Awake!, February 22, 1965
Download: PDF — Awake!, February 22, 1965
Does God Have a Name?
PAGE 5
Trained for Violence
PAGE 9
Cheating the Insurance Company
PAGE 20
The Rainbow—God's Wondrous Sign
PAGE 24
FEBRUARY 22,1965
THE REASON FOR THIS MAGAZINE
News sources that are able to keep you awake to the vital issues of our lives must be unfettered by censorship and selfish interests. "Awake!" has no fetters. It contains facts, faces facts, is free to publish facts. It is not bound by political ties; it is pered by traditional creeds. This magazine keeps itself free, that it may speak freely to you. But it does not abuse its freedom. It maintains integrity to truth.
The viewpoint of "Awake!" is not narrow, but is international. "Awake!" has its own correspondents in scores of nations. Its articles are read in many lands, in many languages, by millions of persons.
In every issue "Awakel" presents vital topics on which you should be informed. It features penetrating articles on social conditions and offers sound counsel for meeting the problems of everyday life. Current news from every continent passes in quick review. Attention is focused on activities in the fields of government and commerce about which you should know. Straightforward discussions of religious issues alert you to matters of vital concern. Customs and people in many lands, the marvels of creation, practical sciences and points of human interest are all embraced in its coverage. "Awakel" provides wholesome, instructive reading for every member of the family.
"Awakel!" pledges itself to righteous principles, to exposing hidden foes and subtle dangers, to championing freedom for all, to comforting mourners and strengthening those disheartened by the failures of a delinquent world, reflecting sure hope for the establishment of God's righteous new order in this generation.
Get acquainted with "Awake!" Keep awake by reading "Awake!"
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CONTENTS
Something for Which to Live 3
Does God Have a Name? 5
Trained for Violence 9
Chile's Happy Vendimia 15
Commended for Good Compartment 15
The Birds Knew It First 16
Cheating the Insurance Company 20
The Rainbow—God's Wondrous Sign 24
Salting Sidewalks 26
"Your Word Is Truth"
Why Not "Let Your Name be
Vindicated"? 27
Watching the World 29
SOMETHING
THAT is what everyone who would enjoy life must find—something for which to live. But what?
What is there in life really worth living for? More than just a few persons have wondered. In fact, probably the majority of people have at some time or other seriously contemplated their purpose in living.
"But the incentive must be one in which we inwardly, utterly believe. It is not the 'everything to live for' in the eyes of the world which keeps us alive, but the something which meets our own uncompromising measure of what is worth living for." A person needs some unchallenging res
A person needs some ennobling reason to live, something in which he believes utterly, and to which he desires to devote himself.
One doctor, who witnessed many of such recoveries, was moved to write: "If we truly wish to live, if we have the incentive to live, if we have something to live for—then no matter how sick we may be, no matter how close to death, we do not die. We live, because we want to live.
Many medical men appreciate that it is vital to have something important for which to live. They realize that it, can mean the difference between life and death. For that reason they will often summon a loved one to the bedside of a critically ill patient in an effort to rekindle within him an incentive to live. On occasions this has had remarkable results, causing those hopelessly ill to make surprising recoveries.
a satisfying reason for living in the raising and care of their children. Others have found the incentive to live in the accomplishing of some humanitarian work that will benefit their fellowmen. And still others consider the
sharing of companionship with a loved one to be something really worth living for.
Even though these are fine things for which to live, there is something defective about making them the main purpose for living. Should a tragedy take the lives of loved ones, or should an accident make it impossible to continue one's work, then what? If life and happiness are centered around such uncertain, perishable things, suddenly one may find that there is nothing more for which to live.
Recently a person who no longer felt she had anything solid and sure on which to lean turned a visiting minister away from the door. The distressing world conditions and personal troubles weighed down heavily upon her, and she thought the situation was hopeless. The next afternoon she was admitted to the hospital, after an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Strange as it seems, she became the patient of the minister she had turned away the day before, as this minister was secularly employed in the hospital.
When occasions presented themselves the minister spoke encouragingly to the depressed woman about the promises of life held out in God's Word. Soon the patient was reading the Bible regularly. On her release from the hospital a Bible study was arranged in the home, and soon she began to develop an entirely different outlook. The change was noticed by others, including her husband and doctor. What was responsible for her brightened outlook? She now had something certain and worth while for which to live!
You too can be confident in God's promises of life in a new system of things. The Christian apostle Paul drew attention to the sureness of God's promise concerning life in his righteous new order, saying: "This hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and firm." Yes, the hope that God gives "does not lead to disappointment."—Heb. 6:19; Rom. 5:5.
It was this hope of future life that enabled Daniel fearlessly to face a den of lions; the three Hebrews, a fiery furnace; and the early Christians, hungry lions in the Roman arena. They all had firm faith that, even should they die because of keeping integrity to God, Jehovah God would resurrect them in his new system of things. Like the faithful prophet Moses, they "looked intently toward the payment of the reward." Their main purpose in living was to serve God, and for their faithfulness they had set before them the reward of eternal life in happiness.—Heb. 11:26.
And what did Jesus Christ live for? Material riches? Honor and glory of men? To be an outstanding physician? No, his chief purpose in living also was to do the will
of God. Just before his execution by haters of God, he said in prayer to his Father: "I have glorified you on the earth, having finished the work you have given me to do. So now you, Father, glorify me alongside yourself with the glory that I had alongside you before the world was." God did not disappoint his Son, but resurrected him to life in heaven once again. It is likewise the prospect of eternal life in the service of God that makes living so meaningful for thousands of Christians today.—John 17:4, 5; Acts 2:32.
Not long ago one of these confident Christians called upon a householder, and was able to spark within him a reason to live. The man writes: "I was down after a nervous collapse and virus pneumonia, Twice I contemplated suicide. . . . Then this crippled man came to my door. He was radiant with life, though his body was half dead physically. It caused me to think that perhaps he really had the answer. Now after almost a year of study with him I find myself with a more favorable outlook on my life. . . . Only God's Word through his Son Jesus can put the truth and meaning into life."
Yes, only God's Word shows us what will give real meaning to our lives now, and only it holds forth the sure hope of everlasting life filled with satisfying service to God in a righteous new system of things. Do you believe the promises that God makes in his Word? Mighty prophets such as Moses and Daniel did. Jesus Christ did; and so did his faithful first-century followers. They were not deluded fanatics, trusting in an imaginary dream of a better life. Not at all! Their hope was real, for it was based on the foundation of truth, Jehovah God. What he promises is truly worth living for!
WHO is God?
Some people answer that question: "Why
DOES GOD HAVE A
... why, he's GOD, that's all!"
Ask other persons who God is, and they will say: "Why, he's the baby Jesus."
Ask the theologian, and he answers: "God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost." The theologian says these three are one. But we did not ask: "Who compose God?" Instead: "Who is God?"
The believer who bears the theologian's reply might say: "Perhaps, then, God is the Father." But "Father" is not a name. You may be a father, but "Father" is not your name. When you ask, for example: "Who is the president of the French republic?" almost anyone would answer "De Gaulle." No one would merely say: "Why ... why, the President, of course!"
Is it the same with God? Does he have a name? Should we use that name in addressing him? The answer to these questions is a definite Yes.
The fact that his name has been ignored has led many persons to think that God is composed of three persons, rather than being just one. It has encouraged others to think that he is not a personal creator but only a "force" for good in the universe. The acts outlined in the Sacred Scriptures, where his name is continually used, disagree with both of these points of view.
His Name
The true God is identified in a book he inspired. That book, the Holy Bible, was written neither in our language nor during our epoch. As to language, it was written principally in Hebrew and Greek. As to epoch, its writing began more than 3,470 years ago.
In the Hebrew, in which the first thirty-nine books of the Bible were written, the
word for God is elohim'. But the word elohim', or "god," was not sufficient to identify the Creator. The true God was to be distinguished from pagan gods. And elohim' (like our word "god" today) was used both for the true God and for false gods. Thus, the word elohim' has been translated in various Bibles not only as "God," "god," and "gods," but also as "angels," "goddess," "judges," "great," "very great" and "mighty."
How, then, was the true God identified in the Sacred Scriptures? He was identified by his own Name, by the name he gave himself, and through which he revealed himself to his creatures.
Open your Bible to Isaiah 42:8, where this name occurs. If you have the King James Version, you will read: "I am the LORD: that is my name." But "LORD" is not a name, it is a title. The American Standard Version and the New World Translation, however, retain the name that appears in the Hebrew, in which this part of the Bible was originally written. They correctly render this verse: "I am Jehovah. That is my name."
When we use the Creator's own name, Jehovah, it is not possible to confuse him with pagan gods. Such confusion is not possible, for example, in Genesis 2:4, the first place where the name Jehovah is used in the Bible. There we read: "Jehovah God made earth and heaven."
Its Pronunciation
When Moses wrote God's name in the Bible, he did not write it the way we write today.
In ancient Hebrew only consonants were written, not vowels. Thus Moses wrote God's name with only four letters: YHWH or JHVH. In modern printed Hebrew letters (read from right to left, instead of left to right) it looks like this.
You can find these four Hebrew letters on many European churches, but few people know what they mean. For example, just a few miles southwest of Paris you
extreme and to reruse to pronounce it at all. Since people quit saying the Name, and since the vowels were not written, the true pronunciation eventually was lost.
The pronunciation "Jehovah" is a very ancient pronunciation, however. Until recently it was attributed to a sixteenth-century Catholic, but now it is known to have been used by a Spanish Dominican, Raymundus Martini, who wrote "Jehova"
can see them on the wall behind the altar in the royal chapel of the world-famed château at Versailles. You can also see them on a stained-glass window in Paris' oldest church, Saint Germain des Prés. They appear numerous times on the ceiling over the altar in Paris' Church of the Dome,
where Napoleon is buried. This Divine name also appears over the main altar, and in at least two other places, in the church St. Louis
in the year 1270, and it is possible that this common pronunciation of God's name has been in use since the third century!
However, the fact that we cannot pronounce the Divine Name properly is no reason not to use it. In English we do not pronounce Jesus' name the way it is pronounced in Spanish or French, and certainly not the way Jesus and his apostles originally pronounced it in Greek or in Hebrew.* But that
en Tisle, in the heart of the French capital. These four letters often appear with points indicating the vowels e-o-a njny forming the pronunciation "i"
the pronunciation "Jehovah."
Though this pronunciation is very common, a centuries-old dispute exists regarding the correct pronunciation of the Divine Name. Rotherham and numerous French and Spanish translators think it should be pronounced "Yahweh." Early Christian
does not keep us from using Jesus' name. The same is true of Jesus' Father's name. There is no reason to hide God's true identity by refusing to use his Name, though we shall be
writers even wrote "Javoh" and "Jenveh."
Why do the scholars not agree? The answer is simple. Jehovah commanded that his name not be taken "in vain," or in a worthless way. This meant that people should not take his name and then do things that would bring dishonor upon it. However, Jewish fear of violating this commandment led them to go to the other
Name was replaced by Adonay 'My Lord' and 'The Lord'. When the Masoretes, beginning in the sixth century, undertook vocalizing the text of the Bible (by writing in the vowels with small marks placed over and under the consonants) they were careful not to give the vowels of Adonay or Elohim out with the vowels of Adonay or, when it was preceded by Adonay, the vowels of Elohim, which still forces the faithful to read Adonay or Elohim, without the danger of profaning the name that had become taboo. Let us note, in passing, that it is through the vowels of Adonay and Elohim that the solemn and poetic name, highly favored in the seventeenth century and excited by the romantic writers."—Publications Diverses (Miscellaneous Publications) of the Institut de France, 1951, section 25, page 9.
glad to correct our pronunciation of it when Jehovah again chooses to reveal its true pronunciation to faithful men.
The name Jehovah, like most Biblical names, has a meaning. In Bible times a son was not named Abraham or Joshua or Moses just because that was his father's or his grandfather's name. Nor was a name chosen simply because its sound pleased the child's parents. Rather, each name had a meaning.
The name "Jehovah" is no exception. It is the causative form of the verb "to become." It means: "He causes to become," "He brings into a condition." It identifies the great Purposer—the one who causes to become for a purpose, and who accomplishes his purposes.
To Be Used
The Name that distinguishes the true God from the many false gods was revealed to man from the very beginning of human existence.
As already mentioned, it occurs in Genesis 2:4, which concludes the oldest document known to human history. Further, this Divine Name was found on the lips of the first woman, as we read in Genesis 4:1. It was only normal for the first humans to know God's name. Adam was in communication with his Creator, who told the first man what he should do. Thus it was the natural thing for the Creator, who named man and had man name the animals, also to tell his own name to man. It is interesting to observe that in the entire fifty chapters of the Bible's first book, Genesis, the word "almighty" is found only six times, while God's personal name Jehovah appears 171 times!
Later the entire nation of Israel heard Jehovah, through his angelic representative, properly pronounce his own name. From the top of Mount Sinai Jehovah gave the Ten Commandments, recorded in the
Bible in Exodus, chapter 20. In the first five of these commandments he spoke his great name eight times. Thus, it was Jehovah's will that the entire nation of Israel, and not just a special priestly class, know the true pronunciation of his name.
As the French Dictionnaire Historique (Historical Dictionary) by Calmet (part of the many-volumed Catholic Encyclopédie Théologique published by the priest Migné around 1850) says of the name Jehovah: "It is certain that . . . the ancient Hebrews were not ignorant of its pronunciation; for they recited it in their prayers and while reading their holy books."—Volume 2, columns 912, 913.
Not only did Jehovah pronounce his name for men to hear; he also wrote it for them to read. With his own "finger" Jehovah wrote the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. In doing so he wrote his Divine Name eight times.
How did it look when he wrote it? We do not know, because Moses broke the original tablets, and the copies God made have long since disappeared. It is obvious that it was not exactly like the modern printed Hebrew characters shown earlier in this article. However, some 600 years after Moses' time this name was written in a language similar to Hebrew on a stone document that does still exist.
In the ninth century before Christ a king of Moab had an inscription carved on a piece of black basalt to commemorate his victory over Jehovah's people at a time when God had abandoned them. This stone, about two by four feet in size, was rediscovered in 1868 at Dlbon, east of the Dead Sea. It is now on display in Paris' Louvre museum. The inscription, in ancient Phoenician, includes Jehovah's name, written like this 𐬀𐬀𐬀. You will note that these letters bear a similarity to the modern Hebrew letters with which the Divine Name is written today.
Not to Be Ignored
This name is used 6,961 times in the Hebrew part of God's inspired book, the Holy Bible. It appears 742 times in the Psalms alone. In the first five books of the Bible Moses wrote the Divine Name 1,833 times. And when it is restored to the Biblical quotations made in the Christian Greek Scriptures (the so-called "New Testament"), it appears 237 more times there!*
Modern Bible translators have hidden this name by substituting the words "LORD" and "Eternal" wherever God's name appears. But it is not Jehovah's will that his great name be ignored. More than sixty times in the book of Ezekiel he warned solemnly that various ones "will have to know that I am Jehovah."
Yet how many people know Jehovah today? Most religious leaders speak only of his Son, Christ Jesus. Many among their flock do not even know who Jehovah is, and it is rare to find a person who realizes that the Father, Jehovah, demands the "exclusive devotion" of which the Bible speaks. Millions of persons improperly view the Creator as a nameless "universal" God who encompasses the gods of the pagans, rather than realizing that he has revealed his name, and that his Inspired Word says he does not approve of his honor being given to others.—Ex. 20:5.
The man on the street probably knows who Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Brahma and Allah are. But does he know Jehovah? Does he use his name, and worship him?
Jesus said in prayer to his Father, Jehovah: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." (John. 17:3) Who did he say was "the only true God"? His Father, to whom he was praying! He did not say he was a part of that "only true God," but, rather, that he was "sent forth" by Him. Just the opposite of today's religions, which talk a great deal about Jesus but say little about his Father, Jesus put "taking in knowledge" of God ahead of taking in knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Who Is God?
So, who is God? The true Christian must answer: "JEHOVAH is God, and Jesus Christ is his Son." In using God's name, the true Christian recognizes that the Creator is not merely an 'abstract force for good,' but is a personal God who merits our worship. He recognizes that the Creator is not a "universal" god who accepts the religion even of persons who disobey his commandments and who worship gods of their own invention that are despicable in His sight. In using God's name the true Christian recognizes that the Creator requires the "exclusive devotion" of which the Holy Scriptures so frequently speak. He also recognizes that God is not made up of three persons, but that Jesus was correct when he called the Father "the only true God." Thus, using God's name, and recognizing why that name is important, helps to clear up a great deal of confusion about who God really is.
God does have a name! Accept it. Use it. Worship the Bible's God, the Only True God, who bears that Name. Conform your life to his principles. Heed his commandments. By doing so, you can receive everlasting life in his righteous new system of things now at hand, and can enjoy the unending blessings of serving the true God forever.
"YOU WANT TO SURVIVE—THEN BE PREPARED TO KILL." That is the maxim of South Africa's Combat Survival School, which teaches its pupils a dozen different ways to kill. Since there is so much violence today, the head of the school believes that everyone should be trained to protect himself and his family. "If you possess a pistol, knife, stick or even umbrella, learn to use it to its best advantage," he urges. "If you are caught with nothing, learn to use your hands, which can kill as efficiently as a pistol."
People from all walks of life, including housewives, clerks and typists, have enrolled in the school and are receiving instruction. This type of training is being given world wide. No longer is it limited to military forces and terrorist groups, but now even ordinary citizens are preparing themselves so that they will be ready to retaliate should they be attacked.
In New York City judo, karate and alki-do have become quite popular, and throughout the city there are posters advertising lessons in the arts of self-defense and unarmed combat. The situation is similar in other places. One karate instructor from Korea said: "There were few Karate men in Korea before the communist war, but after the war the art grew side by side with the wave of hooliganism that swept the country. The more hooliganism there was, the more decent people turned to Karate, not only for defense, but for mental training."
Today one often bears people talk about the need for preparedness. Nations spend a large part of their energies and a major
part of their budgets to develop a tremendous military force. Due to their preparations for war and the frequent talk of violence, The Nation magazine recently said that "it is hardly surprising that a great many people might come to accept the notion that 'violence' has its uses."
Questions That Arise
The questions therefore arise: Does violence have its uses in the personal lives of Christians and others? Should individuals copy the nations and arm themselves in advance? Should they learn jude, alikido or karate in order to defend themselves from attack?
Many say they should, that it will give them a sense of security and will discourage attackers. In this connection, Black Belt, a popular self-defense magazine, carried an article in January 1963 entitled "Serenity, Through Violence." In it the idea was expressed that serenity could be attained by training for violence. "If you acquire all these techniques [of karate]," one karate instructor said, "you have so renity knowing you are safe from any emergency."
On the other hand, many persons point to the danger of carrying around lethal weapons. If weapons are available they are often used, and serious injury and death frequently occur. So, is it wise to train the hands and body to become lethal weapons, capable of dealing a deadly blow in an instant? This is at present a heatedly contested question. Therefore, it would be well to become better acquainted with the Japanese martial arts, from which modern forms of unarmed combat are derived. This will help us to make a proper decision as to what course to take.
Judo from Jujitsu
Almost everyone today has heard something about the proficiency of the Japanese in the use of judo. During the second world war thousands of Westerners learned what an effective weapon it could be. Apparently this is what led General Douglas MacArthur to impose a ban on its practice immediately after the surrender and occupation of Japan. However, the ban was soon lifted, and judo flourished and began to spread to other countries. Today there are some 1,200 judo clubs in the United States, 1,221 in France, 696 in Germany and 500 in Britain, with many hundreds of thousands of participants world wide.
Judo is a relatively recent art that was adapted toward the end of the nineteenth century from jujitsu. For centuries Japanese warriors had used jujitsu, but with the advent of firearms jujitsu began to lose its popularity. Its extreme danger discouraged interest in it. Sakujiro Yokoyama, one of the best jujitsu men at the turn of the century, explained:
"Contests were extremely rough and not infrequently cost the participants their lives. Thus, whenever I sallied forth to take part in one of these affairs I invariably bade farewell to my parents, since I had no assurance that I should ever return alive. . . . Since then the more dangerous tricks have been eliminated from these encounters to avoid serious consequences, and this circumstance, I think, accounts for the growing popularity of the art."—The Fighting Spirit of Japan, by E. J. Harrison.
It was Jigoro Kano who eliminated the more harmful techniques and modified others so that they could be practiced with greater safety. After a careful study of the techniques of various jujitsu schools existing in his day, he developed a form of jujitsu called judo. His founding of the now world-famous Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo in 1882 is generally regarded as the birth of modern-day judo.
In time judo developed into a popular sport. As a participant masters the various techniques, he is elevated up a series of ranks—from the lower white belt and the green belt, eventually up to the brown and the black belt. From there the experts progress to higher degrees of black belt.
Origin of Jufitsu
Jujitsu, on the other hand, dates back thousands of years. Some believe that it had its origins in China. Even though this may be true, it nevertheless seems certain that the art was perfected in Japan, particularly since the twelfth or thirteenth century. In the days prior to the development of firearms, jujitsu was the sole possession of the samurai, the military class of Japan, and skill in its use was kept a carefully guarded secret.
The early samurai were remarkable warriors, often able to exercise superhuman powers. They accomplished supernatural feats by employing a form of Zen meditation, whereby the warrior would center all concentration in his lower abdomen, a practice similar to the yoga of India. This practice was carried over to judo. One outstanding jujitsu master during the early part of this century, Nobuyuki Kunishige, explained: "In learning judo the student should never lose sight of the necessity of developing the shitahara [the lower abdomen] .
. . sitting, standing, walking, or lying down, one should keep one's strength concentrated there."
Through this meditative training one develops what is called aiki, which has been described by judo experts as superpower. Kunlshige explained:
"Aiki can be acquired only by long and patient study, after one has attained the highest degree of proficiency in practical judo feats. . . . The old masters of my school have sayings to the effect that one with full knowledge of aiki can see in the dark, bring walking men to a full stop, or break the sword brandished to slay him, and these words can be accepted as true."
Superpower in Judo
By exercising this power Kunishige himself was able to perform superhuman feats, as a foremost judo expert, E. J. Harrison, reports from personal observation. But others accomplish similar feats. The January 1954 issue of the London Budokai Quarterly Bulletin Judo quotes from a letter written by an American judoist who studied at the Kodokan in Tokyo following the second world war. The American wrote the following concerning Mr. Matsuura, a Japanese judo expert now deceased:
"He demonstrated to me the ability of mental leapathy or something similar, in this manner. Sitting on his knees with his back to me and his hands together, he made his mind blank of all conscious thought. The idea was that I was to remain behind him for as long a time as I desired. Then with all the speed and power I could muster I was to grab him by the throat and pull him over backwards. I sweated it out for maybe two or three minutes without making a move. Then I put all the power and speed I could into the effort. My next step was to get up from my back where I had landed in front of him. His explanation was that the action was not conscious, but rather
sprang from the seat of reflex control. the tunden [lower abdomen]."
While it is true that the development of this superpower is not stressed or even taught in most judo schools, nevertheless, modern judo is more closely linked with the mystic arts of the Japanese samurai than many might think. Understanding and utilizing the ancient occult secrets is the ultimate goal of those who pursue judo. This was emphasized in a recent Black Belt, an official judo, alkido and karate periodical, which said in an editorial:
"A black belt, as a quantity, is nothing; it is the thing itself, the Judo or Karate or Aikido, that counts. . . . In Judo, for instance, the First and Second Degree Black Belts are not parties to the arcane secrets of the ancient Kodokan; all they know is what the Green Belts and Brown Belts know—they just know it better. One of the old Jujitsu masters—Nobuyuki Kunishige of Shinden-Isshinyr—once said that Judo (The Way of Gentleness') was essentially a frame of mind, and that one did not even get into Judo until he reached the higher ranks—Fifth Degree and above. Until then, he said, what people thought of as 'Judo' was really TAI-JUTSU—'body practice.'
But despite the fact that today judo is principally 'body practice,' judo schools are usually connected with the Kodokan in Japan, and instructors often encourage students to pursue judo farther. Then, too, judo periodicals advertise Zen literature, and sometimes even encourage readers to take up Zen meditation. In fact, some experts teach that some form of Zen meditation is necessary in judo. For example, the recent book, The Secrets of Judo, which is recommended by the president of the Kodokan Judo Institute "as a good guide for foreign students," says:
"In judo the mental aspect is the ultimate goal of all effort, both for novices and experts. . . . The secret of judo is serenity of mind. . .
"This serenity of mind is developed in proper judo practice, but the true reservoir of mental composure is built through Zen meditation.
Zen is a relative form of yoga, without the difficult gymnastic feats. Through correct breathing and proper postural discipline, one creates a mental state of reserved energy. Throughout the meditation period, the Zen student concentrates on 'nothingness' and accepts no opposing force of any kind. . . . It should be understood that the development of judo could not allow a separation between that art and the philosophy called Zen. Therefore, if the judoist desires to reach a high level of proficiency in his art, he must learn to put into operation the principle of mind over matter."
What About Aikido?
As judo has gained in popularity, so has he related art of aikido. Many judoists are aking up aikido, women especially finding it suitable to their physical and mental makeup. But despite aikido's increasing popularity, there are still many persons who know little or nothing about it.
What exactly is this alikido? One student of the art said that "it is judo, jujutsu, karate, boxing and all the rest reduced to the absolute quintessence . . . mental strength." Its techniques are somewhat similar to judo in that an attacker's strength is not resisted, but is redirected to bring about his own downfall. Its main objective, however, is to employ ki (superpower), which is said to be developed through concentrating "on the one-point below the navel." According to alikido master Koichi Tohei, "the name Alikido means the way of coordinating with Ki."
Once this so-called.ki has been developed, it can be directed against an opponent. Tohei explains how this is done:
"Because [a person] believes and acts as he believes, strength comes to him from his mind and he becomes stronger. Because the strength of the mind is directed in the same direction that the hand is pointing, there is coordination of mind and body. When the mind and body are coordinated, Ki manifests itself." "Learn to flow your 'k' or mind by concentrating on the One-Point [lower abdomen] and stretch your arm out
... Pretend the water or power is nowing out from the one point through your arm and finger."
Those that tap ki power, getting it to flow out from their fingers, do remarkable things. One eyewitness describes:
"I have seen Tohei repeatedly disarm Frank Goody, judoist, ex-Marine hand-to-hand instructor, and crack shot Denver policeman, from 18 feet. Goody claims he tried several hundred times over a period of a few weeks to get Tohei, and admits he could rarely even get a shot off before Tohei painlessly pinned him with his own pistol. . . . A knife held against Tohei's throat will be across the assailant's throat before he can scream 'alki!' 'Of course,' sald Tohei, it is unnecessary really to demonstrate this as no one with a knife could ever get this close to an alki adept.'"—Zen Combat, by Jay Gluck.
According to Tohei:
"In many sports and arts, the champion must eventually give way to his younger student or opponent. But in Aikido, as long as one continues to train his KG," his students will never surpass him. The founder of Aikido, Master Morlhel Yuehshiba, is over eighty years old, but as yet, no one can face him. He is capable of throwing twenty strong men simultaneously. He has become stronger and stronger as he grows older.
"Many of us attempt to explain 'Kl' by mathematical formula, or attempt to analyze the concept of Alkido. This is difficult. One must accept 'Kl' as an addition to your five senses. A sense that has been lost through evolution."
Origin of Karate
The other Japanese martial art that is rapidly increasing in popularity is karate. Although there are some disagreements as to its origin, the consensus is that it originated in China, and that the Buddhist monk Daruma (Bodhidharma) was influential in its founding around the early part of the sixth century. Daruma is also associated with the origins of Zen, and it is said that the system of combat with which his name is closely linked "was, in essence, an application of the mental concentration of Zen meditation and yoga to a scientific study of fisticuffs."
The art of karate, however, was perfected centuries later on the Japanese island of Okinawa. It is said that a few hundred years ago, because of a ban on all weapons, the Okinawans rapidly developed a form of hand-to-hand fighting, techniques of which had been introduced from China. Like jujitsu, skills in the use of this art were kept secret, and it was not until 1917 that the karate master Funakoshi Gichin introduced this vicious form of combat to Japan proper. Karate was so effective that Funakoshi was even able to defeat the jujitsu masters. After this, karate grew in popularity, and in recent years has spread throughout the world.
Mental Concentration
In karate a form of mental concentration focuses all effort into a blow, which is often powerful enough to break thick boards and large stones. "Karate is the essence of violence—personal combat carried to an ultimate point," Look magazine observed. In many places there is talk about suppressing it. In Japan "law forbids the technique except as a supervised sport," it was recently reported.
Although many persons deny that there is anything occult in the tremendous power exerted, one of the greatest karate masters, Masutatsu Oyama, said: "It is not an exaggeration to say that there is some mysterious mental power involved in doing it." This raises the question as to whether there is also in karate the tapping of some superhuman power.
An investigation of karate training methods indicates that sometimes there may be. The same type of Zen or yoga meditation through which the ancient samurai and the present-day aikido masters have accomplished superhuman feats is also employed in karate. "All my attention, all my training, all my thinking is centered on my
abdomen," Oyama said. "The philosophy of Karate may thus be said to be related directly to Daruma, and to Zen itself," he explained. "It is no exaggeration to say that every master of Karate seeks for spiritual enlightenment and mental cultivation by Zen."
Even in Western schools the need for this concentration is emphasized. Bruce Tegner, well known in the martial arts field, wrote in the introduction to his book:
"For those who wish to master Karate the sections on Ki-ya and Yogi breathing and the section on hand-conditioning are vital." "Normally, Yogi breathing is used for training in mental concentration, to the end that the mind can take over the body. . . For Karate training, Yogi breath control is to be used in connection with Ki-YA (super-power)."
A recent, well-publicized book by a karate master in the eastern United States emphasizes karate's close connections with yoga or Zen. He wrote:
"Everything done in karate—every movement, every feeling—can be traced to some principle of Zen. A student overlooking this fact misses the lifeblood of karate. . . . Karate uses the principles of Zen to help perfect the self-defense movements and mind-body coordination involved in this art. The principles of Zen, beautiful in themselves, are used in karate with one idea in mind: making the body into an efficient, well-coordinated unit."—The Way of Karate, by G. E. Mattson.
A New York City karate instructor, although having the attitude of many Westerners who disclaim any connection with Zen, nevertheless stresses the importance of meditation. He said:
"All the martial arts Dojos [Schools] have their practice of meditation. . . It takes a few years in the Dojo before a good student develops the ability to completely clear his mind of all thoughts at will. It is difficult in the beginning to think of nothing. Some of the students start by concentrating on a mental picture that is very easy to imagine. They pick a bulb, since it is the easiest image. One concentrates on remem bering what a lighted bulb looks like with one's eyes closed.
. . . One eventually contacts one's complete self through meditation techniques. It eventually leads one to the ability to completely clear the mind and relax the body instantly."—The Karate Dojo, by P. Urban.
Although many persons may not see in such meditation exercises any connections
with yoga or Zen, an investigation will show its close association. Please see Awakel of March 22, 1963, on the subject "Is Yoga Something for Christians?", and
Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be gentle toward all, . . . keeping himself restrained under evil." Now stop and consider: Is one who has trained for violence likely to be gentle and restrained when confronted by evil men? Instead, is he not likely to retaliate when provoked or attacked? Look at the nations. When they
COMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE
Should Christians Use God's Name?
Understanding Mental Illness.
the Awake! article "Zen" in the August 22, 1961, issue.
Volcanoes—Friends or Foes?
For Christians?
Tracing That Fault in Your Car.
With the increase of violence, Christians have had to decide what they should do. Should they carry weapons in anticipation of attack? Should they learn the arts of self-defense to protect themselves and their property? Is this the Christian way, the example that Jesus set?
In the first century Jesus was attacked on several occasions. Once "they led him to the brow of the mountain upon which their city had been built, in order to throw him down headlong." Yet Jesus did not retaliate with a vicious karate blow, nor did he flip his opponents on their backs judo style. Instead, "he went through the midst of them and continued on his way." On two other occasions when attackers tried to get him he either "hid" or "get out of their reach." Yes, Jesus fled when confronted by violent men.—Luke 4:29, 30; John 8:59; 10:39.
Jesus and his disciples did not spend their time training to fight those that might attack them. They lived in harmony with the Bible counsel: "A slave of the
busily prepare for war, do they not end up using their weapons in brutal warfare? Yes, training for violence generally leads to violence! —2 Tim. 2:24.
Christians take to heart Jesus' counsel: "Those who take the sword will perish by the sword." They try to live as did the early Christian apostle Paul, who said: "We do not wage warfare according to what we are in the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshy." It is true that this position is not appreciated by worldlings who believe that one must fight fire with fire. Nevertheless, the refusal of Christians to arm themselves in anticipation of attack by learning methods of injuring others is in keeping with Scriptural principles. It is the wise course to take. —Matt. 26:52; 2 Cor. 10:3, 4.
A closer examination of judo, alikido and karate gives Christians other strong reasons for not pursuing training in these martial arts. One in particular is their close connection with elements of false religion. Christians recognize that the so-called "aiki" or "ki" is nothing other than the power of the invisible demons. Regardless of whether this power is frequently manifest in these arts or not, Christians desire to keep as far away as possible from anything with which demonism is linked. Therefore, true Christians should want to keep away from judo, alikido and karate.
Chile's Happy Vendimia
By "Awake!" correspondent In Chile
"VAMOS a la vendimia/ Vamos a la vendimia" Joyfully Chileans call in this manner to one another at the annual grape harvest in late March and early April. They are saying, "Let us go to the vendimia." The vendimia is a special kind of harvest. It is much more than groups of migratory workers moving from one vineyard to another in order to earn a living. Instead, relatives and friends of the vineyard owner come from the cities to work and talk as well as eat and talk. But the workers are not entirely these folks. Most of them are neighbors who come to help with the harvest and to enjoy one another's fellowship. In this manner they harvest one another's vineyards.
For many the vendimia has a special attraction—quantities of chicha. This is what Chileans call the first juice from the winepress. When mixed with harina tostada, a fragrant but coarse flour made from wheat that has been toasted over a charcoal fire, it is an especially delicious and filling drink. The mixture is stirred together in a tall glass and is drunk with gusto. Chicha to a Chilean is like fresh cider to a person who lives in a cider-making locality. Chicha comes only once a year, fresh from the winepress.
Everyone working in the harvest is not only paid by the owner but also fed by him. At dawn a good breakfast is enjoyed before the day's work begins. A hot broth is served with chunks of pan amasado, a heavy round loaf of whole wheat bread that has been baked in an outdoor adobe oven. Yerba mate is certain to be served, as many Chileans feel that they cannot begin their day without
it. This is a' stimulating, hot green tea that is sucked into the mouth through a metal tube called a bombilla.
When the harvest ends in each vineyard, there is a special meal to celebrate it. A pig, sheep or ox is killed. Chunks of meat are rubbed with herbs and garlic before being strung on a pole to be roasted over glowing coals. Eaten with the fingers or between hunks of bread, the meat is very tasty. Asado a palo it is called. Following the meal, there is dancing and merrymaking late into the night. The real end of the vendimia, however, comes in the fermenting of the grapes to make wine.
In the fertile central valley of Chile, the high point of the vendimia among the huge vineyards is the two-day grape festival. A different city is chosen for it each year. The vineyards are represented at the festival by floats that depict different phases of the vendimia. This is the time when men appear on horseback in their colorful huaso outfits. Each waist-length mania has a different combination of bright stripes to give color to the festive occasion.
In booths formed from leafy branches, there is chicha and wine to drink while eating empanadas, an individual meat pie. There also is steaming hot humitas, a surprise package of grated corn and herbs wrapped in corn husks and boiled.
Since about 8 percent of the Chilean population depend upon the vineyards and the wine industry for their living, the vendimia is understandably a popular festival. So at harvesttime the joyful cry goes out, "¡Vamos a la vendimia!"
Commended for Good Comportment
One of Jehovah's witnesses who works for a firm that has a chain of stores that sell domestic items throughout Brazil reports that one day the manager came to him and salesmen: "As you know, some time ago we formed various groups of house-to-house salesmen, but on the list of canvassers are many who are dishonest and immoral, thieves, who have caused us much trouble that we would like to avoid. Making an analysis, we noted certain factors, among them religion, and we came to the conclusion that the best group are those who are Jehovah's witnesses." The manager added that he was authorized by the firm to find seven more Witnesses to work as a special group in a special zone.
WHAT could the man say? The answer was all too obvious:
The birds knew it first! Let us have the question again as it was put originally to that Bible character Job. "Is it owing to your understanding that the falcon soars up, that it spreads its wings to the south
wind?" (Job 39:26) How to soar and glide on the capricious wings of the wind without power is something the fox does.
falcon and its kind knew first. If man, looking aloft at such demonstration of gliding skill, has not always learned the lesson being taught to Job, namely, that of his insignificance in relation to his grand Creator, he has at least learned how to soar.
Wilbur and Orville Wright, whom men salute with the inscription "They Taught Us How to Fly," made hundreds of flights in gliders in the strong steady breezes off the Kill Devil sand dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.A. The fact is that men eventually learned how to fly through the medium of gliders, and they slowly developed their sailplanes to a soaring success by watching the birds.
Gliding birds such as the gulls, storks, vultures and eagles usually have large sail areas, the largest in the class being the albatrosses and condors. Although we frequently refer to the skylark and the hummingbird as soaring in the sky, they do not really fall into the soaring-bird category, as they maintain their position in the air by wing movement. Soaring birds know how to enjoy sustained flight for a considerable time without power from flapping wings, and thus by seeking to emulate them, men have to a limited extent harnessed yet another of the wonders of creation around us, the immense power of air currents.
By "Awake!" correspondent in Zambia
It is a French sailor of the 1870's who is credited with the first significant steps to successful gliding, and he modeled his craft after a bird
that he knew as an expert in the art, the albatross. Captain Le Bris, however, could only imitate the bird's form, being guided more by instinct than by scientific skill. About this time, a German, Otto Lilienthal, was also studying the birds, enabling him to build his first man-carrying glider in 1891. His acclaimed contribution to the science of aeronautics is that he improved the behavior of wing lift by his understanding of the superiority of a cambered or curved surface wing over a flat one as a lifting surface, making flight feasible. In 1896, gliding flights began to be made in the United States, where scientists were studying turkey buzzards through large telephoto stereoscopic cameras, and a paper was written in 1898 entitled "On Soaring Flight," in which it was explained how birds achieved thermal soaring on rising drafts of warm air. From that point it took man thirty years before he duplicated this process. There can be no doubt about it, the birds knew it first, and, as efficient gliders or sailplanes, the modern aerodynamicist still cannot explain how they achieve their performance.
Soaring birds have the same problem as any glider pilot, and that is to find a way of maintaining an object heavier than air aloft in the atmosphere, and this without the help of flapping wings or whirling propellers or jet propulsion. The birds had the answer first. The solution lay in finding a region where air is rising at the same rate or faster than the loss of height of the heavier-than-air bird or sailplane. This may be illustrated with a person walking down the steps of an escalator that is going up faster than he is coming down. He is sure to arrive at the top!
Choose your elevator
There are three main kinds of aerial fountains or air-current elevators used by birds and now also by men. A fourth is still only within the maneuverability of the birds. The first has been named orographic lift, which arises when a surface wind meets a line of hills across its path. To take advantage of this up-current of air the glider pilot imitates exactly the gull flying off the cliffs in an on-shore breeze. He tacks to and fro over the crest of the hill or cliff below and may thus remain airborne for long periods of time supported by the continuing updraft of air. By this means sailplane pilots have set up duration flight records of more than fifty hours aloft.
A more complicated rising-air current is known as thermal lift. The thermals occur over places where the ground has been unevenly heated by the sun. This difference in the temperature of the various stretches of ground is repeated in the temperature of the air above them. Thus convection currents arise, just as a balloon filled with hot air will rise due to hot air being lighter than cold air. As the thermal current swirls and ascends, the air in it
cools and eventually reaches a temperature at which it can no longer hold its water content as a gas. At this level a cumulus cloud forms, and under suitable atmospheric conditions cumulus clouds, by the release of latent heat, grow into gigantic storm clouds named cumulus-nimbus. Such clouds can grow higher than 30,000 feet, producing rain, hail, lightning and racing up-currents of thirty or forty feet per second. These are the experienced sailplane pilot's dream. In this natural wonder he will maneuver within the rising thermal just as a vulture will do, especially over the warmer lands of Africa. Having gained height by circling up and around in the thermal, the vulture will, at his limit of vision of the ground prey below, straighten out and head in the direction he wishes, but now gradually losing height. His problem is to find another thermal on the way in order to gain altitude once more and thus keep aloft for hours on end without even flapping a wing. Following this same pattern, the glider pilot will soar from thermal to thermal, and as he rises in one and then heads off in his plotted course he will carefully seek out in his line of flight any indications of a warm up-current, such as a cumulus cloud base, a ground fire, a dust devil or even a smokestack. In such ups and downs of spiral sailing he may remain in flight for hours and even traverse hundreds of miles across country.
The latest kind of up-current known to glider pilots is called wave lift. This is produced when a torrent of stable air blows down the sheltered side of a mountain range. As the air races down the mountain range it sets up a wave pattern that can imprint itself on the air above it to startling altitudes. It was while studying airflow over the Sierra Nevada mountains in the United States in 1952 that a two-seater sailplane was swept up to the present world altitude record for such craft—44,255 feet.
It is believed that such mountain air waves may reach altitudes of over 60,000 feet.
With dynamic lift soaring birds far outclass their man-made counterparts. Honors in this class must go to the albatross. Nine of the thirteen species of albatross live on the southern oceans, where the winds that blow day after day are known as the 'roaring forties'. These wonder gliders are able to sustain their graceful flight for days on end, and are believed by some to be able to sleep on the wing. They take advantage of the varying air currents between the waves and the sky. Lift is extracted from these winds by the albatross in two ways. One is by gliding on the shifting up-currents created by the winds blowing over the waves producing a variable simple up-wind or orographic lift. The second is by using wind-gradient. He starts by gliding into the wind at the surface of the sea. He then climbs to somewhere between twenty-five and fifty feet above it, turns a half circle to descend downwind until, back near the surface, he again turns into the wind and starts his climb once more. This is, of course, only the theory of dynamic lift soaring, as it is usually varied at any moment by the bird's darting off at a tangent to take advantage of some other air current from an adjacent wave to give him up-wind lift. It is obvious that a man-made machine could never be produced to maneuver in such a way. Nor may he be expected to be able to effect the flap of a wing to enable him to recover from a calculation error, as can the albatross!
Advantages of Man-Birds
In matching his skill with the birds in gliding, man has perhaps gained a thin edge of advantage. He has learned to fly in clouds with the aid of instruments to interpret the behavior of his sailplane. This is known as flying blind. It is believed, and has to some extent been proved, that birds
are unable to fly blind. Pigeons have been blindfolded and released from airplanes and in every case have shown themselves to be helpless, doing spins and spiral dives. In addition to his instrument panel sporting an altimeter to indicate altitude, an airspeed indicator to show how fast he is flying, a variometer indicating rate of climb, and a compass, the modern sailplane pilot will also have a turn and bank indicator as well as an artificial horizon on which is registered a model of what is actually happening to his craft in space. In this man does what the bird never does and flies where the bird is not known to fly—in a cloud without a visual horizon.
Just remaining airborne, or duration gliding, is no longer the modern sailplane pilot's goal. Soaring has come a long way since the Wright brothers glided for 9 minutes 45 seconds in 1911 to establish a world record that remained unbroken until a duration flight by a German over the Rhine Valley in 1921 lasted thirteen minutes. Great advances have been made in design to bring today's sailplanes to almost the aerodynamic perfection enjoyed by the birds. Now the sailplane pilot looks for speed from his 'bird' as he learns of 500-kilometer triangle courses being traversed by sailplanes at over sixty-six miles per hour to mark the latest world record.
This matter of design brings us back to the birds. The vulture finds his food by keeping on the wing for as long as possible every day, scanning the ground below for his prey. His ability to soar around effortlessly in up-currents of air is therefore the solution to his problem of existence. He lives in lands where the climate is relatively windless, so he must have a low-speed takeoff and a wing of low aspect ratio, that is, a short wingspan in relation to the width of the wing. The vulture's aspect ratio is calculated by the sailplane designer as 5.7. An albatross lives on the oceans, where fairly strong winds blow constantly.
Thus he finds his long thin wings with a high aspect ratio (calculated at 18) ideal for fast flying over long distances. The sailplane pilot now seeks for long thin wingspan (sometimes sixty feet or more) with high aspect ratio in his attempt to copy the long-distance, fast-flying albatross.
Getting Airborne
A few steps, a short run, a flapping of the wings, a final hop and a lurch forward and the largest of soaring birds is on the wing. For those birds living on the oceans it may require a greater paddling effort over longer distances and more wing flapping, but soon they too glide off into the wind currents and are carried skyward. But alas! How does their man-made counterpart achieve his ascension without such built-in power factors? Indeed, not only does he require to rise a few feet above the ground, but before he may hope to cruise around birdlike, he must attain to an initial height of between 1,000 and 2,000 feet.
To this problem the answer immediately lies in finding an elevation or hill from where the gain of a few hundred feet can be obtained while still on terra firma and also from where orographic or hill lift may be readily enjoyed. The launch method used in these circumstances is referred to as a "hunjie-launch" or "shock-cord" method, and is carried out by passing a rubber rope through a nose ring on the glider and with three or four stalwarts on each end of the rope making off downhill in a V-formation ahead of the stationary 'bird.' The glider is held straining on the stretching rope by another member of the launching team as he lies on his stomach holding the tail end awaiting the prearranged signal for release. Whoo-oosh! He is off, and immediately the pilot turns his machiné to
fly along the ridge, tacking to and fro on the current of hill lift like a gull on the wing.
For takeoff from a flat site the winch method is often used. This consists generally of a steel drum with some 3,000 feet of stranded wire rope attached to a motorized axle. The wire is pulled out downwind to be attached to the waiting glider, and for takeoff is wound onto the drum at a selected speed of approximately thirty-five to forty-five miles per hour. The glider climbs steeply on the end of the wire and the pilot operates his release when overhead of the winch. With a 3,000-foot cable, a gain of 1,000 feet in height may be obtained in a light wind.
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