How To Make A Masterpiece

Anecdotes

oi-Priya

By Priya Devi

Friday, October 7, 2011, 13:51

How is one to create a master piece? A beautiful Tao story reveals the truth.

Khing was a wonderful carver who carved out exquisite pieces of furniture and statues out of rare types of wood. Often his imagination shaped up into new designs and he put them on sale for the highest bidder.

Once Khing carved a unique and beautiful bell stand, for in those days, these stands found place in the fashionable homes of the wealthy. It was only too natural for people to get lured to his artistic creations and the beauty of the exquisite bell stand spread every nook and corner of the land. Ignorant and illiterate people were of the opinion that it was the work of some heavenly spirits.

The king of the land called Lu, were Khing lived, also came to take a look at the beautiful masterpiece. Wonderstruck at the workmanship, he enquired, “What is the secret behind your art and kill?"

Khing replied humbly, “Your majesty, your subject is but an artisan. What other mystery can be there ? Yet I would like to tell you how I went about to create this. I fasted for three days for my mind to be agile. I then put away thoughts of acclaim and profit that can be wrought out of the product while beginning to work on it. Thinking this way I gradually even became unconscious about my body and limbs. By this time my skill got concentrated and my mind integrated to employ it wholly with undivided attention. Then I went into the forest to find the accurate tree. Had I not found the right type of wood, I would have not started working.

At the end Khing summed up, “I allow the Tao in me to work with the Tao of the wood to create this beautiful piece of art that stands before you.

Tao means simply means 'the way' or 'the path'. To live the Tao way is to tread the path of life with the recognition of oneness with the entire cosmos, in perfect harmony with everything.