On-line Interview on "the Inkwell"
-- May/June 2002 --
Page Five
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Inkwell.vue topic #150: David Mason: Spirit of the Mountains
-- continued --
#93: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Sun 26 May 2002
>#90 of 92: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Sun 26 May
> Of course many people don't realize that the swastika is an ancient Indian symbol,
Yeah, many still don't. I thought it was originated by Zoroaster in Persia around 600 BCE...?
Then adopted in India, becoming "Buddhist" by the time of Emperor Ashoka...?
> The Nazis adopted and inverted (perverted) the symbol for their own purposes.
Yeah, that was tragic for World Buddhism.
> Anyway, it suggests a link to India, whence came Buddhism itself
> (though I thought it came to Korea by way of China, rather than directly).
quite so.
> Also, I think the swastika predates Buddhism and is something more
> Indian, per se, than Buddhist.
Well, it was very much "Buddhist" as those teachings moved across the Silk Road into Chinese
territory 0-500 CE. When Buddhism came to Korea from China 300-600 CE, the swastika was
exclusively the symbol of Buddhism, i know that much for sure. It has never meant anything else in
East Asia.
> I didn't find a swastika in any of the images in your book.
It has no association with San-shin, and i have never seen one incorporated in a San-shin icon.
> How common or uncommon is the swastika in Korea?
Very common, all over. There are, hmmmm, 10,000 Buddhist temples, shamanic shrines and fortune-
teller's houses in South Korea, and just about ALL of them have a swastika on the sign(s) that point
to them. See it driving down 'most any road, urban or rural. Some of them have little flags with red
swastikas (and nothing else) decorating the front of the building, so that people know it's such a kind
of place. Some temples have them designed into their building -facades, or in their metal fences, as
a repeated decoration.
{many shaman/fortune-teller's shrines are little mock "Buddhist" temples, sometimes quite elaborate;
sometimes the shamans shave their heads and wear monk's robes; in fact there's no clear border
between "legit" Buddhism and Shamanism here, but a vast grey area; i've struggled with drawing
artificial lines, for my research}.
Swastikas are common in Buddhist paintings & statues (sometimes on the Buddha's chest) and on
temple banners. On every tourist map & road-map, the locations of temples and hermitages are
indicated by little red swastikas. All this freaks out some new-in-Korea westerners -- Americans
giggle, Jews get quiet, Germans & French loudly object. Until somebody explains to them...
> Are there any other obvious Indian influences in Korean imagery
> or Korean religious practices?
Hindu gods transformed into Buddhism-protecting spirits in the big "Assembly of the Spirits"
paintings, as in my book & website. But that's all.
> Is there any hint in San-shin practices or imagery of something
> which might have been imported from the Himalayas?
A few Tantric demons in those same guardian-paintings...
#94: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Sun 26 May 2002
>#91 of 93: E-mail from Lauren Deutsch:
Hello Lauren! nice to see you here...
>... those who went to Fukui-ken (south of Kanazawa / Noto Peninsula
> and North of Kyoto) found Hakusan (White Mountain) particularly
> appealing. Dogen Zenji, the founder of the Soto Lineage of Zen
> Buddhism, I was told by this senior practitioner, was so enamored
> of this mountain that he placed Eiheiji, his famous monastery, so
> as to have a clear view of this mountain.
Interesting; thanks!
> What have you learned about Sanshin in "exile" or "on the road" or "transplanted"?
Not a lot, i'm afraid -- i haven't been able to afford to travel internationally for that purpose... need a
grant! :-) Out of all the Korean temples now overseas (there must be hundreds!) i have only visited
*one*, Daewon-sa in Honolulu. The San-shin from it is in my book -- totally unique because no tiger
appears in it! Everything else was the same as in Korea...
[btw, if any of you ever visit a Korean Buddhist temple in America Canada Europe China etc, sending
me a photo or two of their San-shin shrine would be MUCH appreciated...]
> I know that during the recent kut in Los Angeles on the 10th
> anniversary of the LA Riots, officiated by Kim Kumhwa Mansin,
Wish i could've seen that. She's the best.
> one of the shamans in the troupe was saying that the spirits had to be told where they were:
> they = shamans or they = spirits? I have a sense it was both... they (shamans) had invited
> them (spirits) to show up in a predominantly Hispanic family public park.
Well, i bet the Korean spirits appreciated all the ghost/aromas of hot chili peppers floating around
there :-)
However, the spirits (not the shamans) being told where they were -- that's standard at every such
ritual, nothing uncommon about that being done in L.A.. Every Shamanic ceremony or even prayer
recited in front of an icon has, near the beginning, a recitation of the address of the shrine, and if it's
different, the address of the supplicant. Done exactly, as if a letter were being addressed. I dunno
exactly, but it's as if it's assumed that when the spirits are summoned from the "netherworld", they're
a bit dis-oriented, need to be told.... You wouldn't think this would have to be done for the San-shin,
as it's mountain is RIGHT THERE and doesn't move... but it is done.
#108: newly refurbished co-host (lara) Mon 27 May 2002
David, I haven't finished reading "Spirit of the Mountains" yet, and so this post is more of a comment
than a question. I just wanted to say how moving I've found it to discover, through this very beautiful
book, that there is such a strong and intact tradition of mountain worship in Korea.
I've always had a bit of a thing for mountains, and have visited several sacred mountains in various
parts of the world -- Tai Shan in China, Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia, the Himalaya, and others, and
of course, our local beauty, Mt. Tamalpais. Of course, people the world over have attributed spiritual
characteristics to mountains, and individual personalities, but it's astonishing to come across the
quality of art and the depth and intricacy of the folklore in the shamanic tradition of Korea, about
which I was entirely ignorant before reading your book.
Thank you so much for all your dedication and effort in gathering together all this information.
You've done a fantastic job.
#109: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Mon 27 May 2002
David, how is the presence of a mountain spirit perceived among
San-shin devotees? I mean, suppose I'm a guy living in a village at
the base of one of these mountains in Korea. Do I have a sense that
the San-shin in omnipresent? Might I have some little token or shrine
in my bedroom? Or is it only when I actually go up into the mountains
that I consider myself to be in San-shin's domain? Am I thinking about
the spirit when I'm not on the mountain? Am I concerned with
appeasing it or not displeasing it when I'm not on the mountain?
#110: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Tue 28 May 2002
Thanks much for your comments, (lara). Yes, it was a moving "find" for me, too -- still is.
> Tai Shan in China
You've been there? y'know, that's one of my biggest frustrations. The holiest mtn in China, the only
one with a "personified" spirit (who is one of the 'Ten Judge-Kings of Hell' in NE-Asian Buddhism,
strangely) -- and not even very far from me -- and i've never been there! I tried *3 times* from
1983 - 98, but weather/logistics/injury prevented it each time. Someday...
I used to have a China-travel-partner who speaks reads writes Chinese well -- invaluable --
but no longer do.
#111: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Tue 28 May 2002
> David, how is the presence of a mountain spirit perceived among San-shin devotees?
Mostly just as an unseen "spiritual presence", or in a dream or trance-vision.
> I mean, suppose I'm a guy living in a village at the base of one of these
> mountains in Korea. Do I have a sense that the San-shin is omnipresent?
Living somewhere "up there" in the crags.
Doesn't reveal itself easily, and it's often bad news if it does.
> Might I have some little token or shrine in my bedroom?
No, just the shrine up behind the village.
> Or is it only when I actually go up into the mountains that I
> consider myself to be in San-shin's domain?
Mostly right.
> Am I thinking about the spirit when I'm not on the mountain?
No, unless planning a ritual, i guess.
> Am I concerned with appeasing it or not displeasing it when I'm
> not on the mountain?
Prolly not. Just when you're in his domain -- the upper wilderness. It seems that if villagers of the
past experienced a tiger attack while tending their fields or cutting wood, etc -- incl a tiger carrying
off a child -- they considered that a punishment from the San-shin for some transgression (like
cutting a sacred tree, or...). Other Bad Fortune -- say, breaking a bone in your home or field, or
having your crop eaten by pests -- might be attributed by the local shaman to San-shin's anger,
or might be laid on another spirit.
#112: Lara Owen (lara) Tue 28 May 2002
Re Taishan -- yes, I went there in 1983, while I was training in Chinese medicine in Beijing. Four of
us hiked to the top and were the only Westerners among the thousands of people making the trek.
We stayed the night and ventured out at dawn, awoken by a loud gong, to sit at the side of the ridge
and watch the sun come up over the vasy valley before us. Then we hiked back down the mountain.
One of the highlights of my life. Very very special, for many reasons.
#113: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Tue 28 May 2002
That sounds like wonderful experience, Lara. I envy you that.
#114: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Tue 28 May 2002
> ... they considered that a punishment from the San-shin
> for some transgression (like cutting a sacred tree, or...)
David, I remember in your book you mentioned something about not
breaking the San-shin's taboos, and there was a note/reference number
there. I was too lazy to follow up the reference. Can you list some
examples of what these are, in addition to cutting a sacred tree?
Also, how is a sacred tree identified? Are there regarded to be
varying levels of sanctity with a mountain's objects (say, rocks and
streams) and flora & fauna? I gather that all living things on a
mountain are considered the "property" of the San-shin.
#115: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Tue 28 May 2002 (08:06 PM)
Yes, i guess they are. There is no written doctrine/guide to determining the sacredness of trees,
rocks, streams, waterfalls -- or mountains themselves -- so it's up to the locals & practitioners.
As far as i can tell in my years of observations, it has a lot to do with the obvious factors
-- size, prominence, uniqueness.
Taboos... i'm not an expert on that... but they range from practical stuff like not fouling (i.e. pissing
or shitting in) the stream that runs down to your village, to more psychological dicta like not having
"impure thoughts" or cursing out loud.
When i lived in a hermit-farmhouse on "Triple Crags Mountain" in 1998, i knew that the fall San-shin
ritual was coming soon (i had attended the one in the spring, took photos), so one day i walked
the 10 minutes back behind my house into the forest to the Village Shrine at the mouth of a rocky
gorge (with prominent pine tree above) (see opening pages of my book). I cleaned up its area --
carried out one huge garbage-bag full of old bottles & cans & paper & crap.
Thought i was doing something good, told an old farmer nearby that i'd done so. He was horrified.
Turned out that my action broke a taboo about not touching the shrine until the auspicious day of the
ritual! They had to delay the rite until the next auspicious day. They were pissed at me, didn't invite
me when they held it. Oh, well.... at least a tiger didn't attack me.
#116: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Tue 28 May 2002
Great experience you had on Tai-shan, lara -- I also went to China in 1983, and Geez, there weren't
many foreigners there at all then! And so few who could speak English, and so very little information
in English... it was a damn rough trip. I went all around a big loop, with a backpack, riding the trains
for 6 weeks... back then there were only 29 cities "open" for foreigners! I had several un-pleasant
encounters with the police... missed Tai-shan THAT time because of heavy rains.
I've done the hike-to-the-peak-and-sleep-over-in-the-temple-watch-the-sunrise thang at four other
Chinese mountains --- Emei-shan, Jizu-shan and Wu-tai-shan (sacred to Buddhists) and Wei-bao-shan
(Daoist). Hardship, but very special indeed. Too much fog at Hwang-shan (Daoist) and Puto-shan
(Buddhist), heavy rains at Jihua-shan (Buddhist)... ya take yer chances, and ya never know.
A notable difference between China and Korea -- the Chinese build those temples right on the peak
of the holy mountain (and plenty more on the slopes & in the valley). Koreans NEVER do that. Pretty
close sometimes (100 meters from the peak), but not on it. Greater respect for / fear of the San-shin
perhaps? Or just because there's rarely a spring of water that high up...?
#118: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Tue 28 May 2002
Wow, David! What a hard lesson to learn! I suppose that's one of those things that can be
categorized as culture clash? Or is it? How likely or unlikely is it that a Korean city-slicker from
Seoul could make the same mistake? I guess my question really is, would that particular problem
be a matter of knowing about San-shin, or knowing about Korean culture in general?
There's nothing in my own experience that directly relates to that. But living in Mexico in my teens
and early 20's, I learned an awful lot about subtle nuances of the culture - stuff that nobody ever
explains to you, even when you're fluent in Spanish. Indeed, it's precisely *because* one attains
fluency in Spanish that the locals take it for granted that you also acquired those "unwritten laws"
along with proficiency in the language - thus they don't cut you the same slack that they would to a
bloke who's obviously struggling with the language - he's a _foreigner_ and doesn't know better. I
learned a lot of stuff the *hard way* like that - many tedious, awkward, embarrassing moments in
social situations where I thought I was doing the right thing and ended up having people pissed off
at me for reasons about which I could not even begin to guess.
#119: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Tue 28 May 2002
Yup, that has happened to me a lot... :-( I was lucky to have a Korean wife for 13 years who was
sensitive to cross-cultural stuff, could explain to me, drop hints -- sometimes even warn in advance.
> ... would that particular problem be a matter of knowing about
> San-shin, or knowing about Korean culture in general?
Possibly more general. Koreans don't interfere in anything that is not their direct business --
except radical-activist-college-student sorts, who are considered over-idealistic. If they do
have an idea to do something unusual, there're many rounds of consultations first. It takes
an American to, without talking with anyone senior before-hand, go out to "do something good".
Both good and bad points of *our* culture, and of theirs...
#120: Roger Windsor (jonl) Wed 29 May 2002
Email from Roger Windsor:
San-shin is of historical interest, and important to those who continue to follow the shamanic beliefs,
but do you see San-shin playing any role in the future of Korea, or will it merely fade away along with
other traditional practices as modern culture continues to flood Asia and other parts of the world?
What role could, or should, it play on the national scene and in the individual lives of Koreans?
Thanks,
Roger Windsor
#121: Jim Fisher (fishjim) Wed 29 May 2002
Thanks so much for the geology posts in #78 and #79, David -- that's exactly what I was looking for.
"Tao Peak" Mountain is indeed an awesome formation!
#122: Pseud Impaired (mitsu) Wed 29 May 2002
>there're many rounds of consultations first
This is also a very Japanese cultural trait. It strikes me (and has often occurred to me) that, despite
the Koreans deep hatred/fear of Japanese, and despite the traditional disdain Japanese have held
for Koreans (both of these are feelings that are, thankfully, waning --- in fact, I've read that in recent
years in Japan, there has been an upswell in the fashionability of Koreans --- I think this was partly
spurred on by internal criticism as well as foreign pressure) --- but despite the long-held, let's call it
tension, between the two countries, the two actually share quite a few cultural qualities. This is
perhaps hardly surprising as both countries are not only physically proximate but also have a similar
geography --- both are largely mountainous, etc.
And of course Japan also has a long tradition of reverence for mountains and mountain gods (or
kami), along with the innumerable other Shinto nature gods associated with streams and other
natural phenomena, though they don't really have something akin to San-shin with its varied and rich
iconography and artistic history.
#124: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Wed 29 May 2002
Yesterday, i was the invited guest-speaker of the Seong-cheon Mun-hwa Hoe-dan [Sage-stream
Cultural Foundation/Institute]. It's run by a 92-year-old former president of Korea's top university, a
well-known calligrapher and nationalist educator with pen-name "Seong-cheon". Very healthy, spry
& alert for 92... Keeps a old brick on his desk encased in plastic -- it's from the old West Gate Prison
where he was held and tortured on-&-off 1935-45... a Christian, but displays an excellent collection
of small Buddhist statues from all over Asia.
Anyway, he runs this adult-education institute where he and some famous profs lecture on the
greatest classics of Korea, Asia and the world -- Toegye, I Ching, Plato, Wonhyo, Mencius, Kant, etc.
Yesterday, he had me in there to speak on "The Place of San-shin in Korea's Traditions". 100 or so
students. I talked for 90 min incl showing 25 slides; a college-boy stood next to me and translated
each sentence into Korean (i'm just not nearly good enuff in K to do a lecture), tho i used a lot of
Korean vocabulary of course. I always do these talks without text or notes, just make an outline in
my mind and talk spontaneously... works out well.
I surveyed the historical stuff and San-shin's connections to other religions, as in the book. But i
spent the last 30 min on the ideas in my Chap 4 -- the present and future of San-shin in Korea and the
world. As if answering what was asked in #120 above. This is pretty controversial stuff for Koreans
to hear -- they perked up & stirred, looked amazed, whispered to each other, nodded, smiled.
Applause was heavy when i finished (on time!).
At the end was question-time, and the usual happened -- a retired gentleman jumped up and
launched into a speech, condemning me and my ideas from a Protestant point of view -- "why are you
promoting old superstitions, which will only mislead people? What you speak of is a *dying* culture, it
has no place in modern Korea, but you don't seem to know that. Shamanism is dangerous to us, it's
'against God'. It's shameful to expose these superstitions to foreigners" and etc.
Typical. Embarrassing.
I was thankful that ol' "Sage Stream" himself stepped in and gently shut the guy down. He didn't
seem to quite agree with me, but respected the quality of my ideas and the photos i had to back them
up. Most of the audience sided with me, as far as they sided at all.
Afterwards, i talked with "Sage Stream" in his office, and gave him a copy of my book, he was
pleased. He gave me a porcelain brush-holder-pot with his calligraphy on it, I was pleased. The
secretary slipped me a $170 honorarium, and i headed back to my Tourism office by subway. My
bosses don't like me taking time off for this kind of thing, were grudging about it (we're real busy
these days, with the World Cup Finals opening in Seoul TOMORROW).
Just another day in my mission ;-)
#127: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Thu 30 May 2002
> Email from Roger Windsor:
Yes, I think San-shin will play a significant role in the future developments of Korean culture,
although in transformed ways. The conception, depiction & style of San-shin have always been
evolving not static, which has kept it quite relevant here in 2002. I see no reason that this evolution
will stop – in fact it'll probably accelerate.
> What role could, or should, it play on the national scene
1. symbol of the best of their own unique traditional culture, for Koreans themselves.
2. promoted internationally, as one of the cultural symbols of Korea
(there are 10 official ones now, designated by my Ministry).
All countries are interested in having their own symbols, like
the American bald eagle, the Russian bear, the Chinese dragon...
3. As a symbol of eco-wisdom-consciousness and protection of the
environment, used by Korea's rapidly-growing "green" movement.
Those old taboos we talked of above are perfect for being evolved
into modern "respect for Nature" and "don't damage the forests".
4. Due to its national-characteristic-ness and strong links to
National Founder-King Dan-gun (mythical), San-shin will play an
important role in the re-unification of Korea on the *cultural*
level. North Korea now heavily supports the Dan-gun meme, even
proclaiming him "a historical reality" -- and just 2 months ago permitted
a big Mountain-Spirit ceremony on their territory as I posted about above.
San-shin is one of the best answers to the inevitable questions about
"WHY should we consider ourselves as the same people, as one big family, anyway?".
> and in the individual lives of Koreans?
Respect for San-shin can help in the formation of healthy positive national identity, and be
something to be proud of, as individuals and groups like school-kids. Taken in a secular sort of way,
that is... one symbol of the best of their own traditional culture, one thing that is NOT shared by China
& Japan.
The paintings serve as mandalas of humanity-in-the-world & ecological wisdom; meditation on them
and performing rituals in front of them can be part of a tradition-oriented spiritual path, assisting in
personal growth and psychological serenity -- that's how i use them, and some Koreans now do to.
I expect that to increase.
more later. I'm off for a mountain-hike with an old-friend, to seek a few more San-shin shrines...
#128: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Fri 31 May 2002
... and, I'm back, with sore feet. We climed to the peak of 508-m "Buddha Rocks Mountain" right here
in Seoul -- not so high, but real pyramid-shaped and very steep; all exposed granite around the
peak. Almost like rock-climbing in places! But we made it, and drank good Islay scotch up on the
peak enjoying a magnificent view -- as is our 12-year custom (Mark is on pgs 56-57 of the book!).
> #122 of 127: Pseud Impaired (mitsu) Wed 29 May
> I've read that in recent years in Japan, there has been an
> upswell in the fashionability of Koreans
This is true; Korean culture is "hot" in Japan (and China & SE Asia too!). Japanese now admire
Koreans for some of what they used to look down on them for -- they're colorful, creative, outspoken,
bold. As Japan endlessly stagnates and slowly sinks, with no hope in sight, Koreans made the Hard
Choices towards economic & political reform, and are now reviving dynamically. Korean "spice" is
held in contrast to Japanese gray blandness, stifling conformity. And the K kids just plain make
better Hip-hop videos... ;-)
> the two actually share quite a few cultural qualities.
Sure, lots. I think there's plenty of recognition of the many similarities, and no problem on the K side
acknowledging it. Most Koreans now firmly believe that J royal/aristocratic elites descended from
Koreans, and that J got most of its bronze-&-iron-age culture from K, just wish the J would admit that
openly. Ks have no problem admitting that their education and export-economic systems, and many
social institutions, were copied directly from the successful J models after WWII -- as they are now
shucking off those outdated models.
#134: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Sun 02 Jun 2002
Sorry to be away for 30 hours, but something originally scheduled for next weekend just happened
this weekend instead. I was just out overnight Sat-Sun with a director & camera-crew for KBS (the
Korea Broadcasting System, the #1 network, government-invested). We were filming one of a 20-part
series on foreigners living in Korea who are interacting with Korean culture, which will be shown
later in June as part of the World Cup broadcasting... it may go international with WC-show channels.
We were filming for a 20 minute show featuring "jang-seung", which are spirit-guardian poles, some-
times stone but usually wooden, most often in male-female pairs. They have faces carved on them
sortta like Alaskan totem poles, but only one face per pole, and only human faces not animals -- tho
they are crude & exaggerated faces, cartoonish, usually trying to look fearsome with bared teeth.
They were set up at the entrances of villages, to keep out "evil spirits". They were carved by
artisans who ritually "purified" themselves and then had a dream or vision, & then were erected with
festive celebration and Shamanic ceremony. With their role of defending the village against spirit-
caused misfortune (from the outside world, brought in by the road) they are closely related to
"seo-nang-dang" [Tutelary Shrines] and vaguely related to San-shin. See pages 42-44 of my book.
So anyway, the TV crew came over to my apartment and spent an hour filming me introducing myself,
my collection of Korean art, my book and some of my photos. Then we took off in their van Saturday
afternoon and all day Sunday, visiting some places that still have old jang-seung set up and talking to
the villagers about them; we watched an artist carve a small pair (I helped a little bit, for the camera;
he gave them to me to take home).
We then visited a domestic-tourist-oriented "neo-traditionalist" village (at the entrace to a famous
Zen temple) with hundreds of *modern*-style jang-seung set up in it, all carved by a real nice creative
guy. Besides every imaginable variation of weird human faces, he has done series of jang-seung
showing the Presidents of Korea, the last six World Cups, various religious deities (incl a Jesus -
Mother-Mary pair!), north-south Korean re-unification, etc! Great stuff. I was filmed interviewing
him, and giving my own thoughts on what this is all about. Should be a decent TV show.
#135: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Sun 02 Jun 2002
> #131 of 134: Pseud Impaired (mitsu) Sat 01 Jun
> Japanese turn consultations into almost an obsession -- nothing is decided until everyone agrees.
Koreans usually consult around quite a bit, but then the big boss decides and everyone has to
pretend to go along. Those who are oppressed by it just "swallow their bitterness" until something
changes. If the decision was a stupid one, all the staff will just quietly undermine it until the boss
realizes and starts acting as if he had really decided something smarter. There's a lot of struggle to
get to be the big boss... and Koreans are famous for breaking up into factions which bitterly oppose
each other and bicker with accusations of un-orthodoxy and impurity (like western leftists), so that
no progress is ever made until a dictator seizes control and forces decisions through...
> If you're on the "inside" of a Japanese group, both the loyalty
> you're expected to show and the support you can expect to get are quite amazing.
That's the same in Korea, for sure. Although the groups are always fracturing into factions...
> Koreans ... are somewhat more individualistic, but still fairly group-oriented.
Yes, that's right. Many Japanese seem to think that Koreans are colorful, creative, earthy and
outspoken compared to themselves -- traits they use to despise but are now looking up to.
> I am curious to know how you feel Koreans balance individuality
> with group considerations. In what ways do you think Koreans have
> developed a unique approach to this?
Well, there have always been heavy conformist pressures here (tho they are greatly reducing
under American influence), but also plenty of escape-valves for them -- heavy drinking is a big
one, Shamanism is another big one (or at least was), and running off to the wild mountains to
do your own thing has long been available -- plenty of escapees from the suit-and-tie BS life
can be found out there.
#136: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Sun 02 Jun 2002
> #132 of 134: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Sat 01 Jun
> My Korean friend often speaks with disgust about Koreans who
> immigrate here and "loose their minds," or throw off much of their
> culture. He says that many are seduced by the newfound sense of
> freedom they feel in the US, as if they're no longer bound by the
> old customs and social norms.
Well they *aren't*, and it is very liberating i'm sure... Many of the Koreans here hate those who
escaped to the freedom of America -- hate them out of envy. They wish they could do the same, or at
least to arrange their children to do it... a big fad now is for pregnant women to get a USA tourist
visa and give birth on American soil, to give the kid all those advantages; thousands of Korean
women are doing it every year, the paper says.
> Divorce, for example, is rare in Korea, but very common among
> Korean immigrants here, according to Lee.
Make that "used to be rare"... South Korea is rapidly catching up to American rates. But there's
still a strong stigma attached, and divorced women have a hard time socially and professionally.
> ... Musashi Miyamoto, the great samurai of Eiji Yoshikawa's epic
> novel (as well as Kurosawa's classic Samurai trilogy based on
I have *loved* that 1100-page novel, and that movie trilogy, for 20 years now! Truly an amazing
reinterpretation of traditional Japanese culture by early 20th century Japanese "moderns".
I really love the model of the well-balanced Zen/Daoist "Perfect Human Being" ideal that it
presents... very powerful. Fits with my conception of what the Korean Mountain-Spirits represent.
#138: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Sun 02 Jun 2002
Yesterday on Spanish language television, I caught a glimpse of what
appeared to be the opening ceremonies of the World Cup. What I saw was
hundreds of Koreans performing some kind of choreographed
presentation. At one point, the entire field was cover with some type
of light fabric (with the performed beneath it), and the covering
slowly took the shape of a tall mountain. I was only able to see a few
minutes of it. I don't expect to have another chance, since the games
(and the pageantry even more so) are vastly under-covered here in the US.
David, you probably saw the whole thing, didn't you? Did any of it relate to San-shin?
#140: David A. Mason (mntnwolf) Sun 02 Jun 2002
> #138 of 139: Gerry Feeney (gerry) Sun 02 Jun
> and the covering slowly took the shape of a tall mountain.
> Did any of it relate to San-shin?
No... just a theme of a mountain, which is so common in Korean (and global) culture... as part of the
general royal-ceremony theme of the Opening Ceremony. I think that because of the Korea-Japan
co-hosting, they were using the theme of royal delegations visiting each other's capitals, crossing
mountains & oceans, just like in the old days. Welcoming each other with courteous ceremony, then
turning competition (soccer) into harmony...
Japan will have the Closing Ceremony.
It would've been pretty radical if they HAD included a San-shin in the pageantry, as s/he has never
yet achieved that level of official recognition. I'm confident that it someday will... At the 1988
Seoul Olympics, the Closing Ceremony included a long passage adopted from the native-Korean
Shamanic funeral-ritual -- that was stunning, a big surprise, quite controversial -- the Protestants
raised hell about it for the next week or two. I was smiling.