Emily

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As I read the explanations on filial piety of China, I found that I actually have heard of all those beliefs, and that they do not sound like strange traditions. The rather tough relationship between a wife and her mother-in-law is common in Korea, and the fact that the problem often times roots from the wife not being able to give birth to a child (especially a boy) is also true as well. Through this, I could realize how deeply Confucianism has settled in Korean society, its philosophies still existing today. Soap operas revolving around the conflicts mentioned in the document are common.
 * FILIAL PIETY RESPONSE**

One factor that stands out about Western fairy tales is that they usually don’t have to deal with the parent-child relationship. However, the most reasonable one would be Cinderella, where Cinderella gets a mean, hostile stepmother who only cares about her own two children. There are truly many versions to the story, but in none of them can we really find true filial piety working its duty. The Chinese tale about Min-Tzu has a similar setting, but surely his reaction to the bitter stepmother is much different from Cinderella’s. He sacrificed himself for his brothers and his stepmother. Although Cinderella was very obedient (like Min-Tzu), she certainly did not reach the point of sacrificing herself in that kind of a horrible situation. Surely this example accounts for the fundamental difference between the Western culture and the East Asian (or Chinese Confucian) culture. In none of the Chinese stories, do we find a child disobeying his or her parents or even offending them. In Western stories, this rule is not as strict, and we can see examples of stories whose main conflict arise from the disobedient child. The classic example is, although not an old fairy tale, Finding Nemo. The story begins as Nemo ignores his father’s warning about going far out into the ocean. Soon, Nemo gets into big trouble, and has to pay the price for being rebellious to his father.

1. “My words are very easy to understand and very easy to put into practice,” but “straightforward words seem paradoxical...” What doest this mean? How does it come into play in The Tao of Pooh with regard to scholars? Taoist believers emphasized following nature and “going with the flow,” which may seem very easy and direct. However, as the quote said “straightforward words seem paradoxical,” this simple statement can be difficult to follow because we humans have developed a desire for progress and development. It is strange for us to defy progress and stick with our abilities of nature. We desire education, knowledge, and wisdom, but what Taoists say is that not sticking to these is the true wisdom.
 * __THE TAO OF POOH__ QUESTIONS**

2. Read the poem on page 30. What does Pooh seem to think about scholars? How does that relate to the Taoist view of knowledge? Pooh seems to think that even the scholars do not really know anything. In fact, Pooh probably thinks that no one on this planet knows anything about our surroundings. He watches the natural phenomenon happening around him, and questions what it is that is going on, what it is that is around him. But he knows that nobody can know, and that is the fundamental belief in Taoism. Scientists and scholars say they “know” our nature by labeling them and classifying them, but in the end, they will never be able to prove what works this world.

3. What are the messages behind Cottleston Piepg. 38~40 and 56? Think about inner nature. A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly: explains how there are natural abilities to us all, and we shall not attempt to go beyond those limits. A fish can’t whistle and neither can I: This statement implies similar meanings as the first one: we should realize our abilities and what we were meant to be, and simply follow nature and live as those beings. We should accept the limitations. We shall never defy nature and how it was meant to be. However, this does not mean that we should stop improving – it means that some things are designed the way they are. Why does a chicken, I don’t know why: This just simply states that we really do not know anything. Science and scholars try to put labels to everything, but really, they do not know anything about the whole mystery after all. They say some things are “instincts,” or that they just are, but that is the same as saying “we don’t know.” And more importantly is that we don’t really need to know about everything that our nature does.

Discussion Question #8
Question: Write a short reflection of what you learned from these readings. With the benefit of hind site and knowledge of China and Japan, would Korea have been better off if it had “opened up to the west?”

Response: Although the question is very vague in terms of what exactly “better off” refers to, in my opinion – and through my definition of “better off” – I believe that Korea’s decision not to open up to the west was for the better. Through blocking western ideas, although it may have cost the lack of technology at first, Korea was able to keep its cultural identity. If Korea had welcomed and accepted the western ideas then, barely any traces of the original Korean values and traditions would have remained until today. Even though price was paid through the brutal persecution of Christianity, thanks to those efforts, we now have a nation whose people hold natural and basic Confucian beliefs and traditions, regardless of the religion they may hold. Besides, even though Korea may have been falling behind in terms of technology and economy back in the time, it is inevitable that now it has become one of the top ranking countries in terms of both economy and technology – the massive development during the past decades allowed them to flourish greatly.