Japan
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The Revolutionary and Forgiveness
The revolutionary has no appetite for forgiveness, for he hates the gift that seems suspect to him and the other with whom he could have sealed the future. For the revolutionary, driven by envy, the only form of forgiveness that is proper to him involves the humiliation or death of his opponent in order to celebrate his victory. Continue reading
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original fault
Despite Shûsaku Endo's doubts about the true Christianity of the Japanese, as evoked in the admirable "Silence," it also seems to me that the Japanese have a real fundamental point in common with the Christian in the ease with which they put themselves in the place of the other. Is this not one of the founding bases of Christianity, one Continue reading
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Japan book review
I just finished reading "The Mask of the Samurai," an essay by Aude Fieschi (Editions Philippe Picquier). It's an educational, well-written book that presents the different facets of the Samurai throughout the Japanese Middle Ages until its decline with the advent of modern Japan. Continue reading
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Philia, agapê and other little things…
The Greeks used three words to describe love: eros, carnal love; philia, friendship; and agape, mature, accomplished love. Is love only there to comfort us? Shouldn't we seek to give meaning to love, as to every event in life? Only meaning saves the human condition. Meaning... Continue reading
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Haiku Lessons
To write a haiku, it is essential to respect four qualities: Sabi: simplicity and awareness of the passing of time which alters things and beings Sh?ri: the capacity to suggest the love of humble things Hosomi: the discovery of the beauty of everyday life Karumi: humor which lightens the Continue reading
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Oshio Heihachiro, rebellion samurai
To fully understand Oshio Heihachiro's actions, it is important to understand that they are dictated by an anti-revolutionary character and will. Nothing in Oshio Heihachiro's attitude is intended to challenge the established order. Oshio Heihachiro knows the system is perfectible, but also functional. What makes the system less efficient has more to do with the people than with the Continue reading