tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.comments2018-01-01T14:40:27.102-08:00Feeding the wolf I want to winAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-7499258822788421302012-10-07T14:34:13.268-07:002012-10-07T14:34:13.268-07:00http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuyKnDRrsvEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuyKnDRrsvEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-34234617521367255782012-06-13T23:55:52.906-07:002012-06-13T23:55:52.906-07:00I really impressed after read this because of some...I really impressed after read this because of some quality work and informative thoughts . I just wanna say thanks for the writer and wish you all the best for coming. Thanks greatfree appshttp://newfreeapps.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-68314716967575647722011-08-14T10:46:22.831-07:002011-08-14T10:46:22.831-07:00Will,
Over a year with last post... you must be...Will,<br /> Over a year with last post... you must be a Zen<br />state of mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-68093066286151666212011-04-08T08:55:39.594-07:002011-04-08T08:55:39.594-07:00what is your tradition? can i assume soto zen? th...what is your tradition? can i assume soto zen? thanks for sharing! <br />in gasshoUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01040644886175271802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-68269042244517460602010-09-02T19:01:50.577-07:002010-09-02T19:01:50.577-07:00Thank you for the link, Will. :o)Thank you for the link, Will. :o)The Village Carpenterhttp://villagecarpenter.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-14494860094394578372010-08-30T05:40:02.737-07:002010-08-30T05:40:02.737-07:00Kari, knowing 'less than nothing and Zen' ...Kari, knowing 'less than nothing and Zen' is wonderful and a profound Zen state. I don't say this to confuse you. Zen Master Seung Sahn, a modern teacher who helped bring Zen to America, liked to remind everyone who'd listen "Always keep don't know mind."<br /><br />If you're interested, in 1987 Seung Sahn wrote 3 short letters to a beginner which expound on this knowing 'less than nothing'. Very moving. http://tinyurl.com/5lmzl6<br /><br />Yes, it was so nice to finally meet you in the really world. May you be happy and healthy.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-87646339916788682592010-08-29T17:17:42.819-07:002010-08-29T17:17:42.819-07:00Will, I enjoyed meeting you at Country Workshops l...Will, I enjoyed meeting you at Country Workshops last week. I know less than nothing about Zen, but I do know that I appreciated your stillness. :o)Kari Hultmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01224053263659415329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-6092393869708432852010-07-16T11:32:33.967-07:002010-07-16T11:32:33.967-07:00Craig, so good to "see you". Saw someone...Craig, so good to "see you". Saw someone else 'cutting the cheese' at the Coop, have you moved on? <br /><br />Frankly, this question of 'why practice' is not very interesting to me. Partly it is a loosening of the grip of certainty. Partly it is confronting reality. The reality that you cannot think your way out of thinking. <br /><br />Speaking of fun, yea! spoon carving! Confused by the connection between 'don't know' and one thing being more important than another. Right now, you, I and this comment have the most import. Soon it will be lunch. This weekend it will be spoon making.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-51689891293693449872010-07-16T08:43:13.830-07:002010-07-16T08:43:13.830-07:00Will,
Enjoyed "seeing you" here while w...Will, <br />Enjoyed "seeing you" here while we are on sabbatical. <br />I'm intrigued about your "not knowing" why you practice zen. Is that a quick n easy answer fronting for a more complicated and less cogent one? Why is any one thing more important than any other, including spoon making?<br />CraigAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-81650885785118565702010-07-11T07:07:23.033-07:002010-07-11T07:07:23.033-07:00Donna, as you know, melding art and everyday objec...Donna, as you know, melding art and everyday objects is a natural out-growth of a practice of focused inward contemplation. A connection to the 'flow' as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes it. I sense this same connection to the stream of creativity when viewing your collages.<br /><br />I am but a clumsy beginner. My goal is to imbue my spoons with 'flow'. We'll see where this goes. <br /><br />Thanks for visiting and your comment.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-17167452094211587822010-07-10T18:19:33.579-07:002010-07-10T18:19:33.579-07:00It is amazing how much creativity can go into an o...It is amazing how much creativity can go into an ordinary every day object like a spoon and yet artists can turn any thing into a more creative and beautiful art form.layershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10991288165260934778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-54497307125774936532010-07-09T05:09:07.398-07:002010-07-09T05:09:07.398-07:00Kari, an important aspect of a quality spoon is ho...Kari, an important aspect of a quality spoon is how it feels in the hand. Some of the spoons in Norman's collection had other characteristics besides balance and "hand comfort" that made them collectible. As you can see by the display, there were spoons with varying qualities. <br /><br />My tastes run towards the utilitarian but I'm glad Norman's doesn't otherwise we would be able see such a diverse collection of spoons.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-3244581806813085242010-07-08T17:43:37.741-07:002010-07-08T17:43:37.741-07:00Wow, Will, that must have been something to see th...Wow, Will, that must have been something to see them all laid out like that. So many different shapes and colors. And what a treat to be able to pick them up and examine them. Thanks for posting the photos!Kari Hultmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01224053263659415329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-81196150194022799742010-04-29T22:57:18.210-07:002010-04-29T22:57:18.210-07:00Dear Will,
Thank you for this post.
Ha! I wish I...Dear Will,<br /><br />Thank you for this post.<br /><br />Ha! I wish I could say I was shocked, but even without a single source, I have very little doubt that this is probably the truth.<br /><br />It kind of reminds me of one of the Zen traditions that has also fallen victim to a "communal celebration bastardized by capitalism" - in many contemporary "Zen" centers it is called "Dharma Transmission."<br /><br />Thanks again!<br /><br />Peace,<br />Ted BiringerTed Biringerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00497538623775589400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-21291517794894149202010-01-02T05:26:48.764-08:002010-01-02T05:26:48.764-08:00Thanks for the encouragement, Justin. I continue t...Thanks for the encouragement, Justin. I continue to look for ways to integrate my Zen practice and my woodworking. <br /><br />Carving places me in a 'flow' state and when it works, the result is pleasing. When my practice wanders, no 'flow' and all I produce is firewood for the shop stove.<br /><br />In this past year I think I came closer then ever. Stay tuned, I have evil plans for marrying Zen and woodworking in 2010.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-47770493692127532772010-01-01T21:09:39.669-08:002010-01-01T21:09:39.669-08:00Wow, Will. That's really beautiful. I can see ...Wow, Will. That's really beautiful. I can see a viewer's impulse to reach out and feel the contours for him/herself. Very cool. Best wishes for a productive and joyful 2010.Buddhist_philosopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246929532585980356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-22775143163684800542009-12-13T11:46:18.993-08:002009-12-13T11:46:18.993-08:00Hi, Will.
Just enjoyed looking at your photos. Th...Hi, Will.<br /><br />Just enjoyed looking at your photos. They're really nice, as is your woodwork.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />H.Harryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05168631752214481563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-65614363623840436772009-08-21T05:33:02.099-07:002009-08-21T05:33:02.099-07:00Jim,
Thank you for you kind comments. One of the s...Jim,<br />Thank you for you kind comments. One of the side benefits of practice is being able to hear the invitations of the universe. <br /><br />Aitken is an old man with decades of practice. With luck, you and I will one day be old men of Zen too.<br /><br />WillAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-88350045010255401742009-08-20T07:07:18.217-07:002009-08-20T07:07:18.217-07:00Hi Will,
I've been following your daily commen...Hi Will,<br />I've been following your daily commentary for some time now. I believe that the universe is giving you an invitation. I also believe that it may be time soon for you to drop the disclaimer at the end of each post. It seems that you may be outgrowing Aitken. Congratulations!<br />Jimformofsoundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13908218462892617923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-28599826704219709602009-08-01T07:48:06.032-07:002009-08-01T07:48:06.032-07:00Yes, layer after layer, if we look closely we can ...Yes, layer after layer, if we look closely we can peel the delusions away.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-38195377766711683612009-08-01T02:11:18.371-07:002009-08-01T02:11:18.371-07:00Amazingly, my initial response was "oh, I tho...Amazingly, my initial response was "oh, I thought I was the only one who realized I was holding myself superior in some everyday thoughts." Another type of divisive self-certainty and superiority. Every layer reveals more layers. This is my favorite miniature so far. Thank you.Kathy Lohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08883945926060644423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-8455399071997486032009-07-25T05:37:09.857-07:002009-07-25T05:37:09.857-07:00You made me smile. The first time I couldn't c...You made me smile. The first time I couldn't come up with any commentary on a miniature is the time you get motivated to look at the book? <br /><br />Trying to expressing some perceived grand understanding comes off stiff and stale while giving up and being honest encourages both writer and reader.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-68501754912900235072009-07-24T07:51:05.756-07:002009-07-24T07:51:05.756-07:00LOL for the first time I feel the motivation to wo...LOL for the first time I feel the motivation to work this book into my reading line up.Kathy Lohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08883945926060644423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-84998487219509860322009-07-22T05:58:11.298-07:002009-07-22T05:58:11.298-07:00Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I ...Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I try and look beyond my notions of the world. This becomes easier and more subtle as practice progresses. <br /><br />I keep coming back to practice. I notice how I deviate, then I just come back. This is the path. Continuously coming back.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17017153635384930856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2828092754225970809.post-79657990007123150902009-07-21T07:41:19.935-07:002009-07-21T07:41:19.935-07:00Interestingly, this very morning I am reading the ...Interestingly, this very morning I am reading the beginning of the Surangama Sutra. My translation is by Charles Luk and I've taken it from buddhanet.net. Anyway, on p 37 there is a note: "Since Ananada always treasured his Ego he would suffer shock and alarm if it was suddenly crushed."<br /><br />It is important to remember that we are on a path, that no matter how much we understand, we are not there. Along this path, I think it is natural to gain deeper and deeper understanding of how our own notions shape our own world, and then to see beyond the notions. I believe that is the essence of the path.Kathy Lohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08883945926060644423noreply@blogger.com