09/24/2003 Entry: "The Koan Brothers."

Before enlightenment, Chop wood and carry water.
After enlightenment, Chop wood and carry water.
—Wu Li

Discussion this evening after our movie club movie (which took a very long time and went a great distance in order to not really get anywhere) brought us to the question, what is a koan? And how is it pronounced?

It's not that the movie was particularly Zen; If there was as much toplessness in Zen as there was this movie, then I'd be surprised more straight men and lesbians aren't Buddhists. No, I think we were just desperately trying to put some sort of meaning onto the evening and ended up there.

That's one of my hangups about reviewing something critically; I feel like I sometimes apply more meaning to a piece than it really has—or possibly deserves. I'm sure that's one of the fears that I use as an excuse for not making art again. I left art school in the Postmodern 90's feeling deconstructed as an artist: suspicious of theory and of criticism and intimidated that by opening my mouth I might betray my ignorance of them as well.

But don't get me wrong; I got bettuh'. Some days I just have to get over my damn self. I can talk about art and the artists I know and will try not to make stuff up unless it's funny. Ask me and I will tell you how I respond to something aesthetically. Trust me, I will—at respectful volumes—particularly in galleries where I am not responding to the art in a positive way.

So after all of that, did I like the movie? Well...I never studied film, so...Mu.

Replies: 4 comments

"The secret to Zen is two words... Not always so." - Suzuki Roshi

That is my favorite koan (paradox) of all time, and I remind myself of it quite often.

Posted by sillynun @ 09/24/2003 09:23 AM PST

Perhaps even more zen: clicking on the movie link --> Page not found.

http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/moviesite/review.asp?ID=61

hmm. Maybe you didn't see a movie afterall?

Posted by Colin @ 09/24/2003 11:23 AM PST

You step in the stream,
but the water has moved on.
This page is not here.

Whoops. It's fixed now.

Posted by Casey @ 09/24/2003 12:01 AM PST

Is it anything like SwimFan?

All films should be like SwimFan

Posted by Naladahc @ 09/25/2003 09:33 AM PST