The Way and The Awake

On my Formspring Account, I quite recently received a series of questions about the differences between Buddhism and Daoism. I didn't want to take the time to answer them on Formspring (where my thoughts would result in an unwarranted wall of text), so the inquirer suggested I post it on my blog (where a wall of text is completely warranted).

Daoism and Buddhism get along well. Laozi and Siddhartha would have been good friends had they ever met! Despite this, they have their differences, because they tackle different social and spiritual issues.

The world-known Taijitu, or the symbol of yin and yang.

Daoism (also spelled Taoism) comes from the Chinese word 道 (dào), which literally means "road", "way", or "path". The (arguably) earliest known work that speaks of the Dao is the 道德经 (Dào​dé​jīng), which literally means "The Classic Text of the Way and Virtue". The other text that I rely on most heavily, second to the Daodejing, is the 庄子 (Zhuāng​zǐ), named for Zhuangzi who wrote it.

Daoism is predominantly Chinese in origin, but has spread very indirectly and very subtly to influence Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as a handful of other countries in smaller varieties.

The primary principles of Daoism include the concepts of the dao, qi, wuwei, the wu xing or 5 "elements" or "stages", Feng Shui, and perhaps the most famous aspects, the concepts of yin and yang. Daoism stresses health, longevity, compassion, moderation, and humility.

So, the most popular question I get is, "What is the Dao?" The Dao is described as being indescribable. "Well, shit." I know, I know, it seems like a copout on Laozi's part, but the Dao is deeper than that. It's the source of all being. The way to inner peace and outer strength. The binding connectivity of all that is. We are the Dao, and the Dao is in us. But it is possible to stray from the Dao, by straying from nature, from peace, and from simplicity.

I mentioned 無爲 (wúwéi), and I realize that's probably an unfamiliar term. It means, roughly, "non-action" or "non-doing". Wuwei is best described as being patient, mindful, and willing to ask yourself , "Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?" Chapter 15 of the Daodejing is my favorite example of describing wuwei. Through wuwei, you get closer to the Dao. Wuwei always leads to the path of least resistance-- The metaphor Laozi uses is water. Nothing is softer than water, yet through its softness it overcomes rock, steel, humankind, and animals. It gives life and nourishes all things, but knows how to kill. It always takes the lowest path, the most humble Way, and through that humility it is brought to power. Through this knowledge, it's easy to see that the purpose a Daoist takes on is to align himself harmoniously with the Dao.

Daoism arose as a clear response to Confucianism, which placed certain things above others. That, by nature, resulted in a large amount of inequality in ancient China. Laozi and Zhuangzi say in response to that basic inequality, "Hey, man, listen. Money, fame, filial piety, power, those things are all fine... But we only know what "low" is because we assign value to "high". We only know "beauty" because we know "ugliness"." By getting rid of the comparison, they get rid of the inequality. Besides, in the end, we all come from the Dao, so we all are equal in nature because the Dao does not take sides.

A lot of Daoism-influenced countries worship Laozi and Zhuangzi (knowingly or unknowingly) as gods or idols, but I sincerely doubt either of them would have cared much. Maybe they might have even reprimanded those who do so?

So, what does a Daoist expect in death? Daoists believe that the soul is eternal. Instead of true death, that soul, that qi, is transferred or reappropriated somewhere else; maybe to a tree, an animal, maybe another human. So, Daoism believes in a form of reincarnation.

Buddhism is a few centuries earlier than Daoism. The word "Buddha" isn't a name-- It's a title. "Buddha" literally means "one who is Awake". Unlike many other religions and beliefs, the works that reference the Buddha and his teachings didn't start showing up until hundreds of years after Siddartha Gautama Buddha's death.

Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian official or prince; the son of a cleric. He grew up in a world full of Hinduism, and Hinduism's consequent caste system. Buddhism is completely Indian in origin, but it has spread wildly throughout not only Asia, but the entire world.

The primary teachings of Buddhism include the concept of reincarnation, the nonexistence of the human soul, the importance of compassion, and stresses many of the same values as Daoism.

I mentioned the caste system earlier. At the heart of the caste system, similarly to Confucianism, lies inequality. Siddhartha Gautama witnessed this inequality at a young age, and set out to find out the core reason for all of this suffering. He came to the conclusion that to live means you will suffer, without doubt. At the root of this suffering is desire. By getting rid of the desire, you can alleviate the suffering.

Buddhism arose as a clear attack on the caste system that was riddled with social, monetary, and (according to the Hindus) spiritual inequality.The Hindus were all about advancing to the next level, because of the transmigration of the soul. The Buddha, however, saw all of the inequality and social suffering this system of beliefs created, and went ahead to say "Fuck it! You don't have a soul. What transmigrates is the mind, not the soul."

In some countries (mainly southeast Asia), Gautama Buddha is revered as a God. However, he stated numerous times to his disciples that he did not want that at all. Funny how things work out.

A Buddhist believes in reincarnation after death, similar to Daoists. The goal of a Buddhist is to be reincarnated enough times through samsara, or existence, to emerge into Nirvana, the popular grunge band escape from reincarnation into a state of being-nonbeing.


Daoism and Buddhism obviously get along very well, but the key differences are in the details. The Daoist way of life is focused on aligning oneself to the natural way of the cosmos, while the Buddhist is trying to understand and surpass pain and suffering through leading a moral life. If you have any more questions about the differences, similarities, or anything about these two belief systems, you can ask about it in the comments or by way of any of my social networks listed below.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Sharing is Caring: Part 1

Music has always been a big part of my life, from my own dabbling in piano, guitar, trumpet, djembe, and other instruments, to voice, and even just listening to many different genres. Music is in my blood, too--Everyone in my family (even my extended family) has some degree of musical talent, whether they utilize it or not.

I think the best thing you can do with music is share it. Therefore, I've decided to share with you my favorite album (of each genre that I like) of all time! Now, I want to break it up into five groups of three so that I can go somewhat in depth regarding my favorite tracks and favorite lyrics, as well as a general overview of what I think of the whole album.

1. Indie: Bon Iver's Bon Iver

 What I love about Bon Iver is mainly the uniformity of this album. The songs sound deeply related without getting superfluous or repetitive. It is easy to listen to, as well. It's relevant and poignant, but never loses that feel of soul. It's a good nighttime album, if you just want to have a quiet, reflective evening. Bon Iver never gets too loud or too fast, and most importantly, it doesn't pull any punches with its lyrics (no matter if they seem nonsensical or not). Bon Iver's made a large impact on the Indie music scene, and I have a feeling these cats aren't done yet.

Favorite Tracks:

• Minnesota, WI
• Calgary
• Beth/Rest

My Favorite Lyrics:
From Beth/Rest, this single line always jumps out at me more than the others because unlike all the other lines, this is straightforward and strong.

"I ainʼt living in the dark no more
it's not a promise, Iʼm just gonna call it"

2. Alternative: Linkin Park's 1000 Suns

  When I tell people I'm a fan of Linkin Park, I sometimes get a weird look in return. They get a bad rap for their angst-ridden lyricism in their early music, but I grew up with them and have watched them mature. Linkin Park's first two albums were good and fine, but I always had the feeling that the band could do more than down-tuned rap-metal. Then they released Minutes to Midnight and showed that they had some real diversity and skill in their musicmaking. A few years later, 1000 Suns hit and I was certain I had made the right decision in staying with them. 1000 Suns is one of my favorite albums of all time, because it tackles themes of American Exceptionalism, the danger of nuclear warfare, brotherhood, and standing up for what is truly right, coupled expertly with memorable quotes from J. Robert Oppenheimer, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mario Savio. 1000 Suns is as political as it is creative, and it does both quite subtly and powerfully.

Favorite Tracks:

• When They Come For Me
• Waiting For The End
• Iridescent
• The Catalyst

My Favorite Lyrics:
Oh, God, I have so many from this album, but my favorite come from Jornada del Muerto (Spanish for Journey of the Dead), which simply repeats two Japanese words:

"持ち上げて、解放して"

They read "Mochiagete, Tokihanashite" and translate to "Lift me up, let me go." The lyrics are then repeated in English in the song The Catalyst.


3. Metal: Mastodon's Crack the Skye

 When Mastodon's drummer, Brann Dailor, was interviewed about the album, he gave this description:

 "There is a paraplegic and the only way that he can go anywhere is if he astral travels. He goes out of his body, into outer space and a bit like Icarus, he goes too close to the sun, burning off the golden umbilical cord that is attached to his solar plexus. So he is in outer space and he is lost, he gets sucked into a wormhole, he ends up in the spirit realm and he talks to spirits telling them that he is not really dead. So they send him to the Russian cult, they use him in a divination and they find out his problem. They decide they are going to help him. They put his soul inside Rasputin's body. Rasputin goes to usurp the czar and he is murdered. The two souls fly out of Rasputin's body through the crack in the sky(e) and Rasputin is the wise man that is trying to lead the child home to his body because his parents have discovered him by now and think that he is dead. Rasputin needs to get him back into his body before it's too late. But they end up running into the Devil along the way and the Devil tries to steal their souls and bring them down…there are some obstacles along the way."

 So, pretty much, Mastodon does a lot of drugs. But, on top of that, this album has a lot of underlying themes. It's meant to signify the Greek element, aether, symbolized in the transmigration of spirits. Dailor explained the alternative spelling in the title, a reference to his sister who committed suicide at the age of 14:

 "Her name was Skye, so Crack the Skye means a lot of different things. For me personally, it means the moment of being told you lost someone dear to you, [that moment] is enough to crack the sky."

Favorite Tracks:
I seriously love every one of these songs, but certain ones that always stick out are

• Oblivion
• Divinations
• Ghost of Karelia
• Crack the Skye

Favorite Lyrics:
From Crack the Skye, I think these lyrics are really strong and tell of Dailor's love for his sister.

"Desperate heathens flock to sirens; guard your heartache well.
Mama, don't let them take her. Don't let them take her down!
Please tell Lucifer he can't have this one. Her spirit's too strong!"

To be continued in Sharing is Caring: Part 2!

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Mists of Pandaria

As many of my readers know, I am a huge fan (some might say fanatic) of the Warcraft fantasy universe. I've played World of Warcraft for a total of about 4.5 years, and it actually moved me to create my own fantasy universe that I use for writing a novel (but don't hold your breath on reading it) and basic DnD campaigns. Warcraft has inspired me and given me a lot of creative energy.

Anyway, I haven't played WoW for a few months because I've wised up and begun to focus more on my studies. However, at this year's BlizzCon, Blizzard unveiled an amazing preview of their latest expansion, titled "World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria".

The first time I saw this preview, I had to leave the room because I was geeking out so hard, I was making some squawking noise like a strangled turkey. I am deeply interested in Chinese culture and folklore, so I'm ecstatic that Blizzard is integrating that into a new expansion. As I told a few of my friends, "It's as though Blizzard made an entire expansion just for me." The expansion adds a lot of new content, and based on the preview and the live tests they had available at BlizzCon, I can tell they have already put a lot of work into it.

The first major change is the addition of a new playable race: The Pandaren. The Pandaren actually started out in Warcraft III as an April Fool's joke for Reign of Chaos, and had actually made it into the game as an Easter egg that was a common joke for players. However, the surprising result was that a lot of players had expressed great interest in the Pandaren. So, as a result, subtle references to the race found their ways into Warcraft, World of Warcraft, and its subsequent expansions. Blizzard even made available a small non-combat pet called the Pandaren Monk! A lot of players had been pushing for Pandaren as a playable race (including yours truly) and now we finally have the chance!

Because, really, he's too cute NOT to let him kick your ass.

Pandaren are unique in many ways. Perhaps the most prominent way is that they are the game's first race that starts off neutral between the Alliance and the Horde, and the player will choose which faction to devote themselves to at level 10. This, politically speaking, will have huge repercussions on the World of Warcraft. The Pandaren nation themselves will be torn into pieces, with half being pitted against the others. The Alliance and Horde will compete over the allegiance of as many Pandaren as possible, because they are powerful-- Oh, boy, are they powerful.

"Take THAT, asshole!"

Another new feature is a new playable class, the Monk, pictured above. This makes Mists of Pandaria the only expansion thus far to include both a new class and a new race. The Monk will be able to perform all three of the necessary roles to raid successfully: the Tank, the Healer and the Damage. The roles even have spazzy names-- The Brewmaster, Mistweaver and Windwalker. The Monk will utilize a new resource system called "chi" (I'm a stickler and still say it should be spelled qi), along with dark force and light force (presumably meant to represent yin and yang energy, respectively).

"Your cup's too full."

A whole new continent will open up, called (you guess it) Pandaria and it, as you could probably tell from the preview, has a very heavy Eastern influence, specifically taking lots and lots of inspiration from ancient China. It will place more emphasis on exploring the environment, which was prevalent when WoW first began but has dwindled in past years. It seems like if Cataclysm brought people back to WoW's roots in terms of what areas they play in, Mists of Pandaria is going to do that in terms of how they interact with the world around them.

I haven't played WoW for a long time, but as Michael Corleone said, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!" Once the play is over with and my classes become my number one priority again (as opposed to everything having to be my top priority), I'll be able to get back into WoW to get my bearings just in time to sit back and enjoy the ride into Pandaria.




If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

The 99%

When the Occupy Wall Street protests started, I scoffed and said, "It'll never pick up."

It did.

When I saw the pictures and heard testimonials, I shook my head and said, "It won't spread."

It did.

When I saw the videos of the local protests in Government Plaza in Minneapolis, I turned the other way and I said, "I won't get involved."

I did.

Yesterday I paid a visit to the Occupy Minneapolis protests in Government Plaza. Granted, I was there later in the evening when there weren't very many people there, but seeing some of the things these people were talking about actually showed me things I didn't expect to see.

Ashley Cope, the artist and writer of one of my all-time favorite comics, Unsounded, responded to a question about it on Formspring. She and I share initial reactions.

I'm not there so I can't speak definitively, but they are somewhat short-sighted. They are all brimming with youthful enthusiasm and hippy sentiment, but is anyone planning for the long-term? Wealth disparity, a collapsing middle class, a thoroughly dirty and defunct government; one-thousand and one issues that add up to the proverbial red, white, and blue dick up the ass. This protest cannot be like the Arab Spring. We don't have a single dictator or even army to rally against. We have a whole class, an entire financial system, entire branches of government that are against us. There's no one person to throw rocks at.

Change is either going to come bloodily - and I mean that literally - or it's going to come via a long term hijacking and renewal of the system. That means establishing a new political party and finding new, truly Progressive candidates to represent it. It's a lot of hard work, planning, and sacrifice. It's not just setting up tents on Wall Street.

That being said, these protests are a good start. They need to go national, grow in scale, and try to establish a few solid demands. It'll be exciting to see if it bears fruit. Roll out Mademoiselle Guillotine!

 I still think that way for the most part, but I'm slowly growing more optimistic.  They're starting to go national, even international. There are 5 separate protest efforts in Minnesota alone, and Canada (where the protests originated), Australia, Japan, and all over Europe people are rising up. Most of these protests are adopting the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City, which follows as such:


As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.
They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity.
They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press. They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them.
They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil.
They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives or provide relief in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit.
They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad. They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.
To the people of the world,
We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.
To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard!

These are really strong words, inspiring words, well-written words. But these words alone, though powerful, will not make the change happen. We need to make change happen, through our words, yes, but also through our actions. I think the 99% need to band together, to unify even more tightly, and to set completely clear goals and demands. If we do this, the protesters can do this! We can do this!

For those who are unaware, "the 99%" refers to the statistic that at any given time, anywhere from 85 to 90 percent of the wealth is in the hands of the top 1% wealthiest of the population.  Chances are, you are part of the 99%. I am too. I want the protesters to know, that I am with them.

I came from a pretty lucky household: Middle-class,with both parents having a college degree, good income, my parents raising me with love and respect into a pretty good education system, and they never once told me that I couldn't do something. I'm transferring to an expensive university soon to get a degree that may not right away give me a job (unless the gods themselves smile upon me) and thus will rack up tons of debt while working at a supermarket's bakery. I am definitely one of the luckier of the 99%, but I am still the 99%.

My name is David. I am a writer, a poet, a student, a thinker, a lover, a fighter, and I am the 99%.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Philosophy on a Rainy Day

Two men walked along the rocky shore of a beach on a grey, somewhat windy day. The air was just cold enough to be uncomfortable—Bearable, but uncomfortable. One of them loved the weather. It kept his mind sharp. He had lived here his entire life, and had seen many, many days like this. His reddish-brown, curled hair flew in the wind and a black scarf trailed behind him from his black jacket. The other couldn’t stand it—He was from a place where it was always warm and wet. He had made the mistake of wearing a simple set of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt and was paying the price. As the wind swept around his brown hair, the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight as Roman pillars.

The first man picked up a round stone, turning it over in his hand and said, simply, “Next month I’m going to begin my novel.”

The second smiled and said “Duane, you’re always writing something. You know, I’ve been thinking of a novella to begin myself. I want to write about a fictional drug—I’ve been thinking the street name for it will be “Flood”.

Duane tossed the stone into the cold, black waves and paid deep attention to the sound as it made contact with the water.

“It sends you into throes of euphoria at first, like most drugs… but after you come down, you lose memory of taking it in the first place.”

“I like that. Tell me more, Kai.”

Kai went on, gazing into the grey sheet of rainclouds separating the sky from the earth. It wasn’t raining yet, but the air itself seemed to be holding its breath like a wind orchestra before the conductor’s baton falls.

“Well, my narrator obviously doesn’t remember anything after the fact… But Flood acts as a gateway for him to another world, one that’s more colorful and one that almost forces him to be more philosophical and reflective in nature. The real world would be much more dull and cynical, with colors not unlike today.”

Kai withdrew a cigarette from his breast pocket and pressed it to his lips, but kept it unlit. “A recurring theme I want to include is the concept of Faith… specifically, blind faith.”

“I see. I like that. The other day I was discussing the idea of how Faith and Belief are two different concepts; it effectively boiled down to the notion that Beliefs can be rational, such as the belief that policemen show up when you call 9-1-1. This is in stark contrast to Faith, which, by definition, is irrational: The faith that drinking a Jewish Zombie’s blood removes all wrongdoings from your conscience. We took it one step further to say that Beliefs are even necessary for rational thinking.” Duane readjusted his fingerless gloves as he finished the sentence, having momentarily forgotten that he wasn’t alone.

“Well”, responded Kai slowly, “I agree that there’s a difference between Faith and Belief. I don’t know, however, if it’s completely irrational to have Faith.”

“Isn’t that what it is by definition, though? Growing up in a Christian school, all I heard was ‘Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’” Duane’s hazel eyes met Kai’s brown irises and showed a curious look.

“I suppose Faith itself is irrational, but what I really mean is that I don’t know if we should act by reason alone.” Kai finally lit his cigarette, and took a long drag from it. “Cold, hard logic seems like an almost inhuman thing to base your entire life on.”

“I’m with you there. I’d even say that sometimes it’s beneficial not just to act irrationally, but antirationally—That is, to do something just because you logically shouldn’t. The Chinese Daoists Laozi and Zhuangzi were all about it. ” Duane stared back out onto the waves of the lake. It was so big that you couldn’t see the opposite shore. It looked as though the lake fell off the edge of the world. “I mean, all I’m saying is that I think a little bit of faith is necessary. Everyone needs faith in something, even if they just have faith for the sake of having faith.”

“Duane, you just nailed the theme of my novella. ’It’ll all work out. How do I know? I don’t! It just will.’” Kai took another drag before crushing the half-smoked cig onto a rock, and slipping it back into his case.

“You know, that’s why a lot of Jews don’t call themselves secular, but they don’t believe in God either. That’s fascinating to me, because if they don’t believe in God, where does the motivation for morality come from? If you ask one, he might say ‘I just have faith in Faith.’”

“Well, Duane, now we’re talking about two different issues now: Faith and morality. They’re related, but not the same. It’s a big question for a Jew, a gentile, a ginger, what have you: Where does morality come from?”

Duane sighed as he readjusted his square-rimmed glasses. “I don't think Morality comes from God, I just don't know where it comes from, because I am not entirely sure that morality is COMPLETELY a social construct. Everything is pointing to the fact that it is, but... I can't shake the feeling that even if there's no such thing as ‘evil’, there is such a thing as ‘good’.”

“Morality for me is a product of cultural, social and historical context. We have morals because we live in a society that is "civilized". Where we lack morals is when we were savage. I usually prefer to think animals as equals to humans, but I must ask, do animals have morals? Perhaps they are free of all constructs, to do whatever they want. Humans on the other hand imposed a system on them, that in order to work must have morals.” Kai nodded as he thought on, forgetting the frigid temperature that seemed to be dropping further.

“Well, that brings up a few questions. Firstly, is it inherently "bad" when we're savage? In other words, should we value civilization as heavily as we do? Secondly, even if animals don't have morals, say they have beliefs, have rational thoughts, such as crows. Do we then grant them personhood, seeing as what constitutes a "person" (at least where I’m from) is the capacity for rational thought. Thirdly (and this is a question to humor my curiosity), Do animals act solely on instinct, or is there ration, or even EMOTION?” Duane seemed quite anxious to get to the crux of the issues, without realizing that they had gone almost completely off topic. He picked up another rounded stone and held it up to his eye level, inspecting it as though it could contain gold.

Kai didn’t hesitate. “Well, I think we’re freer when we’re being savage. For me, civilization is this big mess that we're stuck in that seems hard to escape. I think the Greeks valued civilization just because they thought it was “obviously better” than being one of the “barbarians”. For me, civilization is a necessary evil—Or should I say necessary limitation?”

Duane nodded contemplatively as Kai went on. 

“As for your second and third questions, I don’t really know. I think a lot of humans have this superiority complex that humans are intrinsically superior to animals, because they don't understand animals. I think animals have rationality and emotions, but in a totally different way. They needn't be granted our idea of "personhood" because they are rational and emotional "beings" in their own way. In fact, there's no need to personify other beings because that's just assuming that animals need to adopt rational thought and emotions like ours to reach our level.”

Duane interjected. “So the main issue isn’t personhood, it’s anthrocentrism?”

Kai nodded firmly. “Exactly. Humans have the tendency to assume their form to be the center of everything. It's easy to make that assumption, since you see and feel everything from your own body. The Greeks thought their polis was the center of the flat world. Christians thought we were above animals and right below Angels, but in a way we are even above the Angels because we've got Free Will! Even the monotheistic religions assume that God must take a form resembling the human form in some way!”

Duane and Kai continued their conversation all the way up the shore, until they reached a place where the shore kissed the edges of town. A small coffee shop looked inviting to the both of them, so they went inside and warmed themselves alongside tall mugs of rich, aromatic coffee.

“I mean, if you locked a grizzly bear, a Bengal tiger, and the average human male in a room, we know who won’t be walking out of there. We should have respect for animals of any kind, even if it’s a carnal, visceral respect.” Duane sipped his drink thoughtfully.

“Ever since humans have developed the capacity to kill animals without an amazing feat of strength, we’ve lost respect for them.” Kai stared out the window as rain began to tap against the window impatiently. “The invention of the gun probably did more harm than good for the human race.”

Duane smiled proudly. “If I were to ever travel, the only thing I’d carry with me for protection would be a simple bowie knife. And even then, it would mainly be for utility’s sake! Who do you think should own guns?”

Kai made a face as though he had swallowed something rotten. “No one. Why are they necessary? Even in the case of a military—Hell, if I had my way there’d be no such thing—but I don’t think even police or other officials should have guns. Judo seems more effective anyway!” He half-joked as he swallowed half of his coffee.

The rest of their meeting was passed in silence. Kai left soon after, calling a taxi to get back to his apartment. Duane sat in the corner of the shop, contemplating all they had discussed. He drained the rest of his drink as he meditated on all of the ideas.

“Are you done with this extra mug, here?” 

Duane was shocked out of his thought by the sudden question. “Uhm… oh! Yes. Thank you.”

The girl was cute, a short redhead. As she turned around, Duane couldn't help but laugh as he caught sight of her green nametag. 

Faith.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Starving Artist No More!

I got a job!

...Yeah, I know what you guys are thinking. "About damn time." Well, you know what? Shut up. It was difficult.

It's kind of funny... My father is a code monkey for the Target Corporation, my older sister and my mother both have worked in a Target store, and my younger sister currently works for one. I've applied over 5 times to various Target stores, and they turned me down each time. So, where's this new job, you may ask?

I shit you not.

Yeah, I got tired of Target not taking a multilingual, charismatic, energetic guy like myself. So, what did I do? I went to their largest competitors. SUCK IT, TARR-JAAY.

...I wish I could actually say my intentions were that structured, but they really weren't. I have to find a way to pay for my college somehow, so I decided to apply EVERYWHERE. I mean, I figured that I filled out almost 70 applications; 50 of those places were within walking distance of my house. Walmart was actually the first place that gave me an offer. This process took over 5 months.

I had been earning cash on and off before this; playing music, beta testing for Rosetta Stone, editing a paper or an essay or a book here and there. The cash flow was enough to allow for basic recreation, but not enough where I would spend entire days out and come back to look at my bank account and want to punch myself in the nose. Now, though, I'm working in a Walmart's bakery and makin' gold enough to keep myself fed! Getting a job right now won't be nearly as fun as getting a job that I actually want to make into a career, but nevertheless, I am REVELING in the moment.

Now to figure out the problem of free time...

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Respect and Trust

I have some pretty strong ideas when it comes to the notions of Respect and Trust.

Respect is strange. It has played a large part in a lot of my motivation in the past few months regarding the decisions I've been making. I want to be respected-- Doesn't everyone? It's natural and human to want such things. However, I believe that you have to give respect in order to be respected. Now, what is respect? Is it as simple as kindness, as sought-after as honor, as demanding as taxation?

I think respect is pretty straightforward. Respect is all about being able to say "this person has worth". That's all it is, to me. Now, how your behavior reflects that is a whole different animal. If a teacher has worth because he teaches students, and the students are deemed by the teacher worthy of teaching, then that is a mutual respect, no? But if someone asks for respect and can't give a reason why it should be mutual, I say that they deserve very little respect.

Now, I grew up in a very Western zone of influence. Western societies generally don't have such large displays of respect like spoken honorifics, traditional grammar, or bowing. I believe showing respect is as much in the tiny little efforts as well as the way you carry yourself around. Responding to e-mails promptly, making eye contact, being patient, and doing minor favors are all little things, but when stacked together they make a very impressive display of respect, not only for others but also for yourself.

Respect is a good thing to display because displays of respect are the building blocks for good relationships with other people. Good relationships are very important to me, but I always try to keep in mind that if they aren't showing respect, chances are they don't deserve it.

Trust, as well, is a very odd thing. As the old adage goes, like a house of cards, it takes a lot of patience and dexterity to build and maintain, but even the faintest breeze of a mistake can bring the whole thing toppling down.

A good friend of mine constantly says "Trust is earned." He's always (or, at least, as long as I've known him) been very slow to give someone trust and is very wary of other peoples' actions. He and I have a lot of basic differences about our personalities. I'm not necessarily quick to trust, but I am incredibly quick and eager to learn. The more I learn about someone, the more comfortable I feel making the judgment of whether or not I can trust them. I may not be the most eager to let you into my life, but if I feel you can be trusted, you and I will be fast friends.

Trust may be earned, but shutting yourself off from people is destructive. Humans are social creatures-- We need others. That is a fact. When I last spoke to this friend, he heavily implied (willingly or not) that he no longer trusted me. At the time, I really didn't care. And I still don't! If something simple can destroy trust, it was never truly trust in the first place. That being said, I think there was a lot of emotion behind it on both sides, so he might not have meant it that way and I might have been reading too far into it.

Regardless, Respect and Trust are important concepts to me. I just keep in mind that it's always vital to keep what really matters in mind.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

We Are United

 “There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”

--George Burton Adams

I want to begin this post with a thought, a notion, a meditation if you will. If you're in a place where you can speak without disturbing others, say it out loud as you read it.

All of us are connected.

Unity is something that is very important to me. If a group of people are able to set aside differences, drama, disagreements, and strife to come together for a common goal, what that group can achieve is astounding.

I used to be a stark Individualist, looking out for only my own skin without care for who I hurt, used, or disregarded along the way. I was using people for money, for their bodies, for food, for information, for anything and everything. What I didn't realize is that I wasn't just harming others-- All of that chaos I spread was hurting myself as well. Once I was shocked out of that behavior, I began a 4-month stretch of introspective philosophical observation during which I asked myself important questions. What connects all humans to each other? What should I value? How do I attain balance? What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others?

I was trying so hard to find some big, deep secret, but it was ridiculously simple once I realized that it had been hiding right under my nose the entire time. 

What connects all humans to each other? Simply being human. 
What should I value? That intrinsic connectedness. 
How do I attain balance? Through solid connections to real people who help me preserve my values.
What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others? To know that everything the individual does has an impact on everyone connected.


Chapter 39 of the Dao De Jing states quite clearly

The Master views the parts with compassion,
because he understands the whole.

 That could also be translated as, "Wisdom means viewing each part with knowledge and kindness, through understanding of the whole."

A few people have asked me, "How did you come to realize this all at once?" The silly (yet totally legitimate) answer is "Why, by playing World of Warcraft, of course!"

No, really. I was playing WoW at the time. As any of my close friends could tell you, my allegiance lies very heavily with the faction known as the Horde.

Insignia of the Horde

The Horde is comprised of the Orcs, the Darkspear Trolls, the Tauren, the Forsaken Undead, the Sin'dorei Blood Elves, and the Bilgewater Goblins. To anyone with a lick of fantasy knowledge, that seems like a bit of a motley crew. Why would Elves side with Orcs? Why would the maniacal Undead be trusted by... well, anyone? That's when I realized it. They are united through the fact that they're all misfits. They need to fight for their place in the world, and they have formed an allegiance (if a tentative one) in order to better assure mutual survival.

It makes me smile when I remember how closely my friends mirror that structure. A lot of people ask me about some of my friends, "Wow, how did you meet them?" or "Why do you associate with them?" or "How do you get along so well?" I always remember that my friends are my friends because we need each other, because we're human and because this world sucks. That's right, this world sucks and it sucks a lot less if you have more people who help you through the huge mounds of suck.

The other night I spoke with a good friend of mine who was having a bit of an identity crisis. She asked me, "What's my purpose?" Ah, the big question that has plagued philosophy for as long as it has existed. I didn't (and don't) claim that this is the absolute number one answer to this question, it is but my own. What's our purpose?

Everyone who has ever done something kind for you. Everyone who has shown generosity, who has studied with you, made music with you, taught you, helped you, protected you, everyone who has fought alongside you. They are why you are here. Because ultimately, even if life doesn't have a purpose, you have the capacity to make your own-- You can get by, with a little help from your friends.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

The Dao of Drama

Drama sucks. It sucks to deal with, it sucks to have it thrust upon you, but above all, it sucks to have a bad habit of starting it.

Bowling for Soup, a punk band from the throes of the early 2000s, has a song called "High School Never Ends". When I first heard it, the chorus seemed poppy and easygoing.

"The whole damn world is just as obsessed
With who‘s the best dressed and who‘s having sex,
Who‘s got the money, who gets the honeys,
Who‘s kinda cute and who‘s just a mess
And you still don’t have the right look
And you don’t have the right friends
Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends
High school never ends"

 Then, upon further inspection, I realized they were making a really depressing subtle claim about the way people seem to get stuck in that sort of paradigm. 

Now, I'm convinced that that paradigm is the source of most disagreements in high school, and a lot of the drama that people experience in every day life and relationships ends up boiling down to an extension of that way of thinking.

I won't sugarcoat it. The reason I am writing this post is because there is a lot of useless drama going on with a certain circle of my friends. All I'm going to say is that I kept a secret that I shouldn't have kept and it ended up putting a huge fissure between one of my best friends and myself. I'm trying to evaluate the situation and look at it mindfully, but it's becoming harder to do that with every passing day. I'm losing sight of the Dao, so writing this is post is a bit of an effort to rediscover it. I need to give it time to heal.

Now, I'll be the first to say that I'm definitely one to blame, but this whole situation was bad to begin with and has been slowly spiraling out of control. I really wish I could do something about it, but I get the strong feeling that taking direct action would just agitate the waters further. To quote my favorite passage from the Dao De Jing,

"Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear."

I have to give it time to heal.

So, this drama is a product of that fore-mentioned thinking and I need to find a way to get out of high school and deal with this bullshit. What I'm planning on doing is just letting the tension settle and wait for a while. If I don't hear back from my good friend after a few days, I'm going to go to him and explain to him why I kept that terrible secret from him.

Now, readers, I'm going to share something incredibly personal with you (and this is very hard for me to do, so... be gentle.) The reason I had to keep that secret is because I have a hard time balancing my introversion with something called Histrionic Personality Disorder. Not even a few members of my own family know I have it. 

Histrionic Personality Disorder is a personality disorder that manifests itself as a never-ending desire for attention, approval, and drama. People who have trouble dealing with it can be "lively, dramatic, vivacious, enthusiastic, and flirtatious". Not many of my friends know that I suffer from it, but I think it's about time I come to terms with it.

I know I have issues I need to resolve, but I will not continue to hide from it. Neither will I use it as an excuse. 

It's time to heal.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Duality: From Jekyll and Hyde to Universal Morality

Greetings, blogosphere. Today is the first day of one of my favorite months! October is a fantastic month. The beginning starts off relatively warm, and the temperature continually drops off to accent the falling leaves of orange and red as the month closes up with one of my favorite holidays.

This is going to be a happily busy month for me. I've been cast in a play based off of one of my favorite novellas: Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I play Mr. Gabriel John Utterson, Jekyll's lawyer who has a bit of a dark side. I really love the part I'm in, and I'm blessed to be with such talented actors.

For those that are unfamiliar with the plot of the novella, Dr. Henry Jekyll is a doctor whose work is specialized in understanding what Jekyll calls "the primitive duality of man". His work begins to consume him as he makes a breakthrough and develops an alternative personality named Edward Hyde, who embodies the evil side of Jekyll. Hyde goes on continuous crime sprees, and grows more powerful each time he emerges to the point where Jekyll begins to lose control. I won't spoil the ending, though!

"Man is not truly one, but truly two!" Jekyll makes this claim numerous times. The dual nature of man is one of good and one of evil. "He who has the two forces of good and evil under such control that the good always balances the evil is indeed blessed," he states in the script of my play.

I was stricken with curiosity (as I do more and more each day) on this notion. Is the human mind so easily dichotomized into good and evil? This isn't an uncommon idea. The history of art, religions, and literature throughout the world is fraught with this concept of good combating against and (most of the time) triumphing over evil. Why is this so?

Well, it makes for a good story. The concept of good defeating evil plays right into the human sense of morality as well as the natural desire found in humans for revenge. However, this conflict is most often between two separate parties, not between two sides of the same person.

Regardless, we need to take it back to basics. Definitions of good and evil. Are there really such things, or are they simply social constructs? Is there such a thing as universal morality, or does society bring us up to think they are? After many debates, discussions, and meditations, I've come to believe that even if it is a social construction, it's a necessary one put in place in order to benefit society rather than the individual.

The conflict of what benefits society rather than the individual, I think, strikes at the core of what "good" and "evil" are. Good is generous, giving, polite, positive. It is based on the community. Evil is selfish, vindictive, rude, and negative. Good is selfless, Evil is selfish.* So, it all comes down to who you choose to work for the benefit of.

If you have any input, I appreciate it if you put something in the comments. Is there such a thing as Evil? What constitutes Good? Is everything just Neutral? Does it even matter?



*This is why, when I play DnD, I tend to reject the Alignment System's Good-Evil axis and replace it with the Communal-Individual axis. Sure, "Chaotic Communal" and "Neutral Individual" don't really sound as awesome as "Chaotic Good" and "Neutral Evil", but I think it better (not perfectly, but better) reflects the human psyche and motivations.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.