Si pretendemos interpretar el significado de “Bu” con el pensamiento y las ideas actuales, dicha letra representaría el concepto de violencia, de la magnitud de una masacre. Esto es algo similar a la ficción que supone la tecnología que Winston-Churchill, narra en su obra sobre la Crisis Mundial, donde una sola llamada de teléfono podía hacer que miles de soldados mujeres y niños murieran, empujando de este modo a la humanidad al borde de la extinción. La Constitución de Japón, que (...) proclama la amenaza permanente de “La intimidación o el uso de la fuerza”, ilustra claramente este razonamiento. Nuestra guerra moderna en realidad implica poco más que derrotar la tecnología enemiga pero, el concepto que encierra la letra “Bu” no es tan mecánico ni superficial. (shrink)

This study investigated the effect of Mahjong, which is a table game played by three or four players and involves intellectual activity, on the intelligence quotient of children. The participants were children between the age of 6 and 15 years, and their IQ was assessed immediately after enrolling in children's Mahjong classes and 1 year after the enrollment using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition. Twenty children were included in the analysis. Their mean age at the time of (...) the initial evaluation was 9 years and 6 months. In addition, we conducted a 1-year post-examination. The change in the IQ of this group was compared to that of a historical control group with a similar age range and test–retest interval. The mean overall full-scale IQ of the 20 children during the initial and post-1-year examinations was 106.05 and 113.75, respectively, and showed a statistically significant increase. Based on the subscale index, the verbal comprehension index and processing speed index scores both showed a statistically significant increase from 100.6 to 106.75 and from 108.05 to 119.05, respectively. The PSI of the children included in the analysis showed a statistically significant increase compared to the historical control group. This study suggests that children who participate in Mahjong classes during their childhood have increased PSI scores of WISC-IV. (shrink)

Daoist Identity is an exploration of the various means by which Daoists over the centuries have created an identity for themselves. Using modern sociological studies of identity formation as its foundation, it brings together a representative sample of in-depth analyses by eminent American and Japanese scholars in the field. The discussion begins with critical examinations of the ways identity was found among the early movements of the Way of Great Peace and the Celestial Masters. The role of sacred texts and (...) literary culture in Daoist identity formation is discussed. The volume then focuses on lineage formation and the increasing role of popular religious practices, such as spirit-writing, in modern Daoism since the Song dynasty. Finally it discusses the Daoist adaptation and reinterpretation of Buddhist rites, such as the feeding of souls in hell and the use of ritual gestures, and the changes made in contemporary Daoism in relation to traditional rites and popular practices. Contributors: Asano Haruji, Suzanne Cahill, M. Csikszentmihalyi, Edward L. Davis, Terry F. Kleeman, Livia Kohn, Mabuchi Masaya, Maruyama Hiroshi, Mitamura Keiko, Mori Yuria, Peter Nickerson, Charles D. Orzech, Harold D. Roth, Shiga Ichiko, Tsuchiya Masaaki. (shrink)

Daoist Identity is an exploration of the various means by which Daoists over the centuries have created an identity for themselves. Using modern sociological studies of identity formation as its foundation, it brings together a representative sample of in-depth analyses by eminent American and Japanese scholars in the field. The discussion begins with critical examinations of the ways identity was found among the early movements of the Way of Great Peace and the Celestial Masters. The role of sacred texts and (...) literary culture in Daoist identity formation is discussed. The volume then focuses on lineage formation and the increasing role of popular religious practices, such as spirit-writing, in modern Daoism since the Song dynasty. Finally it discusses the Daoist adaptation and reinterpretation of Buddhist rites, such as the feeding of souls in hell and the use of ritual gestures, and the changes made in contemporary Daoism in relation to traditional rites and popular practices. Contributors: Asano Haruji, Suzanne Cahill, M. Csikszentmihalyi, Edward L. Davis, Terry F. Kleeman, Livia Kohn, Mabuchi Masaya, Maruyama Hiroshi, Mitamura Keiko, Mori Yuria, Peter Nickerson, Charles D. Orzech, Harold D. Roth, Shiga Ichiko, Tsuchiya Masaaki. (shrink)