Vanishing Artist Story in Daoist Lit
Michael Heim
about an artist who finished an elaborate wall painting of a lovely
garden. When the painting was finished, the artist walked
into garden mural and disappeared into the wall, never to
be heard of again.
Anyone else read this story?
I'm trying to find the book (in English) where I read
the story but so far can't put my finger on it.
Any help out there?
Mike H.
bookbu...@my-deja.com
future. Two children who are having trouble with their partents'
authority develop their skills in using a hollogram room similar to
what's on Star Trek. This room is in Africa and contains lions who are
more and more real. Dad ends up in the hollogram being eaten by the
lions.
bookburn
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Jaybuzin0000
>Mike H wrote:
[...]
>> Anyone else read this story?
I haven't but I'm searching for it!
>There is a science fiction story by Bradbury like that,
I did read that one.
Here's a quote from an interesting site:
'History of the Chinese and Japanese Gardens
"You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach blossom which flows downstream and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men." Li Po
These words symbolize the essence of Asian gardens, a place of meditation and
spiritual oneness with nature. The first gardens in China were places of
harmony with the spirit of nature. The Chinese have the oldest tradition of
gardens still in continuous use in the world. Gardens seen in China today date
back to the 4th Century B.C. But it is possible that gardens in the hunting
forest preserves of Imperial leaders dated back even further. From hieroglyphs
on oracle bones, scenes of gardens were indicated that these preserves had
artificial lakes and terraces of plants open to the public. The earliest scenes
date to about 2000 B.C. Not much is known about these landscapes, except that
they were used for religious rituals. A person practicing Taoism, (a type of
religious philosophy that stated the "totality of all things" or "Dao", past,
present and future), had to seek where they fit into nature's scheme. Confucius
teachings thrived during this ancient time in China too, but it emphasized the
relationship between humans. Photo: Contemplation Garden, Portland, Ore. One of
the best places to seek "Dao" (from Taoism) is in a natural setting, and of
course a garden was ideal for this spiritual communion.
The difference then between Confucianism, where rectangles and courtyards,
streets, and straight paths emphasized relationships of people, and Taoism,
where irregular design, broken edges, meandering streams, and patches of plants
all symbolized nature was a great theme that is expressed in today's Chinese
garden. An extension of this representation of nature was to show the Empire in
miniature by a garden. The emperor, Qin Shi Huang (Qin Dynasty 221-256 B.C.)
collected animals and plants from all over the Empire to show the great variety
and riches in the area of his iron-rule. This theme of a kingdom in miniature,
is shared in many of the current Chinese gardens, to see not only nature in
finding your spiritual place, but to see the richness of different landscapes.'
-from
http://centralia.ctc.edu/~dmartin/Bot250/readings/u4.html
If I find anything else ... ...
-mean while
passing bottomless
jug thru the portal
in the grove
{:-])))
Jaybuzin0000
http://www.kicon.com/PhamDuy/TongQuat/daoca2.html
not this but ...
http://www.wsu.edu/~wldciv/brians_syllabus/21.html
Hey! I think this is it !!!!
"When the painting was near completion, his faithful disciple Ling appeared in
the painting, appearing normal except "around his neck was tied a strange red
scarf," and Wang-Fo then noticed that the royal courtroom was flooded with
water. Wang-Fo entered his painting, and he and Ling sailed away on a sea in a
universe totally of Wang-Fo's design."
from:
http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/hthl/etuds/hall/homepage_text/papers/WANG-FO.PP
R.html
google. it tooka while.
{:-])))
Jaybuzin0000
>http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/hthl/etuds/hall/homepage_text/papers/WANG-FO.PP
>R.html
looks like the string is too long for a link,
but putting the R.html in the url box along with
may take yu th'air.
kungm...@mindspring.com
wrote:
><Somewhere, I think it was a book on Taoism, I read a story
><about an artist who finished an elaborate wall painting of a lovely
><garden. When the painting was finished, the artist walked
><into garden mural and disappeared into the wall, never to
><be heard of again.
><
><Anyone else read this story?
><
><I'm trying to find the book (in English) where I read
><the story but so far can't put my finger on it.
><
><Any help out there?
><
><Mike H.
Let's see.
Similar is "A wall painting" in "Strange tales of Liaozhai" but it is
not exactly the same.
--
Lao Wombat
Michael Heim
me is the source. Is it a Taoist source or a contemporary French
fiction writer?
http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/hthl/etuds/hall/homepage_text/papers/WANG-FO.PPR.html
According to the web page, this quotation comes from French
fiction writer Marguerite Yourcenar. Amazon turns up many
fiction works by her. I don't recall reading any of her books,
and I don't read much fiction, so I'm wondering about her source.
Could it be that she borrows this image from Taoist literature
and then builds her story on it? My own reading has gone
into the Taoist writings themselves (in translation) or direct
commentaries like Blofeld or Watts. My recollection (in the
mists of memory) is that the story comes from those sources
rather than from fiction.
Could one of the Western commentators have picked
up the fiction from Yourcenar and then passed it along as
authentic Taoist tradition?
Memory can play tricks. And pretty soon you've gone
through the wall and begin believing in the memory you
walked into....;;-))
Mike H.
Moonshadao
> There is a science fiction story by Bradbury like that, but set in the
> future. Two children who are having trouble with their partents'
> authority develop their skills in using a hollogram room similar to
> what's on Star Trek. This room is in Africa and contains lions who are
> more and more real. Dad ends up in the hollogram being eaten by the
> lions.
>
> bookburn
>
A short story by Bradbury. It was called, 'The Veldt'
It was the second story in the book of short stories
called , 'The Illustrated Man.'
lday
mi...@spam-mheim.com (Michael Heim) wrote:
>Very interesting find!! This is the picture alright, but what
troubles
>me is the source. Is it a Taoist source or a contemporary French
>fiction writer?
Hi Mike,
Preceding these examples is a short story from Juan Luis Borges
of Argentina (and surrealism;-) wherein someone 'falls into' a
painting. Sorry I don't remember the exact title, maybe in
'Labyrinths' ..dunno?!
The image also appears in an episode of 'Kung-fu, The Legend
Continues' {{in the episode called (mebbe) 'An Afternoon in the
Museum with George'. Well, George is a terrorist, but luckily he
falls into a Taoist tapestry.
Perhaps it is a pun on 'intuit'? To fall 'into-it' :}}
food for thought for sure:-)
& welcome to the grove!
--lawrence
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Jaybuzin0000
> Is it a Taoist source or a contemporary French
>fiction writer?
I don't know. Hung Mung hopped.
In searching again, so far, here's something:
"Heading south from Anxi, the road winds through low hills and emerges in
another plain extending toward the larger southern peaks. Stein traveled this
route to the Ch'iao-tzu oasis, near which he explored a major Han-era fortress,
some 500 yards square and noted many other old ruins. There was evidence that
the fortified town had been occupied through the T'ang era and into the period
of Tangut (Xi-Xia) rule prior to the Mongol invasion. The extent of these
fortifications and the existence of additional watch towers further along the
road at the Yulin "Thousand Buddha" Caves (Wang-fo-hsia) attests to the
importance of this route. Here are two images of one of the Han
fortifications near Ch'iao-tzu, although apparently not the one that Stein
described."
-from: On the Road to Yulin
at:
http://faculty.washington.edu/dwaugh/CA/cities/dunhuang/yulin1.htm
>Could it be that she borrows this image from Taoist literature
>and then builds her story on it?
my hunch is that it's buddhistic:
"Weiyinwáng fó [wg] Wei-yin-wang fo [ko] ???? Wiumwang pul [ja] ??????? Iono
butsu ||| Bhi?ma-garjita-svara-raja. The buddha Majestic Voice King, who lived
in the extremely distant past. ???? T 262.9.50c3? [Dictionary References]
Naka33b FKS3770 DFB [Credit] cmuller greeves(entry) "
You might try to contact Muller, or perhaps Chad Hansen.
Chino might know, but he ain't sayin? You could try
to get ahold of him thru e-mail too.
here's something:
"THE HIGH KING AVALOKITESVARA (KUAN YIN) SUTRA
...
SHI TZE HOU SHEN ZU YOU WANG FO,
the Tranquil King Buddha with Lion's roar and divine speed,
FO GAO SHE MI DENG WANG FO,
the Sumeru Light King Buddha announced by Buddha, "
>My own reading has gone
>into the Taoist writings themselves (in translation) or direct
>commentaries like Blofeld or Watts.
Watts told many stories.
The buddhist groups may know more of Wang Fo
as far as what it means.
>My recollection (in the
>mists of memory) is that the story comes from those sources
>rather than from fiction.
could be metaphorical. I didn't search too much
for Marguerite's autobiography. She like asia, one site said.
>Could one of the Western commentators have picked
>up the fiction from Yourcenar and then passed it along as
>authentic Taoist tradition?
stuff like that's been known to have happened.
thus have I heard.
>Memory can play tricks. And pretty soon you've gone
>through the wall and begin believing in the memory you
>walked into....;;-))
good luck on your quest!
{:-])))