WARRIORS, TOMBS AND TEMPLES: CHINA`S ENDURING LEGACY

Our wonderful local Orange County Museum, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, has some great exhibitions from China going on right now. If you are in or near Orange County you will want to make sure to catch these rare finds.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 - SUNDAY, MARCH 04, 2012

Follow this exhibition through the underworld empires of three of the most formative dynasties in Chinese history: the Qin, the Han and the Tang, each a high point of culture and technology, looked back to with pride by Chinese people and admired by others today. The treasures that accompanied China’s rulers and elites in the afterlife, and the spectacular gold and silver offerings placed in their temples, speak to the incredible accomplishments of an ancient culture whose descendants still live on today.

The exhibition features the famous life-size terra cotta warriors, protector of China’s first emperor Qin Shihuangdi, whose mausoleum complex is considered the eighth wonder of the world. Newly excavated, the painted garments and armor are clearly visible thanks to new conservation techniques. Smaller in scale but equally impressive are some of the more than 40,000 smiling terra cotta warriors from the imperial tomb compounds of Han emperors Gaozu and Jingdi. They are presented in combination with concubines, animals and a multitude of objects that insured a lavish and comfortable afterlife.

The royal and elite tombs from the Tang Dynasty were stocked with riches clearly tied to the trade of exotic goods along the Silk Road. Dazzling gold ornaments, tomb guardians, a mural depicting a game of polo and many other luxuries illustrate the taste of Tang elites and the era’s connection with the West. And, for the first time in the United States, come gold, silver and gemstone treasures deposited into the treasure-crypt of the Famen Monastery by six Tang Dynasty emperors and China’s only female emperor Wu Zhao. This important Buddhist site, sealed in 874 of the Tang Dynasty and rediscovered in 1987, was founded with the fragment of the historical Buddha’s finger bone. The reliquaries associated with the sacred relic are part of this exhibition.

ANCIENT ARTS OF CHINA: A 5000 YEAR LEGACYONGOING


Journey back through 5000 years of Chinese history and follow the efflorescence of arts throughout one of the world’s oldest living civilizations. From large painted ceramic pots used during the Neolithic period, to sculptures of camels and horses made at the height of the Silk Road, to beautiful embroidered silk court robes and ivory carvings from the 19th century, this exhibition presents the importance of fine art made to be admired during life and depended on in the afterlife.

MASTERS OF ADORNMENT: THE MIAO PEOPLE OF CHINAONGOING


This important collection of exquisite textiles and silver jewelry on loan to and from the Bowers Museum’s permanent collection highlights the beauty and wealth of the Miao peoples of southwest China.

Symbols of status and culture, the elaborate textiles in this exhibition include finely pleated skirts, complex batik pattered cloth, intricate silk embroidery and shining textiles woven with metal. Over 50 examples of ornately designed and created silver bracelets, necklaces and decorative ornaments compliment and complete the exhibition of late 19th and 20th century Miao regalia. More than an examination of masterful techniques and beautiful style these objects reveal hundreds of years of Miao history and tradition and, the patience and dedication to achieve beauty.

World Population Poised to Hit 7 Billion.

BY: LARISA EPATKO

On Monday, a baby will be born somewhere and demographers will proclaim that the world's population has reached 7 billion. That's good news and bad news, according to a United Nations Population Fund report released Wednesday.

People are living longer and leading healthier lives. But there are plenty of worries that the globe may not have enough food and water to sustain rapidly growing populations.

The date itself, Monday, is a symbolic one, extrapolated from census data, surveys and population registers, but the implications are real, the United Nations says. (Read the U.N. Population Fund's full report.)

Even though fertility rates are lower than in the past, the population is still expected to rise naturally through what is known as population momentum, said Richard Kollodge, editor of the U.N. report.

Each incremental growth of a billion takes less and less time. Those increases are attributable to positive factors, said Kollodge. "People are healthier; they're living longer. Child mortality is down. This relatively recent surge in population growth for the most part can be seen as good news."

View past and projected global population growth:

In South Asia and Africa, population growth is most prolific. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have high population growth rates and high fertility rates but low economic growth rates, which can be problematic, said Kollodge. "The population is growing faster than the government's ability to meet the need for services, education and health. Economic growth isn't keeping up with population growth," so the countries become poorer.

In the middle-income countries -- mainly in Latin America -- population growth has stabilized, he said. But they still face challenges of rapid urbanization and people moving in and out of the countries quickly, which governments are trying to manage.

Asia's population, currently at 4.2 billion, is expected to remain the highest during the 21st century, according to the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Photo of Dotombori, the entertainment district of Osaka, Japan, by photholic.com via Flickr Creative Commons.

But even while the world's population is growing, in some wealthy industrialized countries -- including several European nations and Japan -- populations are shrinking because fertility rates are not high enough to replace population losses. That means there aren't enough young people entering the work force to sustain economic growth and pension systems are receiving less funding to support the elderly, said Kollodge.

"They're also dealing with issues of migration and asking questions of, 'If our populations are shrinking, should we invite more people from other countries to come in and meet labor shortages?'" he said.

The U.N. report makes some recommendations for addressing population challenges, such as giving women access to reproductive health services, education and good jobs. "When women are educated and healthy, they choose to have smaller families, and when they do have smaller families, their children end up being healthier," said Kollodge.

Africa's population is expected to more than triple, from 1 billion in 2011 to 3.6 billion in 2100, according to the United Nations. Photo by Novartis AG via Flickr Creative Commons.

The report also recommends investing in youth. About 1.8 billion young people, between the ages of 10 and 24, live around the world now, he said. "That's the largest youth cohort in human history. So we're advocating for making sure that all these young people have education, that they're all in good health and free of HIV, that they have opportunities, that they are empowered to drive our future economies."

But all of that takes money. Sexual reproductive health initiatives alone -- an action plan was proposed at a 1994 population summit of 179 countries -- would cost $68 billion in 2011. Countries agreed to pay $34 billion and international donors $10.8 billion, but that left a nearly $25 billion gap, Kollodge said.

The elderly also are a growing segment of the population, raising the challenge of who will take care of them and how social security programs will be funded. "But also look at the flip side -- let's not create a world where the elderly are only dependent," but are active and independent and continuing to contribute to their communities, he said.

"Those are big challenges and it's better to plan for them now because the world is only going to grow older in the years ahead," he said.

And depending on fertility rates, the next milestone birthday -- when the world hits 8 billion people -- might be as soon as 2025.

Clear Eyed View on Suffering

Rev. Paul Yuanzhi Lynch, Bruce Ohjok Foley, HJN and Thom Kwanjok Pastor, JDPSN in April of 2011

I want to share a letter I recently received from a very close friend. He has lived a checkered path as many of us have. He was a ‘tough guy’ growing up in the back streets of Boston, and eventually became a United States Marine. Following his experience with the military, he returned and decided that a life of contemplation might help his dismal life. He entered a Catholic Carthusian monastery and led a cloistered life for many years.

A longing in his soul caused him to leave this path and to re-enter lay life. He became a Zen Practitioner many years ago and this is where our paths crossed.  I have known him for about fifteen years and we have celebrated successes and failures together. Through it all we have maintained a firm bond on what the essence of life and experience is.

My friend has recently fallen upon hard times, both personally, economically and physically. He has two herniated discs and spends his days lying on the kitchen floor taking all kinds of pain killers just trying to find this moment. We have been discussing this lately, he lost his job, faces eviction, and can’t really function the way he would like. Considering all of this, I would like to share his wonderful insights into ‘true’ practice with everyone. I couldn’t say more clearly, so I will let my friend say it to you.

My Dear Brother Paul,

Thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement and acceptance. I will pull through, with your blessing and those of others who I have met to be “altruistic” along the spiritual journey. My material needs will come and go. I have known both near poverty and a taste of being idle, with money to spare. It ebbs and flows. Somehow, the Universe provides and in it all, rich or poor, the Inner Man remains the same, like a rock in a raging river rapids, or shallow slow moving quiet brook. The waters change. The rock stays still. The essential man is untouched by externals. That’s the thing I’ve learned time and again. The litmus test, if you will, of just where we are at, in the spiritual life.

Christ, a Zen Master if there ever was, says as much, in speaking of impermanence and tribulation: “And on that day, you will then come to know, whether you have built your house on rock or sand.” Our inner humanity is best revealed in trial and upheaval. We have all been there. Especially people like us, who have taken the path seriously, no matter what tradition. It is all the same. We know it is easy to cruise into our practice when the bills are paid. When there is some extra cash to travel a bit, eat at some nice restaurants and drink from the golden cup. But..lo..a day may come and it usually does, when the scene shifts and we find ourselves in need. We look around and realize, “Hey, I’m not on top anymore.” (This was not in the brochure!) If this shift rocks us beyond a very human and acceptable concern, then we see that we really have not digested what spiritual detachment truly means. We have not quite got it. These shifts are our teachers.

This is what Christ meant if I can paraphrase Him, “Watch out followers, especially you monks and teachers of the Path, because, some day, a wind will blow and you had better be prepared for a change. You had better be ready to walk the talk, or you will be exposed. You’ll either find yourself standing on the solid ground of all that you have learned in your practice and inner life experiences, or, you’ll come tumbling down in a landslide of sand, only to be blown away like dust because you failed to build your inner life properly.” Here, I suppose, Jesus is also saying, “Don’t be wasting time on stupid shit, because you got a foundation to build on, and it’s one never really quite finished. You can slack off and cruise, and that is O.K., a man needs some rest. However, do not get too comfortable. Do not kid yourself. Keep mixing that mortar and laying those bricks because you never know when that storm will hit.” My point being, I think we can only manage loss and suffering to the degree that we build our inner ground, because ultimately, that is where the storm will come to rip us up. It will challenge our emotional stability. It will challenge our composure in the face of crisis. It will challenge our thought process and reveal, a quiet, strong mind, or, one tossed in every direction. Recently, I took a storm as such. O.K., so I bitched and moaned a bit, but I can also say that the years given to practice built a strong enough foundation of the inner human that I did not topple over like a sand castle. Therefore, it really does pay off to practice. (I know you know this. I am just sitting with my brother reflecting, not preaching.)

My Grandpa, (Died at 96) an old blue blood Yankee, a northern Maine farmer, was a sort of Zen master. You know the type. Wise, quiet and strong, one of those old-timers that are better listeners than talkers, but when they spoke, Boom! Their words hit you like a thunderbolt. I am still learning, all the time. All the time a beginner. I am learning to not only listen again, as a good monk should, but also to see that if I do not let go of needing and wanting to control it all, I suffer even more. If you grab the Tigers tail, he will take you for a ride, or worse, turn around and rip you up. It is nothing new, non-clinging. Detachment. No holding. No desire to control. Its like, “I see you Old Man Suffering, you cunning bastard, but guess what? I am not your boy. I am not buying it today, or tomorrow. Take it somewhere else. You’d love to see me take your hand and walk with you, see me come undone, but see, I got this secret inside me, the Pearl of Great Price-years of Practice that tell me you are a fraud and when you’ve had enough of your attempts to make me miserable, mean and nasty, you’ll leave me alone. You’ll leave because I never took hold of your hand in the first place.”

So, what do we do with our suffering? Where does it really come from? Who asks me to hold onto it? In addition, who says it is permanent? Ahh, I hear Paul saying: “Don’t make anything. Do not check. Don’t hold.” Yes, Pop Sa Nim, many bows..

I am not in the market. I am not buying. I am going to a place I know well. A place where it’s warm, welcoming and where the winds can blow all they want, but the walls will stand, the foundation is laid strong.

This morning, I saw wind and rain outside my window and dark clouds hover above me. Tonight, the sky is wide and clear. The stars shine brightly in midnight blue. A gentle breeze strokes my face and my cat, Master Zhaozhou yawns, rolls over to sleep. I slip in beside him gently, and together, we know, just this.

My love and peace is yours Paul,

Oh Jok, Haeng Ja Nim 

Noted ghazal singer Jagjit Singh dead at 70

As Many of you know, I have been a fan of Jagjit Singh for many years, I loved his melodic voice and was saddened to hear that he had passed away. Below is the story, he will be missed by many. I had the opportunity to see him live in Long Beach several years ago.

Mumbai: Acclaimed ghazal singer Jagjit Singh died on Monday in Mumbai. The 70-year old was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati hospital after he suffered brain hemorrhage last month. He underwent two surgeries and was on life support.

Born on February 8, 1941, 'the ghazal king' was a singer, composer, activist and entrepreneur. He has sung in several languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Nepali. Jagjit Singh entered the music circuit at a time which was primarily dominated by Pakistani ghazal singers, and Indian singers were considered relatively lesser authentic than their Pakistani counterparts.

Unlike other ghazal singers, Singh did not hesitate in lending his voice for films. His silky voice ruled during early 80's in films like Prem Geet, Saath Saath and Arth. However, his major work is spread over more than 60 filmy and non filmy albums.

Jagjit Singh was also known for modern approach and infusion of technology in the traditional art of ghazal singing. Singh was the first Indian music director to use the technique of multi-track recording for his album 'Beyond Time'.

Recipient of Padma Bhushan award, Jagjit Singh was the man behind making the ghazal genre available and understandable to all. Prior to Singh, ghazal singing was considered as an elite art, which was difficult for the common mass to understand due to high class Urdu and Persian.

Jagjit Singh broke this myth by coming up with songs such as 'Kaagaz ki kashti', 'Chaak jigar ke', 'Kal chadhanvi ki raat thi', and 'Shaam se aankh me name si hai'. He mixed the words of legends like Ghalib, Qateel Shifai, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Nida Fazli and Sudarshan Faakir with melodious indigenous tunes and achieved a state where nothing came in between him and his listeners.

Later when television started showcasing music videos, he was among one of the prominent members of the music fraternity to avail the facility. He again came up with brilliant albums such as 'Face to Face', 'Marasim', 'Aaeena', and 'Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin'.

Jagjit Singh had also given his voice for ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Bajpayee poems in the albums 'Nayi Disha' and 'Samvedna'.

Jagjit Singh is survived by his wife Chitra Singh, with whom he had produced several record breaking albums. Their only son Vivek Singh had died in a road accident in 1990.

Heineken "The Date"

This may seem a bit weird to many of my readers, but so be it. I am often intrigued by the obtuse and strange. The new Heineken ad, titled 'The Date' is a legendary date in action and highlights some interesting music as its backdrop. The video is here:

I found it interesting that the video appears to be taking place somewhere in China and yet the music is some strange Hindi song being sung by a fusion Ventures Rock and Jazz Band. So I had to know what the source of the video's song was and I was able to discover it. I discovered, this song came out in 1965 and sounds like a combination of a Hindi Movie song made by the Ventures who just happened to get together with one of the big bands from the 1950's and was sung in a mysterious Hindi language. 


So why an Indian ballad in Chinese Restaurant, I cannot answer this. But if you watch the original video you might see some of the inspiration that Quentin Tarantino may have found for 'Pulp Fiction' and "Kill Bill." The masks in the video remind me of the "Batman" series that was so over the top campy in the sixties in America. I didn't have the chance to experience this back in 1965 but I thought I'd share it with you all anyway.





The song's video was shot in a disco and features Laxmi Chhaya. The song also appears in the opening credits of the 2001 movie Ghost World. In an interview, Ghost World writer Daniel Clowes mentions that he obtained his 20th generation copy of the scene from someone who had been housesitting for Peter Holsapple, guitarist and songwriter for The dB's, and he copied it from Peter's collection. Then they approached the sons of the producers and acquired the rights to use the song in the movie. The Ghost World DVD features the entire music video from the movie.

The song, with similar costumes and choreography, also appears in the Cullberg Ballet's rendition of Ekman’s Triptych.

Here are the Hindi lyrics with literal translation in the brackets.

"Jaan Pehechan Ho, Jeena Aasaan Ho,
Dil Ko Churane Walon, Aankh Na Churao,
Naam To Batao.. (2)"

(If I knew you, living would be easy.
All you heart-stealers, don’t hide your eyes too
at least tell me your name.)

"Aaj Ki Yeh Shaam Javan, Yun Na Chali Jaaye,
Phir Se Na Aayegi Yeh Kisi Ke Bulaaye"

(May this wonderful evening, Not pass unavailed,
For it will not return on anyone’s call)

"Bolo Yeh Na Bolo Tum, Hogaye Ishaare,
Seedhi Seedhi Chot Huyi Dil Pe Humaare.."

(Whether you speak or not, your message is clear,
The hard blow fell Right on my heart)

"Chup Chup Dekha Dekhi, Nazaren Diwani,
Zara Si Yeh Baat Ban Jaaye Na Kahani.."

(Stolen glances, Impassioned looks,
Let this small matter Not become a huge tale)