No Mind of the Tao and the Tao of No Mind
I had an illuminating experience wading in the whirlpool and sweating in the sauna this morning: I had a thought rise like incense from the hidden depths of my mind. The I Ching says to expect the unexpected and as I breathed and absorbed the mist from the rejuvenating hot water and steam heat, the thought I had was simply “life”. Life. Suddenly very gently I moved away from my body. I was aware of being a few feet away from this vehicle, my body, the current life form through which I experience and agree or disagree on realities. At that exact moment, I experienced life itself as No Mind of the Tao and the Tao of No Mind which cannot be expressed, nor is it ever expressed; it is both inexpressible and unexpressible.
In the state I was in I knew that, as photographers, we don’t do photos “in-order-to” something else, not even to express our idea of ourselves as in who or what we are. Contrary to what we might believe about creativity, painters don’t paint and writers don’t write, sculptors don’t sculpt and photographers don’t snap shutters and scientists don’t discover and uncover the universe “in-order-to” make something out of ideas. We may think we do, but the Tao that can be expressed is not the Tao because the Tao is not an idea that can be thought. It just Is, and what there Is are fractals of indivuated distinct manifestations of consciousness becoming conscious. The presence No Mind manifests Itself as differentiated, individuated and, apparently, separate forms of awareness particles: energy subdivisable into spontaneous motion.
In fact, we are those particles living, breathing and having our being in, and of, No Mind of the Tao. We are energies of No Mind, the interdependent core and collective aggregate of all life forms as particles of an inward breath, as it were. Consider this the manifestation of No Mind without individuality or identity. Consider the outward breath as a metaphor for the vast spaciousness of differentiated individualized energies, the substance of creative intelligence; this is not God or gods. There is no father-figure or trinity sharing power. The appearance of individuality and secular identity is experienced as natural living processes of breathing in and breathing out, life and death, youth and old age, the recurrence of ocean tides, the revolutions of the planets and the seasons of the year and many more cycles far too complex and numerous to know about.
CONTINUED INSIDE THE STORY LINK
In the No Mind of the Tao and the Tao of No Mind photo essay.
32 responses
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Leslie Hunziker gave props (4 Nov 2009):
This is absolutely fantastic! Love what you've done, and said.
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Jim Hart said (4 Nov 2009):
so excellent!
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Niki Conolly gave props (4 Nov 2009):
What a great idea! x0x0x0x
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Bruce Miller gave props (4 Nov 2009):
Fantastic expression!
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Lindsay gave props (4 Nov 2009):
This is fantastic!!
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Robert J Ross gave props (4 Nov 2009):
and so we all smiled
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Ina K° said (4 Nov 2009):
Thanks so much for this beautiful collage and your thoughtful philosophical words!
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Aaron Schwartz gave props (4 Nov 2009):
Great idea. I like your story. A lot.
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Penny Nannini gave props (4 Nov 2009):
cool idea, great words! thanks for including me :)
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Diane Bartlett gave props (4 Nov 2009):
Great idea. Love it.
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Charles Rushton said (4 Nov 2009):
Your observations made me think of graduate school (MFA) faculty always wanting us to explain our works. I wanted to say, "If I could put it in words, I would have written a paper." I found some people that said it for me:
Pablo Picasso:
"Everyone wants to understand art. Why not try to understand the songs of a bird? Why does one love the night, flowers, everything around one, without trying to understand them? But in the case of a painting people have to understand.
Georges Braque:
There is only one valuable thing in art: the thing you cannot explain.
Novelist and editor, E(Edward) L(Lawrence) Doctorow:
Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
Photographer, Henri Carier-Bresson:
I’m not responsible for my photographs. Photography is not documentary, but intuition, a poetic experience. It’s drowning yourself, dissolving yourself and then sniff, sniff, sniff—being sensitive to coincidence. You can’t go looking for it; you can’t want it, or you won’t get it. First you must lose your self. Then it happens.
Photographer, Manuel Alvarez Bravo:
When one takes a photograph, one doesn't think about saying anything in particular. One doesn't think about making a statement but rather about creating something visual, which can later bear a meaning that one didn't intend to transmit, depending upon the viewer's interpretation but not necessarily on the photographer's. I work by impulse. No philosophy. No ideas. Not by the head but by the eyes. -
Karen Roberts gave props (4 Nov 2009):
I see me! I see all of us! This is so great! And our thoughts are definitely food for thought. Thank you for including me n your work!
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Rhio9 (Rhio Hirsch) said (4 Nov 2009):
thanks to Charles Rushton for contributing those great quotes.
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jen bellefleur gave props (4 Nov 2009):
this is very thrilling and beautiful. thank you rhio.
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minno ramirez gave props (4 Nov 2009):
this is great!!!
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abel gave props (4 Nov 2009):
great photo and truly very creative.
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markus zundel gave props (5 Nov 2009):
brilliant idea rhio, this could look great blown up on a wall. you also found great words and charles added fantastic quotes, too... thanks
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peggy gardner gave props (5 Nov 2009):
very beautiful tribute - a lot of work !
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eithne mythen gave props (5 Nov 2009):
I LOVE THIS, well done, some very familiar faces there..
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Danielle said (5 Nov 2009):
Beautiful words...very inspiring!
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Dawn Duffield gave props (5 Nov 2009):
You are quite contagious; love the energy!!!!!
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Anne Worner said (5 Nov 2009):
Thanks Rhio - glad I made the cut too! Thanks also for the commentary, words I plan to read again and then read to my philosopher husband tonight. Thanks also to Charles for his words.
Anne -
Maura Wolfson-Foster gave props (5 Nov 2009):
Rhio, you are my mentor - thank you for including me. Your words/photos are so genuine, Have no idea how you created this group photo....reminds me of a yearbook!?! Love, ~ M
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Michele Randell gave props (5 Nov 2009):
Such a generous gesture from you Rhio on the collective consciousness...Am humbled that I am included....Thank you
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♥ Cairenn ♥ said (6 Nov 2009):
my No Mind shares Namasté with your No Mind - Cairenn
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♥ Cairenn ♥ said (6 Nov 2009):
I so resonate with the above quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson - I add a personal favorite quote by - Annie Leibovitz -
"I'm a Photographer & this is My work -
some of it is this and some of it is that." -
k. pasa? k. pasa? gave props (7 Nov 2009):
this is one of the coolest ideas i've seen and you pulled it off beautifully. love "no mind of the tao and the tao of no mind." very beautiful. thank you for bringing me with you. :)
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Jamie Nardoni gave props (8 Nov 2009):
too cool :) this was a very creative idea :)
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Litz Go gave props (8 Nov 2009):
Fantastic images and story! I'm starting to discover how great you are Rhio! I'm looking forward (and backwards) to discover you more. Thanks. ps... do you know that "tao" is people in the Philippine language?
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Lynda Jeffers gave props (8 Nov 2009):
I see me!! Excellent!!
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Zerina Phillip gave props (12 Nov 2009):
Well written ....
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Ronnie Ginnever gave props (15 Nov 2009):
I compliment you on this.....
Also by Rhio9 (Rhio Hirsch)
