I was at a party yesterday in which there were two themes that became central to a conversation around a table of smiling friends. Being an artist who appreciates beauty, and then being a martial artist learning how to protect those you love including yourself. The two, I believe, go hand in hand. Years ago I created a series of tiger and lotus paintings. It came from the experience of being a man who has his feet in two complimenting worlds. I had developed the skills of a martial artist, and I had become an accomplished artist through painting. In our western logical culture, in which a successful life is defined by gaining measurable results in space and time through business transactions, and even through war, the idea of a man stopping to notice something so beautiful as a flower, seems merely sentimental. As though the only appropriate comment is, Awe, isnt that sweet. But in communities in which being a warrior was required by every person, man, woman and child in order to protect the village from predators, human or animal, noticing the beauty of a flower, or tree, or horse, was equally as essential for their survival. Communities like the American Indians, the Hawaiins, the Africans, the Taoist in Asia, The Shoalin in the forest of China, amongst these warrior communities the way a person became connected to their power, to their reason for living was by becoming related to everything and every one who lived around them. Everything, in their world view, was intelligent, and therefore was speaking a language. It was the job of every person, every warrior to become familiar with that language. And here was the magic word that opened the door to those relationships. Each warrior had to recognize the beauty and strength of another. In that recognition they became friends. Wether that other intelligent life form be a person or a flower, one needed to stop, take notice, get acquainted and form a relationship of respect and care. And so as an artist and poet, I learn how to notice those beautiful people, plants, birds, animals, insects, and even the mountains, and streams around me. I notice them by studying them, and then painting them until my connection to them is deep. After spending a hundred hours creating a painting of someone, or something, I no longer see them or it as something merely pretty. I see them as someone, a personality, that is profoundly beautiful. My inner response is deep gratitude. Gratitude is what friends feel for each other after spending a day getting to know each other. As a martial artist, this light hearted world view is grounded with the daily practice of learning how to protect that beauty from those who could destroy it on a whim. I believe that one without the other is a life out of balance. A raft floating in an ocean being pulled by whatever currents happen to carry it. Noticing and forming a relationship with the beautiful world one lives in is one half of a complete life. Learning how to prevent predators from destroying that beauty is the other half. That is what I was attempting to say to my new friends yesterday around a table of smiling people. Around us people, there was a garden of flowers all blooming for one purpose; so someone could notice and say hi. movingfastsittingstill.net
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 20:24:43 +0000
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