Some works of art speak to you on a level that is hard to define. You gaze and are drawn inward. Something in you identifies with what you see there. It’s not outside, it’s in here. It was there before you saw it, and the seeing is just a reminder of its presence.
I felt that way when viewing some of the artwork at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Especially in the faces that follow. The one above is my favorite. I cannot help smiling when I see it. I’ve paired the faces with a few favorite Tao verses and Zen anecdotes that capture a glimpse of what I see in each face.
THE MONK – OH SO DELICIOUS
Once there was a monk fleeing for his life, a tiger at his heels, chasing him over the edge of a cliff where he grabs hold of a branch. He dangles there just out of reach of the tiger’s snapping jaws, while below another tiger is snapping at his feet. No escape. Just then he notices a fat juicy strawberry dangling from a nearby vine. He plucks it loose and pops it into his mouth. “Oh, so delicious!” he sighs.
THE SAGE – WHERE WONDER RISES
“From mystery to further mystery is the entrance to all wonders.” -Tao Te Ching, (Ch. I)
THE SAVANT – RIDING THE WIND
“My eye becomes my ear, my ear becomes my nose, my nose my mouth. My bone and my flesh melt away. I cannot tell by what my body is supported or what my feet walk upon. I am blowing away, east and west, as a dry leaf torn from a tree. I cannot even tell whether the wind is riding on me or I am riding on the wind.” -Lieh Tzu
THE MYSTIC – WHO AM I?
“Once I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering here and there. Suddenly I awoke and was surprised to be myself again. Now, how can I tell whether I am a man who dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly who dreams she is a man?” Chuang Tzu
THE MOTHER – OBTAINING THE ONE
Knowing the Male,
But staying with the Female,
One becomes the humble Valley of the World. – Tao Te Ching (Ch.XXVIII)
There was something complete and nebulous
Which existed before Heaven and Earth,
Silent, invisible,
Unchanging, standing as One
Unceasing, ever-evolving,
Able to be the Mother-of-the-World. – (Ch. XXV)
Deborah, I’m loving this stroll through the City with you. We lived in the Bay Area in the early ’80’s and immersed ourselves with all it had to offer.
I am struck by the slender, long fingers of the Monk above…wonder if it is symbolic as well as an aesthetic?
I’m so happy you joined me on this stroll, Laura! I was struck by those fingers too. Not sure if it’s symbolic. But except for the figures with beards, with so many of the religious images, its hard to tell if they are male or female, and I think that blending of genders is symbolic, so it may be with those delicate fingers as well.
I especially like the one featuring the wind. Image and words.
Thank you for that, Claudia. Yes, me too. I don’t know if you caught it but in my post On Divine Bodies, also from the Asian art Museum, I juxtaposed this face with the face of a Hijra from India by a contemporary artist. They could be twins across time, they are so similar.
Thank you for mentioning your previous post, somehow I missed it, and you are right, there is a resemblance that is timeless there, and sort of awing (causing awe, I mean to say).
Thank you for these wonderful pictures. I have just bought a translated copy of the Tao Te Ching. Hugs Xx
Let me know what you think of the book, Jane!
I am easing into it Deborah. I feel like I need a few days of absorbing each verse, maybe more than a few days actually. It’s not a swift read at all. It needs time to sink in. It holds special messages. Hugs Xx
I’m immersed in these quotes and the photos that are paired with them. Simply sublime.
Thank you so much. I really enjoyed matching the images with some favorite verses. I’m glad they spoke to you..
Absolutely wonderful!
Thank you!