Contributed by Barbara Taylor
Lately I’ve been reading in a borrowed book called Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing: Meditation in Action by Frederick Franck (1993). While the book is classified in the genre of art/painting, it’s really a book about how to see the world and life itself. Franck uses the medium of drawing as a way to catalyze creativity and intensify awareness.
There are many wonderful gems in Franck’s book. As an art student, what struck me most about his approach is his distinction between “looking-at” and “seeing.” In his frame of reference, seeing arises out of our original nature and touches the heart whereas looking-at is a product of our conditioning and is more “cold hearted.” To be looked-at is to be pigeonholed as a ‘this’ or a ‘that’. To see is the specifically human capacity that opens one up to empathy and to compassion with all that lives and dies.
There is so much going on around us—and therefore within us—that is challenging these days. When we are caught in the grip of our stressors, we tend to look-at the individuals in our lives and indeed life itself through the layers of our conditioning. We miss the moments of grace inherent in true seeing and authentic connection with one another in the immediacy of now.
Frank includes many Zen stories in his book. One that applies here is this:
“One day a monk spoke bitterly to the Buddha about the unbearable sorrows of the world. The Buddha remained silent. Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
He pointed at the earth between his feet, and said: “On this earth I have attained awakening.”
Each day it is so easy to forget the unfathomable mystery of being here, the gift of “sheer existence” to use Franck’s words.
No matter what is going on around and within you, I invite you to routinely find a way to pause and place yourself in the unique circumstances that will ‘reset’ your frame of mind to one that can make space for the mystery, the wonder, of being alive.
This may be:
- a place in nature
- a warm bath in the glow of a candle
- a private time with your headphones and your favorite piece of music…
Whatever it is that assures your mind that the problems you face will survive, even if you set them aside for a while to return for a few moments to your “original nature.”
Be good to yourself. Take care of yourself. No one else can do it quite as well as you can!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
The problem with seeing is that we have access to the external world solely through our own eyes being fed by our own blood. Eyes often clouded by what we expect to see.. Blood full of prior experiences, concepts, judgements.. Blood infected by Mr. Inner Critic, ever knowing, always present.. by Fear whispering.. by our insecurities..
To see and see clearly we have to self-operate on our eyes, re-pump and purify our blood and look out again..
Lately I took some drawing classes. The most exciting exercises I did was blind countour drawings.. those that you do without looking at the paper at all.. solely looking at the object drawn.. touching it with your inner eye.. but eliminating your lenses.. eliminating your judgement..
What comes out is not your hand at all.. it is something new.. a creature that never existed before.. so instead of trying to become a Durer and be frustrated for being untalented I am chosing to discard my old eyes..
what comes out is creation outside of me.. with its own life.. beautiful.. unique..
that is how we need to look out to notice The Beauty thata exists everywhere… outside of our old eyes.. feeling it rather than seeing..
at least this helps me getting drunk from joy (almost) every day… where my old eyes saw only misery and my own smallness..
Dear Iwona, your comment reminds me of a neat thing that happened to me and my fellow classmates at a drawing class we took last fall. We were doing a still life (after doing the blind contour drawings like you mentioned), when suddenly one of the props fell, breaking and scattering our model. It was so shocking to all of us – we were so connected to those objects and in the moment it was like having a ice cold water splashed all over us. The cool thing though is that it wasn’t frustratinr or annoying, it was more like amazing because we so suddenly switched from right brain to left brain consciousness. We learned so much from that moment! And I know exactly what you mean that the contour drawing is the most exciting – that way my biggest Ah Ha during the course. I am usually so wrapped up in logic and organizing and preparing it was an absolute joy to let go and create without judgment. Great stuff.
I am so thankful , reading this has set my day on a different and I must say higher path.
Thank you Steve.
Been thinking of you lots, you and your happy feet walking the beaches of Del Ray, dancing on the green clay.
Love Donna xo
What a wonderful memory.
What a wonderful story.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the book Barbara. He was a wonderful artist, writer and visionary. Here’s a link you might enjoy to learn more about the man:
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/teachers/teachers.php?id=285&g=0
Sweet dreams,
Sheila