Aerial View of Pyramid
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MANKIND WAS ATTUNE TO AND AT ONE WITH THE COSMOS
Part I
It was a long time ago. It was around 2830 BCE that 11 Draconis of the Draco Constellation was less than 10 arcminutes from polar true North. The Draco Constellation is circumpolar from northern latitudes. This means it never sets and can be seen all year long. To those in tune with the Cosmos the position of 11 Draconis (Thuban) with respect to polar true North might have suggested the prospect of immortality. If you, too, yearn for immortality then all you have to do is wait until around the eighth of October at the time of the Draconid meteor shower and wish upon a falling "star".
The poet contends that patterns discerned by Egyptian priest, seers and astrologers in the Big and Little Dippers as well as the North star provided the blueprints for Egyptian culture and civilization. The ancient Egyptians had about 300 years to study those blueprints before the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Its construction was ordered by Pharaoh Khufu around 2580 BCE. Recently discovered airshafts point to Thuban. The pharaoh was not buried in the royal tomb of the pyramid. He rested there. His soul went to Thuban thus obtaining immortality for him.
For ordinary people, the most common belief for those upon whom judgement was passed in the underworld was the ideal of the Field of Reeds. However, as a result of their complex and evolving afterlife myths it was believed that some of the non-royal deceased elites could become substantive stars or join Ra on his journey to the underworld each night, traveling in his solar boat toward rebirth at dawn.
Specifically, the star patterns perceived by the ancients provided the blueprints for the Pyramids and Sphinx. There were many designs from which to draw. The I'mages© (in italics) of the poet might be called at this stage "dynamic poetic-philosophic shades of Platonic Forms"©.
The I'mages© have been universalized and internationalized in two important ways. First, regarding internationalization, they are in different languages and thus they may appeal to different nations and cultures. They are now potentially recognizable and acceptable to a wider swath of the Earth's population. For example the geometric beauty of the I'mage© called "Die Hüter der Sonnenaufgang und Sonnenuntergang"© may be appreciated by the Germans---particularly German archeologists at Giza. The I'mage© called "The Sacred Celestial Eagle"© may be relevant to Americans who value a truth that is next to eternal. It may be contrasted to "The Sacred Celestial Vulture"© which treats the truth as dead. Finally, there is the I'mage© named "Le Grand Sphinx Céleste"© which may appeal to the French.
Second, the poet has effectively universalized the Chinese concept called Mandate of Heaven as it may now be applied to all peoples. In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties the Mandate of Heaven was a concept of divine approval for rulership. Heaven would grant the right of rule to a just and virtuous ruler and withdraw it from a corrupt one. The Shang believed their rule was an unconditional birthright. While the Zhou argued that Heaven granted its mandate based on a ruler's moral and just governance. The Zhou view prevailed through Chinese history and became a foundational political concept for justifying rule through moral and just behaviour.
The third feature regarding the importance of the I'mages© involves two features. The first is access to information. In the past, only a select group of individuals had access to blueprints and their interpretation of them involving the North Star and its immediate attendants. This information was kept secret in perpetuity. This meant that only the pharaoh and an elite were aware of how to achieve immortality.
The I'mages© are now in the public domain and widely disseminated. This means the democratization of immortality. Anyone can access the blueprints. There is enough room in the firmament for everyone. If they follow moral principles in their thoughts and actions then the possibility of immortality is open to them. There is a prospect of discovering new images or reinterpreting the old ones through moral principles. Most importantly, there is a hope for immortality through morality.
The poet-philosopher is uncomfortable if the Mandate of Heaven concept is used as an external justification for regime change. Often, the new regime is no better or even worse than the one it replaces. He would like to emphasize moral principles for himself through poetry and philosophy as an internal creative force.
A poet as described by Gilles Deleuze in Difference and Repetition (1968) is one who can be considered a creative force. In this case, Deleuze's poet engages in "vice-diction". The force is an internal philosophical transformation rather than an external, economic disruption.
It is more radical than Schumpeter's "creative destruction" because it is an internal and personal act of creation through repetition and disruption. This disruption reflects the perpetual change of the virtual. The term "vice-diction" suggests following and describing multiplicities rather than relying on a single, overriding concept of contradiction.
Deleuze's poet expresses a perspective on reality. Simultaneously, he shows how his own sensations are changing reality. In the act of creation, the poet experiments with new events and combinations of ideas to express the virtual processes that condition evolution.
In Greek and Roman mythology, Elysium was the place of rest for the dead who were blessed by the gods. It was also known as the Elysian Fields or the Elysian Plain. Originally only heroes whom the gods had made immortal went to Elysium. As time went by Elysium became more accessible for the virtuous. This evolution was driven by the development of mystery cults, particularly the Eleusinian Mysteries, which offered a path to a blessed afterlife through initiation and a righteous life.
In the ancient Egyptian world, Aaru or the Field of Reeds was considered a Paradise. It was ruled over by Osiris. Its location was believed to be the Ka or vital essence of the Nile Delta. The Field of Reeds became more accessible to everyone during the First Intermediate Period and into the Middle Kingdom as part of a "democratization of the afterlife". This shift occurred because the criteria for entering the afterlife moved from being solely based on a person's status (like being a pharaoh or one of the elite) to also including moral conduct and religious knowledge, as outlined in texts like the Coffin Texts.
Ancient Chinese beliefs about the afterlife were diverse. They encompassed earthly provisions for a continued existence as well as a judgment in an underworld called Diyu which literally means "earth prison". They offered the eventual possibility of reincarnation or joining ancestors. All souls, including Confucian followers, would go to the underworld or Diyu. However, the duration of their stay and the specific path they take after their judgment depend on their actions in life.
Confucianism's focus is on living a virtuous life, now; so, its followers would be judged on their earthly conduct. Ancestor veneration was considered to be essentially a secular rite without religious implications which cultivated virtues of filial piety, faithfulness and loyalty. Basically, ancestor veneration was a standard means of “honoring virtue and repaying merit.
In Confucianism, judgment of earthly conduct was primarily a matter of the community and the individual's own conscience. It was rooted in ethical behavior and social harmony rather than divine judgment. A person's conduct was judged by its impact on social harmony.
Confucianism and the Mandate of Heaven harmonize by viewing the emperor's authority as conditional on his ethical behavior and ability to maintain social harmony. A ruler's legitimacy is not a divine right. Under the Zhou Dynasty, a ruler was divinely appointed, but this "Mandate" could be lost if his conduct became immoral leading to natural disasters and societal unrest which were signs that the mandate had been withdrawn. Confucianism provided the ethical framework that defined what "virtuous rule" meant: a benevolent, moral leader who governs justly and fosters social harmony would maintain the mandate, while a corrupt ruler would lose it.
It was a long time ago. It was around 2830 BCE that 11 Draconis of the Draco Constellation was less than 10 arcminutes from polar true North. The Draco Constellation is circumpolar from northern latitudes. This means it never sets and can be seen all year long. To those in tune with the Cosmos the position of 11 Draconis (Thuban) with respect to polar true North might have suggested the prospect of immortality. If you, too, yearn for immortality then all you have to do is wait until around the eighth of October at the time of the Draconid meteor shower and wish upon a falling "star".
The poet contends that patterns discerned by Egyptian priest, seers and astrologers in the Big and Little Dippers as well as the North star provided the blueprints for Egyptian culture and civilization. The ancient Egyptians had about 300 years to study those blueprints before the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Its construction was ordered by Pharaoh Khufu around 2580 BCE. Recently discovered airshafts point to Thuban. The pharaoh was not buried in the royal tomb of the pyramid. He rested there. His soul went to Thuban thus obtaining immortality for him.
For ordinary people, the most common belief for those upon whom judgement was passed in the underworld was the ideal of the Field of Reeds. However, as a result of their complex and evolving afterlife myths it was believed that some of the non-royal deceased elites could become substantive stars or join Ra on his journey to the underworld each night, traveling in his solar boat toward rebirth at dawn.
Specifically, the star patterns perceived by the ancients provided the blueprints for the Pyramids and Sphinx. There were many designs from which to draw. The I'mages© (in italics) of the poet might be called at this stage "dynamic poetic-philosophic shades of Platonic Forms"©.
The I'mages© have been universalized and internationalized in two important ways. First, regarding internationalization, they are in different languages and thus they may appeal to different nations and cultures. They are now potentially recognizable and acceptable to a wider swath of the Earth's population. For example the geometric beauty of the I'mage© called "Die Hüter der Sonnenaufgang und Sonnenuntergang"© may be appreciated by the Germans---particularly German archeologists at Giza. The I'mage© called "The Sacred Celestial Eagle"© may be relevant to Americans who value a truth that is next to eternal. It may be contrasted to "The Sacred Celestial Vulture"© which treats the truth as dead. Finally, there is the I'mage© named "Le Grand Sphinx Céleste"© which may appeal to the French.
Second, the poet has effectively universalized the Chinese concept called Mandate of Heaven as it may now be applied to all peoples. In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties the Mandate of Heaven was a concept of divine approval for rulership. Heaven would grant the right of rule to a just and virtuous ruler and withdraw it from a corrupt one. The Shang believed their rule was an unconditional birthright. While the Zhou argued that Heaven granted its mandate based on a ruler's moral and just governance. The Zhou view prevailed through Chinese history and became a foundational political concept for justifying rule through moral and just behaviour.
The third feature regarding the importance of the I'mages© involves two features. The first is access to information. In the past, only a select group of individuals had access to blueprints and their interpretation of them involving the North Star and its immediate attendants. This information was kept secret in perpetuity. This meant that only the pharaoh and an elite were aware of how to achieve immortality.
The I'mages© are now in the public domain and widely disseminated. This means the democratization of immortality. Anyone can access the blueprints. There is enough room in the firmament for everyone. If they follow moral principles in their thoughts and actions then the possibility of immortality is open to them. There is a prospect of discovering new images or reinterpreting the old ones through moral principles. Most importantly, there is a hope for immortality through morality.
The poet-philosopher is uncomfortable if the Mandate of Heaven concept is used as an external justification for regime change. Often, the new regime is no better or even worse than the one it replaces. He would like to emphasize moral principles for himself through poetry and philosophy as an internal creative force.
A poet as described by Gilles Deleuze in Difference and Repetition (1968) is one who can be considered a creative force. In this case, Deleuze's poet engages in "vice-diction". The force is an internal philosophical transformation rather than an external, economic disruption.
It is more radical than Schumpeter's "creative destruction" because it is an internal and personal act of creation through repetition and disruption. This disruption reflects the perpetual change of the virtual. The term "vice-diction" suggests following and describing multiplicities rather than relying on a single, overriding concept of contradiction.
Deleuze's poet expresses a perspective on reality. Simultaneously, he shows how his own sensations are changing reality. In the act of creation, the poet experiments with new events and combinations of ideas to express the virtual processes that condition evolution.
In Greek and Roman mythology, Elysium was the place of rest for the dead who were blessed by the gods. It was also known as the Elysian Fields or the Elysian Plain. Originally only heroes whom the gods had made immortal went to Elysium. As time went by Elysium became more accessible for the virtuous. This evolution was driven by the development of mystery cults, particularly the Eleusinian Mysteries, which offered a path to a blessed afterlife through initiation and a righteous life.
In the ancient Egyptian world, Aaru or the Field of Reeds was considered a Paradise. It was ruled over by Osiris. Its location was believed to be the Ka or vital essence of the Nile Delta. The Field of Reeds became more accessible to everyone during the First Intermediate Period and into the Middle Kingdom as part of a "democratization of the afterlife". This shift occurred because the criteria for entering the afterlife moved from being solely based on a person's status (like being a pharaoh or one of the elite) to also including moral conduct and religious knowledge, as outlined in texts like the Coffin Texts.
Ancient Chinese beliefs about the afterlife were diverse. They encompassed earthly provisions for a continued existence as well as a judgment in an underworld called Diyu which literally means "earth prison". They offered the eventual possibility of reincarnation or joining ancestors. All souls, including Confucian followers, would go to the underworld or Diyu. However, the duration of their stay and the specific path they take after their judgment depend on their actions in life.
Confucianism's focus is on living a virtuous life, now; so, its followers would be judged on their earthly conduct. Ancestor veneration was considered to be essentially a secular rite without religious implications which cultivated virtues of filial piety, faithfulness and loyalty. Basically, ancestor veneration was a standard means of “honoring virtue and repaying merit.
In Confucianism, judgment of earthly conduct was primarily a matter of the community and the individual's own conscience. It was rooted in ethical behavior and social harmony rather than divine judgment. A person's conduct was judged by its impact on social harmony.
Confucianism and the Mandate of Heaven harmonize by viewing the emperor's authority as conditional on his ethical behavior and ability to maintain social harmony. A ruler's legitimacy is not a divine right. Under the Zhou Dynasty, a ruler was divinely appointed, but this "Mandate" could be lost if his conduct became immoral leading to natural disasters and societal unrest which were signs that the mandate had been withdrawn. Confucianism provided the ethical framework that defined what "virtuous rule" meant: a benevolent, moral leader who governs justly and fosters social harmony would maintain the mandate, while a corrupt ruler would lose it.
Confucius used the North Star as a powerful metaphor for leadership through moral force as follows:
Confucius used the North Star as a powerful metaphor for leadership through moral force as follows:
"He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the North Star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."
"He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the North Star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."
The meaning of this analogy is clear. A virtuous and ethical ruler does not need to use coercion or force, just as the North Star does not move. Instead, their moral example inspires their subjects to willingly follow their lead, creating a natural and harmonious social order.
While Confucianism does not contain the concept of physical or personal immortality as seen in many other religions, it does promote a form of spiritual or symbolic immortality. This was achieved by leaving a lasting legacy through one's moral example, accomplishments, or writings.
A central concept in this understanding of immortality is the "Three Immortalities" first articulated by the Zhou Dynasty official Shusun Bao and later adopted by Confucians. These are:
Immortality of Virtue: Achieving greatness through outstanding moral character, which continues to inspire future generations.
While Confucianism does not contain the concept of physical or personal immortality as seen in many other religions, it does promote a form of spiritual or symbolic immortality. This was achieved by leaving a lasting legacy through one's moral example, accomplishments, or writings.
A central concept in this understanding of immortality is the "Three Immortalities" first articulated by the Zhou Dynasty official Shusun Bao and later adopted by Confucians. These are:
Immortality of Virtue: Achieving greatness through outstanding moral character, which continues to inspire future generations.
Immortality of Words: Attaining immortality through influential writings, ideas, or teachings that endure long after one's physical death.
Immortality of Words: Attaining immortality through influential writings, ideas, or teachings that endure long after one's physical death.
Immortality of Achievements: Being remembered for great public service or achievements that benefit society.
Immortality of Achievements: Being remembered for great public service or achievements that benefit society.
Confucius was famously agnostic on the subject of the afterlife and spiritual beings. He preferred to focus on the human realm. This is best illustrated by his famous saying when asked about death:
Confucius was famously agnostic on the subject of the afterlife and spiritual beings. He preferred to focus on the human realm. This is best illustrated by his famous saying when asked about death:
"While you do not know life, how can you know about death?".
However, one might say that Confucianism conceived of immortality through family and lineage. The practice of ancestor veneration (filial piety) was a key component of Confucian ethics. Through honoring one's ancestors and raising children who would continue the family line, an individual could achieve a form of immortality. This was a way to continue to exist as a link in the unbroken chain of generations. This continuity was also tied to social harmony and the cosmic order, as proper filial piety ensured that the legacy of one's ancestors continued to bless and protect the family.
Murrell, Jasmyn (2017) "Virtuous Life, Honored Afterlife and the Evolution of Confucianism," History in the Making:
Vol. 10 , Article 7.
However, one might say that Confucianism conceived of immortality through family and lineage. The practice of ancestor veneration (filial piety) was a key component of Confucian ethics. Through honoring one's ancestors and raising children who would continue the family line, an individual could achieve a form of immortality. This was a way to continue to exist as a link in the unbroken chain of generations. This continuity was also tied to social harmony and the cosmic order, as proper filial piety ensured that the legacy of one's ancestors continued to bless and protect the family.
Murrell, Jasmyn (2017) "Virtuous Life, Honored Afterlife and the Evolution of Confucianism," History in the Making:
Vol. 10 , Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/history-in-the-making/vol10/iss1/7
It was Plato (428-348 BCE) who said that poetry is twice removed from reality. He viewed art as "an imitation of an imitation of reality". His theory of forms posits that reality is the perfect ideal form of things. The Forms are perfect and eternal blueprints.
The poet contends that his I'mages© are thrice removed from reality. The North Star and its attendants are the first imitation. Their pattern is only apparent to the viewer because the stars appear at different locations. These stars also formed at different times.
Secondly, the ancient Egyptians may have interpreted the stars as a blueprint for their culture and civilization. Some interpretations may have been flawed. For example, in building his first two pyramids, Sneferu may have misconstrued the pattern resulting in imperfect designs as the poet initially did. One might say that through trial and error, Sneferu came across the right solution. Perhaps, however, he reinterpreted the pattern to construct the Red Pyramid of classic pyramidal structure.
The third imitation is the poet's. Roughly, five thousand years later, he may be one of the first to re-see the similar patterns. His interpretations are not perfect; but, nevertheless, they are prolific and from different perspectives. There are one, two and three dimensional patterns. If one considers the time difference then some patterns are four dimensional. Critics might argue that they are mere projections or happenstance.
From a Platonic position, the poet posits his I'mages© as "dynamic shades of Platonic Forms"©. They are imitations like shadows on the wall in Plato's allegory of the cave. If the poet were to use his own metaphor, his I'mages© are resonances from the stars and ancient Egyptians which resemble pulses of beating hearts. To express it more scientifically, the resonances are like pressure waves called Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO's). They can be translated into sounds we hear today. Therefore, it may be more accurate to call his "I'm ages"© as "poetic-philosophic dynamic shades and resonances of Platonic Forms"©.
Plato would say that the Demiurge or divine craftsman brings order to chaos. He fashions it in the image of the eternal and perfect Forms. Of course, there is nothing divine about the poet. The poet imitates through his dynamic shades in order to bring some order to chaos. His shades are imperfect, but appear geometrically beautiful and symmetrical to him. The North Star acts as a pivot or well-sweep between the Big and Little Dipper as actually represented in a particular I'mage©.
However, the poet also believes that these particular stars were divinely attracted to the Prime Mover in a particular, balanced, symmetrical pattern. In Aristotle's view, the Prime Mover is the uncaused first cause of all motion and change. It moves other things by being the ultimate object of attraction or desire. This concept is an "immaterial, unchanging and eternal being" that initiates motion by being the final cause or end goal for all things. As an unmoved mover, the Prime Mover causes motion without itself being in motion. This aspect of Aristotle's philosophy is described in Book 12 of his Metaphysics.
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It was Plato (428-348 BCE) who said that poetry is twice removed from reality. He viewed art as "an imitation of an imitation of reality". His theory of forms posits that reality is the perfect ideal form of things. The Forms are perfect and eternal blueprints.
The poet contends that his I'mages© are thrice removed from reality. The North Star and its attendants are the first imitation. Their pattern is only apparent to the viewer because the stars appear at different locations. These stars also formed at different times.
Secondly, the ancient Egyptians may have interpreted the stars as a blueprint for their culture and civilization. Some interpretations may have been flawed. For example, in building his first two pyramids, Sneferu may have misconstrued the pattern resulting in imperfect designs as the poet initially did. One might say that through trial and error, Sneferu came across the right solution. Perhaps, however, he reinterpreted the pattern to construct the Red Pyramid of classic pyramidal structure.
The third imitation is the poet's. Roughly, five thousand years later, he may be one of the first to re-see the similar patterns. His interpretations are not perfect; but, nevertheless, they are prolific and from different perspectives. There are one, two and three dimensional patterns. If one considers the time difference then some patterns are four dimensional. Critics might argue that they are mere projections or happenstance.
From a Platonic position, the poet posits his I'mages© as "dynamic shades of Platonic Forms"©. They are imitations like shadows on the wall in Plato's allegory of the cave. If the poet were to use his own metaphor, his I'mages© are resonances from the stars and ancient Egyptians which resemble pulses of beating hearts. To express it more scientifically, the resonances are like pressure waves called Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO's). They can be translated into sounds we hear today. Therefore, it may be more accurate to call his "I'm ages"© as "poetic-philosophic dynamic shades and resonances of Platonic Forms"©.
Plato would say that the Demiurge or divine craftsman brings order to chaos. He fashions it in the image of the eternal and perfect Forms. Of course, there is nothing divine about the poet. The poet imitates through his dynamic shades in order to bring some order to chaos. His shades are imperfect, but appear geometrically beautiful and symmetrical to him. The North Star acts as a pivot or well-sweep between the Big and Little Dipper as actually represented in a particular I'mage©.
However, the poet also believes that these particular stars were divinely attracted to the Prime Mover in a particular, balanced, symmetrical pattern. In Aristotle's view, the Prime Mover is the uncaused first cause of all motion and change. It moves other things by being the ultimate object of attraction or desire. This concept is an "immaterial, unchanging and eternal being" that initiates motion by being the final cause or end goal for all things. As an unmoved mover, the Prime Mover causes motion without itself being in motion. This aspect of Aristotle's philosophy is described in Book 12 of his Metaphysics.
There is some similarity between Confucius' philosophy and that of Aristotle which may be seen in the following statements.
The Prime Mover is the uncaused first cause of all motion and change. It moves other things by being the ultimate object of attraction or desire. Aristotle
With regard to the influence of leadership both figures imply that effective leadership does not merely rely on coercion or force; instead, it stems from an intrinsic quality (virtue in Confucius and perfection in Aristotle) that inspires and guides others. In terms of moral and ethical leadership both philosophers emphasize that true leadership is anchored in a higher form of ethical or moral standard, whether through virtue (Confucius) or ultimate perfection (Aristotle).
While Confucius and Aristotle both articulate ideas around leadership and influence, they approach these concepts from distinct philosophical frameworks. Confucius's focus is on moral virtue as a guiding force in governance. It contrasts with Aristotle's more abstract view of the Prime Mover, which serves as a central philosophical principle rather than a practical model for leadership.
For Plato, the Forms represented transcendent blueprints. Aristotle argued forms must be within the objects themselves. He stated that a form is a potentiality that guides a thing's development much like a seed form guides it to grow into a specific plant ie. potentiality to actuality. In general, his potentiality describes an abstract capacity for a thing to become something else.
It was actually the Neoplatonists founded by Plotinus and scholastics like Thomas Aquinas who successfully synthesized Plato's abstract ideals with Aristotle's focus on the empirical world. The synthesis through reinterpretation integrated these concepts into new, coherent philosophical and theological frameworks. The most difficult problem was the separation of Plato's Forms from the material world. The Neoplatonists and Aquinas solved this issue by placing the Forms within a divine mind. This made the Forms divine archetypes for creation.
Plotinus believed that Forms exist independently as archetypes in a transcendent realm of intellect which then create the physical world as a reflection. In contrast, Aquinas saw Forms as immanent, intrinsic principles within matter. A substantial form is what makes a thing what it is.
The Neoplatonists re-imagined and reinterpreted Aristotle's Prime Mover. It was defined as a lower-level principle within the World Soul. It governed the movement of celestial bodies rather than the ultimate origin of all being. In Christian theology, Aquinas adapts the Prime Mover argument to prove that the universe's movement requires a first, unmoved mover which he identifies with the Christian god. For both Plotinus and Aquinas, the Forms become the archetypes or ideas in the mind of God.
Both Plotinus and Aquinas believed that pursuing knowledge and virtue was essential for achieving a form of immortality. However, they had different conceptions of what "immortality" entailed. Plotinus emphasized mystical union with the One through intellectual and moral values. For Aquinas, it was necessary to cultivate intellectual and moral values to guide one's actions from mistaken desires onward to true happiness.
The poet wishes to meet head on criticism that his sketches cannot be considered poems. Drawing on Aristotle's Poetics (336 BCE) his sketches can be classified as a form of poetry though not in the modern, verse-centric sense. For Aristotle, poetry was a broader category of artistic creation centered on "mimesis" which is the imitation or representation of life. For example, poetry might imitate the universal aspects of human experience in a way that produces an emotional and intellectual effect on the audience. A sketch may represent an idea(s). It may also capture a moment; thus, representing a universal truth about it. This goes beyond a simple likeness. Therefore, a sketch conveying ideas as ideals may be construed to be an element of Tragedy.
In addition, according to Aristotle, a good poem should have structure and unity in service of a unified plot (muthos). A complex sketch can be analogized to a plot that has a beginning, middle and end. As a teacher of writing at the graduate schools of CAS and CASS in Beijing, unity and coherence were stressed as important not only in writing, but also in reading and speaking.
It could be argued that the I'mages© have unity and coherence. Each I'mage© deals with a single theme which expresses unity while coherence is the logical and smooth flow of ideas. Therefore, I would argue that my individual sketches have both unity and coherence. Furthermore, I claim that my sketches as a whole form a unity and coherence with respect to the entire Elegant Celestial Giza Series© and also its relation to the Banpo Series©.
The poet would also like to stress the universality of its truths. In Aristotle's view, the most profound sketch goes beyond "mimesis". It would reveal universal truths about human nature. It presents what might or could happen in a given situation, making it more philosophical than a mere historical record. In short, under Aristotle's rubric, a sketch of mine could indeed qualify as a form of poetic art---especially if it exhibits a plot such as birth, life, death and rebirth.
Let us quickly examine a painting dated 1586 by El Greco called The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. The main theme is the juxtaposition of the heavenly and earthly world. Franz Philipp considers the work tripartite wherein the division is occupied by a newborn ethereal baby. "Augustine's perception of the soul and its ascent is a possible inspiration which evolved from a Neoplatonic basis". The unified theme of the painting is the soul and its ascent. The coherence is exemplified by transitional phases to salvation.
It is brought to your attention that Picasso created in many media. One of these media (it may surprise you) was surrealistic poetry. The general unified theme may be a poetic reflection of his homeland--Andalusia. One of these poems was called "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz". It too evokes memories of his home region; so, one can argue that this provides unity to the poem. Its coherence is established through stream of consciousness. He creates a feeling or atmosphere using fragmented and jarring phrases projecting images much like his paintings did visually."
One might conjecture that Picasso's poem was inspired by El Greco's painting of the same name. It was a starting point for his own surrealist and abstract reflections on his homeland of Andalusia. It is believed that El Greco's influence extended beyond the above mentioned poem by providing inspirations during Picasso's Blue and Cubist periods. The title of the poem acknowledges El Greco's monumental influence on Picasso's own artistic and literary imagination.
There are poets who perceive images visually and hear resonances (rhyme) auditorily. D. Carlton Rossi wrote a poem called "El Entierro de Carlos, Infante de España"©. which reflects the visual and auditory. His inspiration came from both the painting called "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" by El Greco and the poem of the same name by Picasso.
However, the initial inspiration came from a writer whose name is Douglas Ord. I count Douglas as one of my few friends. In my opinion, he is one of Canada's best authors, writers and an outstanding expert on philosophy. Doug drew my attention to El Greco's painting and made a brief comment on its aesthetics. One might say he was my Muse and I took it from there. In acknowledgement, I cryptically included his surname and my own given name in one line of a couplet written in Spanish and German. It reads as follows:
Los santos ORDenados cubren los hombros del jorobado.
For Plato, the Forms represented transcendent blueprints. Aristotle argued forms must be within the objects themselves. He stated that a form is a potentiality that guides a thing's development much like a seed form guides it to grow into a specific plant ie. potentiality to actuality. In general, his potentiality describes an abstract capacity for a thing to become something else.
It was actually the Neoplatonists founded by Plotinus and scholastics like Thomas Aquinas who successfully synthesized Plato's abstract ideals with Aristotle's focus on the empirical world. The synthesis through reinterpretation integrated these concepts into new, coherent philosophical and theological frameworks. The most difficult problem was the separation of Plato's Forms from the material world. The Neoplatonists and Aquinas solved this issue by placing the Forms within a divine mind. This made the Forms divine archetypes for creation.
Plotinus believed that Forms exist independently as archetypes in a transcendent realm of intellect which then create the physical world as a reflection. In contrast, Aquinas saw Forms as immanent, intrinsic principles within matter. A substantial form is what makes a thing what it is.
The Neoplatonists re-imagined and reinterpreted Aristotle's Prime Mover. It was defined as a lower-level principle within the World Soul. It governed the movement of celestial bodies rather than the ultimate origin of all being. In Christian theology, Aquinas adapts the Prime Mover argument to prove that the universe's movement requires a first, unmoved mover which he identifies with the Christian god. For both Plotinus and Aquinas, the Forms become the archetypes or ideas in the mind of God.
Both Plotinus and Aquinas believed that pursuing knowledge and virtue was essential for achieving a form of immortality. However, they had different conceptions of what "immortality" entailed. Plotinus emphasized mystical union with the One through intellectual and moral values. For Aquinas, it was necessary to cultivate intellectual and moral values to guide one's actions from mistaken desires onward to true happiness.
The poet wishes to meet head on criticism that his sketches cannot be considered poems. Drawing on Aristotle's Poetics (336 BCE) his sketches can be classified as a form of poetry though not in the modern, verse-centric sense. For Aristotle, poetry was a broader category of artistic creation centered on "mimesis" which is the imitation or representation of life. For example, poetry might imitate the universal aspects of human experience in a way that produces an emotional and intellectual effect on the audience. A sketch may represent an idea(s). It may also capture a moment; thus, representing a universal truth about it. This goes beyond a simple likeness. Therefore, a sketch conveying ideas as ideals may be construed to be an element of Tragedy.
In addition, according to Aristotle, a good poem should have structure and unity in service of a unified plot (muthos). A complex sketch can be analogized to a plot that has a beginning, middle and end. As a teacher of writing at the graduate schools of CAS and CASS in Beijing, unity and coherence were stressed as important not only in writing, but also in reading and speaking.
It could be argued that the I'mages© have unity and coherence. Each I'mage© deals with a single theme which expresses unity while coherence is the logical and smooth flow of ideas. Therefore, I would argue that my individual sketches have both unity and coherence. Furthermore, I claim that my sketches as a whole form a unity and coherence with respect to the entire Elegant Celestial Giza Series© and also its relation to the Banpo Series©.
The poet would also like to stress the universality of its truths. In Aristotle's view, the most profound sketch goes beyond "mimesis". It would reveal universal truths about human nature. It presents what might or could happen in a given situation, making it more philosophical than a mere historical record. In short, under Aristotle's rubric, a sketch of mine could indeed qualify as a form of poetic art---especially if it exhibits a plot such as birth, life, death and rebirth.
Let us quickly examine a painting dated 1586 by El Greco called The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. The main theme is the juxtaposition of the heavenly and earthly world. Franz Philipp considers the work tripartite wherein the division is occupied by a newborn ethereal baby. "Augustine's perception of the soul and its ascent is a possible inspiration which evolved from a Neoplatonic basis". The unified theme of the painting is the soul and its ascent. The coherence is exemplified by transitional phases to salvation.
It is brought to your attention that Picasso created in many media. One of these media (it may surprise you) was surrealistic poetry. The general unified theme may be a poetic reflection of his homeland--Andalusia. One of these poems was called "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz". It too evokes memories of his home region; so, one can argue that this provides unity to the poem. Its coherence is established through stream of consciousness. He creates a feeling or atmosphere using fragmented and jarring phrases projecting images much like his paintings did visually."
One might conjecture that Picasso's poem was inspired by El Greco's painting of the same name. It was a starting point for his own surrealist and abstract reflections on his homeland of Andalusia. It is believed that El Greco's influence extended beyond the above mentioned poem by providing inspirations during Picasso's Blue and Cubist periods. The title of the poem acknowledges El Greco's monumental influence on Picasso's own artistic and literary imagination.
There are poets who perceive images visually and hear resonances (rhyme) auditorily. D. Carlton Rossi wrote a poem called "El Entierro de Carlos, Infante de España"©. which reflects the visual and auditory. His inspiration came from both the painting called "The Burial of the Count of Orgaz" by El Greco and the poem of the same name by Picasso.
However, the initial inspiration came from a writer whose name is Douglas Ord. I count Douglas as one of my few friends. In my opinion, he is one of Canada's best authors, writers and an outstanding expert on philosophy. Doug drew my attention to El Greco's painting and made a brief comment on its aesthetics. One might say he was my Muse and I took it from there. In acknowledgement, I cryptically included his surname and my own given name in one line of a couplet written in Spanish and German. It reads as follows:
Los santos ORDenados cubren los hombros del jorobado.
Die Glocken von Notre Dame läuten nicht für das HQ der Luftwaffe.
These lines represent both a visual and auditory interpretation and elaboration on the painting. Just as music often has a close connection to mathematics as one can appreciate in the scores of Mozart; so, too, can poetry whether written, spoken or drawn align itself with a painting by El Greco or a poem of Picasso which can be read aloud to evoke images. A similar process has taken place in the I'mages© of The Celestial Elegant Celestial Series© which were inspired visually and auditorily through shades and resonances respectively. In summary, poetry and painting often align and overlap to mesh as one.
https://web.archive.org/web/20230205192323/https://www.sundawu.net/poetry-1.html
If you are still unconvinced that dynamic, sophisticated, philosophic sketches can be classified as poems then the poet-philosopher refers you to his private thesis. It is called "Poetic Analytics of Imagery through Streams of Consciousness and Unconsciousness"©. One paragraph might be adequate to illustrate an aspect of the process.
For the poet, the poem is ultimately complete when he cyclically rejoins the 人面鱼. The pinyin equivalent is the rénmiànyú or fish-face. It is the archetype. The rénmiànyú is painted on the bowl of Banpo pottery fired in furnace. He becomes a potter and artist. The rénmiànyú is transformed into the yin-yang symbol which contains two fish resembling an Ouroboros. The symbol metamorphoses into various image poems of the Banpo poetry series. He becomes a Daoist. Then, the symbol is transformed into a stone carving of a fish-face on Fu Shan. He becomes a stone mason. The carving is transformed into a photograph of the mountain. It is revealed through an epiphany. He becomes a graphic designer. The enhanced photograph is analyzed and idealized thus transforming itself into 山过山 or an image poem with Chinese mountain characters. At the top is a fish-face. He becomes an idealistic-realistic poet of free-form through stream of consciousness and unconsciousness. The cycle is complete when his soul returns to the river bank to become broken shards of fired clay from which he came and also the faded image of the rénmiànyú buried in the ground. He awaits the return of the Yellow River for rebirth.
https://web.archive.org/web/20180903180148/https://sundawu.ca/Poetic_Analytics_1.html
His I'mage© poems evolved from free-form© poems which exhibited the freedom of poetry and the form of philosophy where each form is different. In the Chinese sense, it meant the return of the Yellow River to its past course as symbolic of rebirth in the poem called Huánghé©. In the Egyptian sense, the main theme of The Thread© was rebirth as personified by Osiris which completed the cycle of birth, life and death as it did with Alexander the Great, Constantine II and the neo-Platonist Julian.
These lines represent both a visual and auditory interpretation and elaboration on the painting. Just as music often has a close connection to mathematics as one can appreciate in the scores of Mozart; so, too, can poetry whether written, spoken or drawn align itself with a painting by El Greco or a poem of Picasso which can be read aloud to evoke images. A similar process has taken place in the I'mages© of The Celestial Elegant Celestial Series© which were inspired visually and auditorily through shades and resonances respectively. In summary, poetry and painting often align and overlap to mesh as one.
If you are still unconvinced that dynamic, sophisticated, philosophic sketches can be classified as poems then the poet-philosopher refers you to his private thesis. It is called "Poetic Analytics of Imagery through Streams of Consciousness and Unconsciousness"©. One paragraph might be adequate to illustrate an aspect of the process.
For the poet, the poem is ultimately complete when he cyclically rejoins the 人面鱼. The pinyin equivalent is the rénmiànyú or fish-face. It is the archetype. The rénmiànyú is painted on the bowl of Banpo pottery fired in furnace. He becomes a potter and artist. The rénmiànyú is transformed into the yin-yang symbol which contains two fish resembling an Ouroboros. The symbol metamorphoses into various image poems of the Banpo poetry series. He becomes a Daoist. Then, the symbol is transformed into a stone carving of a fish-face on Fu Shan. He becomes a stone mason. The carving is transformed into a photograph of the mountain. It is revealed through an epiphany. He becomes a graphic designer. The enhanced photograph is analyzed and idealized thus transforming itself into 山过山 or an image poem with Chinese mountain characters. At the top is a fish-face. He becomes an idealistic-realistic poet of free-form through stream of consciousness and unconsciousness. The cycle is complete when his soul returns to the river bank to become broken shards of fired clay from which he came and also the faded image of the rénmiànyú buried in the ground. He awaits the return of the Yellow River for rebirth.
https://web.archive.org/web/20180903180148/https://sundawu.ca/Poetic_Analytics_1.html
His I'mage© poems evolved from free-form© poems which exhibited the freedom of poetry and the form of philosophy where each form is different. In the Chinese sense, it meant the return of the Yellow River to its past course as symbolic of rebirth in the poem called Huánghé©. In the Egyptian sense, the main theme of The Thread© was rebirth as personified by Osiris which completed the cycle of birth, life and death as it did with Alexander the Great, Constantine II and the neo-Platonist Julian.
The Thread
"This is not our history's story,
but rather dream weaved thread
that relates what might have been
and some probable possibilities."
"This is not our history's story,
but rather dream weaved thread
that relates what might have been
and some probable possibilities."
https://web.archive.org/web/20230205192524/https://www.sundawu.net/poetry-3.html
Plato excludes poets in his ideal city as expressed in the The Republic (380 BCE). One might say it is because poetry imitates appearance rather than true Forms. "For the fact that it is able to harm reasonable people, except for a very few is surely most terrible." (605c6-8) A second charge is that he makes things "third from the truth" (598c).
In a famous statement, Plato says "there is an old quarrel between philosophy and poetry (Republic 607b5-6). There is also a related quarrel between philosophy and rhetoric both of which appear throughout his dialogues. It seems that Plato regarded poetry as a kind of rhetoric. Plato bluntly critiqued poetry, but wrote in ways that may be called poetic with certain qualifications.
Plato on Rhetoric and Poetry, revised Feb. 20, 2004, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Plato excludes poets in his ideal city as expressed in the The Republic (380 BCE). One might say it is because poetry imitates appearance rather than true Forms. "For the fact that it is able to harm reasonable people, except for a very few is surely most terrible." (605c6-8) A second charge is that he makes things "third from the truth" (598c).
In a famous statement, Plato says "there is an old quarrel between philosophy and poetry (Republic 607b5-6). There is also a related quarrel between philosophy and rhetoric both of which appear throughout his dialogues. It seems that Plato regarded poetry as a kind of rhetoric. Plato bluntly critiqued poetry, but wrote in ways that may be called poetic with certain qualifications.
Plato on Rhetoric and Poetry, revised Feb. 20, 2004, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
https://plato.stanfor.edu/entries/plato-rhetoric/
This summary is made in a unique and unusual manner. One might say it is a radical departure from conventional ones. The reason is that it combines the best of western and eastern styles of writing. A western format might present a contrary view in the second to last paragraph and then repeat the main theme. An eastern format might summarize the main theme and then introduce new topics for discussion which to some extent reverses the above process.
One may wish to use an analogy at this point. In order to accomplish it a prose description will evoke poetic images of the past. Think of this analogy as a trailer (预告片) to a prequel (预告片) of a motion picture. For example, 300: Rise of an Empire is a prequel to the 2006 film "300" and set in ancient Greece at the same time period as the Greco-Persian War.
The poet-philosopher will try to shorten the long process whose end result was this essay. There are a few poets who have engaged with philosophical themes. For example, Wallace Stevens, William Blake, Lucretius and Parmenides are among these. The latter is regarded as a pre-Socratic philosopher. The author regards himself as a poet-philosopher. His earliest poems were called free-form which expressed the freedom of poetry and the form of philosophy. His earliest inspiration came from the pre-Socratic philosophers such as Parmenides. They used dactylic hexameter verse whose meter reflected ancient, Greek epic poetry in order to convey philosophic ideas.
https://plato.stanfor.edu/entries/plato-rhetoric/
This summary is made in a unique and unusual manner. One might say it is a radical departure from conventional ones. The reason is that it combines the best of western and eastern styles of writing. A western format might present a contrary view in the second to last paragraph and then repeat the main theme. An eastern format might summarize the main theme and then introduce new topics for discussion which to some extent reverses the above process.
One may wish to use an analogy at this point. In order to accomplish it a prose description will evoke poetic images of the past. Think of this analogy as a trailer (预告片) to a prequel (预告片) of a motion picture. For example, 300: Rise of an Empire is a prequel to the 2006 film "300" and set in ancient Greece at the same time period as the Greco-Persian War.
The poet-philosopher will try to shorten the long process whose end result was this essay. There are a few poets who have engaged with philosophical themes. For example, Wallace Stevens, William Blake, Lucretius and Parmenides are among these. The latter is regarded as a pre-Socratic philosopher. The author regards himself as a poet-philosopher. His earliest poems were called free-form which expressed the freedom of poetry and the form of philosophy. His earliest inspiration came from the pre-Socratic philosophers such as Parmenides. They used dactylic hexameter verse whose meter reflected ancient, Greek epic poetry in order to convey philosophic ideas.
Over time, his poetry took on image like features. For example, in "The Village"© (September 12, 2012 - October 28, 2025) each letter of the poem was one of four colours based on a coded pattern. The code was placed in an I'mage© called The ABC's and D© in multiple colours, too.
The title of another poem called Abraxas© was an I'mage© like a miniature poem. Gradually, the "word" transformed into an image. The I'mage© has displaced (if not replaced for the most part) the written and spoken word. It is a logical step from evoking an image in a written poem to drawing an image or I'mage© which tells a story. As they say, a picture tells a thousands words.
The title of another poem called Abraxas© was an I'mage© like a miniature poem. Gradually, the "word" transformed into an image. The I'mage© has displaced (if not replaced for the most part) the written and spoken word. It is a logical step from evoking an image in a written poem to drawing an image or I'mage© which tells a story. As they say, a picture tells a thousands words.
However, there really is nothing new. The earliest Egyptian civilization used hieroglyphs in a formal writing system. They combined pictorial symbols that could represent objects, sounds or whole words. The system was composed of over 1000 distinct characters. Basically, it is a precursor to many modern alphabets.
The Shang Dynasty oracle bones featured pictographs and early Chinese characters. They visually represented nature, daily life, people and society as well as ritual and religion. The characters evolved from simple, picture-like symbols into more abstract forms that establish the basis of modern Chinese writing.
The poet-philosopher gazed at a map of the stars and wondered what they looked like at the time of Alexander the Great's conquest of India in the year 326 BCE. He imagined that Alexander saw a different pattern than his Admiral Nearchus. He wondered why the pattern was different. Nearchus was looking up at the stars while Alexander was looking back at the stars from Sirius at our Sun among other stars. The result was a poem called Golden Sol©.
Golden Sol
These pearly eyes number more
than grains of sand on ocean's shore.
Yet orb shines as autumnal star
like lustrous Achilleus from afar.
My Lord, Eubalaena breaches
in milky sea off heaven's beaches.
Leviathan grazes at her leisure
on krill of shrimp-size measure.
Nearchus, son of Androtimus,
behold bold killer Orcinus!
He agilely attacks the dolphin
known as Delphinus fleet-of-fin.
Do we see what there is to see
or rather what there appears to be?
I perceive three in Herakles kneeling
and another four in Aquila veering.
New moon rises while golden Sol
shows itself as eighth in dorsal.
Orca above and Eubalaena below
swim in harmonious celestial flow.
Dedicated to Astronavigator Rob Bradford
September 12, 2006 - October 28, 2025©
However, there really is nothing new. The earliest Egyptian civilization used hieroglyphs in a formal writing system. They combined pictorial symbols that could represent objects, sounds or whole words. The system was composed of over 1000 distinct characters. Basically, it is a precursor to many modern alphabets.
The Shang Dynasty oracle bones featured pictographs and early Chinese characters. They visually represented nature, daily life, people and society as well as ritual and religion. The characters evolved from simple, picture-like symbols into more abstract forms that establish the basis of modern Chinese writing.
The poet-philosopher gazed at a map of the stars and wondered what they looked like at the time of Alexander the Great's conquest of India in the year 326 BCE. He imagined that Alexander saw a different pattern than his Admiral Nearchus. He wondered why the pattern was different. Nearchus was looking up at the stars while Alexander was looking back at the stars from Sirius at our Sun among other stars. The result was a poem called Golden Sol©.
Golden Sol
These pearly eyes number more
than grains of sand on ocean's shore.
Yet orb shines as autumnal star
like lustrous Achilleus from afar.
My Lord, Eubalaena breaches
in milky sea off heaven's beaches.
Leviathan grazes at her leisure
on krill of shrimp-size measure.
Nearchus, son of Androtimus,
behold bold killer Orcinus!
He agilely attacks the dolphin
known as Delphinus fleet-of-fin.
Do we see what there is to see
or rather what there appears to be?
I perceive three in Herakles kneeling
and another four in Aquila veering.
New moon rises while golden Sol
shows itself as eighth in dorsal.
Orca above and Eubalaena below
swim in harmonious celestial flow.
Dedicated to Astronavigator Rob Bradford
September 12, 2006 - October 28, 2025©
From this perspective emerged a poetic image called Kong Greatest Sage Constellation (孔圣人星宿)®. Kong (孔) refers to Confucius because it is his family name. In Chinese, he is referred to as (孔子) or Kǒngzǐ in pinyin.
Later, the poet- philosopher looked at a map of the North Star and its attendant stars in the Big and Little Dippers. He wondered what those stars looked like at the time when the North Star was closest to true polar North which was 2830 BCE. That time was about 300 years before the Great Pyramid of Khufu was built on the Gaza Plateau.
He copied the pattern on a sheet of paper. In a child-like manner he joined the dots. From this perspective, he sensed an image of a pyramid. He called this image an I'mage©. Over a period of time, he has imagined perhaps as many as 60 I'mages© from different perspectives of sacred pyramids, sphinxes and animals. They form "The Elegant Celestial Giza Series"© (2014 - October 30 , 2025).
Later, the poet- philosopher looked at a map of the North Star and its attendant stars in the Big and Little Dippers. He wondered what those stars looked like at the time when the North Star was closest to true polar North which was 2830 BCE. That time was about 300 years before the Great Pyramid of Khufu was built on the Gaza Plateau.
He copied the pattern on a sheet of paper. In a child-like manner he joined the dots. From this perspective, he sensed an image of a pyramid. He called this image an I'mage©. Over a period of time, he has imagined perhaps as many as 60 I'mages© from different perspectives of sacred pyramids, sphinxes and animals. They form "The Elegant Celestial Giza Series"© (2014 - October 30 , 2025).
Banpo Poetry Series
The third series is Banpo Poetry based on Banpo Pottery at Banpo village (半坡) on the Yellow River (黃河) or Huánghé. The village was typical of late Neolithic Yangshao culture. The site was occupied from approximately 4500 to 3750 BCE. It was centered on agriculture, but fishing was also done. At its height there were 200 to 300 people at the site.
There "appears to be" a sameness between Yangshao culture as represented by Banpo village from 4500 to 3750 BCE on the Yellow River to Egyptian civilization at the beginning of the Old Kingdom in 2560 BCE when construction began on the Great Pyramid of Khufu near the Ahramt branch of the Nile River. For example, the structures at Banpo were part of a well-organized settlement plan whose engineer and tradesmen utilized new techniques and materials. The construction of the Great Pyramid represents the pinnacle of ancient Egyptian engineering based on generations of architectural experience. The primary architect and engineer was Khufu's "visier" and nephew.
However, it's this apparent sameness in time and space that energizes the poet-philosopher's creativity. He wonders why his heart or "Ka" (in the Egyptian sense) is in the stars of the Big Dipper, North Star and Little Dipper at polar celestial North. Simultaneously, his heart at Banpo village is in the earthy, clay burial pot fashioned with a hemp cord by a potter who embosses it with with geometric and anthropomorphic images. The child in the urn and the potter in turn appear to be one and the same. However, it's the differences in sameness that strike a chord with the poet-philosopher. The definition of "chord", too, is changing here in a dynamic way.
Gilles Deleuze published a book called Differences and Repetition. The title is the seed so to speak of Deluezes' philosophy. He does not contrast differences with sameness. His philosophy posits that repetition is not the repetition of the same, but the creation of new and different things through the process of repetition itself. In other words, reality is not made of identical things and their differences, but of constant differences and variation. Repetition is a creative force.
It was Heraclitus, a pre-Socratic philosopher, who said that "You cannot step into the same river twice". Later, Cratylus who was influenced by Heraclitus and became a teacher of Plato modified Heraclitus' view by saying that "one doesn't step into the same river once".
Delueze extended the viewpoint of Cratylus to mean that the river is not a stable thing to be identified, but a creative process of becoming. The person crossing the river is also in a constant process of flux the "same" as the river.
On the other hand, another pre-Socratic philosopher whose name was Parmenides argued for an eternal, unchanging universe. This led Plato to develop his Theory of Forms. In this theory, the material world is subject to constant flux, but there exists a separate world of eternal and unchanging Forms that can be known.
Gilles Deleuze explicitly rejected Plato's concept of eternal and unchanging Forms. He opposed Plato's idealism which posits a transcendent world of perfect essences. Deleuze championed a philosophy of pure, immanent difference and becoming. Instead of Forms, he introduced his own concept of the "Idea". His "Ideas" are not static entities, but rather complex, multiple, and differential systems that create dynamic spaces and times.
The poet-philosopher says simply that he is not a philosopher writing in poetic verse as were the pre-Socratics---with the exception of Anaxagoras. Neither is he a philosopher expressing ideas or Ideas. He writes Free-Form© poetry in rhyme or prose each with a different philosophic form. He confirms "good imitations". In addition, he conceptualizes complex concepts of poetry and philosophy through I'mages© in both The Elegant Celestial Giza and Banpo series©. He conveys these concepts equally in combination.
To characterize his approaches and actualisations of potentialities with regard to his Image's©, he would say that they represent "poetic-philosophic forms of dynamic shades and resonances of Platonic Forms"©. His interest is to explore similarities as they pertain to moral excellence. He believes that immortality can be achieved through morality. Furthermore, he considers morality to be a higher form than legality.
The third series is Banpo Poetry based on Banpo Pottery at Banpo village (半坡) on the Yellow River (黃河) or Huánghé. The village was typical of late Neolithic Yangshao culture. The site was occupied from approximately 4500 to 3750 BCE. It was centered on agriculture, but fishing was also done. At its height there were 200 to 300 people at the site.
There "appears to be" a sameness between Yangshao culture as represented by Banpo village from 4500 to 3750 BCE on the Yellow River to Egyptian civilization at the beginning of the Old Kingdom in 2560 BCE when construction began on the Great Pyramid of Khufu near the Ahramt branch of the Nile River. For example, the structures at Banpo were part of a well-organized settlement plan whose engineer and tradesmen utilized new techniques and materials. The construction of the Great Pyramid represents the pinnacle of ancient Egyptian engineering based on generations of architectural experience. The primary architect and engineer was Khufu's "visier" and nephew.
However, it's this apparent sameness in time and space that energizes the poet-philosopher's creativity. He wonders why his heart or "Ka" (in the Egyptian sense) is in the stars of the Big Dipper, North Star and Little Dipper at polar celestial North. Simultaneously, his heart at Banpo village is in the earthy, clay burial pot fashioned with a hemp cord by a potter who embosses it with with geometric and anthropomorphic images. The child in the urn and the potter in turn appear to be one and the same. However, it's the differences in sameness that strike a chord with the poet-philosopher. The definition of "chord", too, is changing here in a dynamic way.
Gilles Deleuze published a book called Differences and Repetition. The title is the seed so to speak of Deluezes' philosophy. He does not contrast differences with sameness. His philosophy posits that repetition is not the repetition of the same, but the creation of new and different things through the process of repetition itself. In other words, reality is not made of identical things and their differences, but of constant differences and variation. Repetition is a creative force.
It was Heraclitus, a pre-Socratic philosopher, who said that "You cannot step into the same river twice". Later, Cratylus who was influenced by Heraclitus and became a teacher of Plato modified Heraclitus' view by saying that "one doesn't step into the same river once".
Delueze extended the viewpoint of Cratylus to mean that the river is not a stable thing to be identified, but a creative process of becoming. The person crossing the river is also in a constant process of flux the "same" as the river.
On the other hand, another pre-Socratic philosopher whose name was Parmenides argued for an eternal, unchanging universe. This led Plato to develop his Theory of Forms. In this theory, the material world is subject to constant flux, but there exists a separate world of eternal and unchanging Forms that can be known.
Gilles Deleuze explicitly rejected Plato's concept of eternal and unchanging Forms. He opposed Plato's idealism which posits a transcendent world of perfect essences. Deleuze championed a philosophy of pure, immanent difference and becoming. Instead of Forms, he introduced his own concept of the "Idea". His "Ideas" are not static entities, but rather complex, multiple, and differential systems that create dynamic spaces and times.
The poet-philosopher says simply that he is not a philosopher writing in poetic verse as were the pre-Socratics---with the exception of Anaxagoras. Neither is he a philosopher expressing ideas or Ideas. He writes Free-Form© poetry in rhyme or prose each with a different philosophic form. He confirms "good imitations". In addition, he conceptualizes complex concepts of poetry and philosophy through I'mages© in both The Elegant Celestial Giza and Banpo series©. He conveys these concepts equally in combination.
He wishes to contribute to an actual, down-to-earth, ideal model of a utopian city-state or village like Kenneth City and Dawu Village. A parallel village in Neolithic times may have been Banpo Village. The "contemporary former" of Kenneth and Dawu are located close to Fushan where the Yellow Emperor united the tribes near the bend of the old course of the Yellow River. [Yellow Emperor Huangdi 皇帝 (2697–2597 or 2698–2598 BCE)] The latter was located near the Wei tributary of the Yellow River. Presently, Banpo Village (半坡遗址) is an archeological site which is just east of modern-day Xi'an in Shaanxi Province.
D. Carlton Rossi ( 狄·卡尔顿·罗西 )
November 11, 2025
Poetic References
November 11, 2025
Poetic References
https://web.archive.org/web/20230205192008/https://www.sundawu.net/chinese-poems-20013222693579927468.html
Representative Poems
Representative Poems
He and 河
He and 河 were more similar
or less unlike in comparison.
He identifies with 河 in part
but on whole they're not identical.
He here and 河 there will signify
he'll never ever be same with 河.
If single part cannot make whole
then part and whole are part apart.
Huánghé
He and 河 were more similar
or less unlike in comparison.
He identifies with 河 in part
but on whole they're not identical.
He here and 河 there will signify
he'll never ever be same with 河.
If single part cannot make whole
then part and whole are part apart.
Huánghé
There will be much time to wait
for the return of the old Huánghé
which flows from the Bayan Har.
As newborn, I was buried in clay pot
molded by umbilical of coiled cord
and fired hot by heat of firewood.
Let my broken bones and clay shards
be restored by the silted waters of the Hé
to vessel from clay painted as rén miàn yú.
"日月"
Image of sun and moon reflect on pond.
The Fèng resurrects from flames.
The Huáng leaps in dance from water.
"The Battles"
Bǎnquán and Zhuōlù were won or lost.
No one now knows where sought or fought.
Only those dead know with certainty.
There will be much time to wait
for the return of the old Huánghé
which flows from the Bayan Har.
As newborn, I was buried in clay pot
molded by umbilical of coiled cord
and fired hot by heat of firewood.
Let my broken bones and clay shards
be restored by the silted waters of the Hé
to vessel from clay painted as rén miàn yú.
"日月"
Image of sun and moon reflect on pond.
The Fèng resurrects from flames.
The Huáng leaps in dance from water.
"The Battles"
Bǎnquán and Zhuōlù were won or lost.
No one now knows where sought or fought.
Only those dead know with certainty.
"To the Yán-Huáng zǐsūn"
Fèng and huáng meet to become Fènghuáng.
Fènghuáng leaps for joy and Dragon lifts with power.
Vision of Yán-Huáng zǐsūn is inspirational.
Fèng and huáng meet to become Fènghuáng.
Fènghuáng leaps for joy and Dragon lifts with power.
Vision of Yán-Huáng zǐsūn is inspirational.
"The Estuary"
Yang stream flows above and yin below.
The streams flow in opposite directions.
No flow zone separates and accelerates flow.
Same or Similar
"The Estuary"
Yang stream flows above and yin below.
The streams flow in opposite directions.
No flow zone separates and accelerates flow.
Same or Similar
That which is similar is dissimilar to the same.
That which is similar is a copy and not the same.
The original is the same, but not what is similar.
Two or more things are to some degree similar.
There is no material thing that is the same.
The original is not a copy: it is unique or same.
Matter varies over time; so, it is for other similar.
No matter is the same: matter is similar.
That which is similar is dissimilar to the same.
That which is similar is a copy and not the same.
The original is the same, but not what is similar.
Two or more things are to some degree similar.
There is no material thing that is the same.
The original is not a copy: it is unique or same.
Matter varies over time; so, it is for other similar.
No matter is the same: matter is similar.
The death mask on Fu Shan may be divided into two parts. On the right appears a reptile that has crocodilian features. On the left appears a fish that has carp features—with one important exception—the fish has visible teeth.
The depiction of a mask may be an important aspect of early Neolithic art as found on Seaman pottery. It is not uncommon to find what may represent a mask portraying a fish-face. This type of painting has both fish and human-like characteristics and is called 人面鱼 “rénmiànyú”.
The poet contends that the stone-carved mask on Fushan is of the Yellow Emperor Huangdi 皇帝 (2697–2597 or 2698–2598 BCE).
The depiction of a mask may be an important aspect of early Neolithic art as found on Seaman pottery. It is not uncommon to find what may represent a mask portraying a fish-face. This type of painting has both fish and human-like characteristics and is called 人面鱼 “rénmiànyú”.
The poet contends that the stone-carved mask on Fushan is of the Yellow Emperor Huangdi 皇帝 (2697–2597 or 2698–2598 BCE).
https://web.archive.org/web/20201210185204/http://www.sundawu.ca/Fu_Shan.html
FREE-FORM
Aristotle, Poetics, Translated by John Warrington, London: J.M. Dent & Sons LTD, 1963
Deleuze, Gilles, Difference and Repetition, Translated by Paul Patton, New York: Columbia University Press, 1994.
Didier John C., In and Outside the Square: the Sky and the Power of Belief in Ancient China and the World, ca. 4500 BC – AD 200 Sino Platonic Papers No. 192
Deleuze, Gilles, Difference and Repetition, Translated by Paul Patton, New York: Columbia University Press, 1994.
Didier John C., In and Outside the Square: the Sky and the Power of Belief in Ancient China and the World, ca. 4500 BC – AD 200 Sino Platonic Papers No. 192
Volume II: Representations and Identities of High Powers in Neolithic and Bronze China
Didier, John C., In and Outside the Square: the Sky and the Power of Belief in Ancient China and the World, ca. 4500 BC – AD 200 Sino Platonic Papers No. 192 Volume II: Representations and Identities of High Powers in Neolithic and Bronze China
Didier, John C., In and Outside the Square: the Sky and the Power of Belief in Ancient China and the World, ca. 4500 BC – AD 200 Sino Platonic Papers No. 192 Volume II: Representations and Identities of High Powers in Neolithic and Bronze China
Lawrence, D.H., Apocalypse, Penguin Books: Toronto, 1931
Lawrence, D.H., Apocalypse, Penguin Books: Toronto, 1931
Plato, Republic, Translated by B. Jowett, The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Republic, by Plato, 1998
Hatseptsut Senenmut 15th century BCE 18th Dynasty obelisk sphinx architecture NNE-SSW deviation precession equinox "precession of equinoxes" joint-reign Hatseptsut-Thutmose III Thutmose III tomb ceiling star map 1468 BCE astronomical year star cluser star alignment "autumnal equinox" October 9 Mesketyu Osiris Osirid posture "flail and crook" flail crook "total solar eclipse" compact geometry "compact geometry" Amun-Ra "mortuary temple" Thebes Egypt Karnak Luxor Nile archaeoastronomy astronomy archaeology void Thuban Kochab "Kappa Draconis" polestar circumpolar NCP "northcircumpolar pyramid Great Pyramid Khufu Kafre Menkaure 90% 95% "scalene triangle" gnomon rhombus "Osiride statues" Deir el-Bahari