I Ching (易经）aka The Book of Changes

I Ching. Based on the philosophy of Tao, which offers a means of examining the universe

through the principals of interconnectedness - or Jungian synchronicity.

 

Wikipedia - There is a flow in the universe, and it is called Tao. Tao flows slowly,

however; it is never stagnant and is incredibly powerful and keeps things in the universe

balanced and in order. It manifests itself through change of seasons, cycle of life, shifts

of power, time, and so forth. Tao has a strong and deep connection with cosmology and the

natural world. Tao is the law of Nature. The concept of Tao is based upon the understanding that the only constant in the universe is change, (ie. I Ching, the "Book of Changes") and that we must understand and be in harmony with this change. The change is a constant flow from non-being into being, potential into actual, yin into yang...

 

From my understanding, Tao encompasses every single thing in the universe, including

knowledge of the future. When we throw the coins, we are in tune with the Tao; everything is connected at this exact moment to select the exact wisdom appropriate in a book created by the sages of China over a period of five thousands years - The I Ching.

 

The I Ching serves to break down preconceptions by forcing us to correlate our situation

with a chance sequence of six readings; and in the calm of withdrawal into sacred time and

space, we can free the mind to take account of all infomation whether or not it conflicts

with the preconceptions, awaken it to unnoticed similarities and connections.

 

Hokkien Shows!

Hokkien Star Wars

 

Hokkien Lord of the Rings

 

Hokkien James Bond

 

 

The most cock thing you will ever see! =P 

 

 

Tests

 

You Are 5: The Investigator

You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker. You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does. Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations. You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it.

What Number Are You?

 

True true.

 

  

 

Your Love Life Secrets Are

Looking back on your life, you will only have one true love. You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't? It's important to you that your lover is very attractive. You like to have someone to show off. In fights, you seek compromise and back down from conflict. You always try to smooth things out. Getting over a break-up doesn't take long. Easy come, easy go. Your Love Life Secrets, Revealed

 

Hmmm.... The 2nd line is obviously fei hua (and it admit it itself). The last line, I dun think so.

 

 

Your Pirate Name Is...

Arch-Pirate Dagger Dan What's Your Pirate Name?

 

 LOL!

  

三十六计

○总说

 

六六三十六，数中有术，术中有数。阴阳燮理，机在其中。机不可设，设则不中。

 

○第一套〖胜战计〗

 

第01计  瞒天过海    备周则意怠，常见则不疑。阴在阳之内，不在阳之对。太阳，太阴。
第02计  围魏救赵    共敌不如分敌，敌阳不如敌阴。
第03计  借刀杀人    敌已明，友未定，引友杀敌。不自出力，以《损》推演。
第04计  以逸待劳    困敌之势，不以战。损刚益柔。
第05计  趁火打劫    敌之害大，就势取利，刚决柔也。
第06计  声东击西    敌志乱萃，不虞。坤下兑上之象，利其不自主而取之。

 

○第二套〖敌战计〗

 

第07计  无中生有    诳也，非诳也，实其所诳也。少阴、太阴、太阳。
第08计  暗渡陈仓    示之以动，利其静而有主，“益动而巽”。
第09计  隔岸观火    阳乖序乱，阴以待逆。暴戾恣睢，其势自毙。顺以动豫，豫顺以动。
第10计  笑里藏刀    信而安之，阴以图之。备而后动，勿使有变。刚中柔外也。
第11计  李代桃僵    势必有损，损阴以益阳。
第12计  顺手牵羊    微隙在所必乘，微利在所必得。少阴，少阳。

 

○第三套〖攻战计〗

 

第13计  打草惊蛇    疑以叩实，察而后动。复者，阴之媒也。
第14计  借尸还魂    有用者，不可借；不能用者，求借。借不能用者而用之。匪我求童蒙，童蒙求我。
第15计  调虎离山    待天以困之，用人以诱之，往蹇来返。
第16计  欲擒姑纵    逼则反兵，走则减势。紧随勿迫，累其气力，消其斗志，散而后擒，兵不血刃。需，有孚，光。
第17计  抛砖引玉    类以诱之，击蒙也。
第18计  擒贼擒王    摧其坚，夺其魁，以解其体。龙战于野，其道穷也。

 

○第四套〖混战计〗

 

第19计  釜底抽薪    不敌其力，而消其势，兑下乾上之象。
第20计  混水摸鱼    乘其阴乱，利其弱而无主。随，以向晦入宴息。
第21计  金蝉脱壳    存其形，完其势；友不疑，敌不动。巽而止蛊。
第22计  关门捉贼    小敌困之。剥，不利有攸往。
第23计  远交近攻    形禁势格，利从近取，害以远隔。上火下泽。
第24计  假道伐虢    两大之间，敌胁以从，我假以势。困，有言不信。

 

○第五套〖并战计〗

 

第25计  偷梁换柱    频更其阵，抽其劲旅，待其自败，而后乘之。曳其轮也。
第26计  指桑骂槐    大凌小者，警以诱之。刚中而应，行险而顺。
第27计  假痴不癫    宁伪作不知不为，不伪作假知妄为。静不露机，云雷屯也。
第28计  上屋抽梯    假之以便，唆之使前，断其援应，陷之死地。遇毒，位不当也。
第29计  树上开花    借局布势，力小势大。鸿渐于陆，其羽可以为仪也。
第30计  反客为主    乘隙插足，扼其主机，渐之进也。

 

○第六套〖败战计〗

 

第31计  美人计      兵强者，攻其将；将智者，伐其情。将弱兵颓，其势自萎。利用御寇，顺相保也。
第32计  空城计      虚者虚之，疑中生疑。刚柔之际，奇而复奇。
第33计  反间计      疑中之疑。比之自内，不自失也。
第34计  苦肉计      人不自害，受害必真。假真真假，间以得行。童蒙之吉，顺以巽也。
第35计  连环计      将多兵众，不可以敌，使其自累，以杀其势。在师中吉，承天宠也。
第36计  走为上      全师避敌。左次无咎，未失常也。
 

Now watching a china historical drama called 《孙子兵法与三十六计》, which depicts what happened during the warring states. Very interesting. =)

 

 

What is Happiness?

Happiness is meeting up with friends, especially those you haven't met for a very long time. Happiness is making something you carefully planned becoming a reality. Happiness is watching a very good movie. Happiness is playing DOTA, and win. Happiness is sipping mocha frappe in a quiet environment. Happiness is walking around the school campus in the middle of the night. Happiness is tasting delicious food. Happiness is seeing people rehearse for the script you wrote. Happiness is having a good chat. Happiness is doing all these with your friends. Happiness is no need to study for exams. Happiness is being free to do what you want. Happiness going out with family. Happiness is doing something you like. Happiness is working, when you enjoy every minute of it. Happiness is having no sickness, because sickness is the no. 1 cause of unhappiness. Happiness is having a good book to read. Happiness is having no worries. Happiness is watching animaes. Happiness is being so happy that you can think about what happiness is. Happiness is...

 

Try to be happy ok? =)

 

 

Gong Qi Jun

Watched a few of 宫崎骏 's animaes recently - 哈尔的移动之城, 龙猫, 天空之城, 飞天红猪侠, 神隐少女. They are not terriblily exciting, some people even say it is boring. But strangely his animae has a unique kind of appeal that is different from all other animaes. Most of the stories doesn't make any sense (A living cat bus? A pig/human riding fighter plane? Flying castle? A girl trapped in a strange realm?), but stirs your imaginations, and you will wonder what the author is trying to tell you. Then, the scenes are beautiful, the music are smoothing. While you are watching it you will feel very relaxed - it is like in a art gallery and a concert at the same time, and the pictures are moving.

 

    

 

Ahhh... watching relaxing movies in the relaxing holidays. This is life. 

 

享受人生. =)

 

http://comic.sina.com.cn/kongbai/gong.shtml

 

 

Daisy Music Video

A bit outdated here, but well, good stuff must share mah. Nice music + beautiful scenery + handsome actors + pretty actress + cool professions (assassin, artist, detective) + good plot = good movie.

 

 

http://aiselo.net/jeon/MV/M0003104_700.wmv

 

 

The Man in the High Castle

Just finished the above book, which was written by Philip K Dick. The most well-known work by Philip K Dick is Minority Report and most of his stories have the idea that the universe is only apparently real, an illusion behind which the truth might dwell. (And I love this kind of stories.) Since I think you guys won't bother to find this book and read, I'll just share the story with you here.

 

This story is set in the present times, with one major difference: Allies have lost the Second War World. Nazis and Japanese rules the world, each taking half. The minority people living at the Nazis' side are kinda sad. The Jews and the Blacks are persecuted. The entire African continent is wiped out - it is now a radioactive wasteland. It is hell. People in the Japanese side are generally ok, and eastern cultures and philosophies now seep into the west.

 

One very good example is that the chinese I Ching, The Book of Change is widely used as an oracle by the general public throughout the world. It possess wisdom accumulated for thousands of years - it knows everything: past, present, future. It knows the Way, and people consult it on all matters.

 

In this alternative world, it happens that there is another book that is very popular: it is a novel called The Glasshopper Lies Heavy. In this novel, it depicts a world where allies won the war. Everyone who read the book was facinated by the world depicted in this novel. It becomes a bestseller in areas not controlled by Nazis.

 

So towards the end of the story, the main female character finally found the author of The Glasshopper at the High Castle. She demanded the truth about the novel.

 

"The oracle wrote your book, didn't it?"

 

The author admitted it. He consulted the oracle for at every history's cross junction. One by one he made the choices. Thousands of them. Historic period. Subject. Characters. Plot. It took him years.

 

The main female character, Juliana, then asked, "Why would the oracle write a novel? Why one about Germans and Japanese losing the world? Why that particular story and no other one?"

 

In the end, the two of them finally asked the oracle these questions:

 

"Why did you write The Grasshopper Lies Heavy? What are we supposed to learn?"

 

After they tossed the coins 6 times, they arrived at this:

 

Sun at the top. Tui at the bottom. Empty in the center. The Inner Truth  hexagram.

 

"I know what it means without using the chart. Do you?"

 

"Yes. It means, does it, that my book is true?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Germany and Japan lost the war?" he said disbelievingly.

 

"Yes."

 

The story ends with the author autographed a copy of The Glasshopper for her, and she left.

 

Interesting huh? =)

 

 

A short summary of what I did this week

Played some games - DOTA and Unreal Tourament.

 

Watch My Sassy Girl, a movie I downloaded long long time ago. Very nice and touching story! 4 stars.

 

Planning and finding cast for mystery walk. Rehearsing the cast. Orientate them.

 

Shopping for props and makeup at Bras Basah and Bugis Village.

 

Watched Superman Returns. Is the director trying to compare Superman and God? I rate it 3.5 stars. Stories ain't terribly exciting when the heroes inside are almost godlike.

 

Arranged to meet an old friend to watch 千里走单骑 by 张艺谋 this tuesday. Finally found someone who appreciate one of my favourite directors. 

 

Played basketball.

 

Doing handicraft - making crosses (props) from wood. Cut wood until hand pain.

 

Yesterday is our hall FOC mock camp for senior. Did a tech run for mystery walk. Cast turn-up rate only around 50+%, but I am thankful for those who turned up. From the comments of those who went through the walk, I would say I am quite happy with the progress. At least 50+% of the stations are good and ready.

 

Watch a bit of World Cup when we come back. England vs Portugal first half. Boring dao siao. 0-0 until penalty. Watch until I want to sleep. zzz...

 

Today - ate dim sum with my dad at Suntec. Rented 3 vcds: Election 黑社会 2, Daisy 爱无间, Typhoon 台风. Watched 2. Election is not bad, but somehow I feel very sleepy towards the end of the show. The 2nd one Daisy is better. It captures my attention throughout the show. The girl damn suay, meet 2 guys, all bring bad luck. But the story is quite touching. I am starting to think films starring 全智贤 will be good. 3.5 and 4 stars respectively.

 

Next week's highlights will be: More rehearsals, moving to new room (housewarming anyone?), meeting up with friends, Pirates of the Caribbean maybe?

 

Hopefully next week won't be too bored.