When I was younger, I was enchanted with the mystery of the Orient. The Far East. What we call today, East Asia. Their culture was certainly advanced, it produced the Tale of Genji, Zen Buddhism, Taoism, beautiful paintings and calligraphy, karate and judo, all manners of popular cuisine, etc...
I read a book of Chinese proverbs when I was young, and later on in youth, studied the Tao Te Ching, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Judo, and Manga. The east has a lot to offer.
But now as I mature, I remember one Chinese medicine teacher saying, 'west same stupid as the east' in regards to pop music and how the sentience is rooted in the heart and not the brain. And it stoned me. Maybe I've overlooked Western culture a bit over the years?
The West, especially the Ancient Greeks, formed the foundation of all world culture, not just Europe and later North America. I am only now starting to acquaint myself with the wisdom and practical use of the Stoics. And pinterest helps a lot with that. Instead of reading Plato, Aristotle, or any other Hellenic Greek philosopher, I can get quotes from pinterest and it saves me time.
I've always been a fan of Nietzsche, ever since I first read a Kaufman translation in SUNY Stonybrook in 1997. But now he is my hero. He lived in the 1800's but began his studies as a professor of Greek and Roman Philosophy, the classics of Western culture. Nietzsche was deep. And he had a sense of humor and a knack for brevity. All good qualities.
Some Eastern stuff is over-rated. Like vegetarianism, which is rooted in sympathy for animals and the belief that we may reincarnate as animals, or animals may reincarnate as humans. But the mystics of Judaism know that a human soul is not something sought after, it is something created, and animal souls are lower than human souls. So eating meat is a good deed, not a murder of an innocent animal. When we eat meat, we spiritually elevate a low soul into the body of a human being. And human beings are the apex of creation, beginning with Adam Kadmon, the first man.
There are a hundred flaws in Eastern culture and civilization and my point is not to bash anyone. My point is to say, the West has a rich culture that should not be overlooked when seeking the mysterious. Neither should Africa or the culture of the Americas before Columbus and Cortez.
In conclusion, I would like to quote Shakespearre who said, 'there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy.' He meant, truth is stranger than fiction. What God created is vastly superior to anything man can create. So let us sit back and wonder at his marvelous design.
I want to end this post with a picture, a picture I drew, as a token of this little blog post. Something to remember it by.
Shaman and Drum
This simple drawing with a gradient background is my copy of a 18th century wood engraving by a European and their interpretation of a native American shaman doing a ritual dance. At once, it spans Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and we all know the Africans are no strangers to ritual and possession either. Shamans led primitive society. That is all for now.
