TAO TE CHING & GO

With a little bit fantasy we might can read the following chapter from Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" as advice for becoming a better Go player!

"Being over bold and confident is deadly.
The wise use of caution will keep you alive.

One is the way to death,
and the other is the way to preserve your life.
Who can understand the workings of Heaven?

The Tao of the universe
does not compete, yet wins;
does not speak, yet responds;
does not command, yet is obeyed;
and does act, but is good at directing.

The nets of Heaven are wide,
but nothing escapes its grasp."

TAO TE CHING , Chapter: 73 , Translator: J. H. McDonald 

(Do you see the 2 Go players?)

 

GO HAIKU

Here at this LINK you find some funny GO Senryu dated back to the Edo time, compiled by John Fairbairn.


"Senryu are Japanese poems that have the same structure as haiku (snapshots in 17 syllables), but instead of grand themes such as the transience of life, they satirically focus on the earthiness of life and situations we all recognise." J. Fairbairn

The ones i liked most: 

"With this aji blah blah blah" - thus he imitates the stronger players.

••• 

He keeps on losing, so sits up properly - but loses again.

•••

The corner stones finally alive, he lights his pipe. 

•••

In the depths of the night even the ceiling is a go board.

 (Pictures found at : http://www.pandanet.co.jp/ )

Black And White Variations

"Today, the ninth of September of 1978,
I had in the palm of my hand one small disc
of the three hundred sixty-one that are needed
for the astrologic game of Go,
that other chess of the East.

It is older than the oldest writing
and the board is a map of the universe.

Its black and white variations
will exhaust time.

Men can be lost in it
as in love and day.

Today, the ninth of September of 1978,
I, myself, who am ignorant of so many things,
know that I do not know one more,
and I thank my poetic inspiration
for this revelation of a labyrinth
which will never be mine."

Jorge Luis Borges

Found here at http://gobase.org