Kris, et al.,
A craftsman is one who is impressed by the materials, tools, techic, and
history of the craft, as well as by the importance and friendliness of its
products.
A craftsman works to enable his fingers to produce the visions of his mind, for
others to see and feel. When this works out, the craftsman is a little
satisfied, but not completely.
After a while making one thing, however, and making it better and better --
closer and closer to one's vision -- or even taking chances that random actions
will produce nice surprises of high quality, one moves on to another item, or
type of item to craft, or moves on to a different aspect of the first item to
develop.
When the fingers are finally good at most of these things, one feels that the
fingers' ability to bring these things into the world can be trusted, and one
may feel as if it's time to go on to something else. And, sometimes, one
returns to certain productions, or techniques, "to keep-up one's skills":
practice. Practice as practice, and practice as entertainment; practice as
Appreciation.
As for words, expression is a practice that zen teachers make sure a student
can employ, as practice, and as proof. Expression can change the practitioner,
because something said on one day can cause you to change on another (one notes
this in koan practice!, if you have a teacher who teaches as Lin Chi originally
did). Proof is afforded by expression, and is something a teacher can use as a
diagnostic of the disciple's condition.
There's lots to appreciate in our religion when it comes to the methods
compassionately developed, tested, applied, and honed, over the 76 generations.
It is all medicine. It is craft.
Hmm, I think it was Yasutani or Harada who said in modern times, "The world is
Medicine."
--Joe
> Kristopher Grey <kris@...> wrote:
>
> On 8/5/2012 6:57 PM, Joe wrote:
>
> > My sticks are too fancy. It's just not necessary. It's just for viewers
>
> Same for words.
>
> KG
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