The Greedy Artist

There is a story of a famous artist who painted marvellous paintings, but only on commission. He never ever painted just for the love of painting. His paintings were very popular and he was able to demand a high price in advance for the work he did.


One day a Geisha contacted him asking him to paint for her. Unknown to the artist it was her intention to show him up for what he was. He saw that she was wealthy, so he demanded a high price. The price was agreed on one condition, that the painting was completed in her presence, so a date was agreed.

On the day of the painting he arrived to find that she had invited many wealthy guests. He set up his easel and as they watched he painted. After some hours the painting was completed and he stood back pleased with his work. The geisha as promised paid him the agreed amount. She then turned to all her guests and said, “This artist only paints for money, his work is fine but his mind is dirty; money has caused it to become muddy. Painted by such a muddy mind, his work is not fit to exhibit, it fit only for my petticoat.”

She then removed her kimono and showed the artist her petticoat. She asked him to paint another painting on it. He in turn asked her how much money she would pay. After bartering a high price was agreed. The painting was completed and paid for. “See,” said the geisha, “His only concern is the price. Leave, artist, you have been shown for what you are.”

Many years later it was learned that where the artist came from there had been a famine. The artist had been paying for corn to feed the village. The rich had ignored the plight of the hungry.

The road from the village was in a very poor state and many of the villagers had accidents while travelling to the temple to meditate. He had repaired the road.

His Zen master had died without accomplishing his desire to build a school for his students. The artist built the school.

Once he had done all of these things he discarded all his art materials and lived the quiet life.

Sometimes before we judge a person we need to discover their motives. It is often the actions of the heart that matter more than the actions of the hands. The hardest question of all my years has been the question, “Do I want to be loved, or do I want to love?” Before I depart this earth I hope I find the answer.

This is the way of the Tao.

This Blog is linked to my other where the artwork is discussed:-

 
Along the Shore Triptych

Clowns and Self

When I was a boy I heard an interview of a very famous clown. He was being asked about his act and what he found the scariest part about his performance. The interviewer, equally famous, went through all the things the clown did, from falling off tightropes to what seemed dangerous things he did with a car that fell apart. The clown described all of those in detail and told of the amount of practice that went into getting the timing correct so that none of the performers were hurt. “So,” asked the interviewer again, “what is the scariest?” The clown thought for a moment and then said, “When the act is over and I have to take off the face paint and be myself again.” he revealed that when not working he suffered from severe depression and found it hard to live with himself.


A student had studied under his master for ten years. At the end of this period of time he was sure that he had learned much about himself and how to control his life and find the peace and happiness he sought. He went to visit his master to declare this to him and to tell him he was now going to begin teaching others what he had learned. “Ah,” said the master. “Tell me when you came in did you leave your shoes and umbrella at the door?” “Yes I did,” said the student. “Did you leave the umbrella to the left of the shoes or to the right?” The student then realised he still had much to learn about self awareness.

I had a feeling I had lost something and looked around my study and workroom. As I did so I became aware of the clutter and so began to tidy things up, bring some order to the chaos. As I did so I played some music, a selection I had made of tunes I enjoyed listening to. As I worked one piece caught my attention. I stopped what I was doing and went to my computer. There I put on the same music and I opened the folder of pictures of my abstract paintings. I studied the one that I had painted one day as I listened to this very music.

Once the music was over, I closed the folder and went back to the task in hand. It was then that I realised that I had found what I had lost. I had found again the desire to paint. It had left me but I had found it again in the midst of creating order from my chaos.

Self awareness is never easy. Without it we allow ourselves to be thrown this way and that by what happens around us. So sometimes what we create is not as good as we had hoped, sometimes it is better. The important thing is to be able to know and to be honest with ourselves. I walked along the coastal path for a bit yesterday and all the old feelings were back I had indeed found myself.

Such is the way of Tao.

The artwork used in theis blog is commented on in my other blog which can be seen at:-Highland Gathering

Mountains of the Mind.

Standing looking over a steep mountain ridge for some, can be the most exhilarating of experiences. The heart moves up a beat or two with the prospect of an adrenaline rush. For others it becomes a frightening moment, the heart races and the fear cruises through the veins. My first such experience was the latter of the two. So much so did I not like the prospect that I made excuses, turned and walked back down the mountain knowing that I had failed to reach the summit. I was aware that I was sure footed, probably more so than the rest of the people in the party that day. On other walks I could jump from rock to rock over rivers and difficult passages. Yet the prospect of traversing a ridge turned my legs to jelly.


Then one day my friend, aware of what was ahead, challenged me to a race to the summit of the mountain we were walking. Now there is fear, and there is a challenge, I have never been one to shirk a challenge. That day I hardly noticed the ridge at all I was so intent on getting to that summit first, and I managed it. On reaching the summit my friend said, “You do realise what you have just run over was far more dangerous than the one you refused to do some time ago.” He was correct and a week or so later I returned to the first place to make the crossing. On my return I chose not walking boots but mountain running shoes. Have I overcome my fear of heights? No, but I have found a way to hold it in check. I know that when running I have no time to consider such things my main priority is to make sure I know where the next footfall will be.

A young and rather boastful archery champion challenged his Zen master to an archery contest. He was a very skilful archer so he set the target a good long distance from the firing station. His first arrow flew true and straight to the very centre of the bull’s-eye. Without much thought he took a second arrow loaded it to the string and fired. Again the arrow flew fast and straight splitting the shaft of the arrow already in the target. He turned and said to the master, “There now let’s see if you can beat that.” The master said nothing, he made no effort to load an arrow to his bow, and instead he told the young man to follow him. The two climbed high into the mountains and at last arrived at a precipice with a rather shaky looking bridge stung across and moving in the mountain breeze. The master with little thought stepped out onto the bridge stood in the middle, chose a tree in the distance as his target, and let off two arrows both hitting the target with ease. “Now it is your turn,” said the old master. The young man could not even bring himself to stand on the bridge. He stood and looked at the deep abyss and could not move. “You have much skill with a bow,” said the old master “but you have little skill with the mind that’s lets loose the shot.”

Life not just about what you can do but how you accomplish what you do. There are those who mock the art of others or criticize the skill of others. They no doubt produce art, but have they learned to be artistic in with their mind.

This is the way of Tao.

My thoughts on the selection of art can be read at :-The Mountains of Arran

It is Good

While gardening in my plot I was aware of the number of leeks I still had not harvested, over eighty still had to be dug. Talking to person who has the neighbouring plot I bemoaned the fact that I had so many. “This is good,” said she, “I have none, so I can have a few of yours.” This I was happy to do and also made me aware of the many other friends I had who might enjoy a fresh grown leek. “What is more,” said my friend, “you have no Jerusalem artichokes so I can give you some of those in return.” So I enjoyed those and a great many people in the village are even now making leek and potato soup.


There is a story of two friends, one who was an emperor and the other who no matter what happened always declared, “This is good.” One day the two were out hunting, the friend loaded the rifle of the emperor who shot it and in the process shot off his thumb. “This is good said the friend.” “How can you say that,” yelled the emperor? “How can you say that when I have lost a thumb and I am bleeding badly?”

The emperor was so angry he put his friend in prison. About a year later the emperor went hunting again, this time on his own. He was captured by a clan of marauding cannibals. They tied him up and trussed him to a stake. Just before they set light to the fire to cook him for eating they noticed he was missing a thumb. This particular tribe did not believe in eating anything that was not whole so let him go free.

The emperor rushed home and went straight to the jail. “It was good my losing my thumb,” he said to his friend. He told how it had saved his life. He also told him how sorry he was that he had put him in jail. “I feel so bad about that,” he said “No, not at all it is good,” said the friend. “If I had not been in jail they would have eaten me.”

So what does this tell us? It simply tells us this. “It is good.” When we as artists think we have hit a disaster area and all is wrong, look again, it may be good. When it is wrong, that is good because it is a wonderful learning opportunity. For all of us no matter what happens, remember, “It is good.”

This is the way of Tao.


The story of the choice of art can be seen at:- T in The Park

Dogs and Conflict

I had a dog called Damon a great companion and running mate. He was always there for me. When nobody else wanted to run because the weather was so bad, Damon was there at the ready waiting to go. When I had a long spell of total silence unable to speak, because of voice problems, he seemed to know exactly what I was saying to him. I did not need to say anything a pat was enough. Sadly he was knocked over by a car while we were out running. I had noticed he was not keeping up with me, he seemed unwell. I decided to turn and head for home, he misunderstood and crossed the road as we usually did and was hit by a passing car. I frequently think of him when I am out running, how he would have enjoyed this run or that run.

I heard, or read, a story of a person who had bought a dog from a breeder. She had grown very fond of the dog and did certainly not want to lose it. The breeder had sent her a contract of sale within which there was a clause that said he retained the breeding rights of the dog. The lady was upset thinking that the breeder could come at anytime and take the dog from her for breeding purposes. She had consulted some lawyer friends and they had all said she had a case. Ready to go down that road she told another friend who advised she make contact and check with the breeder first. She did and discovered that this clause was included in the contract in error. All conflict was resolved.

A friend of mine was giving a talk at a meeting. He was in full flight and feeling very good, thinking the talk was going well. About halfway through a person got up from her seat and left the room in which the meeting was being held. He was concerned about what he had said, what had offended this lady. He kept looking for her to return but she never did, his concentration was lost and the second half of the talk he limped through. At the end they all thanked him but he was aware that he had not given of his best.

As the tea was being served he headed off to see if he could find the lady who had left so that he might apologise to her and put things right. He found her in the kitchen and asked her if she was alright. “Oh yes minister, she said, “I remembered I had left the light on under the urn and was concerned it would boil dry. Then I did not want to interrupt what was a really good talk so I just waited here and heard what I could through the shutter.” A misunderstanding and a conflict that never existed but so easily could have led to bad feeling.

The artist is often at conflict with themselves, nothing is ever as it should be. Conflict can and does always define the final outcome of a venture. It can create aggression or fear, either emotion which can lead to a paralysis. The artist in the midst of inner conflict must remain open to the many options. By harnessing the emotions that can cause conflict we can be even more creative and what could be destructive can become affirming and a joy. This is the way of Tao.