Being Blind and Seeing Deeply

 

Summer Thoughts And Love

I have spoken often of my blind friend on this blog. He is a lad I love spending time with because he helps me to see the world like nobody else does. Knowing him has helped me to look at things and really see them, and to appreciate with all my heart what it is I am seeing.

But another lesson he has reinforced for me is also the art of listening. When you cannot see the need to use the ears and become a good listener becomes even more important.  It is not just what is said that is important, but the manner in which it is said. One of the greatest compliments paid to be was paid by Andy when he said to be, I do not really know what you look like but I can hear you are an honest man.

I was thinking of this yesterday as I walked along  coastal path, and I remembered the story I would like to share with you now.

After Bankei, a famous wise man, had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s temple told a friend:

“Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person’s face, so I must judge his character by the sound of his voice. Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness or success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was something left to gain in his own world.

“In all my experience, however, Bankei’s voice was always sincere. Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard.”

On reflection I feel that the greatest lesson we can learn is always ever to only say what we mean and to only ever mean what we say. 

This blog is linked to my other where I speak of the artwork used.  Thoughts of Summer and Love.

It All Depends On How You See Life.

Early Morning North Beach Iona

I was out running this morning, the sun shining although still the early morning chill was in the air. Feeling good I had decided to run my hilly route which climbs steadily until at last I find myself on the little path that runs through the woods high up on a ridge along the coast.  During the winter a number of trees have been blown over and lie fallen across the track. The person running with me saw these  as a spoiling of the route, having to find a way round  them. I saw them as a challenge something to hurdle over.

As I approached them two deer ran in front of me and it was as if the trees were not even there they soared through the air  and onward ran.  So there was  us and the deer and we each saw the fallen trees in a different way.

There is a lovely story of the new convert to religion.

He was sitting at the side of a track very interestedly reading the Bible while waiting for transportation and every now and then would exclaim, “Alleluia, Praise the Lord, Amen” and on and on as he read on.

A skeptic heard him and came and asked what he was reading.

He answered” I am reading how God parted the Red Sea and let the Israelites go through–- that is a miracle!”

The skeptic explained “Do not believe everything the Bible tells you. The truth of the matter is that that body of water was only really 6 inches deep–- so it was not miracle.”

The hippie nodded in disappointment but kept on reading as the skeptic was walking away feeling proud that he had set the hippie straight. All of a sudden the skeptic heard the hippie let out a big “Alleluia, Praise the Lord!”

At this the skeptic came back to him and asked, “What is it this time?”

The hippie said excitedly in one breath, “This one is a real miracle, God drowned the whole Egyptian army in 6 inches of water!!!”

Yes it all depends on how you look at it. Is it a hurdle or something to see as a challenge?  Is it something that makes life difficult  or something that  brings a new dimension to life? 

This blog is linked to my other: Early Morning North Beach Iona.

Being Aware of What We Have.

Love On the Rocks

How easy it is to get complacent about life and the good things that we have.  Yesterday I went to visit the home of a man who has asked me to do a painting for one of the walls in his new house. He has just moved into a little flat in the village. Slowly but surely he is getting it just the way he wants it.

I keep promising myself that I will take no more commissions for art. They certainly put a lot of extra pressure on the artist to produce. When I saw the pride my friend had in his little flat and the excitement of having a painting that he had some input made it impossible for me not to say that I would give it a try. I now know that he will ask me every time he sees me when it will be done. I did say to him, “everything in it time.” I would have been just as well talking to the carpet on the floor.

As I left and walked down to meet my old friend Archie for what we call here is Scotland, “a wee blether.” I was reminded of the story of the man who went to the Taoist calligraphy writer with his request.

He went to the man and asked him to write something for the continued prosperity of his family so that it might be treasured from generation to generation.

On his return he obtained a large sheet of paper on which was written:

“Father dies, son dies, grandson dies.”

The man became angry. “I asked you to write something for the happiness of my family! Why do you make such a joke as this?”

“No joke is intended,” explained the wise man. “If before you yourself die you son should die, this would grieve you greatly. If your grandson should pass away before your son, both of you would be broken-hearted. If your family, generation after generation, passes away in the order I have named, it will be the natural course of life. I call this real prosperity.”

Rejoice in the things we have and the natural order of life as it moves from day to day. Let the unexpected be a joy to you. 

The artwork above is mentioned on my other blog: Love On The Rocks

The Moments That Make Dreams

The Moments That Make Dreams

There are days when you open you just realise how fortunate you are. When things just go well, or you realise how much you are blessed with good friends. For the artist these days are often linked closely to how the art is progressing. I began to realise this yesterday when I read the email I received from a friend. The email was saying that the person had not really realised how well off they were. It went something like this.

I am so rich, Silver in the Hair, Gold in the teeth. Crystals in the kidneys and sugar in the blood. Lead in the ass and iron in the arteries, and an inexhaustible supply of natural gas. I never thought I could accumulate such wealth.

Anyway back to the serious stuff of yesterday. I was looking at  some pictures of marathons I had run. As I looked I noticed this group of people standing behind the finish line. They were not looking at the finishers. I started to ask myself, what are they saying, what are they thinking and doing. As I thought a picture came to my mind.

I had already started working on a canvas board but was very unhappy with the progress I was making and had washed it off. I went back to the task with my mind now full of new thoughts. Using Platho Blue and White I painted what I could see clearly in my mind.

What appeared on the canvas board was not exactly what I had in my eye but it was very close. I had only used the two colours and I felt it was ok. I took a picture of it while it was still wet. I put a copy of it on Art Wanted and I posted it on my FaceBook page.

Within minutes of it appearing on Facebook I had been made a solid offer for the work. Obviously a person who knows just what they like. This person now owns two of my works. The first was purchased two years ago but I can see the similarities of thought in both works and I feel sure they will fit in the same home.

I was feeling pleased and to add the sugar to the icing I got an email just ten minutes later saying somebody had made my painting a pic of the day.

I never knew I was so rich as the story above says.

Hope you are all well.

This Blog

I Remember Summer Days.

It is sometime now since I posted on this blog. There are a number of reasons for this. First it was a hectic summer with the running and walking and the plot. I just never seemed to have much in the way of time at all.

Now when I have a bit more time, I have picked up some illness that is causing me a great deal of discomfort and so sitting at the computer is not what I really want to be about. I apologise to those, like Jerry, who followed my blog regularly. I will be back as soon as I get to the bottom of the discomfort, hopefully.

In the meantime I have been posting new art and keeping people posted about my ongoing sales of art, which never ever fails to move me. There is indeed something wonderful about people buying and hanging your art. The very thought that I might continue to give pleasure to others after I and the earth beneath me have parted company gives much pleasure.

Pleas keep in touch and if you have a moment please look to my other blog.

My Other Blog

I have added above my latest attempt at art.