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20th February 2012
Beautiful Sentiments 美麗的心情
Beautiful Sentiments
(席慕容 Xi Murong，Translation: Aka）
Let’s pretend
Joy and Sorrow, are
Life is a train
racing to reach the next stop
the twin tracks following
closely behind me Sometimes they may blur into
each other
Or, they pass by
much too hurried Unless you slow down
and observe the past from afar
only then
would you taste the bittersweet
of clarity And so, only when it
is already too late
could you properly discern
these regretless,
beautiful sentiments.
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美麗的心情
假如生命是一列
疾馳而過的火車
快樂和傷悲 就是
那兩條鐵軌
在我身後 緊緊追隨
所有的時刻都很倉皇而又模糊
除非你能停下來 遠遠地回顧
只有在回首的剎那
才能得到一種清明的
酸辛 所以 也只有
在太遲了的時候
才能細細揣摩出 一種
無悔的 美麗的 心情 -
13th February 2012
Predestined 前緣
Predestined
(席慕容 Xi Murong，Translation: Aka）If people may have multiple
lifetimes
If reincarnation indeed
exists –
then, my Love
what were we
in our previous encountersIf you were
a maiden
picking lotuses
on the riverbanks of Jiangnan
I, must had
been the blossom that slipped
your fair fingersIf you were
a young child
skipping out on school
I, must had
been the brand new marble
that fell from your pocket
onto the side paths
and watched you walk away,
without noticing
my disappearanceIf you were
a devout student of Buddha
silently praying in the great hall
I, must had
been the strand of incense
accompanying you in meditation
as I slowly became
nothing but a scentPerhaps, because of this
when I met you in
this life
I felt that
our fates were once
intertwinedI knew, yet, alas,
I could not speak it,
I could not explain it
I could not tell you
how we were
predestined.
---T/N: Took a bit of liberties on this one… for the sake of art! :D Happy V-day!
前緣
人若真能轉世 世間若真有輪迴
那麼 我的愛 我們前世曾經是什麼 你 若曾是江南採蓮的女子
我 必是你皓腕下錯過的那朵 你 若曾是逃學的頑童
我 必是從你袋中掉下的那顆嶄新的彈珠
在路旁的草叢中 目送你毫不知情地遠去 你若曾是面壁的高僧 我必是殿前的那一柱香
焚燒著 陪伴過你一段靜默的時光
因此 今生相逢 總覺得有些前緣未盡
卻又很恍忽 無法仔細地去分辨 無法一一地向你說出 -
5th February 2012
Fate’s Awakening 緣起
Fate’s Awakening
(席慕容 Xi Murong，Translation: Aka）Amidst the water lilies
I entrusted my life
to youThere was no time
to ponder
to contemplate
to considerThere was nothing
we could have planned.Before the interlocking folds
of lotus leaves
you turned and glanced
at methat was when
all was settled
on just such an afternoon
filled with the fragrance
of flowers
in full bloom.---
T/N: Happy Chinese V-day! :D
緣起
就在眾荷之間
我把我的一生都
交付給你了
沒有什麼可以斟酌
可以來得及盤算
是的 沒有什麼
可以由我們來安排的啊
在千層萬層的蓮葉之前
當你一回眸
有很多事情就從此決定了
在那樣一個 充滿了
花香的 午後
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19th January 2012
By Your Side 與你同行
By Your Side
(席慕容 Xi Murong，Translation: Aka）I have always wanted to
walk with you
on that beautiful
mountain trail.
Gentle winds, fluffy clouds
and you by my side,
listening to my
joy-filled and
grateful Heart.Really, mine is a tiny
Yet what greeted me
insignificant wish:
just the memory of one
such summer day
just to have lived
that once.
day after day
were unexpected events
and so many trivial mistakes
that slowly rifted a gulf
between you and I
Alas, tonight, I finally
understand
All the joy and sorrow
have become
dying embers amid ashes
No matter which path I take
I would never again be
by your side.
與你同行
我一直想要 和你一起
走上那條美麗的山路
有柔風 有白雲 有你在我身旁
傾聽我快樂和感激的心 我的要求其實很微小
只要有過那樣的一個夏日
只要走過 那樣的一次 而朝我迎來的 日復以夜
卻都是一些不被料到的安排
還有那麼多瑣碎的錯誤
將我們慢慢地慢慢地隔開
讓今夜的我 終於明白 所有的悲歡都已成灰燼
任世間哪一條路
我都不能
與你同行 -
13th January 2012
Search for Destiny V: Dreams do come true
Humans dream - that’s one of the things that set us apart from other animals. We aspire to be great, or go somewhere wonderful, or do something amazing. Then we age, we experience setbacks, we become jaded, we give up, and resign ourselves to living a life deemed worthy by others. That’s all fine… except when we are not truly happy.
That’s how I was before until… I decided not to be.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with living a life that is socially accepted and endorsed by others. If one is completely happy, that is wonderful. The problem is that many people think there is no other way around it – they must live this way because they can’t achieve their dreams. This article really says something about having faith in yourself and your own wisdom. There’s a saying in Chinese “三歲定八十” (how you are when you are 80 is already determined by the time you are three). While that may sound a bit bleak, take heart – it does not mean that your life is set in stone before you have conscious memory of who you are. It just means that your fundamental personality is usually set when you’re still very young. Though that does not mean you cannot change it with events that happen in your life. It means that when you’re really young, you have more clarity to see what you truly want, before all the worldly conventions change your mind.
Looking back to the articles that I wrote when I first started this blog, back to when I haven’t found my way (and the ups and downs of nomadic life), it’s rather a huge change compared to now, something that many of my closest and longest friends have noticed as well. This is the final installment of the Finding Destiny Series, because I have found my Destiny: The Teacher and Mediator. Hereon I am going to write a series about lessons I have learned in life and explain them through my personal experiences. And the journey continues.
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5th January 2012
The Four Seasons 四季
The Four Seasons
（席慕容 Xi Murong，Translation: Aka）1.
Let me believe, my love
that this is my story
Just like, letting me believe that
Letting it bloom
Letting it bloom
is the entire story
of Spring.2.
If you can forget, then perhaps
I can as well
Let all the tears
freeze upon my heart
Or let them decorate the peerless sky
of a Summer Night.3.
When the wind rises
all I can do is
tighten my collar
to protect my still-strumming heart
from the intrusion of
Autumn.4.
Because I could not grow
where it would snow
in my lifetime,
I could not utter that wish.
I was a transplanted evergreen
My love – you are that land in the far North
Winter, my home.
四季
1
讓我相信 親愛的
這是我的故事
就好像 讓我相信
花開 花開
就是整個春季的歷史2
你若能忘記 那麼
我應該也可以
把所有的淚珠都冰凝在心中
或者 將它們綴上
那夏夜的無垠的天空3
而當風起的時候
我也只不過緊一緊衣裾
護住我那仍在低唱的心
不讓秋來偷聽4
只為 不能長在落雪的地方
終我一生 無法說出那個盼望
我是一棵被移植的針葉木
親愛的 你是那極北的
冬日的故土 -
23rd October 2011
Blog name change
The time has come: It is time to end Notes of a Desolate Libra.
This doesn't mean that I'm going to stop writing my blog or that there'll be an earthshaking change to the content. It'll still be an odd mix of the cocktail of interests I have as well as accounts of my odd journey through life and the lessons learned. It's just the name that will be changed.
The change was actually way overdue. I'm still a Libra of course, but I don't think anyone (including myself) will refer to me as "desolate" anymore. So the name of the blog no longer reflected who I was in my life path, and this had been true for over a year.
SO! Despite that I still love the book Notes of a Desolate Man, from which the original name of this blog was derived (I'm sure no one knew or cared :p), I don't think it's appropriate to hold on to something simply because it represented me at one point in my life.
We all have to grow, and we all have to walk our path. The new name of this blog is "Walking the Dao." This is a pun (yes, it's intended) on the word Dao, which means "the [Natural] Way [of the Universe]" or literally just "a path." I am not sure what I will find on my personal path of the Dao, but I'll try to enjoy every single moment of it. And you should too.
And for those of you who would like to follow me (for whatever reason), my RSS feeds have changed over the years due to my moving my blog around. If you still wish to follow me, just set your RSS feed to download from aka-c.com, because I don't plan on changing my domain.
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19th October 2011
Thoughts Under the Moon
Thoughts Under the Moon
By: Bai Ju Yi (Translation: Aka)The times are hard
The year is barren
Our fortunes are robbed
Our homes lay abandonedMy brothers, they fled
Each forced to travel afar
Some here, some there
Separated and desolateGardens stay unattended
The battles taking their tolls
Family forced apart
Wandering along lost paths.Our solitary shadows
Reflected in the lone flying wild geese
In our veins flows the same blood
Yet we are scattered Like the leaves cut from their roots
And taken by the Autumn gustTogether in separation
We weep as we face
The Omnipresent moon
On this night our thoughts synchronize
Our hearts unite in our hometown
Despite our distance, miles apart.〈望月有感〉白居易
時難年荒世業空，弟兄羈旅各西東。田園寥落干戈後，骨肉流離道路中。
弔影分為千里雁，辭根散作九秋蓬。共看明月應垂淚，一夜鄉心五處同。 -
11th October 2011
Bidding Farwell to Xin Jian at the Hibiscus House
Bidding Farwell to Xin Jian at the Hibiscus House
By: Wang Chang Ling (Translation: Aka)Overnight
a chilly mist entered Wu*
shrouded the river
and connected the water and rainDaybreak
I see my friend off
facing the mountains of Chu
which stand, over the image of its solitudeShould my friends and family in Luoyang
ask of me, let them know that:
My heart is ever transparent
just as that peerless core of ice
shining in the jade vase in which it is held.*Wu: The area that was ruled by the Wu during the time of the Three Kingdoms.
〈芙蓉樓送辛漸〉王昌齡
寒雨連江夜入吳，平明送客楚山孤。洛陽親友如相問，一片冰心在玉壺。
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17th September 2011
Discourse on the Similarities Between the Use of Herbal Medicine and Tactics in War
Discourse on the Similarities Between the Use of Herbal Medicine and Tactics in War
XU Dachun (1693-1771) / Translation: Aka
The Sages were able to sustain the lives of their people through the following: the five grains to nourish, the five fruits to assist, the five livestock to benefit, and the five vegetables to fill. As for toxic herbs, they were used to combat pathogens. Even with [herbs such as] Gancao, Renshen, improper use would lead to harm, [since they] still belong to toxic herbs. In antiquity, people who practiced consumption of pills(1) would inevitably have many ailments befall [them]. This was similar to people who were eager to engage and prove themselves in war, [they] inevitably would be met with many disasters. Therefore, the purpose of keeping an army is to eliminate those who are vile and cruel, and [it] should not be deployed unless absolutely necessary. The purpose of preparing herbs is to fight disease, also not to be used unless absolutely necessary. The way of both is the same.
The problem with disease is that a minor one will injure the essence, and a severe one can harm one’s life, as if it is a potential enemy state. By using the specific properties of plants to fight the specific excesses of the Zang Fu organs, [one] will then be able to become as familiar with one’s enemy as one does with oneself, use many methods to defeat it, as well as avert the danger of death. Therefore, with a pathogen that is being transmitted through the channels, one must first control where it has not yet reached, which would effectively cut off the enemy’s vital passageway. For diseases that are severe and acute, one must act quickly to protect that which has not taken ill; this is the same as safeguarding one’s defense fortresses. For those who are sick due to stagnant food, eliminate the food, which would be the same as destroying the enemy’s food storage. Those who become sick and already have a preexisting illness, it is vital to prevent them from becoming combined. This is the same as eliminating the undercover enemy agents in one’s own camps. To correctly identify the diseased channels and not use herbs haphazardly, this can be viewed as an army being led by a guide. Identifying heat and cold, then using contrary methods to treat [them], this is considered alienating the enemy troops against one another. To treat different parts of one disease separately, one can employ the method of using one to defeat many, and cause [the enemy] to be unable to connect between its own camps, which would weaken its momentum. When treating many diseases together, then one should combine one’s forces and attack the enemy’s control center, which would disperse the enemy and take away its leader, causing it to fall into shambles. When the disease is first entering [the body], avoid where it is the strongest, but instead secure one’s Yuanqi, and thereby leisurely wait for it to weaken. When the disease is starting to recede, then one must chase the retreating troops, gather and sharpen one’s weapons and head straight for the source.
If one is deficient and has a pathogen, then the attacking tactics cannot be overly aggressive. Use harmonizing herbs as a base and supplement them with harsher herbs. This is the same as when a country is in decline, do not further exhaust its resources to their entirety. If one has an excess pathogen, then the attacks must be quick and strong. Use harsh and powerful herbs, and harmonize them with milder herbs. This is the same as for a rich country, one can further strengthen its fighting power. However, the selection of herbs must be appropriate, the tools used must be in good condition, the timing must not be delayed, [and] the methods employed must have purpose. The ways are numerous and cannot be all included in here. In the thirteen Chapter’s of Sun Zi’s Art of War, the ways to treat diseases are fully explored.
(1) Refers to the practice of Daoist priests to consume pills made from a variety herbs, often including cinnabar, which the priests believed would provide benefits such as prolonging life and nourishing the essence.
T/N: Translated 8/31/11 for Dr. Baibing Zhu @ACTCM
用药如用兵论
徐大椿（清）
圣人之所以全民生也，五谷为养，五果为助，五畜为益，五菜为充。而毒药则以之攻邪，故虽甘草、人参，误用致害，皆毒药之类也。古人好服食者，必生奇疾，犹之好战胜者，必有奇殃。是故兵之设也以除暴，不得已而后兴；药之设也以攻疾，亦不得已而后用，其道同也。
故病之为患也，小则耗精，大则伤命，隐然一敌国也。以草木偏性，攻脏腑之偏胜，必能知彼知己。多方以制之，而后无丧身殒命之忧。是故传经之邪，而先夺其未至，则所以断敌之耍道也；横暴之疾，而急保其未病，则所以守我之岩疆也。挟宿食而病者，先除其食，则敌之资粮已焚；合旧疾而发者，必防其并，则敌之内应既绝。办经络而无泛用之药，此之谓向导之师；因寒热而有反用之方，此之谓行间之术。一病而分治之，则用寡可以胜众，使前后不相救，而势自衰；数病而合治之，则并力捣其中坚，使离散无所统，而众悉溃。病方进，则不治其太甚，固守元气，所以老其师；病方衰，则必穷其所之，更益精锐，所以捣其穴。
若夫虚邪之体，攻不可过，本和平之药，而以峻药补之，衰敝之日不可穷民力也；实邪之伤，攻不可缓，用峻厉之药，而以常药和之，富强之国可以振威武也。然而选材必当，器械必良，克期不愆，布阵有方，此又不可更仆数也。孙武子十三篇，治病之法尽之矣。
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Sze K. Aka Chan's Posterous
歸去，也無風雨也無晴。
Walking the Fool's Journey.78387 ViewsTwitterFacebook -
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