Monthly Archives: July 2006

The first principle

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When one goes to Obaku temple in Kyoto he sees carved over the gate the words “The First Principle”. The letters are unusually large, and those who appreciate calligraphy always admire them as being a mastepiece. They were drawn by Kosen two hundred years ago.

When the master drew them he did so on paper, from which the workmen made the large carving in wood. As Kosen sketched the letters a bold pupil was with him who had made several gallons of ink for the calligraphy and who never failed to criticise his master’s work.

“That is not good,” he told Kosen after his first effort.

“How is this one?”

“Poor. Worse than before,” pronounced the pupil.

Kosen patiently wrote one sheet after another until eighty-four First Principles had accumulated, still without the approval of the pupil.

Then when the young man stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen thought: “Now this is my chance to escape his keen eye,” and he wrote hurriedly, with a mind free from distraction: “The First Principle.”

“A masterpiece,” pronounced the pupil.

The Last Leap

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All is over! fleet career,
Dash of greyhound slipping thongs,
Flight of falcon, bound of deer,
Mad hoof-thunder in our rear,
Cold air rushing up our lungs,
Din of many tongues.

Once again, one struggle good,
One vain effort; — he must dwell
Near the shifted post, that stood
Where the splinters of the wood,
Lying in the torn tracks, tell
How he struck and fell.

Crest where cold drops beaded cling,
Small ear drooping, nostril full,
Glazing to a scarlet ring,
Flanks and haunches quivering,
Sinews stiff’ning, void and null,
Dumb eyes sorrowful.

Satin coat that seems to shine
Duller now, black braided tress,
That a softer hand than mine
Far away was wont to twine,
That in meadows far from this
Softer lips might kiss.

All is over! this is death,
And I stand to watch thee die,
Brave old horse! with ‘bated breath
Hardly drawn through tight-clenched teeth,
Lip indented deep, but eye
Only dull and dry.

Musing on the husk and chaff
Gather’d where life’s tares are sown,
Thus I speak, and force a laugh
That is half a sneer and half
An involuntary groan,
In a stifled tone –

“Rest, old friend! thy day, though rife
With its toil, hath ended soon;
We have had our share of strife,
Tumblers in the mask of life,
In the pantomime of noon
Clown and pantaloon.

“With the flash that ends thy pain
Respite and oblivion blest
Come to greet thee. I in vain
Fall: I rise to fall again:
Thou hast fallen to thy rest –
And thy fall is best!”

- Adam Lindsay Gordon

Romeo and Juliet – ACT I – Prologue

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Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

the mind roams in heaven

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Sometimes the mind is still.
There is no anxiety, and the heart is clear throughout.
Then it is said that even though the body is in the human realm, the mind roams in heaven. 

However in one day an ordinary person transmigrates countless times, during which he rarely keeps the human mind, much less roams in heaven.

- Master Torei (1721-1792)

Terrain

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There are different kinds of terrain in nature. Some terrain is easily accessible, some is entrapping, some temporizing, some constricted, some precipitous and some distant.What terrain is accessible? Ground that is easy for both your troops and the enemy’s to move across is called accessible terrain. If you enter the accessible region, you should first take high and sunny positions and keep your supply routes unimpeded. This is convenient for you to fight with the enemy.

- Sun Tzu

Winter beef stew

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I always like to make a beef stew during winter. Its a great solid warmer and the left-overs are great for lunch.

Ingredients:

500g chuck or topside beef
tablespoon olive oil
1/2 brown onion
2 large carrots
1/2 litre good stock
3 large washed potatoes
handful diced pumpkin
400g Borlotti Beans
cupful of cauliflower chopped.
Recipe:

Cube the beef into 1-2cm cubes. I prefer them larger but my family likes them smaller.

In a large saucepan add a tablespoon of olive oil.

Add the cubed beef and cook until sealed. Add the onion in large chunks and let it caramelise during the process.

Add the stock so it covers the beef, bring it to the boil, and then turn it down to simmer.

Add one potatoe. I prefer to leave the skins on as this helps to stop the potatoe turning into starch.

Add the carrots cut into decent sized pieces.

Cook for 2 hours on simmer, then add the other carrot, and the rest of the potatoe.

Cook for half an hour then add the pumpkin

Cook for half an hour then add the borlotti’s and the cauliflower.

Cook for half an hour on simmer then turn off.

The early potato will thicken the sauce, while the latter additions maintain their integrity. If you cutt the meat too small it will almost have disappeared by this stage.