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Dharma Craft
lobster
Crusty Veteran
I have not practiced western witch craft but I used to go to Santeira shops to check out their soap and candle range ...
Craft magick is a big part of Daka Dharma (my teacher regarded Tantra as witchcraft). Craftmanship of course is a form of potential meditative awareness. For example making sacred gateaux (torma) or flower arranging ones shrine offerings ...
What craft/hobby helps your practice? For me it is currently being made aware of stillness and breathing when taking a photo ...
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When I'm at work, making landscape pictures. Still and aware. Love it.
For whatever reasons, I've been out of the loop of taking sky pictures or whatever, for a while now and I want to get back the mood of doing that, because it seems wonderful shots seemed to just fall into my lap, so to speak. I have a nice little collection of sky pictures that NOW I believe were a gift - to take the sting out of losing my only son.
Ages ago, I did all sorts of craft stuff, from macramé in the 70's, to dried flower arrangements in the 90's. I had bought all sorts of dried flowers one month while I was still working, and I happened to have been curious about the binaural beats, and that sort of thing - listened to the cd a few times and one early morning at work, I just did this thing -- this really huge dried flower arrangement that everybody was oohing and ahhing over -- it was like something else took over:
My wife is not a Buddhist or even sharing in my meditation and investigations. However, she is retired and spends much of her time doing art quilts. Watching her, I have no doubt that she achieves a degree of everyday mindfulness that I can only aspire to
Art quilts sound wonderful @Kenneth.
I can sew a little, we learned it at school and my mother was trained as a seamstress. To my utter shame I do not darn socks or mend clothes as they are so cheap. However a patchwork meditation blanket made up of dharma symbols intrigues me ... must put on my thinking cap ... as soon as I have made one ...
As most of you will know, I knit. A lot.
My most recent project was knitting a mobius strip cowl for my mum.
It was a first attempt, and I pretty much gave up after three or four initial failed attempts. The cast-on is a bitch to master, and initially it's complicated... but I was very pleased with the eventual result, and am already planning a modified follow-up...
It focuses the attention wonderfully.
Now, all I have to do, is to replicate that focus while my hands are completely idle...
I don't know if it counts as a hobby, but it helps me relax. Where I work, we are not allowed to bring in books, well, anything really. Liquids have to be in clear containers, food in clear bags... ( I work as a correctional officer in the county jail.) But we can bring in a small notebook, for notes, post information, etc.
So, what I will do is write out portions of suttas, etc. that I am reading or studying. I always liked to actually write, not type, and it helps me to remember what I am reading, and also helps me to study a little at work.
I am planning a water feature, a small rock pool type thingy. Need more rocks from the beach!
^^^ Sounds wonderful ... Suddenly realised I should be collecting rocks for garden use ... mmm ...
Journal writing, wood carving, and coloring. Coloring has always been very meditative for me and it's been delightful to see several amazing pen artists come out with coloring books for adults
Collecting rocks. I love to walk on the shore of Lake Superior looking for agates. Wood carving, the whole process is meditative. Finding and selecting wood, deciding what to do with it. I use my great-grandfather's handmade carving tools. My diamond willow hiking stick is a favorite, and it comes with me whenever I am hiking or berry picking. So then it's thumping on the ground becomes meditative when I walk as well.
If we have unusually low tides, we'll know who to blame...
I recently discovered that I really enjoy painting miniatures for D&D.
D&D.....?
My younger brother used to paint miniature soldiers and the suchlike... from the Civil war and Napoleonic wars... his attention to detail was enviable....
Dungeons and Dragons. I also have a lot of the miniature soldiers. I find that I get totally lost doing it and hours just fly by without a single thought entering my head.
Here's some of my more explicitly Buddhist art from a few months back:
Pulled from my rarely updated instagram.
Dungeons and Dragons. Adventure game.
Stunning.
Thanks for sharing. High quality craftmanship sometimes enters the realm of art. For example in ultra realism ... however that is for another thread ...
There is room for a dharma colouring book for adults, which I might find useful when I grow up.
http://www.oncoloring.com/buddhism-coloring-pages.html
Your work reminds me of when I used to download black and white line drawings of Buddhas and mindfully colour them. They then became part of shrines and usually given away ...
I keep meaning to get my stencils out ...
@lobster I would actually love to be part of a coloring book project one day… mandalas and buddhas…
Sounds like a plan. You could self publish and sell as a craft item, open source/creative commons it as a pdf or even start a thread here for possible freed/sharing artwork. I would certainly be happy to create a suitable page for free . . .
A Mindful Colouring Book that turns into a Self Build Shrine . . . mmm . . . Just think of the merit (Zero for Zeniths) but the Tantrists and Purelanders would be feeling virtuous for years
Because your artwork is graphic it is easily filtered to a black and white outline
Like many amateur crafties (if there is such a meaning) I enjoy seeing others work.
... meanwhile ...
I enjoy playing with computers so for example this is just a very simple spot on the Thames. Just filming and then editing the traffic with Openshot on Puppy Linux. . . http://www.openshot.org/
The lens flair I liked and it became the theme for ... what drifted by ...
@lobster Yes I like those ideas.. it would actually be quite easy to do, once the art is created.
Thank you for sharing that video, it's quite peaceful & I enjoyed it
I made an adjustable lava rock wrist mala yesterday~
Thanks guys
Want to return to the difference between mindless absorption and mindful absorption in crafts.
A very simple example is the morning ritual of making tea or coffee. Are we mindless in its its well worn comfortable groove or very aware of our actions ... ?
There is for me a difference
Crafts? Yikes. Not for me. (At school two different teachers told me they had never seen anyone as helpless in Crafts as I was. And one of them had been a teacher for ~40 years. The other thought I wasn't even taking it seriously...)
So perhaps crafting would be good patience training....
For those of us who can't draw, sing, dance, do crafts or knit, the Ukulele is fantastic!
Peace to all
That very much depends on whether you have an ear for music, or you sound like you're playing with one....
@lobster * bows to you * Beautiful video. I think of @jeffery once in awhile while I'm making coffee....He used to talk about making his coffee mindfully in the morning. At the time, I thought...yeah, he's right. I don't do enough of that! I now get up half an hour earlier than the kids, and take my time making coffee. I even sit down at the breakfast bar while its dripping....watching....listening...then...smelling...ahhhhhh!
"Forgive others. Not because they deserve your forgiveness, but because YOU deserve peace."
Love that quotation.....
Oh...sorry @Jeffrey...I spelled your name wrong in the post above.
Hi @Vastmind I still often do walking meditation while the coffee is brewing.
First: federica - That is what makes the uke soooo gooood! I don't have a good ear for music. But it sounds good anyway.
Also, your foods from a different thread - NUM! NUM! But I digress
Me too.
Corollary: "If you have anger toward someone else, it is you who suffers." (Sorry, I have't a clue who gets credit for originating that on)
We certainly have enough suffering without inviting more.
One more thing: (paraphrasing): Smile - it costs nothing, brightens your day and warms hearts.
@lobster, @Jeffrey, and @Vastmind - Waiting for the coffee is half the fun. Of course the other half is the pleasure of enjoying that cup of joe, aaahhh!
Thanks to all for this diversion.
Peace to all.
I usually draw and paint mandalas.
But I also like to string malas.
I made mine myself with jade and sandalwood,
and a tiny one for a friend with ebony and jade.
I lied a bit... I do draw. But it's not very good and it's very naive. I'm not an 'artist'.
Haha...
@Shim - I think that's a great drawing! It's humorous - you don't have to be a Rembrandt to be a good/great artist. I used to encourage my ex to do some art work because he wanted to, but insisted that he was no good at it - even though he hadn't even given it a shot.
Oh dear..I started to write something, but my mind wandered off. I must pt a chip in it's collar so I can find it quicker...Shim's picture is nice.
It reminds me of myself before my cup of coffee on those particularly early mornings.
Peace to all
Ha, thanks @silver & @Lionduck!
Very good @Shim thanks - for sharing that image ^^^