I feel I got catfished in this puzzle

Characters are single letters — DavidJohnson

Then, why you said there are only three characters in "púrpura"
I clearly see seven characters: p (1), ú (2), r(3), p (4), u (5), r (6), a (7)

Sorry, what do you mean as characters? Syllables?

Okey I am thinking for like half an hour what I am supposed to answer in this puzzle.
Am I forced to answer something related to abc?

Because what I was thinking is: púrpura (purple)
So, my answer:

"r6p"

Is this system based on cruelty, or is cruelty a silly notion that melodramatic humans make up? Is there something else at play? — Ree Zen

I would not say if "cruel" is the exact but "selfishness". The humans, in their period of progress and evolution, made a lot decisions destroying others just to improve their lives.
We tend to be dangerous, yes. But I guess we are "cruel" when all those enjoy making harm to others.
I think you do not need to feel "cruel" just because you eat animals, you are human and that's our necessities. Do not get into the fake thought of "feeling better because I am vegan and I am not eat animal or species"

Is this for an academic qualification? — Amity

No, it is just that I am curious about Japanese literature, specifically Kawabata.

What were your conclusions after reading the article? — Amity

I think he reached what Japanese mind looks like but in the ancient times, like previously to 1945 when literally everything changed to Japan.
It is important to highlight how Kawabata describe two important pillars to their books: loneliness (most of the characters tend to feel lonely in unique ways) and the role of Geisha (it is strange, but it seems that their characters pay to stay with Geishas just to pursue some affection, not sex. Nevertheless, I think they do not reach it at all)
To understand how important the Geisha role was, I think we should get into a deeper knowledge on Japanese culture.

How much of it is a true reflection of himself, his thoughts or no thoughts ? — Amity

It is known that Kawabata was a lonely man. He lived in Osaka, in an abandoned house where only a few friends or disciples can go there, you can see a video here: Kawabata and Mishima.
I personally think he developed with pride what Japan looked like through his books: green tea, haiku, silence, the art of expressing the snow, geisha, etc...

I see your point that they are clearly different aspect with different proposes. But where I disagree with you is in the fact, you shared, that religion finds out truth. I guess this is exactly where Kawabata made the debate. For him, probably literature is the only available matter where we can pursue freedom because we are opened to write/read whatever we like.
But, in the other hand, religion tends to be dogmatic, because you would not see religious books of killing God, loneliness, suicide, etc...

I do understand. That's why I started this thread. Trying to find an answer from you all

It could be too because we humans tend to imagine things bigger or better than us, paradoxically...

@Amity

Just an opinion or comment I found about his speech when he received the Nobel Prize:

Kawabata definitely does not link himself to European literature; he identifies himself very clearly and very strongly with the Japanese aesthetic tradition, first with the tanka poetry of medieval Zen priests, then with the tea ceremony, calligraphy, flower arranging, landscape gardening, ink painting, ceramic art, and, ultimately, the whole range of spiritual values stemming from the Zen Buddhist discipline developed in Japan in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, but informed by the nature imagery of cherry blossoms, maple leaf, autumn moon, and winter snow derived from the fundamental Shinto values and the classical literature of even earlier centuries. Kawabata obviously saw himself as peculiarly Japanese-- and took great pride in that fact.

In his Nobel Prize speech Kawabata made definite and strong connection with the Zen tradition of emptiness. I personally like that formulation, that the best thing an old man can learn to do is to drink tea from an empty cup.

“A Matter of Life and Death”: Kawabata on the Value of Art after the Atomic Bombings Mara Miller

The article might answer some of your questions re education and knowledge (Section III).
Either way, it provides substantial and clear information. I have a better appreciation of Kawabata.
"So just who is this Kawabata and what does he know about this matter of art and survival?"
Read on!

Already seen it. Yes, pretty clarifying and interesting indeed. There are a lot of papers around which helps a lot

It is in Spanish the papers I have about Kawabata's life and works. Some of them are even commented by Mario Vargas Llosa (Nobel Prize 2010). These papers comes from editors as emecé. They are -supposedly- pretty aware of Kawabata life and what he was thinking during the books, interviews, etc... It is important to put in context that those are literally translated from Japanese.
Anyway here ks the text translated into English by myself.

Kawabata Yasunari, Nobel winner of 1968, killed himself at age of 73 but even he wrote more than twelve thousand pages, he did not leave a not or poem about his tragic decision.
Despite the political crisis of WWII, Kawabata was off his political and social context of Japan. He was a the mentor of Yukio Mishima.
The works of Kawabata are connected to loneliness and the problem of eroticism. Atheist but with a lot of respect on Shintoism. He prophesied that literature would substitute religion.

Sorry but I do not have more about him rather than some notes of the translators. But here: Kawabata it looks like Yasunari was referring to the relationship between women and men when he shouted that phrase rather than a critique to religion as a dogma.

Here I share with you another paper that is so interesting and can clarify some ideas: KAWABATA'S UNREQUITED LOVERS

Well, yes. My answer was based on a Western point of view. I guess in this side of the world, philosophy is taught starting with the Greeks.
Asian and Indian culture/philosophy is more specific because sometimes is even unknown due to their complexity. You have to get deeper to understand it

propaganda and info wars — Apollodorus

These are even the main starting point of every war. We live in an era full of fake news and disinformation. Spreading a lot of lies can lead the people to follow the wrong path.
This conflict is clearly a good example. There are a lot of information floating around that makes a paranoia feeling when we do not really know if a war would happen in the coming months.

I think it is important to highlight two key facts about "what constitutes a philosopher?"

1. Own philosopher. I mean, the person who is interested in the discipline of thought which comes from Ancient Greece. I guess we want from this person a good analysis and ability of reasoning when we debate with him about all categories related to philosophy itslef: ethics, virtue, time, death, uncertainty, etc...

2. Academic philosopher. Those who pursue a degree and then reach a PhD in philosophy or "liberal arts". I guess these are the one who are able to put more worked arguments on the table to confirm or confront the theories which constitutes philosophy. They also tend to write some interesting articles or books in prestigious areas as universities or editors.

What should we expect from a philosopher? I guess both are good and acceptable. But in my opinion, I want in my university a teacher who owns a PhD in philosophy.

Kawabata – who's major works (& those of Mishima) I'd devoured back in the mid-1980s – could not foresee this ubiquitous, 24-7-365, social media dark age. — 180 Proof

It feels like we made a step backwards whenever I see something like dark age of social media (specially Facebook, Instagram, tik tok, etc...) nowadays, young people seems to be easy manipulative. A lot of fake news and disinformation.
About Mishima! What an excellent writer and good pupil of Kawabata. Should we consider that he predicted the decadence of humanity in his works? More than the intelligence, I guess both was referring to the act of making art through books without dogmas. I mean, seeing literature (overall) as a manifestation of culture not marketing.

Nevertheless, I read in a interview of Murakami: "Japan is no longer like Mishima's and Kawabata's books"...
Whatever we like or not, we are forced to change during the decades. But it feels like our society did not change for good

Christian fundamentalism, like Islamic fundamentalism, is reactionary -- a reaction to the very culture that might lure them away. — Bitter Crank

Sure they are, and also we have to keep them in mind. But when we start something as "Christian" or "Islamic" I guess you are already surrounded by a "dogma" whatever you like it or not... Even if those are perfectly reactionary

Defeat" is an interesting word. Is literature at war with religion? Not entirely. — Tom Storm

You are so right! When I read it I thought it was a brave phrase to start a debate with. Until this day it is still opened about what Kawabata was thinking.
I do not say it is "war" neither but I guess it is closer to the development of culture and values, which for atheists, tend to be so far from religion, because religion - itself- is just a dogma and then probably the quote is connected to the art of writing with pure freedom

Glad your back! — Bitter Crank

Glad to be here debating again with you! :100: :up:

I see your point that all of those components of what we call as culture cannot face religion. But what I see from Kawabata's thought is that (somehow) religion is pretty far from literature and then all forms of culture itself.
We can match this argument to this idea: "encouraging people into culture and books could get them away from all forms of religion"

When you read complex novels or see philosophical operas/dramas you make a step forward of how you see the world. Supposedly, not that dogmatic from a religious point of view.

But yes, as you wrote previously, these facts cannot end religion at all

Perhaps the more important question is whether they are to be understood as distinct.

Yes, that's right. If we consider it as distinct matters, we can put literature itself on the equation. Then, we can argue and understand what Kawabata said. Speaking about literature about something related to values, culture, ethics, etc... That is somehow an opposition to religion.

I got the context from an interview he had among other Japanese writers. They were debating about the art of writing poems and books. He hinted on the debate that literature could defeat religion.
It is important to keep in mind that Kawabata was atheist... Probably this could be connected to.

Yes, he was referring to all types of religion.

Are Kojiki and Nihon Shoki distinct from literature?

To be honest I do not know because this is why the phrase was so controversial. Probably this debate is correlated to the famous old question: Who came first? Philosophy or Greek poetry?
I guess we can match it to that way...

It is another interesting point of view indeed but I guess his quote was not close to it because Kawabata was a really lonely person back in the day... So probably he did not wonder about fulfil our lives that much.
Yes, there is some aspects about him to consider of. His discourse was titled: Japan, the beautiful. His self where we can see a lot of examples of where Japanese writers and poets reach (somehow) nirvana or something related through literature. Probably, he was closer to promote the imagination rather than believe in "dogmas"

@Amity

I remember discussing with you political/social cartoons the last summer. Here I going to share another one with you because whenever I see one of these I quickly have good memories about the last summer when we shared the opinions on the cartoons!



You can see a skeleton literally voting :rofl:. The cartoon is a satire about how fake and corrupt were the Spain's polls back in the day. It is known that political senators or deputies put the vote of citizens that were already dead...

Is "God" free to commit suicide?

Can "God" cease being "God"? — 180 Proof

Furthermore of randomness, I think those questions can be related to human weakness in a sense of debating about the worthy of life. Religious and theists tend to say that "Men is made of God's image" but paradoxically, we as men, can only truly debate about "ceasing" "suicide", etc... Because God is supposed to be upon all of these "weaknesses" and "sins"
It even sounds contradictory.

First, the view entails that we have to say things such as "before time." For example, one can say "God existed before time." But it makes no sense to use temporal language, such as "before," to describe a period in which there is no time — Raymond Rider

Yes, I am agree with you in this point. But probably what theists tend to argue is that God is such omnipotent. Therefore, he is not affected about human basic rationalism. We can debate and argue about time because it is literally something affect us. But it is supposed that God is (at the same time) a "being/non being" or "he is/not everywhere", so he is not affected neither bothered for something as time.
We can say here then, that probably for God and theists some aspects as time is just worthless.

Completely yes. Bushido culture is not well known as much as Japanese culture itself. In my own consideration I think it would be worthy to teach both Bushido and Stoicism. But, being honest with you, I do not really know how effective these could be among modern ethics. We live in a violent world and it seems we are somehow losing the humanism.
Conclusion: A comeback of these disciplines could be worthy but I still defend we have to reorganise the education and society from the beginning

Original: Koshibai no nobori nurekeri haru no ame Masaoka Shiki (正岡 子規)

Translated: The flags
of the tiny theatre have been wet...
Spring rain.

Las banderas
del pequeño teatro se han mojado...
Lluvia de primavera.

I really love this haiku poem because it brings me some nostalgia about my childhood. I guess Masaoka is recording that period of time where you can make a lot of activities outside with your friends,family, etc... Despite the fact it has been raining, it is not bothering us because it is a spring rain where probably a rainbow would show up later on, pretty different from a winter/fall cold rainy day!

could he cease his own omnipotence? — InvoluntaryDecorum

Very interesting question. That's why I also defend no because in some terms it looks like omnipotence is related a being/not being state

It is similar but with some different tones. I think the magical realism of "Sputnik, sweetheart" is not close enough to 1Q84. Nevertheless! It has that Murakami atmosphere that you can check in most of the books: loneliness, random grils out of nowhere, Metaphysic conversations, nostalgia, etc...

he could even commit suicide? Why or why not? — Corvus

I think not because an omnipotent subject has not in their mind the debate or thought of being a worthy value. It is that powerful or superior that the subject itself cannot handle about "human emotions" dilemmas.
A normal human being can be settled in some issues as "is this life that worthy?" or "why I do deserve this?", etc... Which can put you on the fragile of gap of committing suicide.
But in an omnipotent subject these matters cannot even exist because it is already a being/non being... Right?

Japanese literature:

Seven Japanese tales by Junichiro Tanizaki.
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima
Sputnik, sweetheart by Murakami.
A personal matter by Kenzaburo Oe

But specially dedicated to Kawabata Yasunari:

• The dancing girl of Izu
  Koto
  The house of sleeping beauties
  Snow country.

What is it about Buddhism that seems to invite so much ignorant but confident misrepresentation or even invention?

As @StreetlightX pointed out so accurate previously, I also think is opportunism with a mix of marketing. Back in the 1960's and 1970's was so common travel along Asia (Nepal and India specially) because Buddhism was cool and take drugs like ecstasy or trippies was funny. You end up having ignorant tourists visiting countries with a complex religion and customs. Also, it is even scary how marketing was part of it making and selling t-shirts or even tattoos. The famous music band called Nirvana was clearly part of it. But you can find out many other examples like the hippy wave.

When were the first mechanized timekeepers used in science? — VincePee

I think it was the Babylonian time system the first clockwork or timekeepers ever created. They used to manage the time according to the sun.
Check out: The Babylonian Calendar

The beginning of the month in the Babylonian calendar was determined by the direct observation by priests of the young crescent moon at sunset after the astronomical New Moon. This custom is remembered in Judaism and Islâm with the principle that the new calendar day begins at sunset.

Are their any loopholes in this same pattern of thinking? — FarEastNationThinker65

Yes. Since the moment that Machiavelli theories are only applied on how to rule a state. It is difficult to see the connection of "the ends justify the means" with the "gain of love"

Boris Johnson seems no fool at all, though at times he plays one rather well — tim wood

It is also interesting this technique. Politicians tend to act more stupid or ignorant than they are in real life or in the "shadows". Bush did so on Irak crisis. But I do not understand why they use this technique just to get away from problems usually. When I vote a political party and their leader is due to my confidence on them that the situation would be better because they are capable of managing a whole country.

Are we now in an age where politicians can sacrifice integrity for expediency so obviously and get away with it? — Tim3003

Good question. Sadly, yes, the average politician sacrifice their integrity just to get away from problems or made decisions. It is so obvious that is why we get mad, right?
To be honest, this "technique" or "trick" (whatever we can name it) is so common in modern politics. If you want to be a politician I guess you have to be ready to sacrifice morality and integrity to climb on powerful positions.
Citizens? These will no longer care for the government anymore since the moment they win the elections.

Yes! You are right. We create words to make them international. Inside plane or journeys vocabulary is more common. For example: Check in when you have to register or just notice that you are already on the airport. Here in Spain we just say check in, we do not translate it to Spanish.

I think the barrier could be vocabulary. There are some words that cannot be translated at all because probably in English speaker country the word doesn't not exist at all.
For example, in my language there is a profession called pospós or trapero. This is a person who picks clothes from the street, make some new renewable ones and then sell it cheaper that was back then. Probably this also exists in English speakers countries but I can't find the exactly word of your vocabulary.