[MD] Kung Fu and the MOQ

[Carl Thames]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Platt Holden" <plattholden at gmail.com>
To: "MOQ Discuss" <moq_discuss at moqtalk.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2010 7:51 AM
Subject: [MD] Kung Fu and the MOQ


> All:
>
> Today's NY Times contains an article entitled "Kung Fu for Philosophers." 
> It
> describes a worldview that goes far beyond the martial arts we in the West
> associate with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and others. A few quotes should 
> pique
> your interest in reading the full article:

Thank you for posting this.  I have been lurking for a while, and plan to 
join the conversation as soon as I'm caught up on the back messages.  I only 
have 10,450 or so to go.  I decided to reply because I have a bit of 
experience with what the article was talking about.  Simply put, the words 
"Kung Fu" transliterate as "Number One" or "Best."  The word "Si" 
transliterates as teacher, ergo Kung Fu Si would mean "Best Teacher."  That 
was mangled a bit, and became "Confucius."  We know that wasn't his name 
anyway.

> "As many scholars have pointed out, the predominant orientation of
> traditional Chinese philosophy is the concern about how to live one's life
> rather than finding out the truth about reality."

This is because the Chinese don't believe we are capable of understanding 
reality.  Essentially the same as the Buddist's approach to God.  We aren't 
capable of conceiving God, so they don't talk about God at all.

> "While an efficacious action may be the result of a sound rational 
> decision,
> a good action that demonstrates kung fu has to rooted in the entire 
> person,
> including one's bodily dispositions and sentiments, and its goodness is
> displayed not only through its consequences but also in the artistic style
> one does it."

In essense, from my perspective, he is saying that your philosophical 
beliefs are really irrelevant.  It's more important to live a good life than 
to hold good beliefs.  Kind of like an athiest who consistently donates to 
worthwhile charities, and practices the golden rule, not because he/she 
believes it will result in some future reward, but because it's the right 
thing to do.  If he/she can do it with style, so much the better.

> And my favorite:
>
> "Only be going beyond conceptual descriptions of reality can one open up 
> to
> the intelligence that is best exemplified through arts like dancing and
> performing."

In other words, "Shut up and DO it?"

> For the full article, go to:
>
> http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/kung-fu-for-philosophers/