THE ZEN OF TANKERS

Reading my own blog from the present day back to the very first day on the course, has taught me so much about my 'Self' and what is missing from my work today. I feel inspired. The 'Zen' part of me is essential to my being, to my work and I am looking forward to allowing myself to 'be', just to create from the Soul instead of creating from the mind which is what I have been doing, knowing there was something missing from my mission.

I found my journey into 'Zen' and the 'Road to Enlightenment' totally absorbing. I was merely studying the visual aspects and not the spiritual, or was I? 'Zen' is a philosophy, vast and beautiful. I did not want to study Ikebana, (or Kado), but it was through Kado that I came to understand in a small way the power of the 'Do' as in Ju-do, Aiki-do, etc. or 'The Way'. To 'see' from the 'Soul centre', creating imagery from the Soul centre in meditation became part of my working practice, part of who I am. Seeing the absolute simplicity of shape and space, geometry and colour with black and white is beautiful to me. I see this as part of the mastery of craft in the Eastern cultures. I have merely scratched the surface.

"When you practise za-zen, don't try to stop your thoughts from coming. Ask yourself only this question: 'Which is my own spirit?' " Bassui

Detail from 'Full Moon' by Lui Guosong. Courtesy of Christis's Images.

'Peacefulness' by Zhou Luyun.

"Zen embraces a profound philosophy of self-awakening and freedom from man's egocentric perception of the world"

The nature of 'things' is called emptiness.

'The Way is beyond language,

for in it there is

no yesterday

no tomorrow

no today'

Hsin-hsin Ming

I love some of the philosophies of Zen. Working directly onto the silk in meditation was not just a visual process but something much more meaningful and deep; it meant something to me. I knew I would have to find the 'Zen of Tankers' - a book perhaps??

'Enlightenment comes from practice,

Thus Enlightenment is limitless;

Practice comes from Enlightenment,

Thus practice has no beginning'

Dogan Zenji

All from 'The Origins of Wisdom', Zen Buddhism, by O.B. Duane.