arts master. His art took many names over the early years of its development, among which were Aiki-budo and Ueshiba Ryu-Aikijujitsu.

Morihei was of small stature, even for a typical Japanese, standing just under 5 ft tall. He trained himself so relentlessly and thoroughly, though, that he became physically very imposing and extremely strong. His feats of strength became quite remarkable and well known. For example, there are accounts where he was able to move stones so large that four or five people together could not move the same stone. He also sought to forge and strengthen his spirit, and made a life-time study of the martial arts. To this day stories of his superhuman feats and almost magical powers abound. Although he was to gain a reputation for being virtually unbeatable, hewas, at the same time, profoundly troubled with the conflict that arose between his martial skills and his spiritual pursuits.

All his life, the founder was a deeply spiritual man on a deeply spiritual search. Like the majority of Japanese he was exposed to zen, Buddhism and Shinto beliefs. Shinto is a religion native to Japan and practised by most Japanese, and is also a belief system that does not negate other beliefs. Many Japanese, for instance, practice both Buddhism and Shintoism. Thus when Morihei encountered a religion by the name of Omoto-Kyo he was able to embrace its beliefs fully, and then dedicate his life to its practice.

Omoto-Kyu was founded by Nao Deguchi, a humble peasant woman, who was, reportedly, a healer and who had a gift of clairvoyance. Meeting Onisaburo Deguchi, the then current leader of Omoto-Kyo, had a profound effect on Morihei. It was Onisaburo Deguchi who told Morihei that, because of his extraordinary abilities, he should open a dojo and teach his martial art. This he did and dedicated himself to his calling, that of pursuing and combining his spiritual and martial paths.

One of the basic principles of Omoto-Kyo was the aspect of kotodama, the belief of sound being the creative force of the universe. The kotodama range of octaves, from deep to high pitch tones, could be arranged as such in chants that one could vocalize. Then, with the various vibrations generated, one could, ideally, energize the body, mind and spirit and connect it all to the entire cosmos. Morihei therefore incorporated the sounds of kotodama into his own life, practice and purification rituals. This, according to his words, was what connected him to God.

As time went on and Morihei Ueshiba's martial abilities became quite well known he was regularly confronted by other accomplished martial artists seeking to better him. He would always easily defeat these challengers, and as years passed he became weary of them, finding no satisfaction or joy in repeatedly defeating them. One such encounter with yet another insistent challenger would bring about a profound life change for Ueshiba.

The challenger, in this case, was a naval officer. Reluctantly, Morihei accepted his challenge and invited the naval officer to strike him, using a wooden sword. Morihei easily avoided the repeated attempts to hit him, and when the challenger finally grew frustrated, tired and spent, Morihei left him and entered a nearby garden. While there he had what he described as an experience of enlightenment where he was bathed in a golden light. He said it was at that moment that the realization that 'I am the universe' came into him; it was then that the true meaning of budo, the martial way, was revealed to him. The revelation was that true budo was for the love and protection of all things. This brought him to the realization and solidification of his life purpose and revealed to him the path to combine his spiritual awareness with his martial method. This wisdom contributed to the further evolution of his art which would become Aikido; we may even go so far as to say that this was the true birth of Aikido. He knew then that winning at someone else's expense was not really winning, and that the only true victory was the victory over the conflict within ourselves. This discord is the greatest adversary in our lives. The highest skill levels that can be achieved are needed to attain this victory. This, indeed, is 'fighting the good fight' on the most difficult battlefield.

It was some time after he had this experience that his art came to be known as Aikido. Aikido, economically translated, means the way to love and harmony with the spirit of all things. When broken down more literally ai can be translated as 'love/harmony', ki is 'spirit/life force' and do means 'way of' or 'path'.

Because of the awe and reverence they felt for Master Ueshiba, his students began referring to him respectfully as O Sensei, which means 'Great Teacher'. This is how he is referred to today by Aikido practitioners all over the world.

<Continued - Part #2>

Aikido – Demo & Presentation – JW Marriott Hotel, Surabaya

Aikido – Demo & Presentation – JW Marriott Hotel, Surabaya

by IAI (Institut Aikido Indonesia) East Java, Thursday 19 August 2010

“Move like a beam of light: Fly like lightning, Strike like thunder, Whirl in circles around a stable center.” – Morihei Ueshiba

Aikido – Demo & Presentation – JJFM Radio 105.1, Surabaya

Aikido – Demo & Presentation – JJFM Radio 105.1, Surabaya

by IAI (Institut Aikido Indonesia) East Java, Saturday 7 August 2010

“The techniques of the Art Of Peace are neither fast nor slow, nor are they inside or outside. They transcend time and space.” – Morihei Ueshiba

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #6

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #6

Translated by Pearl S. Buck

I. Introduction by Lin Yutang – Part 6

(4) There were a great many editions, some in 100, some in 110, 115, 120 and 124 chapters. It was in the 17^th century that the great critic Chin Sheng-t’an bravely cut out the last part of the story and reduced it to the current length of 70 chapters. Chin forged a preface by Shih Nai-an, called the novel the work of Shih, and severely condemned the last part as the atrocious addition by Lo, which was too neat a theory to be true. Chin was a brilliant and original writer, and his forged preface, translated here, has been called by Alexander Woollcott the best preface ever written to any book. He claimed to base his edition on an ancient copy in 70 chapters in his possession, which nobody else has ever seen. The claim of an “ancient edition” is no uncommon. In view of the fact that Chin had a definite theory to put forward, including his hearty condemnation of the rebels, and furthermore that, by the witness of a contemporary, he had forged the preface, it is entirely possible that there was never any such ancient edition in 70 chapters.

(5) The main difference between this 70-chapter edition and all other editions, including the Kuo and the Li editions, is that, in the present edition, the story ends with a dream (by Lu Chun-yi) of the wholesale surrender and slaughter of the robber band. The dream seems a convenient device, invented by Chin himself, for cutting the story short in a few paragraphs, and is found in no other edition. In the longer editions, the story is carried further. Sung Chiang and his band were forgiven and accepted government posts to fight other bandits in order to redeem themselves. All the editions before Chin’s included the battle against the band led by Fang Lah. (As a matter of historical fact, Sung and his band probably never fought this battle.) The Kuo edition made him fight in addition the Liaos, a northern tribe. The longer editions covering more than 110 chapters made him fight in addition 2 other robber bands led by T’ien Hu and Wang Ch’ing. The motive for the continuation was to satisfy a public conscience and establish the point that their heroes were forced into banditry but were perfectly willing to serve the Emperor if given a chance. In the opinion of Chin, this just made them too good. In the end, nevertheless, the government treated them cheaply, which made them greater heroes still. Sung Chiang took poison, Yien Ch’ing alone had the wit to disappear in time, and the dogmeat-eating monk Lu Chi-Shen retired to a monastery at Hangchow.

(6) The more important difference between the different editions was not one of length, but of quality. There were definitely an inferior version, represented by the 115-chapter edition, and a better version represented by the present one. In text, the present one agrees with the 1^st part of the 120-chapter edition.

(7) There was always a public demand for the complete version, even after the 70-chapter edition had become established. Sometimes the part cut out was published separately as a sequel, called Fighting Four Bandits. Two later authors were attracted by the story and wrote original imaginative sequels of their own. In 1630, Ch’en Ch’en wrote a sequel, telling how the reformed rebels helped to fight for the Emperor against the Kins but without success, and how eventually Li Chun escaped to Siam and became the King of Siam. Another author, Yu Wan-ch’un (died 1849), did the reverse. He expanded the story of the surrender and killing of the members of the band, but did such a beautiful job that many critics think he wrote in places better than the author of the original novel.

This novel is noted and loved for its strong characterization but suffers from the sprawling nature of the original legend. Some of its best characterizations are those of Li K’uei, Lu Chi-Shen, Sung Chiang, Ling Ch’ung and Wu Sung. The best chapters are probably those between chapters 20 and 41, covering the exploits of Wu Sung and the battle of Chiangchow, where Sung Chiang joined up with the band and became its leader. There is a great deal of slugging in any part of the novel, but the big battles are those of Chuchiachuang (chapters 46-49) and of Tamingfu and Tsengtoushih (chapters 62-67) where the band fought the government troops. Not the least picturesque elements in the story are the nicknames of all these heroes, such as “Black Whirlwind” (Li K’uei), “Little Whirlwind” (Ch’ain Chin), “Winged Tiger” (Lei Heng), “Red-headed Devil” (Liu T’ang), “Nine Dragoned” (Shih Chin), and “Blue-Faced Beast” (Yang Chi). It is also noteworthy that the author of Chinpingmei merely took the brief episode of Wu Sung out of this novel and developed it into an original imaginative masterpiece.

New York, February, 1948.

<End of Introduction by Lin Yutang>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #5

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #5

Translated by Pearl S. Buck

I. Introduction by Lin Yutang – Part 5

It was in this century, the 14^th, that Shih Nai-an and Lo Kuang-chung lived. Shih and Lo are known to have written at least 3 other historical romances besides All Men Are Brothers and the Three Kingdoms. The tradition is strong that one or both were authors of this novel, All Men Are Brothers. The records of scholars of the 16^th century reveal also that they saw editions with one or both scholars’ names as the authors. The best edition, published by one Kuo Shun, said it was “edited and arranged by Lo Kuan-chung, based on true version by Shih Nai-an.” Li Chih’s edition, with probably the same text, said it was “edited by Shih Nai-an and revised by Lo Kuan-chung.” Of Lo Kuan-chung we know definitely that he lived at the end of the 14^th century. He was the author of a Yuan drama and over a dozen novels were ascribed to his authorship. Of Shih there was for a time some doubt as to whether such a man ever existed. Hu Shih thought it a fictitious name for an unknown author of the 16^th century, the one who made the improved version of the novel, and Lu Hsun in his History of the Chinese Novel accepted the story. Later research in 1933-1934 by one Chao Jui-ting re-established the fact that Shih Nai-an did exist, that he was a native of Huai-an and lived in Tungtai, that he was indeed the master of Lo Kuan-chung, and that it was at Kiang-yin, while serving as a school teacher at the home of one Mr.Hsu that he wrote the present novel.

A great deal of research by many writers and some controversy have gone into the question of the authorship of the novel. I can only summarize here briefly what seem to me to be the fair conclussions to be drawn from the facts known up to the present:

(1) In the face of the evidence for it and lack of evidence to the contrary, it is hard not to accept Shih and Lo as the first authors who edited and arranged the stories into a continuous narrative, just as no evidence has gone to show that they were not the authors of the Three Kingdoms. It seems to me hazardous to argue from a priori grounds, that a master story-teller, who lived at a time when the stories were yet fluid, could not have given them the present form. It would be unsafe to draw the conclusion that the age of Beaumont and Fletcher could not have produced a Shakespeare, or that Shakespeare should have lived after Congreve because the better playwright should come in a later epoch. The material of the novel was already there and, as Hu Shih pointed out, each dramatist of the period treated the characters in his own way.

(2) It is highly probable that Lo, the younger man, revised and re-edited Shih’s version. Lo was the first to be mentioned as the author, and Shih’s name seems to have come up first for mention in the 16^th century editions. The popular notion that Shih was the author is due to Chin Sheng-t’an’s influence. (see “4” next)

(3) The 1^st editions by Lo and Shih have completely disappeared. We have no way of telling how good or bad there 1^st versions were. The best edition, by Kuo Hsun, in 100 chapters, giving the story in its present form but carrying it further in 30 more chapters, as compared with the 70 chapter edition, was published between 1522 and 1566. Another famous scholar, Li Chih, put out an annotated edition in the same period, which may possibly be the same in content as the Kuo edition, with minor touch-ups in language. This edition by Li Chih became the popular edition in Ming Dynasty and was later printed along with the Three Kingdoms in the same volumes, one novel occupying the upper half and the other occupying the lower half of a page.

<Continued – part 6>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #4

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #4

Translated by Pearl S. Buck

I. Introduction by Lin Yutang – Part 4

To appreciate the literary qualities and limitations of the novel as novel, one should understand it against the background of the rise of the novel in China, and the genesis of this novel in particular. The present novel, called in Chinese Shui Hu Chuan, is essentially the story of a hundred and eight robbers of Liangshanpo (thirty-six major and seventy-two minor ones), woven together by a great imaginative writer out of a body of anecdotes and incidents told at first in tea houses and dramatized on the stage. In the course of the development of this cycle, incidents have been shifted about, the conception and delineation of the characters have changed, a different emphasis has been assigned to this or that character, and even the personal and family names of some of the heroes have undergone slight variations. The author or authors of this novel have given the characters flesh and blood and they have more or less successfully  welded the tremendous material of this legend into a continuous narrative, not without here and there letting it lapse into stories of an episodic character.

The genesis of the novel in its present form is also partly the story of the rise of the modern novel in China. The novel was late in coming in Chinese literature, for the dead classical language, encased in stereotyped clichés, in which the Chinese scholars wrote, was highly inadequate to the telling of stories, particularly in dialogue. Dr. Hun Shih, who did pioneering research on the growth and transformation of this novel, says,” The seventy-chapter edition of All Men Are Brothers is not only the culmination of four hundred years of telling the Shui-hu cycle of stories, but also opens an era marking the complete maturity of Chinese vernacular literature.”

The story of the Liangshanpo robbers was first told by mouth by professional story-tellers. As I have already suggested, the Hsuanho Chronicles was based on a number of professional story-tellers’ words. Su Tungpo, who died some twenty years before the death of Sung Chiang and who incidentally comes in the first chapter of this novel, wrote in his Journal: “Wang Peng once said: Often parents annoyed by the playing children in the alleys, would give them money and ask them to go and listen to the story-tellers telling ancient tales. The listeners to the tales of the Three Kingdoms knit their brow and shed tears when they hear Liu Pei defeated and laugh in satisfaction when they hear Ts’ao Ts’ao worsted. This shows that the effect of the lives of good and bad men lives long after them.”

In Su Tungpo’s time, Emperor Jentsung in the 11th century was said to have asked some one to tell him one story a day. In the 12th century, special story-tellers were attached to the court, and Emperor Hsiaotsung (1163-1189) was reported to have sent people to collect stories from the country and tell him one every day. There are 2 books describing the life of the capital of southern Sung (Hangchow) and 1 book describing that of the capital of northern Sung (Kaifeng) in those days. They tell us there were puppet shows, shadow plays, sound mimicry, verse games and riddles given by public entertainers, as well as story-telling by professionals. Moreover, the story-tellers specialized in their respective fields. There were tellers of short stories, of religious tales, and of historical romances. Some of these short stories are preserved, as in Chingpen T’ungshu Hsiaoshuo, and are among the best that I have come across. I find that the short story in its Chinese form and in the vernacular was as good in the Sung Dynasty as those in the Ming Dynasty and thus it is almost impossible to speak of a “growth” of the short story, as Somerset Maugham remarks, in his preface to Tellers of Tales, regarding the western short story. The religious stories were the predecessors of Hsuan-chuang’s Travels and the Hsiyuchi, and the historical romances were the predecessors of the Three Kingdoms and All Men Are Brothers. Naturally the wars and turmoil during periods of change of dynasties provided the best natural background for the historical romances, and we find they outstripped the rest in quantity and importance. Today we have an edition of 5 historical romances dealing with different historical epochs, published between 1321 and 1323. These were no more than story-tellers’ copy. The language was often crude, the story-telling simple and the characterization weak. The Hsuanho Chronicles undoubtedly belongs to this category.

<Continued – part 5>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #3

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #3

Translated by Pearl S. Buck

I. Introduction by Lin Yutang – Part 3

Plainly, All Men Are Brothers is a book of anger, giving popular vent to a general dissatisfaction with a government which found no legitimate outlet in the orthodox classical writings of the scholars. It is wrong for some critics to assume that, in the development of this cycle of outlaw stories; the robbers gradually became popular heroes in the 14^th century dramas and not from the very beginning, for the anti-government nature of these stories is basic. The Hsuanho Chronicles which, although chronologically arranged, already assumed the form of stories rather than history, was based upon story-tellers’ copy in the 12^th century. Already, in these Chronicles, Sung Chiang was pictured as having raised a banner on his fort with the words: To render Justice for Heaven and Save the People.

During the greater part of the 12^th and 13^th centuries, north China was under foreign rule, and, when the Mongol Dynasty (1277-1367) of Kublai Khan began, the whole of China was placed under a foreign yoke. It was under this Dynasty that Shih Nai-an and Lo Kuan-chung devoted themselves to novel writing. The founder of the following Chinese Ming Dynasty was a pig herd by profession and murdered all the generals who had helped him to power. Lo Kuan-chung lived to see this, too. On the whole, the rule of the eunuchs predominated in the Ming Dynasty. Against such a background of foreign rule and maladministration, it is easy to understand why the people found some solace and vicarious joy in listening to the tales of the brave men of the forest who dared to defy the government and to rebel.

Li Chih, who wrote the preface to his edition in the 16^th century, expressed most forcefully the reason why the mountain lair of these robbers went by the name, The Hall of the Just and the Patriotic: “The ancients did not write books unless they felt some great indignation. To write a book without some great indignation would be like shivering without feeling cold and groaning without pain, and would be entirely futile. All Men Are Brothers is a book written out of indignation. For since the Sung House weakened, unprincipled men came into power; the able and honest lived in retirement while the cunning and deceitful were sitting on top. Very soon China itself was the ruled while a foreign race was the ruler. Yet the emperors and their courtiers were disporting themselves in ease and pleasure, while they paid tribute to the foreign master, called themselves his servants and bent their knees before the dogs and swine. Shih (Nai-an) and Lo (Kuan-chung) lived in the Mongol Dynasty, yet their hearts were with the Sungs. Born under Mongol rule, they were indignant at the affairs of the previous dynasty. To give vent to their anger over the captivity of the emperors, they depicted the conquest of the Liaos, and in their dissatisfaction with a dictated peace, they described the conquest of Fang Lah (stories omitted in the present edition). Who could have helped them give vent to their anger but these brave men of the mountain lakes? We cannot but grant them the title of ‘the Just and the Patriotic’. That was why the authors, Shih and Lo, after having written the story, called it The Story of the Just and the Patriotic. “ (This is a popular name of the novel appearing in many editions.)

<Continued – part 4>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #2

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #2

Translated by Pearl S. Buck

I. Introduction by Lin Yutang – Part 2

Some one of the band was always in trouble, and his brothers would be going down the valleys to rescue him. A great deal of fisticuff and slug-fest make up the rest of the charm of the story. To take an illustration of a typical situation, the following is the plot of Yuan drama, written in the 14^th century and forming a story in this cycle:

“A certain man was traveling through a dangerous countryside and asked the outlaw chief, Sung Chiang, who was an extremely kind-hearted and fair gentleman, to send him a man for protection. ‘Black Whirlwind’ Li K’uei volunteered and was sent. The traveler’s wife, however, had an affair with a government bureaucrat, and arranged to run away with her lover at a given signal. The traveler went to the court upon coming to town to report the disappearance of his wife, and was put in jail by the bureaucrat who had stolen his wife. Li K’uei disguised himself as a peasant and bribed his way into the prison as a visitor of the prisoner, put the jailer to sleep by a kind of narcotic, and rescued the prisoner. Then he disguised himself again as a guard, slipped into the government residence, killed the lovers and returned to the mountains with their severed heads.”

It was raw and it was primitive. But it was swift justice and makes extremely good reading, by the law of compensation, for the great majority of Chinese people: who are law-abiding, fight-abstaining and injustice-tolerating, docile citizens. For it must be remembered that the cycle of these outlaw stories had captured the popular imagination long before the author or authors had put them in to novel form. Dr. Hu Shih, in his long essay on the authorship of the novel, pointed out that in the 14^th century, during the Mongol Dynasty, there were 19 plays written about incidents and characters in this cycle, 5 of which have survived, the remaining 14 being known through references to their titles.

I have not yet made quite clear what the “anger” is about. The political background of the 4 centuries during which the cycle evolved into its present form makes it easy to understand the popularity of these stories. The bare historical facts on record are the following:

The robbers, carrying the banner of “patriotism and justice”, roamed through the modern provinces of Shantung, Hopei, Anhuei and Honan, robbing the rich and helping the oppressed, during a period of notorious misrule around the year 1120. The most heart-rending story is that of the building of a pleasure garden for the emperor, Huitsung, in which every rare flowers and every rock transported from private homes had cost some human lives. 8 of 36 outlaws were originally officials in charge of transporting the rockery. The Emperor soon paid for this misgovernment by losing his throne and dying in captivity in the camps of the Kin invaders. The northern Sung Dynasty came to an end in 1126, thanks to the Emperor’s belief in an astrologer, but Sung Chiang and his band had been captured and killed en masse in 1121. Dissatisfaction with the government was rampant. Northern China was under foreign rule by the aid of the Chinese puppets; and the Chinese Emperor, ruling from Hangchow, was forced by his policy of appeasement to acknowledge the Kin conqueror as “lord sovereign” and pay him annual tributes in silk and silver. The situation was not made any more pleasant by the fact that national resistance to the foreigners was by no means ineffective; and that the most popular general, Yo Fei, who was winning victory after victory, was summarily recalled by the appeaser premier Ch’in Kuei and murdered in prison. The Hsuanho Chronicles (“Hsuanho” being the name of the reign preceding the downfall), written probably in the 12^th century and giving the earliest stories of the exploits of Sung Chiang and his band, concludes with a note of bitter rebelliousness:

“Emperor Kaotsung twice lost his opportunity for regaining the territory of north China, 1^st through the temporizing policy of Ch’ien-shan and Po-yen in the years 1127-1130, and then through the appeasement policy of Ch’in Kuei thereafter. Because of such successive political bungling, our national territory has not been recovered, our emperors’ deaths have not been avenged and our national shame has not been wiped out. That is why patriots wring their hands in despair and wish that they could eat the flesh of the traitors and sleep in their skin.”

<Continued – part 3>

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #1

All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Intro #1

Translated by Pearl S. Buck

I. Introduction by Lin Yutang – Part 1

There are 4 or 5 masterpieces of Chinese fiction that have, in the course of the last 400 years, become classics and wielded a tremendous influence over the thoughts and imagination of the Chinese people. Of these, the first 2 to come into being, The Three Kingdoms and All Men Are Brothers, were first written in the 14^th century and by a strong and persistent tradition ascribed to the same authors, Shih Nai-an (about 1290-1365) and his disciple Lo Kuan-chung (about 1330-1400). The Three Kingdoms is an historical romance, while All Men Are Brothers is a novel based on a cycle of stories about a certain band of beloved outlaws in the beginning of the 12^th century. This cycle and the novel carrying it were constantly improved upon and embellished until in the 16^th century an edition appeared which bore the unmistakable stamp of a literary genius and, despite later editorial changes, received the mature treatment in which it has survived to the present day. In the same century, under the Ming Dynasty, appeared two other masterpieces, Hsiyuchi, a highly humorous and imaginative account of the travel to India of the month Hsuan-chuang to obtain Buddhist scriptures, and Chinpingmei, a realistic and to a large extent pornographic novel dealing with the domestic troubles of the rascally Hsimen Ch’ing with his 6 women.

The 16^th century may therefore be said to be the classic epoch of Chinese fiction. The art of the novel was mature; characterization in all 4 novels was excellent, dialogue was true to life, and, for reasons we shall come to later, the structure was even better in the last 2, especially in Chinpingmei, because the authors were no longer bound by a cycle of historical legend known to everybody and had complete freedom to create their own story. The proper recognition of the novel as a form of literature came immediately with the appearance of these 4 masterpieces. Still shield at by the orthodox Confucian scholars, they received loud acclaim from the original critics, Yuan Hung-tao and Li Chih in the 16^th century and Chin Sheng-t’an and Li Lieh-weng in the 17^th, who openly compared them with such recognized classics as the Tsochuan and Szema Ch’ien’s History. The 4 novels became regularly known as the “Four Masterpieces” until Red Chamber Dream appeared in the 18^th century and replaced Three Kingdoms in ranking among the top 4 of Chinese fiction. Red Chamber Dream represents the peak of the novelist’s art and, when translated fully, will become acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest novels.

In commenting on 3 of these 4, the epigrammatist Chang Ch’ao says,” All Men Are Brothers is a book of anger; Hsiyuchi is a book of faith; Chinpingmei is a book of pity.” Seldom are literary dicta expressed with such depth and brevity. To understand why All Men Are Brothers is a “book of anger” is to understand the tremendous appeal it has for the Chinese people. This novel contains a delicate, though not entirely strange, doctrine for the Confucian scholars, namely, the right to disobedience and the compulsion to rebellion in times of bad government. How this doctrine plagued the later editors of the different editions we shall see later. But the immediate surface appeal is apparent. In the struggle between an unjust government and just outlaws, the sympathy of the readers was and always is with the outlaws; and, in effect, the novel became a glorification of banditry and of bandits who take the law into their own hands. But when innocent men are jailed by corrupt officials and the red tape and corruption of bureaucrats make legal redress slow, if not impossible, the most satisfying human emotion that can be evoked is to see some daring, resourceful and husky Gary Coopers and Randolph Scotts break jail and, by wit, trickery and sheer muscular prowess, rescue the innocent in the fashion of Robin Hood and The Lone Ranger. Coupled with this was the fact that these outlaw heroes showed an unusually high code of honor, solidarity and loyalty among themselves, and the popular admiration for this robber band was complete. Theirs was a loyalty well shown by their oath:

Here we come as thirty-six men,

We shall go as eighteen pairs,

If one of us is missing,

We shall not leave these lairs.

<Continued – part 2>

President's Song In Exam

On Tuesday 12 Oct '10, thousands of Indonesian civil servants candidate took some exam for Trade & Commerce Ministry. One of many questions appear on the paper, is about the name of the song composed by Indonesian President.

Budiman Sudjatmiko, a member of the House of Representatives, said that the use of a nation wide event to gain a personal popularity is inappropriate. It has nothing to do with nationalism or anything like that. Even if the question can be answered, we should wonder what kind of public servant we would have.

The question was : "Which one of the answer below, is the title of the song in President's 3rd album?". I don't even know that he's already done 3 album :-)

Speaking of the president, I was also reading an article of Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, titled "Sebelum Prahara", on newspaper 18 Oct '10 (http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2010/10/18/03203385/sebelum.prahara). The writing was comparing the inspirational President of Chile and contradictional President of Indonesia. The President of Chile - during the evacuation drama - was dressed like a commoner among his people, without beaureaucracy hassles, no tight security around, stood by the location until the last worker was lifted up. President of Indonesia however - while visiting a flood disaster in Papua - was so formal, riding a bullet-proof Mercedes to the flood site and surrounded by military guards as if going to a battle field. Although comparing leaders tends to be biased considering some differences mainly in culture and nation building, however leadership values are universal. If you inspire, people follow. If you speak, they listen. If you hug them, they will die for you. If you keep a distance, well.. they don't even know - or care - that you write a song.

So, yeah.. I am glad that I didn't have to take the exam..

Go Blog = Stupid

I got this picture from a Blackberry group a while ago.

For you who don't understand Indonesian language, "Guru" means "Teacher". "Go Blog", when put and read altogether (Goblog), means "Stupid". So this seminar or whatever workshop, is to enforce the stupidity of teacher. I don't know whether the word choices are intentional, but it is so sad yet devastating. It is sad because teaching is supposed to obliterate stupidity and devastating because they - as teachers - are supposed to be responsible for the future of their students.

A friend of mine was questioning my nationality, during some conversations when I happened to mention about the poor human quality index in Indonesia. She was quite offended, although I never assumed that she (or general Indonesian people including me) are stupid. But if we think it further, debating over a black & white fact does not move us closer to any where, it is just simply a waste of time. Rather than reacting emotionally to the issue, we take actions, whether reaching out to the un-educated or foster the training quality & quantity to the current employee. I do the latter.

Back to the picture, I wonder if they feel proud or mocked...