Quote:
Diana Frese wrote:
I just want to say that anytime you feel like mentioning the three treasures, the mirror, the jewel and the sword I will not nod off!
|
Hello Diana,
"A mirror, a sword and a jewel have been handed down from ruler to ruler in the Japanese dynasty as tokens of legitimate authority. Writers of the fifteenth century have interpreted them as symbolizing the virtues the nation should cultivate: the mirror enabling us to see things as they are, good or bad, and thus becoming the true source of fairness and justice, the sword "firm, sharp and quickly decisive, wherein lies the true origin of all wisdom", the jewel, a moon-like symbol of gentleness and piety. It would be difficult to state more succinctly the standards of any inquiry into the mind of a foreign nation and for this reason I have chosen it as the title of this book." (Kurt Singer,
Mirror, Sword and Jewel: The Geometry of Japanese Life, 1973, 1981, p. 25.)
Have you read it?
PAG