Miksang Ottawa: 2007

Monday, December 31, 2007

Don't Try to be Artistic!

ik - another pithy and relevant quote from Trungpa. I couldn't resist adding this one too!

Happy New Year to you all!

***

December 30, 2007

DON'T TRY TO BE ARTISTIC

The whole philosophy of art is that you don't try to be artistic but you just approach the objects as they are, and then the message comes automatically. You do the same thing in Japanese flower arrangements. You don't try to be artistic; you just chop off certain twigs and certain branches which seem to be out of line with the flow. You just cut them off and then you put the remaining twigs there in the arrangement, and you put the flowers underneath, and it automatically becomes a whole landscape. Similarly, when you look at a painting by a great artist, it doesn't look like someone actually painted it, but it just seemed to happen by itself. There's no gap, no cracks at all. It's one unit, complete.

From "Visual Dharma: Film Workshop," in the COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, Volume Seven, pages 642-643.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Sun in space

Sun in space, originally uploaded by Tom_Moore.

New Miksang Events in Ottawa!!

Hi there!

We finally have some confirmation of Miksang events in the winter and spring of 2008. These events are listed on the left-hand side of this page somewhere, but here they are again just in case:

- November 30, 2007 - Miksang Ottawa Get-Together, 7pm (location to be announced by email)

- May 3 and 4, 2008 - Looking and Seeing: Introduction to Contemplative Photography (Miksang Level I) - Ottawa Shambhala Meditation Centre

- May 30, 2008 - Miksang Public Talk (with John McQuade) at the Ottawa Shambhala Meditation Centre

- May 31 & June 1, 2008 - Contemplative Photography Level II (with John McQuade) at the Ottawa Shambhala Meditation Centre

Visit the online calendar of the Ottawa Shambhala Meditation Centre for more details here. For more info, or to pre-register, contact Ian at ikenney@yahoo.com

Friday, October 26, 2007

Beyond Habitual Patterns

Here is a quote from Chogyam Trungpa (through "Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week") that I thought was particularly relevant to us as Miksangers, even those of us who may not be Shambhalians or Buddhists. Have a look. - ian

October 26, 2007

BEYOND HABITUAL PATTERNS

How on earth, how in the name of heaven and earth can we actually become decent human beings without trying to entertain ourselves from here to the next corner?...It boils down to taking interest in what you see. I have a very frustrated feeling, actually, that when I talk about appreciating red, white, blue, and green, I'm not sure whether you actually appreciate those colors or not. Maybe you think I'm trying to tell you that you should be artists or something. And when I say that you should listen to the sounds that go on in the world, maybe you think I'm trying to tell you to be musicians. And when I talk about the textures of your body -- sense perceptions and feelings -- maybe you think I'm trying to tell you to become salesmen in the garment industry. I'm beginning to wonder.

We are not talking about becoming experts in marketing things, but we are talking about our own situation: how we can actually stop habitual patterns and appreciate the nitty-gritty of the real world on the spot. We can appreciate the bright, beautiful, fantastic world around us; we don't have to feel all that resentful....Once we put a stop to habitual patterns, the vividness, the magic, will begin to descend, and we will begin to become masters of our world -- individually, personally, of course. We will begin to appreciate our world.

From" Overcoming Habitual Patterns," in COLLECTED KALAPA ASSEMBLIES, pages 266 to 267.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.