Wednesday

dao creativity


Chinese for "creativity"




golden basin with jewled trim






(chop) seal with image




Storm breaks into pieces,
clouds charge the horizon.
Revolving of the heavens
Generates all movement.



Without movement, there could be nothing created in this universe. The revolving of the heavens can generate wind, rain, thunder, lightening. The revolving of the earth enables us to have day and night, the very cycle of the earth, the seasons, and the growth of plants. Movement is responsible for creativity.

Followers of Tao value initiative, but mere aggression is not enough. One needs creativity. This can mean the ability to solve problems, to think of unusual strategies, or to compose poetry, music, and painting. In all these cases, one moves in concert with Tao not by shadowed action, but by giving intelligent counterpoint and harmony. Creativity does not mean the arbitrary making of something out of our cultural minds. Rather, it is spontaneous movement in tandem with Tao, a movement that will generate life and not misery for others.

One has reached the ultimate levels of creativity when one has mastered skill so thoroughly that it can be forgotten. Look at heaven and earth. Do they think about creating the weather, the seasons, and the cycles of growing? They only go on revolving according to their nature, and the rest is generated without any thought or work on their part. This is truly effortless action and is considered the highest skill that followers of Tao can attain.


creativity

365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9


Tibet, Treasures from the Roof of the World
TIBET:
TREASURES FROM
THE ROOF OF THE WORLD


Basin with Phoenix
China, Qing dynasty, 18th Century
Tibet Museum

Luxury objects—like this gold basin decorated with turquoise and precious jewels—were offered as gifts by Chinese emperors to high Tibetan lamas and members of their court. Sumptuous articles like this demonstrate the important relations maintained between the Chinese and Tibetan courts, and also reveal the opulent lifestyle led by the Tibetan nobility.
Photo Courtesy of Bowers Museum


Seal of the Yuan Preceptor,
Supervisor of Buddhist Affairs

Jade
China, Yuan Dynasty (1260-1368)
H: 10 cm; L: 12 cm x 12 cm
Tibet Museum, Lhasa

Published: Tibet Museum Catalog, pp. 30-31, no. 3; Golden Treasures, pp. 22-23

This square jade seal bears a crouching mythical beast and was made for the Yuan Dynasty guoshi (National Preceptor). Its inscription is written in Phagpa script. After Phagpa was named National Preceptor, these titles became more and more honorific. The title guoshi became Guanding guoshi (Empowered as National Preceptor), and was later changed to Da Yuan guoshi (National Preceptor of the Great Yuan).

NOTE: tomorrow we will be moving on to another exhibit of Asian art

T A O t e C H I N G
hand drawn calligraphy of the word dao
t h i r t y - s e v e n

tao 37


Tao abides in non-action,
Yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this,
The ten thousand things would develop naturally.
If they still desired to act,
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
Without for there is no desire.
Without desire there is.
And in this way all things would be at peace.

— translation by GIA-FU FENG


The Tao never does anything,
yet through it all things are done.

If powerful men and women
could venter themselves in it,
the whole world would be transformed
by itself, in its natural rhythms.
People would be content
with their simple, everyday lives,
in harmony, and free of desire.

When there is no desire,
all things are at peace.

— translation by STEVEN MITCHELL


Tranquility

The Way takes no action, but leaves nothing undone.
When you accept this
The world will flourish,
In harmony with nature.
Nature does not possess desire;
Without desire, the heart becomes quiet;
In this manner the whole world is made tranquil.

— translation by P. MEREL


The Tao is always “not-doing”
Yet there is nothing it doesn't do.
If the ruler is able to embody it
Everything will naturally change.

Being changed, they desire to act.

So I must restrain them, using the nameless “uncarved block (original mind).”

Using the nameless uncarved block
They become desireless.
Desireless, they are tranquil and
All-under-Heaven is naturally settled.

— translation by C. MULLER


The Way is always still, at rest,
And yet does everything that's done.
If then the king and nobles could
Retain its potency for good,
The creatures all would be transformed.

But if, the change once made in them,
They still inclined to do their work,
I should restrain them then
By means of that unique
Original simplicity
Found in the Virgin Block,
Which brings disinterest,
With stillness in its train,
And so, an ordered world.

— translation by R. B. BLAKEY

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