Reading Du Fu

Some friends and I are reading Du Fu in David Young’s translation. Here’s what Ye Xie (1627-1703) had to say about him– “Take any one of Du Fu’s poems, or even one line, and everywhere…

The Way It Looked in 1923

Any native people (It’s all the same whether they are civilized or savage) Views their country as their national home Of which they will always be the complete masters They will not voluntarily allow Not…

He Would Have Never Gotten Tenure

The thing is to get under the students’ skin and arouse enough enthusiasm that they get under their own skin.  This means allowing yourself to be yourself in class. My own best teachers were WC…

This Is It!

Think about arranging the present as best you can, with serene mind. All else is carried away as by a river…. While we are talking, jealous time has fled. So seize the day, and do…

Troublemakers (The Prophetic/2)

The major activity of the prophets was interference Remonstrating about wrongs inflicted on other people Meddling in affairs which were seemingly neither their concern Nor their responsibility A prudent woman is she who minds her…

Don’t Be Swayed

Dear Bella If you’ve practiced lojong previously Then you can practice lojong now This morning I woke up Thinking of you And one of my favorite slogans “Don’t be swayed by external circumstances” So simple!…

The Way It Looked in 1973

In March 1973 Israel’s prime minister Golda Meir Paid a visit to Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger Politicians shmooze as easily as they breathe Meir was grateful for US support of Israel And urged the…

Revision

The poet W. H. Auden said “The funniest and kindest of mortals Are those who are most aware of the baffle of being” (A friend named Rex used this quotation In an inscription to me…