Love Botanical Illutrations , flowers are like whole ecosytems , Mother Nature is the ultimate designer !
Henry George Moon an English landscape and botanical painter, loved nature and is noted for his orchid paintings. His Illustrations were featured in “Reichenbachia”, a monthly publication named in honour of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach of Hamburg, the great orchidologist.
Goat-fucius say, “They told him, ‘Don’t you ever come around here. Don’t wanna see your face. You better disappear.’ The fire’s in their eyes and their words are really clear, So bleat it, just bleat it.”
This morning I was invited to join my teacher friend and her daughter, Rose, at her Confucius class. The parents and children read Confucius sayings and poems over and over again. The students are required to sit up straight in class and bow to their teacher and to a picture of Confucius when the walk into class. Besides reading, today the teacher also taught the students how to bow correctly. Pointing out how you must go 90 degrees when you bow to someone important, like a teacher. I guess it was the first time a foreigner attended the class because at the end the teacher asked me to say a few words to the class. I didn’t have time to prepare anything insightful to say so I just told them things like study hard and say thank you to their parents… The homework of this class was a list of things the student needs to do. This list said things like, say good morning to your parents, keep your room clean, help clean the chopsticks after dinner and study your school work. Even though there was never time for me to learn the translations of the poems we were saying, I really loved the class. I think it is a great way for children of today to connect with the history of their culture and learn how to be a good person.
Less grammatical but more sensible than the one before it - Sexy Yiwu County
(I still want to know who Confucius’s intellectual influences were, though. There were a ton of philosophers in the Spring and Autumn. Surely he at least had Sophist-equivalents he admired…)
Nearly endless in its beautiful varieties, the orchid flower almost seems to float on air as it invites one to contemplate its beauty. There are over 30,000 different varieties of wild orchids growing across this Earth, from the jungles of the equator to the arctic tundra and everywhere in-between! That’s not even counting over 200,000 hybridized varieties that florists have bred into existence. Orchids come in so many different varieties which love so many different growing conditions that, no matter where your garden, you’re sure to find a variety that’s right for you!
Energy ~ Feminine Planet ~ Venus Element ~ Water Deities ~ Aphrodite, Qu Yan
Most varieties of orchids grow in jungle conditions, clinging to tree bark with thick white roots that are adept at drawing out moisture and nutrients. Because these varieties like to grow high in the tree tops, they’re ravenous for intense sunlight and thrive on 12-hour days — close to midsummer conditions in temperate regions. Many varieties of orchids are difficult to grow, to be sure; even professional growers can struggle to bring them to bloom! But even if your thumb isn’t quite green enough to get these fussy flowers to take to your garden, there are dozens of natural varieties and hundreds of hybridized species who are perfectly content to grow on a windowsill or under lights.
If you want to give your orchid the best possible chance of growing, do thorough research into which varieties are the best fit for your region, and purchase the most mature plant you can: younger plants are very difficult to please. If possible, buy it while it’s in bloom — that way you’ll immediately know what you’re striving for! While there are simply too many varieties of orchid to give general growing instructions for all of them, a look at the plant’s physical characteristics should give some clues. Plants with few or leathery leaves will likely prefer high-light environments, while plants with soft, limp leaves are probably light-sensitive and should not be placed in sunny south-facing windows.
In addition to one variety of orchid being our source for vanilla, the tuberous root of the plant is filled with a highly-nutritious and starchy substance, which is famous for a sweetish taste and somewhat unpleasant smell. This substance, known as bassorin, can be used to replace starch as a reserve material, or to make a drink known as salep — named after an Arabic word for orchid — which was sold in stalls from the Middle East to the streets of London until being supplanted by coffee. In addition to this drink’s purported rejuvenating properties (being lauded as a strengthening and demulcent or anti-inflammatory agent), Chinese medicine has recorded uses for orchids dating back over 3,000 years, noting varieties of the Dendrobium genus of orchids as one of nine ‘faery herbs’ said to be a gift from heaven. Different types of orchids are used in remedies for a huge variety of purposes, ranging from improving memory to treating rheumatism to even easing the symptoms of tuberculosis! Many cultures, including Greece and China, use the plant as an aphrodisiac, and orchid fragrance is also used in perfume and aromatherapy.
In terms of magick, old texts tell of witches using orchid tubers in their philters, the fresh tuber being given to promote true love whilst the withered one checks wrongful passions. Culpepper refers to orchids as being under “the dominion of Venus,” and tells us that, among other things, when “being bruised and applied to the place” they cure the King’s Evil. Orchids also correspond to beauty and elegance, expressing uniqueness, ecstasy, spiritual intuition, and Goddess energy. Some varieties of orchids are also used in creating visions, entering trance-states, and inducing psychic powers.
Confucius wrote many poems on the orchid’s beauty, and even based some of his teachings on this delicate flower! He wrote, “The orchids grow in the woods and they let out their fragrance even if there is no one around to appreciate it. Likewise, men of noble character will not let poverty deter their will to be guided by high principles and morals.” Whether you ascribe to the teachings of Confucius or not, the many multitudes of orchid varieties have a great deal to give us on all levels of our life: whether contemplating them philosophically, utilizing their medicinal properties, or simply savoring their beauty, orchids are a treasure to be cherished.
Different colors of orchid have different meanings, but generally speaking, in flower language it means “Love, Beauty, and Refinement.”
Hi guys! I recently joined this Australian site for book lovers, called Bookon. It’s basically a digital marketplace for books. It’s similar to Ebay’s concept without auctions and specifically made for books. It’s currently the largest book marketplace in Australia where you can find thousands of study notes, textbooks, novels, references, study books or any kind of books. Whether you are…
Went to Half Price Book Store- found a gorgeous hardcopy of the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. I read it last year and it was fabulous. I recommend. Still looking for the upcoming Aeschylus, Confucius, and Sophocles. Publishers need to make more good translations that are pretty classics too.
For anyone who wants to read with me the beginning of the Mother of All Book lists is as follows (looks crappy when you realize that I’m still on 3- but I have read a lot of these already, just not in context):
1800 BC Anonymous. The Epic of Gilgamesh
1000 BC Vyasa. The Mahabharata
900 BC Sage Ved Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita (Part of the Mahabharata) *date unknown
855 BC Homer. The Odyssey.
850 BC Homer. The Iliad
512 BC Sun Tzu. The Art of War (Recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian)
500 BC Lao Tsu. Tao te Ching
500 BC Mencius. The Book of Mencius
480 BC Aeschylus. Prometheus Bound.
479 BC Confucius. The Sayings
478 BC Confucius. The Analects
472 BC Aeschylus. The Persians
467 BC Aeschylus. Seven Against Thebes
463 BC Aeschylus. Suppliant Maidens
458 BC Aeschylus. Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, Eumenides(The Oresteia Trilogy)
450 BC Sophocles. Ajax
450 BC Sophocles. Trichinae
441 BC Sophocles. Antigone
438 BC Euripides. Alcestis
431 BC Thucydides. The History of the Peloponnesian War.
Confucianism is a complex school of thought, sometimes also referred to as a religion, revolving around the principles of the Chinese philosopher Kong Zi (westernized: Confucius). It was developed in the Spring and Autumn Period during the Zhou Dynasty. Main concepts of this philosophy include Ru (humaneness), righteousness, propriety/etiquette, loyalty, and filial piety, along with a strict adherence to social roles. This is illustrated through the five main relationships Confucius interpreted to be the core of society: ruler-subject, father-son, husband-wife, elder brother-younger brother, and friend-friend. In these bonds, the latter must pay respect to and serve the former, while the former is bound to care for the latter.
The following quotation is from the Analects, a compilation of Confucius’ sayings and teachings, written after his death by his disciples. “The superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease.” ― Confucius, The Analects of Confucius
This quotation exemplifies Confucius’ idea of the junzi (Chinese: 君子) or gentleman. Originally this expression referred to “the son of a ruler”, but Confucius redefined this concept to mean behavior (in terms of ethics and values such as loyalty and righteousness) instead of mere social status.[3]
Taoism
Taoism, or Daoism, is a philosophy centered on the belief that life is normally happy, but should be lived with balance and virtue. Its origin can be traced back to the late 4th century B.C and the main thinkers representative of this teaching are LaoziandZhuangzi. Key components of Daoism are Dao (the Way) and immortality, along with a stress on balance found throughout nature. There is less emphasis on extremes and instead focuses on the interdependence between things. For example, the yin/yang symbol does not exemplify good or evil. It shows that there are two sides to everything -“Within the Yang there exists the Yin and vice versa.”
The basis of Taoist philosophy is the idea of “wu wei”, often translated as “not doing”. But, in practice, it refers to an in-between state of “not doing” and “being, but not acting”. This concept also overlaps with an idea in Confucianism as Confucius similarly believed that a perfect sage could rule without taking action. Two other assumptions in the Taoist system are 1) any extreme action can initiate a counteraction of equal extremity and 2) excessive government can become tyrannical and unjust, even government created with good intentions.
The following is a quote from the Dao De Jing, one of the main texts in Daoist teachings. “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing)
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion that is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. The main principles of this belief system are karma, reincarnation, and impermanence. Buddhists believe that life is full of suffering, but that suffering can be overcome by attaining enlightenment. Nirvana (a state of perfect happiness) can be obtained by breaking away from (material) attachments and purifying the mind. However, different doctrines vary on the practices and paths followed in order to do so. Meditation serves as a significant part in practicing Buddhism. This calming and working of the mind helps Buddhists strive to become more peaceful and positive, while developing wisdom through solving everyday problems. The negative mental states that are sought to be overcome are called “delusions”, while the positive mental states are called “virtuous minds”.Another concept prominent in the Buddhist belief system is the Eight-Fold Path. The Eight-Fold Path is the fourth of the Four Noble Truths, which is said to be the first of all Buddha’s teachings.It stresses areas in life that can be explored and practice, such as right speech and right intention.
