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| Ancient stories | ||
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Is-ness
The Science of the Essence is concerned with the is-ness of
things. This applies to all aspects of life, not just
tai chi. If we consider stories, te is
easy to understand.
Arabian Nights
The Arabian Nights story is about a lady who must beguile a deranged Sultan with
stories every night for 40 days in order to escape execution:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arabian-Nights-Alan-Bates/dp/B002GBHU40/
It is the classic treatise on storytelling.
Norse & Greek mythology
Similarly, Norse and Greek legends display equivalent storytelling skills
and actively teach the reader about cunning, resolve and ingenuity. Rarely does
the macho, tough guy prevail.
It is the everyday hero - possessing no special power - who wins the day by
using his wit.
See:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1787534618/ (Listen to the audio
sample? Does it make you curious?)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1408886812/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241380367
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0718188721/
Disappointing
So, in everyday context, Sifu Waller and Rachel watch
Netflix, movies and DVD box sets
and seldom find stories that are well told.
Star Wars
Star Wars movies from Return of the Jedi onwards have been badly written
and badly told. Luke Skywalker learning from Yoda and discovering that Vader was
his father is spellbinding.
But later when Leia turns out to be Luke's sister,
the story pratfalls. This is why the latest Star Wars movies are lousy...
Star Wars solution?
If George Lucas/Disney had read the Classic books
on storytelling they would
have remembered what makes a story work.
For in the ancient World, a bad story attracts no audience and people wanted to
be intrigued, educated and excited. A storyteller knew that skill was required,
often on pain of death.
Lessons
ancient stories teach lessons that are crucial to
survival in a dangerous world and a competitive society. All cultures and
religions have conveyed their teachings through stories.
In the Krishnamurti/Bruce lee inspired movie
The Silent Flute much of the plot stems from Islamic stories.
Empty stories
When a story offers no lesson, what purpose/function ('te') does it serve?
Bereft of purpose, a story is akin to the old serial movies; where the sole aim
of each movie was merely to perpetuate the
plot.
Like a dog chasing it's own tail... Much of what is shown on TV
is like this. Glorified gossip and no substance.
Morals
Stories also teach us how to behave properly. We learn the consequences
of greed, selfishness and
poor judgement without having to make the
mistakes ourselves. We can learn and grow.
In an illiterate world, stories were once a
necessary method of schooling.
Examples
According to Maximum
Brainpower, humans learn from examples and incidents. We remember an event
and what took place. We extrapolate meaning.
Usually examples are more memorable than simple facts and figures.
Short stories
In the short story collection
Beyond Lies the Wub, Philip K Dick maintained that a short story offered no
scope to develop characters, so the focus must be upon a new
idea/message/lesson.
A journey
Ancient stories often involved
the protagonist undertaking an arduous journey of
discovery. The journey could be a
physical one or
spiritual. The purpose of the journey was change.
Indeed, the significance and success of a journey was measured by how much the
individual had changed over the course of their
adventure.
Hero?
In modern time the word 'hero'
is used in all manner of ways; many of which seem far removed from the original
meaning of the word.
For example in Arabian Nights, the heroine
is quite clearly Scheherazade - she displays
courage, fortitude and incredible
creativity throughout the story.
Aesop, Ireland and elsewhere
Aesop's fables, Brer Rabbit and the fairy stories of Ireland are well known
examples of strange stories that teach lessons. The stories of Asia teach other
lessons. Lessons that are unique to those places.
In Malaysia, The Little Mouse Deer is a popular character; a small mammal that
must use it's cunning to outwit predators. The
Funny Little Woman is a popular Japanese folktale.
Wudang magic?
Taoism and Tai chi were the source of many stories for
thousands of years and hence there are books with
such titles as Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians: Stories of Taoist
Mystics.
Countless Hong Kong cinema films depict tai chi as
magical. Before cinema the Chinese produced the world's first comic books;
hyperbolic, improbable examples of Taoist magic and
tai chi skill.
The secrets of Wudang remained a mystery for
millennia, so people made up stories...
Taoism &
The Tai Chi Classics
The Way of Chuang Tzu is filled with stories. Many of which do not
make sense. This is deliberate; for it serves to
illustrate the limitations of thought and
language.
The Tai Chi Classics started life not as stories, but as
songs.
Memorable
Stories have always been an effective teaching
tool because a good story is memorable, and can be
re-told. Again and again...
Often the lessons are deep and take time to
understand.
Page
created 18 April 2018
Last updated
16 June 2023
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