from "Zenki: Complete Activity"
by Dogen zenji
translated by
Yasuda Joshu Dainen and Anzan Hoshin

By George Herbert

I made a posie while the day ran by:
Here will I smell my remnant out and tie
My life within this band.
But time did becon to the flowers, and they
By noon most cunningly did steal away,
And wither'd in my hand.

My hand was next to them, and then my heart:
I took, without more thinking, in good part
Time's gentle admonition:
Who did so sweetly deaths sad taste convey,
Making my mind to smell my fatal day;
Yet surging the suspicion.

Farewell dear flowers, sweetly your time ye spent,
Fit while ye liv'd, for smell or ornament,
And after death for cures.
I follow straight without complaints or grief,
Since if my sent be good, I care not if
It be as short as yours.

KANJI: SEI SHOU i (life, birth, grow)

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Character Etymology:

From a pictograph of a growing plant, symbolizing vitality.

A Listing of All On-Yomi and Kun-Yomi Readings:

on-yomi: SEI SHOU
kun-yomi: i(kiru) i(kasu) i(keru) u(mareru) u(mare) umare u(mu) o(u) ha(eru) ha(yasu) ki nama nama- na(ru) na(su) mu(su) -u

Nanori Readings:

Nanori: asa iki iku ike ubu umai e oi gyuu kurumi gose sa jou sugi so sou chiru naba niu nyuu fu mi mou yoi ryuu

English Definitions:

1. SHOU, SEI: birth, life, existance, living; subsistence; student.
2. ha(eru): grow; spring up; cut (teeth).
3. ha(yasu): grow, cultivate, wear (a beard).
4. i(kasu): revive, resuscitate; restore to life; let live; spare a life; make the most of; give life to.
5. i(keru): keep alive; arrange flowers (in a vase); living.
6. i(kiru): live, subsist, exist; be safe (on first, as in baseball).
7. na(rasu): cause to bear (fruit).
8. na(ru): grow (on a plant), bear (fruit).
9. na(su): bear (a child).
10. o(u): grow.
11. shou(jiru), shou(zuru): produce, yield, create, give rise to, bear, breed; happen, result from.
12. u(mareru): be born.
13. u(mu): bear, give birth to, spawn, breed; produce, yield.
14. nama: raw, uncooked, fresh; unripe; rare; hard cash; conceited; inexperienced; (beer) on tap; crude (rubber), unprocessed.
15. i(ki): living; freshness; setting.
16. u(mare): birth, origin, lineage; birthplace.
17. u(mi): childbirth.
18. -fu: grassy place; woods.
19. ki-: pure, undiluted, genuine; raw, crude.

Character Index Numbers:

New Nelson: 3715
Henshall: 42

Unicode Encoded Version:

生

Unicode Encoded Compound Examples:

先生 (sensei): teacher, doctor; master; elder; honorific suffix.
学生 (gakusei): student.
生き方 (i(ki)kata): way of life, how to live.
生生 (seisei): lively, vivdly.
生化学 (seikagaku): biochemistry.

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life n.

1. A cellular-automata game invented by John Horton Conway and first introduced publicly by Martin Gardner ("Scientific American", October 1970); the game's popularity had to wait a few years for computers on which it could reasonably be played, as it's no fun to simulate the cells by hand. Many hackers pass through a stage of fascination with it, and hackers at various places contributed heavily to the mathematical analysis of this game (most notably Bill Gosper at MIT, who even implemented life in TECO!; see Gosperism). When a hacker mentions `life', he is much more likely to mean this game than the magazine, the breakfast cereal, or the human state of existence. 2. The opposite of Usenet. As in "Get a life!"

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

A CRUST of bread and a corner to sleep in,
A minute to smile and an hour to weep in,
A pint of joy to a peck of trouble,
And never a laugh but the moans come double;
And that is life!

A crust and a corner that love makes precious,
With the smile to warm and the tears to refresh us;
And joy seems sweeter when cares come after,
And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter;
And that is life!

-from Lyrics of Lowly Life, Paul Laurence Dunbar (1896)

The added sugar is the chief draw of the cereal for kids; the taste is nothing to write home about otherwise.

Like most cereals, Life is an excellent source of Iron. (However, if you're eating cereal for the Iron content, drink some orange juice with it. Grains have non-heme iron, which isn't as easily absorbed as heme iron, but which is better absorbed when taken with vitamin C.) Life is also a good source (ie, more than 10% of daily recommended intake per serving) of Calcium, which is an unusual claim for a cereal to make. (And maybe worth ignoring the 21% sugar by weight for..)

There is also a sister cereal called "Cinnamon Life", identical but for the addition of cinnamon.

Cletus the Foetus ♥'s puddles

Today, on my way to school, I was stopped at a corner, waiting for my light to change. The night had been cold, and yesterday's rain had frozen, but now that the sun was out everything was melting.

At my feet, a puddle was growing, fed by runoff coming from the Esso parking lot which lies only a couple of meters away, slightly up a hill.

I thought to myself, "If that puddle gets big enough, surface tension and the irregularity of the pavement are going to split it into two baby puddles. That's like asexual reproduction. And it's feeding from that runoff. So is the puddle alive?"

This, of course, led to hours of fascinating debate in the catbox, but there were too many issues that we were unable to resolve. So I went off in search of a textbook definition of life (as a biological process) by which I could determine whether a puddle is alive. After some searching around on the internet, I discovered that there isn't a whole lot of consistency in the definition of "life." So I've culled what I could.

–1:–
A Life Form is an organic whole.

The first thing to keep in mind is that a living being is organic. This philosophical term means that the entity in question is, as a whole, more than simply the sum of its parts. Modern computer science and artificial intelligence research use a similar concept: emergent phenomena. Life is a Gestalt, a holistic or synergistic or transcendental phenomenon. Organicism is a category of life.

–2:–
A Life Form can reproduce.

A living being can generate another, like being (another organic whole). Known life forms have various ways of doing this, including budding or other forms of asexual reproduction, as well as sexual reproduction (which includes endogamy as well as exogamy). In effect, if an organic whole can so much as split into two new wholes which have the same definitive nature as the parent, the entity has reproduced.

–3:–
A Life Form has metabolism.

Some scientists emphasize the conversion of energy from one form to another. Considered loosely, however, metabolism means the incorporation of outside matter into the form's mass. This may be a prelude to reproduction, adaptation, movement, or simply maintenance.

–4:–
A Life Form responds.

A living being can respond to its environment in certain ways. This can include locomotion, growth against force, homeostasis, whatever. The point is that the body undergoes some sort of motion as a result of something that happens in the environment but which is more than simply the application of brute force on the thing.

In addition to these fundamental or essential characteristics, most life (as we commonly recognize) exhibit certain tendencies. Most living things have highly complex forms, composed of many chemicals which interact in fairly regular ways. They also tend to regulate their own bodies (homeostasis). Metabolism generally involves the conversion of energy from one form to another (primarily potential to kinetic). According to some, an entity must move under its own power in order to be considered alive (viri cannot). Others emphasize that the energy conversions and transfers which constitute the organism's metabolism must be "purposeful" "behaviour" (words which cannot apply to automatic chemical reactions by any stretch of the imagination). In any event, while any or all of these alternative factors may play a role in a laboratory sample's life, they cannot be considered definitive.*

So, back to my original question: – Is a puddle a life form? Certainly it is an entity or unit – but then again, so is everything (literally every thing). However, is there anything about a puddle that is such that it has a nature that is more than just a given quantity of water? First we must define "puddle." What I was thinking of was a continuous mass of water (or really, any liquid) in a gravitational field, ideally on a flat surface but at least a non-convex surface. Insofar as a puddle, qua puddle, a unit that has a form more abstract than just a mass of water, it behaves according to laws distinct from those governing individual molecules or any amount of water under any other circumstances. So it is, after its own fashion, an organic whole.

What about the definitive characteristics of life? Can a puddle reproduce? Can it metabolize? Can it react to the environment? A puddle's size is determined either by the limits of concavity (ie., it fills a recess) or by the limits of its own surface tension (ie., it's too small to spread). Water that comes in contact with the puddle, such as from runoff, becomes part of the puddle thanks to cohesion. Non-water that comes in contact with the puddle will be "kissed" and surrounded if adhesion permits. If it receives "food" (ie., water), it will grow until it either comes up against one of the former limits, or it exploits the landscape in order to bud (ie., become two puddles).

This behaviour exhibits reproduction (by budding), metabolism of a sort (cohesion, incorporating "raw water" into its form), and response (adhesion). None of the secondary characteristics of life are present, but the essential ones are.

THEREFORE PUDDLES ARE ALIVE**

Sources:
http://www.ibiblio.org/jstrout/uploading/potter_life.html
http://www.geog.ouc.bc.ca/conted/onlinecourses/geog_111/7a.html
http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/finalpresentation/experiments/life.html

* In addition to entities which conform to the basic definition of life (organic, reproducing, metabolizing, responding whole) but which we don't normally consider alive – such as fire or, as I shall show here, puddles – as well as those beings which we're not quite able to classify – such as viri and plasmids – there are entities which we would like to say are alive but which don't conform to certain aspects of the definition. The most confusing violation is the case of mules, who are "alive" but do not reproduce (though their cells do). What the hell is the deal there, anyway?

** Though I refrain from trying to determine whether they have souls.

Noder's Note (later): You know, on sober reflection, I suppose I should qualify my conclusion here. Certainly it was not my intention to give the impression that I think any old physical process or discrete unit of matter constitutes "life." Rather, I wanted to emphasize that life is process, and that similar processes can be seen in the most transient of phenomena – including the very short and tragic lives of rain puddles.

1995 album by The Cardigans

Track listing

The Cardiganss second album, in part a rehash of Emmerdale, as it includes five tracks from that album which was released a year before (1994), but some have been rerecorded (and given a slightly more acid feel).

Life and Emmerdale make up the first part of the band's style up to this moment. Jazzy pop at it's finest, slightly dated and, above all, sweet sound with bitter lyrics and Tore Johansson's production.

As most of The Cardigan's records, the presentation is quite interesting. The booklet and cover portrays the band members characterised. Nina's on the cover as a skater, Peter is a secret agent, Magnus is a boxer, Bengt and athlete and Lasse a submarine captain. This tries to capture the spirit of Life magazine, as Nina Persson says:

The aim of Life was to be a sixties album. We wanted originally to make the booklet like a piece of Life, the magazine. Life is a 60s magazine (I think it still exists) about celebrities, extraordinary people... We wanted to make something like it, so we chose different characters that could have been in Life.

The booklet also includes detailed instructions on opening the case and retrieving the disc (instructions found inside, of course) and a list of the instruments used to make the album including feet, fingers, hands and pernod bottles.

All in all, a polished version of Emmerdale, losing some of its original innocency but gaining some quality. After this one, the band would go on to First Band on the Moon, less of a happening and more of a rock ditty, so this is the album to get to taste the original The Cardigan's sound (though the later albums are interesting in their own ways).

Sources:
http://thecardigans.olleprojects.net
http://www.cardigans.net

This is my favourite (spot the Brit) quote about life, unparalleled only by Matthew Arnold's poem:

'Weary of myself, and sick of asking

What I am, and what I ought to be,

At this vessel's prow I stand, which bears me

Forwards, forwards, o'er the starlit sea.'

I find it incredible that Matthew Arnold is so accessible, despite being a Victoriana.

Anyway here is Alfred De Souza:

'For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But here was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that this was my life.'

Some might find this depressing, but I think it's beautiful; I defy anyway who has struggled at some point in their life not to find beauty and resonance in it.

Life is just one of those must-play experiences, with an unheard of addiction rate of 99.95% of anyone who's ever played it. However, merely because it is addicting does not make it good. Therefore, I present to you an in-depth review of Life.

Let's start from the very beginning: Life is played on 6 continents, five of which are spawning grounds for characters. These continents are vast -- approximately 100,000 - 150,000 times bigger than those in the second largest MMORPG, World of Warcraft. In order to play Life, however, one must be invited. This is not a game where the purchase guarantees entry to the game world itself; instead, two characters must decide that they will allow a third in, and complete an in-game ritual verifying this fact. But the nitty-gritty of character generation is a complete surprise to even the most hardened MMO veteran: it's completely and totally random. When you're invited to the game world, you have no say over your opening race, your stats such as strength, intelligence, soul, and ethics, faction, or starting location. Instead, these are determined by your invitees, just as when you invite someone in, your stats assist in the creation of their stats.

Life comes with an extensive tutorial period taking approximately 14 to 25 years to complete. This is simply massive in terms of a learning curve for any MMO. However, the characters who invited you in are also responsible for teaching you the basics of the game; their performance in tutorial delivery can be exceptional or non-existent, or they could just hand you off to someone else if they feel they can't do the job. Although the tutorial is widely considered to be the most difficult part of the game, the rest of the game is by all means worth it.

The graphics in Life are nothing short of stellar, complete with seamless anti-aliasing, bump mapping across millions of textures, and the detail is simply astounding. Best played at a resolution of 8192 x 6144 (termed 20/20 in game), even the very threads in a character's clothing are rendered with extreme accuracy. However, there is a catch. The way you handle your character and the events that happen to him or her can affect the graphics in game as well. The resolution in game can drop as low as 80 x 60, rendering you, the player unable to see virtually any detail in the game world at all; the visual component may even permanently turn off if enough damage is sustained to the eyes.

In the same fashion, the audio component is also easily adjustable. By experiencing high volumes, the in game volume will decrease, and inversely, low volumes will cause it to increase. As your character levels up, past audio experiences will affect the quality of future audio experiences, and if the audio is traumatic enough, the game may set the volume to 0, and since these options can't be reached by the player, there's nothing you can do.

Life is the first MMO to offer its own physics system, although this physics system does cover everything down to heat transfer at the atomic level (quite a departure from the inaccurate system of Half-Life 2), there is always an unaccountable error of about 3%. However, this physics system was worked out and formulated by players with in-game tools.

When Life was first released, the developers had guided the players through the game, supplying player tutorials, and creating the plot. However, over the beta of Life and all through the development cycle, the offerings of plot and events had gradually fell away, eventually leaving only the players interacting with the engine.

Because the entire world is now player driven, with players setting objectives and paying the respective rewards to each other upon completion of the goals (for example, receiving a set amount of one of many currencies depending on the player's region every month for working for another player). This results in a near-combatless environment, as most players are too preoccupied with inter-player interaction to grind the wildlife for levels.

In addition, since the developers are no longer supplying new content to Life, the new content is player driven. Some players can elect to be musicians, for example, and there are player controlled and created mechanisms in game to distribute and play music.

Life is not without its negatives, though. Oftentimes the player created campaign seems long and unnecessary, and once a player logs out, they can never log back in again. In addition, once a character dies, after three minutes the character can no longer be revived. Ever.

Life is a good game that makes itself available for people of all sorts and skill levels, crossing all sorts of genres. Life is a must play game.

Life (?), n.; pl. Lives (#). [AS. lyf; akin to D. lijf body, G. leib body, MHG. lyp life, body, OHG. lyb life, Icel. lyf, life, body, Sw. lif, Dan. liv, and E. live, v. . See Live, and cf. Alive.]

1.

The state of being which begins with generation, birth, or germination, and ends with death; also, the time during which this state continues; that state of an animal or plant in which all or any of its organs are capable of performing all or any of their functions; -- used of all animal and vegetable organisms.

2.

Of human being: The union of the soul and body; also, the duration of their union; sometimes, the deathless quality or existence of the soul; as, man is a creature having an immortal life.

She shows a body rather than a life. Shak.

3. Philos

The potential principle, or force, by which the organs of animals and plants are started and continued in the performance of their several and cooperative functions; the vital force, whether regarded as physical or spiritual.

4.

Figuratively: The potential or animating principle, also, the period of duration, of anything that is conceived of as resembling a natural organism in structure or functions; as, the life of a state, a machine, or a book; authority is the life of government.

5.

A certain way or manner of living with respect to conditions, circumstances, character, conduct, occupation, etc.; hence, human affairs; also, lives, considered collectively, as a distinct class or type; as, low life; a good or evil life; the life of Indians, or of miners.

That which before us lies in daily life. Milton.

By experience of life abroad in the world. Ascham.

Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime. Longfellow.

'T is from high life high characters are drawn. Pope

6.

Animation; spirit; vivacity; vigor; energy.

No notion of life and fire in fancy and in words. Felton.

That gives thy gestures grace and life. Wordsworth.

7.

That which imparts or excites spirit or vigor; that upon which enjoyment or success depends; as, he was the life of the company, or of the enterprise.

8.

The living or actual form, person, thing, or state; as, a picture or a description from, the life.

9.

A person; a living being, usually a human being; as, many lives were sacrificed.

10.

The system of animal nature; animals in general, or considered collectively.

Full nature swarms with life. Thomson.

11.

An essential constituent of life, esp: the blood.

The words that I speak unto you . . . they are life. John vi. 63.

The warm life came issuing through the wound. Pope

12.

A history of the acts and events of a life; a biography; as, Johnson wrote the life of Milton.

13.

Enjoyment in the right use of the powers; especially, a spiritual existence; happiness in the favor of God; heavenly felicity.

14.

Something dear to one as one's existence; a darling; -- used as a term of endearment.

Life forms the first part of many compounds, for the most part of obvious meaning; as, life-giving, life-sustaining, etc.

Life annuity, an annuity payable during one's life. -- Life arrow, Life rocket, Life shot, an arrow, rocket, or shot, for carrying an attached line to a vessel in distress in order to save life. -- Life assurance. See Life insurance, below. -- Life buoy. See Buoy. -- Life car, a water-tight boat or box, traveling on a line from a wrecked vessel to the shore. In it person are hauled through the waves and surf. -- Life drop, a drop of vital blood. Byron. -- Life estate Law, an estate which is held during the term of some certain person's life, but does not pass by inheritance. -- Life everlasting Bot., a plant with white or yellow persistent scales about the heads of the flowers, as Antennaria, and Gnaphalium; cudweed. -- Life of an execution Law, the period when an execution is in force, or before it expires. -- Life guard. Mil. See under Guard. -- Life insurance, the act or system of insuring against death; a contract by which the insurer undertakes, in consideration of the payment of a premium (usually at stated periods), to pay a stipulated sum in the event of the death of the insured or of a third person in whose life the insured has an interest. -- Life interest, an estate or interest which lasts during one's life, or the life of another person, but does not pass by inheritance. -- Life land Law, land held by lease for the term of a life or lives. -- Life line. (a) Naut. A line along any part of a vessel for the security of sailors. (b) A line attached to a life boat, or to any life saving apparatus, to be grasped by a person in the water. -- Life rate, rate of premium for insuring a life. -- Life rent, the rent of a life estate; rent or property to which one is entitled during one's life. -- Life school, a school for artists in which they model, paint, or draw from living models. -- Lifetable, a table showing the probability of life at different ages. -- To lose one's life, to die. -- To seek the life of, to seek to kill. -- To the life, so as closely to resemble the living person or the subject; as, the portrait was drawn to the life.

© Webster 1913.