Inoperable

[K_S]

Impressed by your attitude - sincerely hope it helps in your recovery. Your attitude deserves reward

[ohno]

Impressed by your attitude - sincerely hope it helps in your recovery. Your attitude deserves reward

Thank you.
This kind of attitude IS its own reward.

Oh dear, i appear to have sat down in the Zen chair.

it is true though.

[namtrak]

I hope this all pans out for you buddy

[AlexS]

Ben, your positive outlook and approach to life are a great example to us all.

Looking forward to seeing your sculptures - please do a WIP if you can.

Hope all goes well.

[routermaniac]

Very moving post, the best of wishes to you and your family.

[ptc]

summer is coming.

[Sebastiaan56]

I just wish for the same presence when I have to face life's travails, keep that Zen chair warm and share some more,

Sebastiaan

[ohno]

I just wish for the same presence when I have to face life's travails, keep that Zen chair warm and share some more,

Sebastiaan

There are things you can do. The key is to try and create a balanced mind. I have spent most of my life trying to achieve this through numerous methods. I have made good distance but you can never rest on your laurels

There are infinite techniques. Meditations, martial art forms,
carving a piece of wood in the sunshine, etc etc the list is endless and each possible method is no more or no less valid than another. They are just tools.

The goal is a focused yet relaxed mind. Simply living in the moment. Easy to say, hard to achieve. Until you do it

To actually call this "Zen" unfortunately tends to raise more questions than it answers.
There is a wonderful series of Zen books illustrated by a great friend of mine who passed away a month or so back.
They are mindful of the wordless nature of Zen and are more useful in explaining what Zen isnt than what is is. Its not a religion, its a mindset more than anything. It is a concept that can be embraced by Christians, Jews and Buddhists alike.

http://www.accesstoexcellence.co.uk/...questions.html
http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Reflection.../dp/1586637118

"Chop wood, carry water"-Zen saying
"Zen chair swivvels"-OHNO trying to be needlessly mysterious.

[Cliff Rogers]

... "Zen chair swivvels"

Enjoy the ride, don't make yourself dizzy on that chair.

[ohno]

Because i have a few very clear projects i wont to get done i have realised a nice little outlet.

I used to work a a jewellery designer and run a workshop in the city. I used to do all the stone purchasing from various merchants.

often these shops stock all ssort of exotic things, Fossils, rare crystal formations, meteoric glass, insects in amber, ancient trinkets, the list is endless.
Me been me i am intrigued by these things and constantly wondering if i can use them to make something with.
After the last surgery i went shopping and bought a few things that appealed to me to give to friends and family as gifts. People who know me, know that these sort of things tease me so hopefully theres a sense of me attached to each of these gifts. And to give these things away with no compulsion to "make" something from them is a wonderful release.

The other week i commissioned the Shakuhaci (Japenese Flute) maker David Brown to make me a flute. I have been making crappy versions for a few years now but i have realised that the only way i could make a proper one would be to work closely with a pro. Given my situation, my prioties lie elsewhere.
The craftsman in me resented the idea of getting someone else to make one but i solved the issue. I selected what i thought would be a perfect piece of fiddleback redgum with natural features from my favorites plus some others and went and had a talk with David. I took some of my sculptures as well and he gave me the sense he understood where iam coming from.
I showed him some of the wood i had brought and when he saw my fave, he exclaimed "oh my god". He could see the flute within
Marvelous. Plus theres the sense of giving away something special to me without guilt.

[ohno]

I had to write that last piece to make more sense of this post

Talking of woods with David, he mentioned Camphor Laurel. I had a momentry thought "mmm i wish i'd had a chance to do some work with that wood"

Today i happened to find a small Camphor bowl in an opshop for $3 and thought it'd be a perfect gift for my mother. It could do with a little bit of sanding.

Two birds with one stone

[Cliff Rogers]

Geeze Ohno, if you keep this up, you are going to have to change your Title from Sarcastic to Philosophic

[ohno]

Geeze Ohno, if you keep this up, you are going to have to change your Title from Sarcastic to Philosophic

"Contemplative" gets to the nub of it for me. How do i change it again?


A sense of humour is an important thing though. A playful sense of absurdity balanced with a a kind of upmost seriousness in everything as well. Its the minds best position to deal with the chaotic nature of the world.

Its Very much a Zen concept and often why any discusision into the subject of the nature of Zen often becomes twisty, turny, glassy eyed and quite often downright wanky.

Thats why i recommend those books highly They dont try and tell you what it "Is" but what it isnt. "no thats just been pointlessly silly" they might say to some example.

[ohno]

To recap for those who just tuned in

1 -I have been living with cancer for over three years now

2 -MOst of my life i have spent an emourmous amount of time an effort trying to improve and balance my mind and try and achieve a kind of happiness and a peaceful existance with my long long compulsion to create great "Art"

3-it has not been easy and it has only been relatively recently that i have finally reached a good balance and am produce artworks that i am truely happy with. Its nice to see a lot of hard work and anguish has paid off somewhat

4-After 3 brain tumour removals over the years the cancer has progress ed to the point where it is inoperable and chemotherapy may or may not be able to save me.


5- Given the nature of the cancer, it is quite likely to progress rapidly in a matter of mere months.

6- as of the moment iam "ok" and able to work on a few complex sculptral pieces which, if i manage to get them half right, i will be very happy to leave as a legacy.

7- so i have free reign to really be me and honestly its great.

8-I am quite happy to talk about my health situation and these other concepts, but iam probably only so openly comfortable discussing discussing thngs like Zen here because of my situation. Make what you will.

9 i also carve wood
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=32707

Thats enough pillowsoftiKal guff from me for now. Whats the point in having a cushy, swivelly chair if use just sit and swivel?. Things dont get done unless you spend the time they take to do right.

A few smaller projects should be done soon and there will certainly be pics

Ben

[Cliff Rogers]

Go get 'e Ben, make the chips fly.