giving thanks for the view we have because we stand on the shoulders of our
forebears is always a great way to start the day.

best,
bill
felton, ca

On Tue, Oct 7, 2014 at 5:01 AM, Michael Blair  wrote:

> we have a lot of new world poets who still work with the
>> spirits, and i've found blacksmiths to be more apt than woodworkers to
>> have
>> similar respect.
>>
>
> In Viet-Nam, the first order of the day, before any work starts, is for the
> master of the shop to tend the altar to Lao Ban, the patron of carpenters
> and shipwrights.  Each carpenter is supposed to maintain such an altar at
> home as well.  Lao Ban has two feast days annually, and these are observed
> at the shop, with no work supposed to be done.  I believe the same would be
> true of Chinese shops, since Lao Ban comes from Chinese mythology.
>
> It's more of a reverence for ancestors, very Confucian.  Any Viet-Namese
> carpenter will explain that "without the master, there would be no trade."
> Therefore, it is right to recognize the source of one's trade.  So it's a
> matter of making sure one starts each work day in the "right mind."
>
> Not a bad idea, I think.
>
>
> Mike in Sacto
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