A carpenter and a piece of wood

BARAKA · Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 21

Attributed to a Taoist from the city of Palembang, Indonesia.

A carpenter who is building something requires for that work a tough and strong piece of wood to act as a firm support, he selected a piece of wood with great care looking for just this particular quality of hardness and strength.

When he begins to work on the wood it is necessary to make joints and to shape the wood according to the requirements of the task.

Now the hardness of the wood becomes a difficulty to him. It requires much labour and the very quality he required and sought with so much care and effort becomes his enemy.

The very quality of hardness which is good for his task becomes as it were the evil quality of the wood as far as his chisel and, temporarily, he himself are concerned.

Were the chisel able to talk and think might it not complain and wonder why the carpenter permitted such an evil thing as the hardness of the wood?

Indeed, at the same time would not the wood feel justified in grieving at the apparent cruelty of the chisel and the carpenter ?

--- O God, keep fresh in our heart the remembrance of Your great purpose. ---

jp · Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 3

wouldn't the wood have already been chiseled once to become a piece, the chisel was created to endure a hard wood, these items were created for use by the carpenter and with skillfull hands the wood carves itself revealing what was already there. the chisel would be happy to have brought out something so beautiful and the wood would be happy to finally have itself revealed. A good carpenter knows that the hardness of a wood and the sharpness of a chisle is the only way, there is no conflict or difficulty, it is a dance of enlightenment for the carpenter.\

later Jp

babalu · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 107

No, you're both wrong. Smile

The wood woould have preferred to remain an uncarved block.

babalu---

jp · Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 3

but would the wheat in the bread we eat preferreed to have been left in the field. transformation of all things cannot be stopped, it is however abused.
later Jp

jp · Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 3

but would the wheat in the bread we eat preferreed to have been left in the field. transformation of all things cannot be stopped, it is however abused.
later Jp

jhamiltonrex · Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Posts: 103

Hmm, well, I carve wood, and believe me babs, it Loves being carved most of the time. It lets me know what it wants. by the same token my chisels know what their capabilities are also. it's up to us to listen, and just allow ourselves to be the intermdiary in the unfolding of the work.

now, on a technical note, carpenters build, and carvers carve. there is a difference, it matters to us, but not in the case of the rant, but I tought i'd mention it. (I'm being a bit of an ass Laughing

)

Are we supposed to coment on the postings? I have been wondering what is the point of bark's rant's. Confused

are these supposedly some original thoughts? Not that there actualy are original thoughts to be had.

Aku would know, wonder where he is?

jeez, I am in a assie mood Razz

,

lader gaderz

jh

babalu · Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 107

JH--but if that wood jumped up and said, "Make of me a Peregrine Falcon!" would you not reject it as 'uncanny'? To me, it seems that when wood is carved, there is someone imposing their will (ego) on the wood. But that is only the way it seems to me; your mileage may vary.

babalu- Smile

jhamiltonrex · Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Posts: 103

you help me explain it further babs, it is the relinquishing of my ego that allows the wood to tell me what it wants, or metal, I also carve metal, what ever shape that lies within can only come forth when i divest myself of the ambition of foresight.

the not knowing allows for wonderful surprise.

trying to force it is actually dangerous for me know, it is usualy then that i end up with a gouge slipping into my hand.

on my website there is a pic of me carving, shortly after i lsiced myself real well because I was trying to force a design.

philinla · Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 5

is a woodsman (woodsperson) who is often made out to be a builder.
The builder is made out to be a carverer and that process proceeds to remove and not build. The forester may grow a forest by triming away some of the branches, he is not a builder but a nurturer.
Whether or not we "build" or trim or nurture we are limited by our perceptions.Our own identity made be falsely made as easily these words come to life.