The Dao in Action

Yang Jwing-Ming

Description

Bringing the Dao to life for readers of all generations

Fables entertain us, enlighten us, and guide us. We recognize ourselves in the characters, be they emperors, village children, or singing frogs. They help us see our own weaknesses, our strengths, and the many possibilities. Their lessons transcend time and culture, touching what it really means to be alive.

Whoever we are, wherever we’re going, these short tales help us along the path—the Way. Some offer a moral compass. Some illustrate the dangers in human folly. Others just make us laugh.

In this collection of fables, Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming shares the stories that have influenced him most as a teacher, a partent, martial artist and lifelong student of the Dao. These fables bring the Dao to life for readers of all generations.

The Dao in Action will inspire young readers to refine their character. Older readers will smile and recognize moments of truth. This collection is for anyone who would like to explore the enduring lessons of virtue and wisdom.

These lean, concise fables illustrate balance, the duality of yin and yang, always shifting, always in correction. They help us laugh at our human predicaments—and maybe even at ourselves.

We can all use some reflection and inspiration from time to time.

Sujets

• Esop
• Fables
• Literature
• MENTOR
• Teacher
• Adult
• Virtue
• Meaning of life
• Martial arts
• Character
• Children
• Sifu
• Adventure
• Short Stories
• Entreprises de taille humaine, indépendantes et de croissance
• Moral
• Master
• Hypocrisy
• Yin et yang
• DAO
• Zen

Informations

• Publié par: YMAA Publication Center
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781594396526
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 33 Mo

Extrait

My love of fables began when I was very young. Many of the stories my mother and my White Crane master told me have guided my Dao.
—Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
 
THE DAO IN ACTION
Inspired Tales for Life
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
YMAA Publication Center
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
 
YMAA Publication Center, Inc.
PO Box 480
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, 03894
1-800-669-8892 • [e-mail] • www .ymaa .com
ISBN: 9781594396519 (print) • ISBN: 9781594396526 (ebook)
Copyright © 2019 by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Cover design: Axie Breen
Illustrations: F. L. Walker
Editor: Leslie Takao
Proofreader: Doran Hunter
Managing editor: T. G. LaFredo
This book typeset in Electra LT
This ebook contains Chinese translations of many terms and may not display properly on all e-reader devices. You may need to adjust your Publisher Font Default setting.
Publisher’s Cataloging in Publication
Names: Yang, Jwing-Ming, 1946-
Title: The dao in action : inspired tales for life / by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming.
Description: Wolfeboro, NJ USA : YMAA Publication Center, [2019]
Identifiers: ISBN: 9781594396519 (print) | 9781594396526 (ebook) | LCCN: 2019931196
Subjects: LCSH: Martial arts—Philosophy. | Martial arts—Parables. | Martial arts—Moral and ethical aspects. | Tao. | Taoist parables. | Taoist philosophy. | Yin-yang—Parables. | Conduct of life—Parables. | Integrity—Parables. | Inspiration—Parables. | Ethics—Parables. | Kindness—Parables. | Perseverance (Ethics)—Parables. | LCGFT: Fables. | Exempla. | BISAC: SPORTS & RECREATION / Martial Arts & Self-Defense. | BODY, MIND & SPIRIT / Inspiration & Personal Growth. | PHILOSOPHY / Ethics & Moral Philosophy. | PHILOSOPHY / Taoist. | LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Asian / Chinese.
Classification: LCC: GV1102.7.M67 Y36 2019 | DDC: 796.8—dc23
 
Table of Contents
Foreword by Leslie Takao
Foreword by David Silver
The Taller the Bamboo Grows, the Lower It Bows
Carry a Heavy Bucket
The Engineer Serves Coffee
One Plus One Does Not Equal Two
Revenge on a Classmate
Pick Up a Paper Napkin from the Floor
The Attitude of Learning Gongfu
The Mind of Wonders
Happiness Recovered
Two Monks and a Lady
A Blessing in Disguise
Two Tigers
A Bowl of Example
A Bowl of Noodle Soup
A Donkey, a Father, and a Son
A Farmer Buys His Shoes
A Fight of No Fight
A New Lake for the Old
A Rich Man in Jail
The Man Only Saw Gold
An Attorney’s Only Son
An Untrustworthy Wolf
Arrogance Will Be Defeated
A Beacon Destroys a Country
Beijing Doll Maker
Boiling a Pot of Water
Break the Cistern to Save a Friend
The Buddha Crosses the River
Buying a Good Horse
Fishing with a Carrot
Carry Thorns to Request Forgiveness
Carving a Buddha
Clay Image and Wooden Image
Clench the Fist Tightly
Confucius Learns the Chinese Zither
Cooking the Hounds Once the Hares Are Caught
Cover the Ears to Steal the Bell
Dawn Three and Dusk Four
Different Paths
Divine Fish in a Maple Tree
Disguise of Two Myopics
Doomsday of Cuttlefish
The Dragon and the Local Snake
Drawing a Snake with Legs
Dream of Cooking the Goose
Becoming Rich with an Egg
False Dignity Gets Its Reward
Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountain
One Perfect Kick
Good Retribution of a Kind Heart
Sharing Food in Heaven and Hell
Greediness Gets Its Reward
Grind the Steel Rod into a Needle
Hard to Be a Good Person
Hear and Talk on the Way
Help the Rice to Grow
Hou Yi Learns Archery
Learn What to Pick Up
Learning Patience
The Final Goal of Practicing Archery
Lost Sheep in Many Paths
Mark the Boat to Find the Sword
Money Is More Important Than Life
The Mother of Mencius Breaks the Loom
The Mother of Mencius Moves Three Times
No Dregs for the Swine
No More Space
Nonsense of Flattering
Stubbornly Mistaken
One Bowl of Rice
Painting Ghosts Is Easiest
Praying Mantis Seizes the Cicadas
Presenting Doves for the New Year
Pretending to Be an Expert on Reed Pipes
Qi Xi Requests Retirement
A Raven and a Rabbit
River Deity Gets Married
Seven People Share Rice Soup
Shu Zhan Saves the Country
Snake Shadow on the Cup
Spears and Shields against Each Other
Strange Human Thinking
Swearing In a Corrupt Official
The Borderline of Life and Death
The Broken Wall
The Carp in the Dry Track
The Cat and the Tiger
The Conceited Carriage Coachman
The Cunning of a Student
A Broken Porcelain Bowl
The Wisdom of a Child
The Wisdom of Another Child
The Donkey Lover
The End of the Guizhou Donkey
The Feeling of a General
The Fight of the Snipe and the Mussel
The Fox Borrows the Tiger’s Awe
The Hunter’s Fate
The Innocent Fawn
The Lamb in Tiger Skin
The Lord of Yan Looking for Longevity
The Lord Who Loved Dragons
The Lost Ax
The Love of the Kingfisher
The Owl Moves His Home
The Poison of Love
The Repentance of an Old Man
The Retribution of the Merchant
The Thief and the Bell
The Mask of the King
The Value of a Horse
The Warning of a Wild Goose Sentry
Three Metaphors on Study
Three Monks
Two Children Discuss the Sun
Wipe Windows for Five Years
Zeng Shen Kills Someone
Zeng Shen Kills the Pig
Zhang, San-Feng Teaches Taiji Sword
Zou Ji Compares His Beauty
Thirty Years of More Mistakes
The Trick of Gold
A Master’s Answer
Two Make One
A Swordsman’s Revenge
Bai-Yin the Monk
Destiny of Coin Tossing
The Full Cup
Heaven and Hell
A Lesson to the Prince
Big Rocks in a Jar
Pipeline in Life
A Businessman
A Child Crosses the Street
A Cup of Poison
A Dog and a Wolf
A Driver and a Policeman
A Forgotten Regret
A Glass
A Happy Servant
A Hound and a Rabbit
A Performer and His Assistant
A Reward for Kindness
A Rich Man and His Mother
A Spider in the Web
A Change of Fortune
A Weasel and a Lion
A Wise Man and Two Hungry People
A Prayer’s Request
An Ocean Fish Drowns in a Creek
An Old Companionship
An Old Man Loses His Shoe
Annoying Disturbance
Body of Millions of Dollars
Buying a Puppy
Catch One Each Time
Choosing a Wife
Friend and Enemy
God’s Gift
Good Marriage
Increase the Height of the Fence
Losing Money
Lucky Table
New Year’s Present
Dream Come True
Paid by the Sound of a Coin
Priest’s Prayer on the Roof
Psychological Healing
Plot against Plot
Retirement of an Old Carpenter
Selling Milk
The Contented Fisherman
The Dog and the Reflection
The Love of a Child
The Love of a Few Dollars
The Unhappy Barber
Three Small Devils
Two Escaping Mice
Two Mice in a Milk Pot
Two Radio Stations
A Frog in the Well
The Wisdom of a Wise Old Man
Acknowledgements
About the Author
 
Foreword by Leslie Takao
I love these stories. Some are inspirational, some are funny, and some are thought provoking. Many of you will recognize the themes of these fables. You may have heard them with other names and places. The themes, noble and ignoble, transcend culture and time. The Dao is the Dao, and fables are the de (the manifestations) of the Dao.
In the last hours of the last days of many of Master Yang’s seminars, when we were physically drained from training and mentally void from trying to remember new forms and new skills, Master Yang would sit down, answer questions, and tell stories. Sometimes, during regular classes, he would tell one of these stories to make a point. These were my favorite times; time to get to know our teacher and to absorb an important spiritual and inspirational part of the training. I find myself often retelling many of these stories to my students.
I would like to add my own story. Once upon a time, in real life, my mother was a civilian worker at the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during World War II. It was not a top-secret area; we are Japanese. There was a prisoner of war, a Japanese national, who was allowed to clean the offices where she worked. She would sometimes offer this man a stick of gum or share some of the Japanese food she had brought for lunch, little kindnesses to which she gave no second thought. She never even mentioned them to us.
If the story ended here, it would just be a story about a kind lady. But the story does not end here.
It ends about forty years later when the Japanese embassy contacted my mother. That prisoner of war had gone on to become a successful CEO of a large sake company, and he had been looking for my mother for several years. He wanted to thank her. To him, her gestures were not just small kindnesses; they made him feel like a human being again and reinstille