Wu-Tang Clan

The first reading in chapter one of our text Pursuing Happiness, edited by Mathew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski, presents material translated from The TaoTeChing. I studied multiple sources to find more about this ancient text, and in the paragraphs below I will discuss the meaning of Tao its self, the author behind the work, and how Taoism has grown and changed through the centuries up to present time. Taoism is a religion that originated in china approximately 2,400 years ago. The main…

A bird does not strive to be a better bird, nor a fish lives in angst because he cannot fly. One miraculously discovers one's authentic self within the harmony and balance of the natural order of all that is. In the ‘Tao Te Ching’, 6th century B.C. Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, introduces the Tao as the undefinable inherent truth; the key to unlocking the ebb and flow of a joyous nonresistant life; to the bewilderment of those who choose to suffer the endless cycle of anxiety, worry and fear.…

A thousand years ago the culture of refined elegance blossomed around Japan 's imperial court. this era known as the Heian period gave rise to Monogatari one of the masterpieces of world literature spanning 54 chapters.The tale of Genji is an epic novel of romance.It is written by Murasaki Shikibu a remarkable woman who lived at the hand court.The book vividly depicts the life of the aristocrats , describing the joys and sorrows woven into tapestry of court life. It tells the tale of a noble…

The Heian Period, was a period of both chaos and beauty. Marked with the decline of the imperial family, and the rise of the Fujiwara Regency, the Heian period was filled with dramatic shifts of power, and the emergence of new political and economic powers. While literature and the arts prospered in court, as seen with the Tales of Genji, greed and manipulation also bled throughout. From the rise of the imperial statehood, and to the dominance of the aristocracy, the Heian Period was muddled…

There are different perspectives for each and every event that happens. Rensho killed Atsumori, a young general, and has regretted ever since for taking away a young life. Atsumori on the other hand, after death, he had wandered around for years before coming across Rensho whom he asked to help him move on to the next life. In the beginning, they were enemies and one person had killed the other. At the end, none of the events had changed except for the fact that the two became friends instead.…

Two stories Hojoki and Tales of the Heike through various views to provide the different information about the late twelfth century of Japan. In story Hojoki, it focuses on author Kamo no Chomei’s personal experiences to describe a horrible period of time. It shows normal people were struggling for their life while the natural disasters occurred repeatedly. Those disasters including conflagration, whirlwind, famine, and earthquake. The story emphasizes that there were lots of people suffering…

“The Tale of Genji” and “The Account of my Ten Foot Square Hut” are classical sources of Japanese art. Both of these pieces date a long way back and contain valuable information about olden days Japanese history and religion. “The Tale of Genji” and “The Account of my Ten Foot Square Hut” are written in completely different styles, tell completely contrasting stories, and were written at different times. However, the two texts shed light on one historical period, namely the Heian period. The…

In The Tale of Genji Mappō is an immense theme within its story. Mappō is a term popular in the Heian Period used to describe the ideal that nothing lasts and that one day all good things must come to an end. The Tale of Genji has many scenarios in which Mappō is shown such as that many girls Genji had fallen for and wanted to spend his life with them ended up dying; some of them being Yugao, Aoi, and Murasaki. The deaths of his lovers and all the betrayal plus his exile show Mappō to its…

Concept of Love In the Fictional Tale “The Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu is a story that provides a direct insight into socio political life of the Heian period in Japan. In this tale we are able to identify the standards of life that were expected of the aristocrats during the Heian period. The social nature is heavily depicted in this story as are many relationships of the characters in this story. Many of the relationships presented are romantic relationships that surround the prince…

The Uji chapters, a story of Kaoru and Niou after Genji’s death, are obviously different from the previous chapters as the main protagonist of the Tale of Genji, Genji, is not present; however these chapters also shares many similarity with the previous chapters as the story is continued with the characters related to Genji. As a result, the Uji chapters are often considered a resolution to the problems and conflicts begun in the rest of Genji. I disagree to this claim since I think a conclusion…