Delphi art

[Dogensoto]

Wonderful these days to have virtually all of the art of our world at our fingertips. On Kindle there is the Delphi series of artists, each available for the price of a cup of coffee at McDonald's. Each offers all the work of the artist, in colour and HD, and you can zoom in and magnify without losing defintion. There is also commentary and additional pictures of the artist, their birthplace and various other goodies.

I have a great collection now and often download a selection and work through, moving slowly through the various works. Reading a biography of Samuel Beckett recently I learnt that he would often sit for more than an hour in front of certain works, absorbing the facial expressions and the "body language" of those depicted. Beckett transferred and transformed those expressions into the visual aspects of his plays, and looking at some on YouTube you can refer back to a particular painting and see how movement and emotion becomes part of the plays performance.

There is a Japanese word, I think "menji" (but I keep forgetting the actual word!) which means something like the "passing on of reality face to face", reaching beyond simple book learning or even the very best prose. Which reminds me of an old Jewish story, of a guy who travels far to see a Rabbi who is becoming quite famous and talked about. Upon his return he is asked if he liked what he heard...." Oh, I did not go to listen to him, I wanted to see how he tied his shoelaces."

There is certainly a communication going on all the time that transcends words - I think that is the way love, compassion, empathy, even mercy, are truly known, expressed and communicated. In our every gesture. Often our words can betray us.

Thomas Merton once spoke of a true "mysticism" as being necessarily the "contact of two liberties". In context he meant the "liberty" of each singular human being and God. Being a non-theist myself I simply see reality as the contact of various liberties, each of us playing our part. Tying our shoelaces, drinking our coffee - love is there or it is not.

Sorry, I'm rambling as usual. Waffling. It's just that at nearly 75 it is now or never and more and more I simply do not care what I pour out.

May true Dharma continue.
No blame. Be kind. Love everything.