Miss Buddha (120 page)

Thus, the subject matter of Zen religious
painting consists of natural forms, such as birds, grasses, rocks,
and mountains, presented merely as images in a style that combines
a maximum of technique with a minimum of planning and
deliberation.

Such art avoids iconography and expresses a
way of experiencing rather than ideas based upon experience, for
Zen is not committed to any system of doctrine or belief.

:: Oneness of Purpose ::

As mentioned in the introduction to the
section on Religion, above: Were there no suffering in this world,
there would be no Religion. There would be no need for that
balm.

Perhaps I can extend that to: Were there no
suffering in this world, there would be no Philosophy, nor Science
either—for who would be curious about anything in a world of
bliss?

Human beings want to know
why they are unhappy, they rarely, if ever, wonder why they are
happy. I propose that the concept of
problem
preceded and spawned the
concept of
curiosity
.

Be that, however, as it may, once curiosity
had indeed risen, and once it had gained a firm hold as a human
endeavor, it soon proliferated and branched off into its three main
paths: Science, Philosophy, and Religion.

But the initial question was, I am sure: Why
do I hurt?

It was not: Why do I laugh? for happiness is
its own answer, and raises no questions.

Three Paths

Today, as we look back over this journey of
discovery (why do I hurt?), we see three paths that each lay claim
to its own territory and uniqueness—although Science now and then
attempts to commandeer the other two, and subordinate them to its
(obviously) only right way to go about things.

Such arrogance.

For, if anything, all paths of discovery
fall under the wider umbrella of philosophy, the all-encompassing
love of wisdom and of truth, for is it not the truth that we are
all after, after all?

A Thousand Truths

Perhaps one’s first conclusion (after the
above whirlwind survey of Science, Philosophy, and Religion) is
that there are a thousand, a thousand thousand, and a thousand
thousand thousand truths, and more as more little truths are
discovered (or dreamed up) every day.

But this is tracking water upstream; tracing
it to finer and finer tributaries. A thousand thousand thousand
tributaries finer and finer every day.

But what, ultimately, feeds all tributaries,
and where do all tributaries ultimately return to?

One Ocean

Whether you follow the river of Science,
Philosophy, or Religion, it will, eventually, return to the one
truth that ultimately gave birth to them: the Ocean. The One
Ocean.

Water is water, gravity is gravity, truth is
truth.

::

About the Author

Raised in Northern Sweden (apparently by
trolls), Ulf Wolf now makes California’s Pacific North his
home.

To date he has written six novels, five
novellas, as well as a host of stories, poems, and songs. More is
always underway.

For more about this
particular wolf, please visit
http://ulfwolf.com
.

Also, you can contact him
at
[email protected]
.

Other stories by Ulf Wolf (and also
available on Smashwords):

He Fell Through
Clouds
— a novel

Love Thyself Last
— a novel

Storm
— a novel

The Faces of Harriet Brown
—
a novel

The Katha Upanishad
— a novel

A Larry Comes
— a novella

Boil a Manchild for
Odin
— a novella

Flannery’s Bear
— a novella

Only The Albatross
Remembers
— a novella

The Path Walkers
— a novella

Many of his short stories are also available
on Smashwords.