Are you a Taoists ???

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Cheers Averick it could almost be specially for me.

Coincidences do seem that way, don't they?

I think its worth adding that the tradition of Taoist poetry and writing evolved to often include a very visual element, using calligraphic artistry and brushwork on scrolls to accompany and supplement the words meanings. The traditional Taoist writer is described as: “The persona of a poet-sage who devotes himself to study of the ancients, lives quietly and modestly, and creates art primarily for himself and his friends…” There are all kinds of terms for different styles of brushwork, such as “flying white” where the paper can be seen through the brushwork etc... The style of calligraphy is as much a part of the art and meaning and sensory impression delivered as the poem itself.

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For instance, this example I took from my little book of Kodojin’s Taoist poetry.

In Japan snowmen are called snow darumas, after a folk legend of a Bodhidharma’s legs withering and falling off during his nine years of meditation. This poem was painted in the white of snow on red paper, with the sad faced figure surrounded by the haiku’s dancing calligraphy, which also makes a play on the work jakumetsu, which can mean ‘nirvana’ or ‘fading away’:

Snow duaruma
Already extinguished –
What joy!

Nory said

I remember on the film "House of flying daggers" the girl painted someones name and made it look like the word sword.

I love pictograms and symbols, they convey so much more than mere letters. Cave paintings are the root of both literature and art if you trace it back. Symbols are becoming increasingly important in our society, just look at street signs and desktop icons. Maybe were moving into a new age of cyberglyphs.

This chapter makes me unworried about my less than successful life:

20
Stop thinking, and end your problems.
What difference between yes and no?
What difference between success and failure?
Must you value what others value,
avoid what others avoid?
How ridiculous!

Other people are excited,
as though they were at a parade.
I alone don't care,
I alone am expressionless,
like an infant before it can smile.

Other people have what they need;
I alone possess nothing.
I alone drift about,
like someone without a home.
I am like an idiot, my mind is so empty.

Other people are bright;
I alone am dark.
Other people are sharper;
I alone am dull.
Other people have a purpose;
I alone don't know.
I drift like a wave on the ocean,
I blow as aimless as the wind.

I am different from ordinary people.
I drink from the Great Mother's breasts.

Nory wrote:

I thank you, you have given me a crystalized receipe for a life as an artist.

How wonderful Pixel8!! Me too.

Do you do art then?

I’ve been starting to read Rabindranath Tagore’s “Sadhana”, I’m only on page 24 or so but I’ve already come across some beautiful passages on the nature of the Sage in India, something I’ve also really loved reading about and I think can be very similar.

Especially for art, Hinduism is so colorful and alive.

Yes!

But I am sparodic and inconsistent.

I doodled as a child but it was only during my MDMA years that I began to realy explore my artistic abilities. Doing flouresant backdrops, costumes and sculptures for free parties and clubs etc. Years later after the birth of my son I went to art college and on to do the first year of an animation degree. Due to the stresses of being an absent parent and the death of my mother I quit University. Now I just do bits and pieces for the kids and my friends but always felt a failure for not "making it" in the art world. You commented ...

"The persona of a poet-sage who devotes himself to study of the ancients, lives quietly and modestly, and creates art primarily for himself and his friends…”

...this really struck a chord with me and made me realise I don't need to beat myself up about quitting Uni, just doing stuff with the kids and for my friends is OK.

Incedentally I do stuff like my avatar, and also mandala style stuff free-flowing from my subconcious, I'm very influenced by the Surrealists and also Alex Grey who I posted about earlier.

What about you Nory?

PS. I read the introduction of the book you are reading on the web, it sounds really interesting. Especially how living in the forest affected the thoughts of his ancestors.

I like your Avatar!! You did that!!

It seems as though you have already contributed a lot to peoples lives by sharing your art with others, which is really more than a lot of people do. It must have been an amazing experience in life doing visual work for parties and clubs as you did. I hope you kept some pictures of some of the things you did!

I’m very sorry to hear, though, that you had to leave your program under such sad circumstances. It must have been extremely difficult to go through all of that at once. I can only imagine.

I looked at the Alex Grey. It is incredibly detailed and the artist is very well spoken. I liked the part when he said that artists take on the task of manifesting “the sort of unconscious, world dream that is lying beneath the surface…and the artist has a way of making it into icons, expressing the spirit of the times” it reminds me of world mythology and how its changing and yet staying the same and what you said about symbols.

When I was young I had a book of Magritte which I liked. I also just discovered the author of the book I was telling you about (I liked the part about the forest and nature too) is also a visual artist.

I’m kind of on again off again with the artwork myself. Back to the quote in question, I’m so glad it meant something to you. The description refers to a huge ideal or motif in Asian literary and artistic tradition. Its kind of like living the Tao, celebrating the true spirit of modesty or humbleness, where reducing material or worldly success, helps increase the spiritual success.

In Honor of your own paintings, here is more from Kodojin and the life of an artist:

Inscribed on a Painting

When inspiration comes I paint landscapes,
a pure music I alone understand.
I ask you, sir, try hanging one on your wall:
a time may come when clouds will rise from it.


This is from when he visited another poet friend at the “Hall of Poetry Immortals” where the painted portraits of poets hung over a garden:

The ancient stream enfolds the autumn colors;
setting sunlight brightens the red pines.
I reach the gate and feel something special,
enter the chamber and everything’s serene.
painted on the walls, the Poetry Immortals age;
among the cloudy mountains, the Tao vapor thickens.
because I have always admired this real recluse,
again I have stepped beyond the dust of the world

Nory, thanks for your encouragement, I am attempting to kick-start my artistic self back into life. I'm painting a simple mandala style doodle in acrylic on a bit of wood. Start simple I say.

This is my Myspace address
http://www.myspace.com/fyerhorse
It has a 9 second animation and a couple of things I did in photoshop.

But I feel a tinsy bit guilty because we're going a bit off thread here.
Also I am a little concerned for our host Averick
Are you OK Averick?
You have been conspicuous by your absence.

PS. I also love Rene Magritte, untill his death he refused to explain any of his paintings and denied all interpretation. He spoke purely to the subconcious, he didn't care what people thought.

Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for asking.

Just a little depressed.

Soon the sun will shine again..

23
Express yourself completely,
then keep quiet.
Be like the forces of nature:
when it blows, there is only wind;
when it rains, there is only rain;
when the clouds pass, the sun shines through.

If you open yourself to the Tao,
you are at one with the Tao
and you can embody it completely.
If you open yourself to insight,
you are at one with insight
and you can use it completely.
If you open yourself to loss,
you are at one with loss
and you can accept it completely.

Open yourself to the Tao,
then trust your natural responses;
and everything will fall into place.

Pixel8 - I love the artwork!! It radiates life and color and has such a warmth to it. I love art that is visually delightful and your really is. I thought "Bristol at Night" was especially enchanting.

I'm not on facebook or myspace as I haven't really gotten into the internet much until recently.

Averick, I'm wishing you lots of peace and happiness. I hope you feel better soon.

While one of these is not specifically Taoist, I feel its message is. Its the kind of thing I find in Taoism that I appreciate poetically but also find so hard to understand practically:

57

If someone wants to seize the land and manipulate it,
I see that he will not succeed.
The land is something 'spiritual'. It cannot be
manipulated.
To manipulate it is to destroy it.
to grasp it is to lose it.


From: The Great and Venerable Teacher

Master Ssu, Master Yu, Master Li, and Master Lai were all four talking together..."Who knows that life and death, existence and annihilation, are all a single body? I will be his friend! The four men looked at each other and smiled.

All at once Master Yu fell ill. Master Ssu went to ask how he was. "Amazing!" said Master Yu.... "It must be some dislocation of the yin and yang! Yet he seemed calm at heart and unconcerned... Do you resent it?" asked Master Ssu....

"Why no.... I received life because the time had come; I will lose it because the order of things passes on. Be content with this time and dwell in this order and then neither sorrow nor joy can touch you..."

Zhuangzi 6


One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel.
None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losings not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

- Elizabeth Bishop