A few days ago a correspondent who is interested in Zen asked me : "Why is art important in Zen? How does it fit into a Zen practice?" Now I didn't really answer the question except to give some pointers. First to say that by 'art' we mean simply a 'creative' practice. This includes the visual arts of photography, painting, drawing, clay modelling and sculpture but it can also include Ikabana (flower arranging) calligraphy , poetry and music.
During my month's residency at Zen Mountain Monastery we also were required to participate in 'art practice' as this was seen as one of the 8 Gates of Zen. This was an extremely daunting task for me as I always said I was no 'artist' but the monks there helped me to find my own creativity. You see Zen is about life and it is life. To be human is to be creative, maybe not as a great artist, musician or poet but we are all creative - that is what it means to human , alive. Zen teaches us not to judge as did Jesus of course. Just let it be and accept that everything belongs and don't let some pseudo-critics judge it; which includes yourself.
Again my experience at ZMM taught me that art is not just reproducing objects but getting behind that. For instance the great Japanese Zen teacher, Dogen writes: " When you paint Spring do not paint willows, plums,peaches, or apricots but just paint Spring" When I participated in Roshi Daido Loori's photographic course our assignments were to photograph. Love, Elseness and Suchness. Quite a challenge so what do you make of it? With poetry too words are not purely descriptive but used as 'pointers'
T'ient'ung Ju-ching writes
Bright and bright, clear and clear
Do not seek only within the shadow of plum blossoms.
Rain is created and clouds are formed
throughout past and present
Past and present,solitary and silent
Where does it end?
So what say you? Where do you find yourself?
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"We are all creative," - the very words I found myself saying to someone else once a while back.
Fr Patrick, you have created this blog site to enable us all to keep in touch whatever the weather, whatever the outside calls on our time. Thank you.
Our village pantomime comes to fruition this week and I have Cirencester in mind but there is a clash yet again with poetry group and then we're away in the desert for the first 2 weeks in Feb. But I havn't forgotten you!
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