Wind and Water(PART 1 OF 3)
Kato, are you salacious?
What...? Salaci...Salacious?
Don't you know what it means?
I think I've heard of the word before. It is an adjective, isn't it?
Yes, it is.
Ummm... it means to be hard to please or something like that, I suppose.
No, it doesn't. "Salacious" is "lustful" or "obscene". Hu, hu, hu, hu...
So, Diane, you think I'm an obscene man, don't you?
Well...
Diane, how come you've asked me such a funny and lewd question in the first place?
A friend of mine used to make a salacious joke to me.
Like what?
Kato, have you ever heard of the following joke?
George W. Bush was wandering in the Arabian desert. Unfortunately, he got lost. So, he had to find a way out with his camel. Although he became hungry, his desire increased somehow. And he couldn't control his desire. After a while, he removed his underpants and walked around his camel, which refused his salicious act by kicking him back.
George tried it the next day, but he didn't succeed. He tried again the following day, but he failed miserably.
He almost gave up his lustful act when he saw an attractive young woman who, like himself, lost her way in the desert and wandered aimlessly.
She seemed exhausted. So, George handed her a bottle of water and several strips of jerky.
"Oh, thank you. You're my lifesaver."
"You're quite welcome, lady."
"I'm very grateful. I owe you my life. Tell me what you want me to do. I'll do anything you want."
"Do you really mean it?"
"Yes, of course, I do."
Suddenly, George recovered his desire and stared at the shapely Marilyn-Monroe look-alike, who seemed to understand what George wanted, and to prepare for whatever he wanted.
"Tell me what you want me to do."
"Well...could you hold the rear legs of my camel for me so that I'd be able to satisfy my desire?"
Wow! What a joke! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ...
Do you like it, Kato?
Yes, I do. But, Diane, did your lewd friend really crack such a salicious joke at you?
Yes, he did.
That's not nice. You're such a polite, good-natured, and kind-hearted lady that he should've behaved himself.
Oh, Kato! Do you really think so?
Yes, I do. I honestly think so.
By the way, Kato, how come you jotted down "Wind and Water" on the top of this page?
A good question, Diane! The other day, you showed me a book on feng shui.
Feng shui (風水)
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi(気).
Qi(気) is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as "energy flow", and is often compared to Western notions of energeia or élan vital (vitalism), as well as the yogic notion of prana and pranayama. The literal translation of "qi" is air, breath, or gas.
The term feng shui literally translates as "wind-water(風水)" in English.
Qi(気) rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.
Historically, feng shui was widely used to orient buildings—often spiritually significant structures such as tombs, but also dwellings and other structures—in an auspicious manner. Depending on the particular style of feng shui being used, an auspicious site could be determined by reference to local features such as bodies of water, stars, or a compass. Feng shui was suppressed in China during the cultural revolution in the 1960s, but has since seen an increase in popularity.
SOURCE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui
So, the Chinese as well as the Japanese use the same term "wind-water(風水)" as feng shui, don't they?
Yes, that's right. Do you know that Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, was built according to the principles of feng shui?
No, I don't know. What principles?
(To be continued)