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MPH: Philosophy of Value 4 - Taking Hold Upon Value

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there's said to be an old art dealer in canton

canton

when someone said to him uh

is this painting that you're selling me any

any

good the dealer would look at him rather

quizzically and then simply say my

friend opened the door

that was the only answer he ever would give

give

in other words

in attempting to determine value

we have to open the door inside of ourselves

ourselves

there has to be some way by which we are able

able [Music]

[Music]

to establish [Music]

[Music]

value apart

from tradition

and apart from the simple testimony

of our common judgment

there has to be a certain intuitive process

process

go on

when we attempt to determine rightness

rightness truth

truth

reality and fact

now there are some facts that are so obvious

obvious

that through general and common acceptance

acceptance

we are in agreement about them

but even in the world of facts

there are many

rather elusive truths

that cannot be quickly and easily discovered

discovered

to find these

we must learn

to use gradually

a certain extra sensory

band of faculties and powers

the search for value then does sharpen

our intuition

it makes us more observant of small things

things

it makes us more aware of those trifles

this

power of

deeper discernment

is not limited

to trading in fine arts

it becomes a

very useful tool in every phase of daily living

living

if we are able to

instinctively and intuitively grasp value

value

it will help us wherever we must decide

as to the merit of anything

some people are interested in trying to

determine the value of a religion [Music]

[Music]

other than may be concerned

with the value of an art or a science

or still a piece of merchandise

or an investment

or the value of an affection or a friendship

friendship

all of these values are essentially intangibles

intangibles

and most values that we na we know today

are subject to imposture

things are not always what they appear

to be

persons are not what they claim to be

and unless we have some judgment

judgment

intuitive in ourselves

our lives are likely to be

filled with disillusionments and

disappointments and discouragements

the only protection that we have

against being imposed upon

in one way or another

is our own ability to evaluate

therefore we must learn not only to

recognize value but we must learn to

take hold of it

to grasp at it

when the emergency or situation arises

in which decision must be made

in the zen story the little boy first

sees the mysterious black ox

that is the symbol to a measure

of his search for reality

having found the ox he must next capture

the ox he must take hold of it and

bridle it

and in the same way

in our search for value

when we have discovered it we must make

the decision

which this value indicates to be necessary

in our world of material experiences

we are all required

to pay for value

in some way value is expensive

and the more valuable the more likely we

must pay well for that which we desire

consequently it becomes important to know

know

when to save and when to spend

when it is wise to

perhaps over invest

and again when it is wise not to invest

at all

thus judgment

is closely associated with the whole

fact of value

most persons who have been interested in

art culture and related fields over the

period of years

have had adventures

with their own personal

personal weakness

weakness

as this has bearing upon value

indecision comes in very frequently

and in indecision

we are likely to lose that which is valuable

valuable

or to settle for something else which is

less valuable

so prudence

thoughtfulness decision

these problems are

ever present where value

is a factor in a transaction

in one simple way for example

decision in life

if it is in terms of true value

helps us to avoid the innumerable

pitfalls resulting from indecision

there are folks

simply cannot make up their minds

they know what they would like but they

never quite have the courage

to come to a clear decision

on a matter of importance

this decision may involve business or

family or friends

but still this decision is lacking

there is a hesitancy

sometimes this hesitancy arises from an

instinctive sense of inability

the person who does not know

may hesitate to make a decision in an

area where he recognizes that his

knowledge is inadequate

yet in the field of art again for

example all men's knowledge is inadequate

inadequate

there is no one who has ever been an

expert in art art or archaeological research

research

who has been actually able to say

that he could certainly be right

there is always indecision where facts

are not available

and in most matters of importance and

value all facts are not available

so we must make decision

upon some ground

we must decide about whether we will buy

or sell that piece of property

we must decide on what we will invest

or whether it is good to change

employment at this time all these

decisions must be made

and research with value helps us to make decision

decision

and decision in its own turn is a clarifier

clarifier

even a wrong

decision can be more valuable

than a weak indecision

in a wrong decision we face facts or

facts become obvious to us

when the attempt to evade decision

we evade facts

we learn nothing

we advance no cause

and we leave ourselves as weak as before

on the other hand we cannot afford to

make too many bad decisions

nor can we be deceived too often

without perhaps exhausting our resources

consequently the importance

of value again asserts itself

the great levata the wonderful old

early 19th century physiognomist

became a great expert in the analysis of

human character

he took all of the instincts that an art

dealer will turn to art and applied them

to the strange artistry of the human face

face

in the face he sought value

and he judged persons according to the

values which he found

he learned that there is nothing

that is a quicker way to be deceived

than to accept people by what they say

about themselves

nor can we often depend upon their credentials

credentials

we have to judge credentials by someone

else's opinion of a person

actually we have to know something ourselves

ourselves

to know this we must observe compare

compare

way and into it

these are the only causes by which we

can escape

a simple mediocrity of decision which

so from the discovery of certain

abstract value in art

we search value in something else

and we search for it by becoming aware

of the true meaning of things we have to

build up some knowledge

but knowledge again

can play us false if we do nothing with

it there are many persons whose

knowledge in an area is extensive but

this knowledge has never passed from a

theoretical to a practical level

the individual has never tested his knowledge

knowledge

he has never believed sufficiently in it

to really feel that he can depend upon

it in an emergency

now when an art critic or an art lover

examines a piece of chinese porcelain

one of the first things he will do is

very quietly turn it over

and look at the bottom

now he does this because

after he owns it or where it stands in

the store this is the part that is never shown

shown

now from this uh part of the of ours he

learns something

but he doesn't always learn what he is

supposed to learn or what others think

he is going to learn

nearly all fine chinese ceramics are signed

signed

the signature is most likely to be on

the bottom the outside of the bottom of

the piece

so naturally turning it over

it is possible to see the signature

or the seal

or some other

mark which identifies a potter or a kiln

of course uh unfortunately there is

nothing easier in the world to fabricate

than a seal

anywhere in the orient you can buy an

excellent one for 50 cents and have it

inscribed with anything you want on it

it would be just about equal and i've

seen things just about as strange

for a modern person to go in and have a

seal made with a signature of leonardo

da vinci on it

now if leonardo had used a seal it could

be duplicated today

without the slightest difficulty

yet the seal is a very important thing

in asiatic life

a man's signature is meaningless but his

seal is terribly important and the only

substitute for it is his thumb print

that will be acceptable

but an individual who very carefully

endorses a document with his signature

may well be told that his signature is

not acceptable

they would much rather have a seal

because this is the real sign to these

people of this person's actual existence

the seal is the person

but unfortunately

nothing is easier to fabricate

and while it is not likely that a living

person seal will be imitated there are

rigid laws about it

still there is no reason why ancient

marks cannot be easily imitated

so while it might

at least indicate what the piece is

supposed to be

it does a little more than confirm the appearance

appearance

but what the real

real

critic is looking for

is traditional methods

patterns ways of doing things

which change with time

and which the ordinary forger may well

fail to imitate

for example in most ming ceramics

or those of later date

vases were made to stand in bases and as

a result of that

a kind of secondary rim was placed

around the bottom so they would fit

neatly into the little teak wood stand

earlier pieces never had this rim

so the man looking for an old piece may

gain from that what he will never be

able to learn from the possible

fabrication of a seal but it is to be observing

observing

it is to see what

should be seen

or as the dealer may say to see that

which the

imitator hopes you will not see

that is just the point and

and

in all of this type of thing the same

drift has occurred that occurs in our

modern way of

life almost all reproductions are inferior

inferior

they are not inferior by the mere fact

that they are reproductions

they are inferior by the fact that with

the passing of time in both east and

west the quality of workmanship has

gradually depressed

one reason perhaps was

that the rising tide of economic need

did not permit the artisan to spend as

long at his labor

or perhaps the original artist like some

of the european masters lived under the

favor of a prince who financed him and

therefore gave him complete leisure

the copyists did not have this leisure

he is trying to create a livelihood and

he must do it

by in some way cheapening his wares

so the great test of all things is the

cheapening or the loss of quality of things

things

now we observe this in life around us

all the time now

year after year

a cheapening is going on

the quality of merchandise entirely

apart from art

is falling rapidly

the so-called guarantees and promises

have little or no significance

consequently the

buyer is faced not only with the problem

of bewareness

but he is faced with the need for ever

increasing observation

in the effort to to secure if possible

the best available product

this means further

further

support to his own resources

if he buys observingly and thoughtfully

his purchases will last longer and his

funds will be conserved

consequently this continual

awareness this almost subconscious

instinct for fineness

pays off even in the most ordinary walks

of life

it pays off continuously and prevent us

in preventing us from being imposed upon by

secondary merchandise

if we once gain a certain sense of value

we have gained with it

the skill to discover

a better

level of value

we also come of course ultimately head

on into the problem of

uh the bargain

whether or not

we can hope to get something below

its reasonable value

in order to be a

smart shopper for example

a housewife will gradually develop an

almost intuitive grasp of value

she may go to a sale

where a great deal of merchandise is displayed

displayed

she has learned

that when these sales are

open to the public

a few good items

may be concealed in the mass of trash

much of the goods offered at the sale is

not reduced at all

it is merely put in with the other

smaller amount of valuable merchandise

to increase bulk and to

bring sale

from the un observant

observant

from the unthoughtful

so that it is possible for her to go

through a stock and find a few things a

better value otherwise

otherwise

merely bargain hunting she may buy goods

at more than its normal retail price

she has to know

there is no substitute for this knowledge

knowledge

we value this

uh skill where it applies directly to

dollar saving

but we also should learn to value it

where it applies to character protection

which is one of the areas in which value

plays a very important part

we are imposed upon

largely because we do not use

the faculties and powers with which we

have been naturally endowed

the average person today uses only about

20 percent of his brain potential

a large part of his mentality is never exercised

exercised

because he is surrounded by so many

protecting devices

that his own thought processes are

actually discouraged or prevented from functioning

functioning

also on an emergency when he needs them

they are available only untrained

and without any adequate

background and experience in the problem

which presents itself

so we have faculties we have powers

which can protect us from deceit

if we know how to use these powers

we also have powers within our own minds

which will protect us

uh from

surrounding our consciousness with

with

non-valuable material

there can be no doubt whatever

that the psychological influence of the

things we have affects

affects

our character affects our natures

affects our inward consciousness

if therefore we are without the

realization and consciousness

of discrimination

we do lower

lower

our environment we may be spending more

on it but we are getting less for it

now a problem of value would present was

presented to us

with stark realism

in the recent

terrible fires in bel air and

surrounding areas in west western los angeles

angeles

here we had people who built magnificent homes

homes

right up against a continuing fire hazard

hazard

they were warned not only by

authorities but by their insurance agents

agents

that this situation existed

many of these persons had homes

full of valuable things

but they did not take adequate protection

protection

they were not aware they didn't hear the

voice of experience in the warnings of

those who attempted to protect them

they continued thoughtlessly and thereby

took upon themselves a very heavy loss

to the thoughtful person the first word

of warning would have stirred sufficient

internal activity

to have caused adequate steps to be taken

taken

but these persons simply didn't listen

they didn't care they didn't believe

they didn't read the papers

they did not know that others in similar

locations had suffered loss

there was a complete lack of thoughtfulness

thoughtfulness

and this lack of thoughtfulness was paid

for in the terms of millions of dollars

worth of material loss

to say nothing of tremendous loss of

rare art literature and irreplaceable

treasures of families and even of the nation

nation

this type of thing

again in our way of life

we have gradually

come to be wrongly educated in value

we have failed to recognize the

importance of protecting that which is good

good

we do not protect the good public servant

servant

we do not properly reward the good workmen

workmen

we do not make any effort whatever to

discriminate between the levels of

services that are rendered to us

as a result

the level

slowly falls

whereas thoughtfulness discrimination

and integrity could have maintained

these levels

once they are gone they are desperately

difficult to restore

we have lost pride

in the productions of our own efforts

the average family today has lost pride

in its own ingenuity

in its own ability to use its resources well

well

most families have lost pride in economy

regarding extravagance as the true symbol

symbol

of the american way of life

these losses of essential values

must be paid for in many ways

including much suffering and deprivation

and all that is really necessary to

correct the situation

is the gradual education of our own consciousness

consciousness

and the experience

of knowing what is good [Music]

[Music]

now it's true that

we live in several worlds simultaneously

there is a larger world where our

greater goods are involved

but there is also the smaller world of

private experimentation and effort

perhaps the smaller world of a

particular interest becomes a laboratory

in which we can

experiment with principles that we can

apply in many other areas as time goes on

on [Music]

[Music]

so if we choose something

as a symbol

of the entire search for value

as for example art we are only making a

laboratory experiment

in art we can control many factors

for example

an individual makes his own decision

he buys something

he thinks it's good

later he discusses with an expert and he

finds out that it is not good

he learns why he was overcharged and he

learns why his

purchase was unwisely made this whole

situation may involve

a few days of time

and maybe ten twenty or fifty dollars in money

money

here the whole pattern works out we can

see the complete picture

but when we make a mistake and value of

life and go out into the larger theater

of our activity

this mistake may cost us dear

it may go on through for years and we

may never find the true expert who can

tell us what is wrong

consequently by using the smaller

theater of experimentation

we gain the experience and develop the

faculties which we can then apply

to larger and more diversified areas of activity

activity

this is one of the principles behind art

this is one of the reasons why

a collector gradually becomes

a more enlightened in value

it isn't that the things he is

collecting are always important perhaps

they are not important at all

but he is gaining an important

sharpening of his own consciousness

he is learning to think more clearly he

is learning to understand more deeply

and most of all he is learning to try

to appreciate abstract value

in the presence of a great masterpiece

of art

a true connoisseur

may give a little explanation a little

explanation of

almost ecstasy seeing something that is

so wonderful

that he can hardly restrain himself we

look at the same thing and we say well i

i guess it's all right

i don't see anything extraordinary about it

i think they had something like that

down at newberry's once

and uh we uh

we pass it at that

but what did the experts see that we missed

why does he suddenly sense something as

being of tremendous value

and to us it's just something else that

perhaps if we had it we'd give it away gladly

gladly

in fact you'd be surprised how many

great treasures have actually been found

uh in the uh trash cans out in front of

people's houses

they've given away the wrong thing

they've thrown out something priceless

and replaced it with something worthless

these things happen

many very interesting and rare antiques

have been found in dump yards why

why

because the wrong people had them

people who did not know value

but what is the difference how can we

try to understand

what this

expert sees that we do not understand or

do not comprehend

one thing he must see or he wouldn't be

interested at all is beauty

he must see some form of extraordinary

creative excellence

or he would not be moved

or nor interested

why are we not touched inwardly

by the tremendous surge of appreciation

that has risen in him

the only answer is that we're not trained

trained

that we are not used to using those

faculties in that way

we are used to measuring mediocrities

we have gone to school

we've learned a great many simple values

about daily things

but we haven't learned abstract value

we haven't learned to grasp the beautiful

beautiful

and to find in it something essential to

probably if we ask this

uh connoisseur why he was so tremendously

tremendously

attracted to a certain item

he might try to tell us

when he gets all through we would

probably agree with him and still not

know what he was talking about

because we would look exactly where we

he pointed but we wouldn't see what he saw

saw

to us we would it would see a very

pleasant little area perhaps of

porcelain with a nice color on it

to him

he sees something perhaps unique

maybe that particular example is the

only piece of its kind in the united states

states

perhaps he knows who created it

and realizes that in some mysterious way

a treasure has escaped the observant eyes

eyes

of collectors and dealers

and has suddenly appeared within his reach

reach

he knows therefore he

appreciates and appreciation must be

built upon knowledge

and this is true in every department of life

life [Music]

[Music]

another point that we find in working

with this as we said is the need for the

immediate decision

and this comes upon even

those who have considerable

interest in these matters

the ancient rule on the subject is

for the expert

if you know

that it is great

and you can get it

get it

if you are not sure

whether it is great or not

and you are an expert

leave it alone

because if you do not take it

and you are not sure and you are an

expert your subconscious is ringing a bell

bell

there's something wrong

even though your consciousness may not

be able to tell what it is

whenever you are seriously in doubt

whenever you say to yourself i don't

feel quite right about this

uh the great collector leaves the item alone

alone

he senses in some way

that the offense arises from his own

psychic level of appreciation

his consciousness is not really happy

with this particular item

now what makes consciousness happy [Music]

[Music]

apparently the real

answer to this lies

that consciousness is always happy

when it recognizes something upon its

own level

when it recognizes perfection

consciousness being of itself a perfect

thing somewhere in its own source even

though it may not manifest perfectly consciousness

consciousness

recognizes consciousness in other things

consciousness recognizes the skill of

the great

artisan consciousness shares in a

superlative appreciation for that which

is superlative

and from ourselves comes a sense of contentment

contentment

a sense of justification

assureness that what we are considering

arose also from a great consciousness

and this has to lie behind every achievement

achievement

in creativity that is important

so if we are in doubt

and something says to hesitate then

then

it is not wise to proceed

or certainly we should proceed with the

greatest caution and thoroughness and

protect ourselves in every way possible

the same thing should happen when we

meet people

or when we come upon any problem in life

i have talked a great many persons who

have brought their problems

particularly problems involving other people

people

and in the course of a discussion they

may say

you know it's a strange thing

but when i first met that person i

didn't get a good feeling from them

but gradually i decided it was my own

temperament or my own

snobbishness or something in the course

of time i more or less forgot my

original feeling

now i suddenly realize that that

original feeling was right

but it is only after considerable time

that we get around to the proving

proving

of this intuitive flash that we had at

the beginning

therefore we should always be mindful

of these intuitive flashes

now there are certain persons who by

nature are so critical they will

criticize everyone

this of course represents again a total

loss of value and therefore their

judgment is not important

but where we have naturally no

antagonisms no antipathies no prejudices

about a thing yet at the very beginning

of it we sense something

something

that isn't right

we sense the feeling that this is not good

good

then we shouldn't let the hope for profit

profit

or the hope for improved fortune

cause us to depart from that which we know

know

instinctively to be right

because if we mentalize this long enough

we will kill out this consciousness

flash that we had

we will explain it away

but we will not change the circumstances

and maybe five years later or ten years later

later

this intuitive flash

will come through again

now there are cases psychologically in

which this intuitive sensing has gone

even further than this

i know one case in which a person

thinking of going in business

in a business which would have involved

a considerable amount of commitment uh

had a little of this intuitive sense

against the prospective business partner

but because the credentials were

excellent because the man's reputation

apparently was above

the question

the person

felt felt that his superstitions were

not proper that he he shouldn't feel

that way he had no reason to be

suspicious of this other man

it was just some mood of his

but a few days before the time came for

him finally to consummate this business

transaction he had a very important and

impressive dream about it

the consciousness which was trying to

warn him had not quite gotten through

on the conscious level

therefore it came out in a powerful

dream pattern

a dream of warning that was so real

that this person could not resist it

and he did not complete the transaction

and it was very fortunate that he did not

not

because actually the entire

uh situation was

was

a misrepresentation

and very close to outright dishonesty

but the psychic nature had sensed this

now how did the psychic nature sense it

some will say perhaps that there was a

certain clairvoyant faculty involved

that the person's inner life became aware

aware

perhaps almost a sort of telepathic communication

communication

in which the negative thought of the

dishonest person was picked up

by the potential victim and

saved the victim

from the difficulty that threatened

this may be true there's probably a

there are occasions where this is

undoubtedly true

but i wonder if it is consistently the pattern

pattern

because if it was how could

a very intuitive collector

have the same feeling equally strong and

perhaps a dream equally impressive about

a piece of tapestry that is 500 years old

we might say that the tapestry was

haunted or something of that nature but

this gets the situation into a rather

abstract atmosphere

it is far more likely

that this person actually saw

the fraud but did not know

how to interpret what he saw [Music]

[Music]

that however his own subconscious picked

up this forgery

or this misrepresentation and

and

was able to finally bring it through

through some symbolic medium

perhaps in this case simply a violent

sense of don't buy it i don't like it

or perhaps again some kind of a dream

experience there's one case of a dream

of this kind in which a man was buying

an expensive

antique egyptian

jewel or piece of jewelry that was quite expensive

expensive

and he actually had a dream in which

this figure appeared to him and told him

that it was bogus that it was a

reproduction and it later proved to be

in new york there has been a plate

that's being distributed has been

distributed among every art dealer

practically in the western hemisphere

this plate is supposed to be

a a marvelous vessel from a byzantine

altar at saint sophia's

a priceless thing a

a dozen

dozen

great collectors

and great dealers

have examined it

not one of them ever found out that it

was bad

but for some reason none of them ever

bought it

that was one of the peculiar things

something always happened

the price was high

it was priced in the five figures

and well into them

and it was passed on by the experts of

every gallery and museum you could think of

but this piece has gone begging for years

years

whereas other pieces with much less credential

credential

have found happy homes long ago

then all of a sudden the bubble burst

and the man who made it confessed

instead of having been

manufactured by some ancient craftsman

1500 years ago is made in the bronx

and

not one of the persons who turned it

down knew this

but for some reason the plate went begging

begging

although it had enough

endorsement to have convinced the

greatest skeptic

but nobody quite liked it

although it was a beautiful piece of work

work

so the expert learns in one way or

another this overtone

overtone [Music]

[Music]

if we could get this kind of instinct

into our transactions with people on

various levels we'd have a lot more

honesty in this world

we would discourage

a great deal of fabrication

and forgery and

and various

various

impoverishments of quality in various products

products

that we commonly purchase

we just do not get this sense of value

operating correctly

now value carries on into other things

i know persons are very moderate means

who having come into the presence of

something that they instinctively knew

was good

have gone far beyond prudence and

judgment in the effort to acquire that thing

thing

to them its value was so very real and

so very important that they did not dare

to hesitate

under those conditions most of these

transactions came out very well because

of course the essential element was this

enlightened sincerity

which is very hard to deceive once you

have attained it [Music]

[Music]

so these persons have

uh have extended their resources

in the direction of value almost

almost imprudently

imprudently

but actually very wisely

as time itself

always proved

so to know and to grasp value is itself

a tremendously important decision to make

make

and here we have again

a decision in life

when we start out living or when we're

at any period in life

when the opportunity arises

or something that we know is good

or no is necessary or no is right

are we willing fully to stand behind this

this

and give everything we have to it

have we sense enough

to recognize opportunity

to recognize it for exactly what it is

and to be so skillful in our knowledge

that we could not be deceived

if we have this opportunity then do we

have the courage

uh to give full weight to our own

intuition and do the thing that we know

is correct

we have people all the time who come in

and say well i i knew years ago that

what i'm doing wasn't right but i i just

kept on doing it anyway and i just

wonder why i'm in a mess now

it's just this type of thing

there wasn't any clear sense

of knowing what is right and doing it [Music]

[Music]

to get therefore this this

this

credit out of value to get make value

work for you

it must create this censorship and discrimination

discrimination

and intensify our own abilities

uh to decide

to cling to value to do that which is

indicated as the best and wisest thing

to do

now this value does not mean in terms of money

money

i'm not thinking in terms of investment

primarily i'm thinking in terms of character

character

in terms of those decisions which make

for happiness or unhappiness within

ourselves as living creatures

for here's where value operates

most positively at all times

so we say the chinese say at least

that we must reach out and take hold

upon value

that we should always

choose that which is best

in the presence of a number of possible decisions

decisions

and to do this we must have thoughtfulness

thoughtfulness

and to this we must have training and we

must have experience

and we must have all of these elements

of maturity

which make it possible for us to

recognize value

give ourselves the courage to accept the

challenge of value

and then the patience to perfect

whatever elements are necessary in the transaction

transaction these

these

conditions are not commonly found today

the person of today is not thoughtful

he is not

a skillful

in the determination of value

he is not particularly interested in

training himself

for any of these activities

i know in philosophy particularly

how indifferent people are

to the more subtle phases

of emotional reaction to that which is

fine or good

religion and philosophy instead of

deepening the sense of values make us

hasten over them without giving them

adequate consideration perhaps that's

why so much of our religious life is not

adequate and not mature and not helpful

to us in our own emergency [Music]

[Music]

so let's try to take a few little simple

illustrations paralleling different

fields of activity and see what we mean

now by taking hold of value and trying

to do something with it

do something to make

things better for all concerned

we are we'll say moderately educated

people we've had enough schooling to be

able to make a living

we have enough skill in

in some art or trade to be able to have

a measure of proficiency in it

we are managing some way to get along

from day to day we don't exactly know

how ourselves and nobody else seems to

be able to give us much instruction on it

it [Music]

[Music]

but here we are

more or less drifting

tomorrow's another day which will

gradually look more and more like this

one as we begin to live it

there is no particular reason to assume

that we're going to wake up tomorrow any

smarter than we were when we went to bed

and uh

there's not much but of incentive in it

one thing that value requires is incentive

incentive

now where do we find

this incentive

by which an individual is suddenly

shaken out of a rut

and becomes dynamically concerned with something

something a

a this

this

problem of drifting along from day to day

day

bored largely

or wasting time

or worrying about ourselves

there doesn't seem to be much

dynamic in us

if you if you can transfer this situation

situation

to somebody who as one man i know years

ago collected glass doorknobs now there

is what you might term the ultimate end

of some kind of culture i don't know

just what kind it is the only other

parallel to it that i know of is blown

now uh

this person are really considered doorknobs

doorknobs

to be something

something

apart from almost every other value in life

life

god created the world in six days rested

on the seventh and on the eighth day he

made doorknobs

i don't know what the situation was

but these doorknobs were a little less

than an obsession

this was he was a lonely man

he didn't have too many general

interests in life he didn't have a kind

of income that would enable him to

collect van dykes therefore

therefore

he had something however that just made

life wonderful for him

every day he rose in the morning filled

with hope that before dark he would find

another doorknob [Music]

[Music]

and he usually did

sometimes he had great days when he

found two doorknobs [Music]

[Music]

he had a house full of them perhaps a

psychologist would regard this as a

symbol of compounding vandalism i don't know

know

but this man had a lot of fun with doorknobs

doorknobs

and so many people who are much too

intelligent to collect doorknobs don't

have any fun at all

this man had something

not only this but it led him into

a great deal of research

he began to find out all kinds of

interesting things about who made doorknobs

doorknobs

maybe no one else in the community was interested

interested

but in the end he hoped he was going to

write the only authoritative textbook on doorknobs

doorknobs

and i'll wager you that if he does it

he will probably win a prize [Music]

[Music] because

because

it all fits into a funny little pattern

this man had achieved something he

became an authority on doorknobs

most people never become an authority on anything

anything

but when he departs from this life as he

most certainly will he's going to leave

all his doorknobs behind

he's going to take with him a very

interesting adventurous consciousness

because he did something

and other people are going to leave the

practical things that they did instead behind

behind

and the man that laughs at the man who

collected doorknobs is going to leave

his guilt-age securities behind when he

goes also

and when this little mortal span is finished

finished

the value of doorknobs and guild edge

securities are not going to be very

different to that person

it's all part of life

but out of an interest came a constantly

increasing awareness of some kind of value

value

this is important to people

because it is one of the few remedies we

have for the compound doldrums in which

most people find themselves

now i can think of better things than doorknobs

doorknobs

i can also think of better for better

things than another man i knew had about

20 000 different old campaign buttons of

republican and democratic candidates

most of whom are forgotten

in this collection alone the names of

who might have been a senator or who

might have been a congressman

are all are only preserved in just such

things as these no one really cares

but it was exciting to find another

campaign button

this person at least was doing something

to fight against his own boredom

and uh

regardless of whether what he collected

was any good or not this individual

was gradually developing

developing

resources of faculty and consciousness

someday he might collect better things

someday this power might go into an

entirely different channel infinitely

more profitable to mankind but there was

there was action

the mind was being used in some way

the faculties of observation were being developed

developed

some hobbies of develop only one faculty memory

memory

but the average person even needs that

one faculty will develop observation of color

color

this can be useful

perhaps someday this person may become

an artist

but whatever we do is better than not to

do anything

and we must constantly strive to develop

observation and reflection classification

classification [Music]

[Music]

now when you start studying

psychological faculty problems

for instance there is nothing perhaps

that would seem to be very creative

in the collecting of some

uh small trivial things for instance a

collection of the coins of syracuse

these beautiful gold silver and bronze

coins of ancient greece

there doesn't seem to be much creativity

about collecting such things if you have

the money the interest you can collect them

them

but i've never seen two collectors of

these types of things who presented

their collections in the same way

the artistry of the collector

may be expressed in the magnificent way

in which he brought these things

together in a wonderful dramatic pattern

he didn't create the coins he didn't

design them

but he at least knew how to present them

in display

so that other persons got the maximum

impact from them

another man with just as much money

collecting somewhat similar objects kept

them all in a canvas bag

there was there was no way this the

artistry of the individual does come out

and we have to create it

we have to escape from this

absolute lack

of interest

in anything beyond

the daily problem the daily grind of

things we have to have these positive

release mechanisms

if we do not we are candidates for

serious psychological problems

especially now

where the tensions and the tempers of

many people

are on severe edge

there has to be this creativity

so out of all of this problem we we come

up with a luxury factor

that doesn't seem to mean anything

and yet around this luxury factor may

come the greatest actual growth that we make

make

a person

who lives 70 years 75 80 years

and dies without having touched creativity

creativity

has simply lived a very provident prudent

prudent

orderly matter of fact utterly dull existence

existence

this person

has very little to take with them

whatever they have

in the form of inner consciousness is

all they can take

what does this person have to take

almost nothing

they've never even experienced real joy

in anything they've never had any fun at

anything they've done it's all been

problem work seriousness and

massive decisions involving anything

from ten dollars to ten million dollars

but very dull non-creative

non-creative

non-self-expressive and certainly not

inclined to create any consciousness

which calls upon faculties for

verification i forgot to mention

incidentally the doorknobs have been counterfeited

there are rare door knobs you can pay

thousands of dollars for a doorknob

and the problem therefore also is

discrimination as to whether it's worth

it or not but whatever the problem is

faculties are brought into play [Music]

[Music]

something is stirred up in the individual

individual

he likes something very much

and that is more than most people ever

really do

it's amazing

how little color

comes into the majority of human lives

particularly the color that arises from

rejoicing from victory over circumstance

from the discovery of something long

sought we don't have that type of experience

experience

and as a result our temperaments are impoverished

impoverished

so we like to think that this problem of

value has something to do with the

enthusiasm of life

that this enthusiasm of life is contagious

we also know that people who have these

interests are easier people to live with

that they are not by any means as

difficult to work with

persons with

interests and dramatic and dynamic outlets

outlets

are nice to be around usually

whereas persons with none of these

outlets get very heavy tiresome

tiring kinds of attitudes which are hard

to live with

so value should make us always

try to enrich life

with something that is not just necessary

necessary

i know people who say that these

these

frills upon the

circumference of existence

are meaningless

after all

life is a very serious business

and there's no time really to

fritter away

in in foolish avocational activities

activities

i've known these people

but they weren't very friendly people

they were not the kind of people that

made good grandparents

or good friends

they were people who live very much in

the square toad puritanism in which it

seems as though even a smile is little

less than sacrilegious

they were not

the kind of people who have warm happy

healthy lives

so it's it's sometimes very good in a

sense of value

to to simply

remember this thought that mohammed gave us

namely that he had eat two coats he

would sell one

and buy

uh pink hyacinths for his soul

you have to you have to do something

with these things for the soul

and the soul

wants to be fed graciousness

graciousness

beauty charm

perhaps almost childish enthusiasm over something

something

the moment life loses its enthusiasm we

might just as well lie down and call it

a day [Music]

[Music]

it is enthusiasm that makes life

an enthusiasm comes from two words and

theos which means in god

therefore the enthusiast is living in god

god [Music]

[Music]

he is living in

some kind of a spiritual state of active awareness

awareness

and it's hard to get enthusiasm unless

the mind can move out

of what we term the necessary

into some larger vista which we might

almost consider to be an extravagant

place to live

but what is extravagance

i think extravagance can occur

to a very practical person i know people who would consider themselves very very

who would consider themselves very very thrifty who are utterly extravagant

thrifty who are utterly extravagant and i know people who can would be

and i know people who can would be considered highly extravagant who are

considered highly extravagant who are most prudent

most prudent it depends entirely on the judgment of

it depends entirely on the judgment of another person whose interest may be

another person whose interest may be different

different so in value

so in value let us lay hold upon enthusiasm

let us lay hold upon enthusiasm [Music]

[Music] let value always

let value always give us a feeling of betterness

give us a feeling of betterness that we have discovered something life

that we have discovered something life is a series of discoveries of

is a series of discoveries of achievements

achievements of moving on to the attainment of the

of moving on to the attainment of the unattained

unattained uh the tremendous adventure of questing

uh the tremendous adventure of questing [Music]

[Music] we have never the fun with the thing

we have never the fun with the thing that we have while we're questing the

that we have while we're questing the thing

thing so if we get

so if we get some of this questiness into ourselves

some of this questiness into ourselves it's good we can't go for

it's good we can't go for as uh don quijote de la mancha did

as uh don quijote de la mancha did lancing windmills anymore

lancing windmills anymore it's not particularly uh

it's not particularly uh good form to try night errantry in the

good form to try night errantry in the 20th century

20th century a lot of questing that we might

a lot of questing that we might dramatize just isn't here anymore

dramatize just isn't here anymore but there's still tremendous

but there's still tremendous possibilities of adventure

possibilities of adventure and this adventuring brings us into

and this adventuring brings us into contact with new and interesting

contact with new and interesting situations

situations which enrich and warm up life

which enrich and warm up life many times also these questions lead to

many times also these questions lead to powerful avocational pursuits

powerful avocational pursuits which become in time the vocation of

which become in time the vocation of life itself

life itself than the one whose work and play are the

than the one whose work and play are the same thing

same thing in the sense not of a monotony but that

in the sense not of a monotony but that he finds his full expression in many

he finds his full expression in many areas of his consciousness in the same

areas of his consciousness in the same activity

activity he must he must have full expression

he must he must have full expression however it must be both creative and

however it must be both creative and a discipline

a discipline discipline trains us creativity releases

discipline trains us creativity releases us and these two forces must operate

us and these two forces must operate together

together [Music]

[Music] so laying hold upon value

so laying hold upon value means sometimes to take hold of the

means sometimes to take hold of the thing that will truly open windows and

thing that will truly open windows and open doors for us

open doors for us into another world beyond the world

into another world beyond the world we're in

we're in and in practical experience

and in practical experience uh i've given some recommendations to

uh i've given some recommendations to people on these

people on these uh problems and we can repeat some of

uh problems and we can repeat some of them because i don't believe that most

them because i don't believe that most of you probably have heard these

of you probably have heard these recommendations

recommendations if a person comes and says i'm a i'm a

if a person comes and says i'm a i'm a conscientious hard-working sober citizen

conscientious hard-working sober citizen with reasonable responsibilities and a

with reasonable responsibilities and a sincere desire to improve and be a

sincere desire to improve and be a better person have a deeper insight

better person have a deeper insight perhaps understand religion philosophy

perhaps understand religion philosophy better

better have a more

have a more well-rounded well-balanced life capable

well-rounded well-balanced life capable of releasing intuitive faculties

of releasing intuitive faculties and becoming

and becoming more or less integrated as a conscious

more or less integrated as a conscious being

being what would you suggest

what would you suggest how do we go around to help this person

how do we go around to help this person to do this

to do this well the first thing we've got to find

well the first thing we've got to find out of course is why he comes

out of course is why he comes and the reason he's there usually

and the reason he's there usually is because he's not satisfied with what

is because he's not satisfied with what he is or what he is doing

he is or what he is doing if he was successful in every sense of

if he was successful in every sense of the word he wouldn't be asking help from

the word he wouldn't be asking help from anybody

anybody he has come because perhaps one of a

he has come because perhaps one of a half a dozen situations has set in he's

half a dozen situations has set in he's lost lost a loved one

lost lost a loved one therefore he looks forward to loneliness

therefore he looks forward to loneliness and wants to do something about that he

and wants to do something about that he is nearing retirement age he has made no

is nearing retirement age he has made no preparation for this therefore this

preparation for this therefore this particular problem confronts him he

particular problem confronts him he can't after all cut the lawn every day

can't after all cut the lawn every day he has to have some other activity

he has to have some other activity beside weeding the garden

beside weeding the garden [Music]

[Music] presuming he has a guard

presuming he has a guard also perhaps his doctor told him

also perhaps his doctor told him that he's got to ease up

that he's got to ease up he's too strenuous and he's worrying too

he's too strenuous and he's worrying too much

much he's getting an ulcer you've got to

he's getting an ulcer you've got to learn to relax

learn to relax well it's awfully hard to learn to relax

well it's awfully hard to learn to relax when you can't think of anything that's

when you can't think of anything that's interesting

interesting someone now other situation may arise

someone now other situation may arise at almost anything but the person is

at almost anything but the person is here

here seeking help simply because he suddenly

seeking help simply because he suddenly recognizes a need or a defect in himself

recognizes a need or a defect in himself so you can say to this person perhaps to

so you can say to this person perhaps to start off with

start off with when you were young and growing up and

when you were young and growing up and starting out in life

starting out in life what was your dream

what was your dream did you really dream that you were going

did you really dream that you were going to be in coats and suits

to be in coats and suits did you dream

did you dream that you were going to be an agent for

that you were going to be an agent for the gadgets from some large transistor

the gadgets from some large transistor house

house was this what you started out

was this what you started out that you want it to be

that you want it to be and the man may stop for a moment and

and the man may stop for a moment and say well

say well of course after all the thing i wanted

of course after all the thing i wanted to be at that time was pretty stupid

to be at that time was pretty stupid no i'm not doing what i wanted to do

no i'm not doing what i wanted to do then but how can i wanted to be an opera

then but how can i wanted to be an opera tenor

tenor [Music]

[Music] and i never even had the voice

and i never even had the voice [Music]

[Music] well you have you can start with that

well you have you can start with that that's something

that's something or this individual can say well all my

or this individual can say well all my life i've been in an office but what i

life i've been in an office but what i wanted to do really was to go to sea on

wanted to do really was to go to sea on a ship and travel all over the world

a ship and travel all over the world and a housewife who has

and a housewife who has had quite an experience and is now a

had quite an experience and is now a grandmother says well if you must know i

grandmother says well if you must know i wanted to be a toad answer

wanted to be a toad answer are the problems that you get when you

are the problems that you get when you go back to try to find out what people

go back to try to find out what people wanted to be

wanted to be yet from these things that they wanted

yet from these things that they wanted to be you can often find

to be you can often find a secret unlocked situation

a secret unlocked situation and if we could have found that out

and if we could have found that out earlier in many cases

earlier in many cases there would be fewer people in our

there would be fewer people in our mental institutions

mental institutions because while in some cases they were

because while in some cases they were able to carry this conflict

able to carry this conflict rather well

rather well in other cases they never could

in other cases they never could and this thing they always wanted to be

and this thing they always wanted to be and never could be

and never could be absolutely ruined their psychological

absolutely ruined their psychological integration and they never recovered it

integration and they never recovered it but we have all these people now

but we have all these people now and we have to find out where we can

and we have to find out where we can start with these people it's obvious

start with these people it's obvious that they can't take up a new career as

that they can't take up a new career as they would have at 20.

they would have at 20. life circumstances no longer permit this

life circumstances no longer permit this but there is somewhere lurking in this

but there is somewhere lurking in this problem

problem some way of centering them again

some way of centering them again on the one thing that every human being

on the one thing that every human being must ultimately come back to and that is

must ultimately come back to and that is the release of his own consciousness

the release of his own consciousness through creativity

through creativity this has to come

this has to come if it doesn't come he's lost

if it doesn't come he's lost the person who always wanted to be a

the person who always wanted to be a musician may not be a great musician and

musician may not be a great musician and may never be able to

may never be able to but they can still do something because

but they can still do something because here their whole instinct is located

here their whole instinct is located and even

and even at 80 or 85 they can start

at 80 or 85 they can start they can express themselves

they can express themselves in some way they can take hold of a

in some way they can take hold of a value which they need

value which they need and they can decide how much they're

and they can decide how much they're willing to sacrifice to take hold of

willing to sacrifice to take hold of that value

that value it may be that for a person in advanced

it may be that for a person in advanced years to buy an elaborate or expensive

years to buy an elaborate or expensive musical instrument is a real hardship

musical instrument is a real hardship but if that music has waited for fifty

but if that music has waited for fifty years to come out it must come out for

years to come out it must come out for that person's good

that person's good and addicts is not an expenditure it is

and addicts is not an expenditure it is an investment

an investment because they must

because they must learn creativity

learn creativity now other people can develop the same

now other people can develop the same lessons in a simpler way

lessons in a simpler way some individuals have great many persons

some individuals have great many persons in our way of life

in our way of life have had a frustrated

have had a frustrated desire to be artistic

desire to be artistic artistry meant something to them as

artistry meant something to them as children

children they had a little skill in drawing but

they had a little skill in drawing but they never were had a chance to do much

they never were had a chance to do much with it

with it long came life and set in with its

long came life and set in with its problems this artistry perhaps never got

problems this artistry perhaps never got any further

any further than maybe helping their children to

than maybe helping their children to draw a few pictures

draw a few pictures in child in their childhood

in child in their childhood but this

but this actually remains here is a potential

actually remains here is a potential area of creativity that the person

area of creativity that the person brought with him into life

brought with him into life something must be done to make sure that

something must be done to make sure that he takes that creativity out of this

he takes that creativity out of this life

life further advanced than when he came in

further advanced than when he came in his success in life will not be measured

his success in life will not be measured in his practical methodical procedures

in his practical methodical procedures but in the degree to which he has

but in the degree to which he has released his own creative

released his own creative bent whatever it may be his own creative

bent whatever it may be his own creative instinct

instinct persons who can no longer create in that

persons who can no longer create in that sense of the word can discriminate

sense of the word can discriminate they can discover they can experience

they can discover they can experience value and for many many persons

value and for many many persons art becomes a way out

art becomes a way out one of the reasons is that art is in

one of the reasons is that art is in almost complete defiance

of our common ordinary way of doing things

things art is almost an an auto corrective

art is almost an an auto corrective for the kind of life we now live which

for the kind of life we now live which is far from artistic

is far from artistic and which almost completely loses sight

and which almost completely loses sight of artistry

of artistry [Music]

[Music] most persons do have an instinctive

most persons do have an instinctive desire for fitness

desire for fitness for the rightness of values they want to

for the rightness of values they want to look well they want to have nice things

look well they want to have nice things they want to uh set themselves in a

they want to uh set themselves in a framework of

framework of things that are interesting and this

things that are interesting and this brings another curious situation to mind

brings another curious situation to mind uh i have known i know that

uh i have known i know that in a large store in new york where i

in a large store in new york where i used to visit

used to visit they got in some very fantastic

they got in some very fantastic middle eastern jewelry

middle eastern jewelry it was amazing material

it was amazing material utterly dramatic

utterly dramatic and uh they exhibited it and a great

and uh they exhibited it and a great many

many very stylish people came to look at it

very stylish people came to look at it and many of them admired it and many of

and many of them admired it and many of them said they had never seen anything

them said they had never seen anything in their lives as remarkable

in their lives as remarkable but nobody bought it

but nobody bought it why

why because nobody dared to wear it

because nobody dared to wear it you take a person who had absolutely no

you take a person who had absolutely no personality and hang a thing like that

personality and hang a thing like that on them

on them and the next time they met a friend the

and the next time they met a friend the friend would say how do you do that's a

friend would say how do you do that's a five piece of jewelry you have

five piece of jewelry you have you wouldn't see the person anymore at

you wouldn't see the person anymore at all

all the person was too weak to carry it

the person was too weak to carry it an interesting adornment must be carried

an interesting adornment must be carried by a still more interesting person

by a still more interesting person or it eclipses the person

or it eclipses the person and the next thing you know they got an

and the next thing you know they got an invitation to to send the pin and not

invitation to to send the pin and not come themselves

come themselves nobody's interested in them but everyone

nobody's interested in them but everyone would like to see the pin

remarkable different startling

startling dramatic

dramatic can only serve a person who is able to

can only serve a person who is able to carry it

carry it otherwise it destroys that personality

otherwise it destroys that personality the individual develops an inferiority

the individual develops an inferiority complex to what he's wearing

so in order to uh to live in an interesting place

uh to live in an interesting place to surround ourselves with interesting

to surround ourselves with interesting things we must be interesting

things we must be interesting otherwise we rattle around in something

otherwise we rattle around in something we don't fit into

we don't fit into and someone who says to another person

and someone who says to another person after they leave that's a marvelous

after they leave that's a marvelous house how the world of that person never

house how the world of that person never get to move into it

get to move into it wrong

wrong we've lost

we've lost leadership

leadership by being surrounded by interest and not

by being surrounded by interest and not having any interest in us

having any interest in us so this is one of the reasons why

so this is one of the reasons why uh it is so important

uh it is so important for the individual to always lead his

for the individual to always lead his interest

interest this is why in taking hold of value it

this is why in taking hold of value it is not important merely to own something

is not important merely to own something that something must express

that something must express value in us

value in us we must always

we must always lead this value we must always be in

lead this value we must always be in control of it

if this value is something that represents centuries of culture in

that represents centuries of culture in its production it should be worn or

its production it should be worn or carried by a person who has matured even

carried by a person who has matured even more centuries of consciousness within

more centuries of consciousness within themselves otherwise

themselves otherwise there's discord there's a hopeless

there's discord there's a hopeless situation that nothing can be done about

situation that nothing can be done about but there is there always this

but there is there always this important problem of the person

important problem of the person leading his own cultural environment

leading his own cultural environment and he can do it but he has to think

and he can do it but he has to think about it

about it he can have the courage to do it

he can have the courage to do it if he will give himself uh the insight

if he will give himself uh the insight necessary

necessary to mature his own activity and interest

to mature his own activity and interest this is one of the reasons why

this is one of the reasons why everything having a story

everything having a story everything must be done for a reason

everything must be done for a reason and everything that we have must have

and everything that we have must have meaning to us

meaning to us we must understand it

we must understand it we must know why it is good

we must know why it is good we must be able to appreciate that value

we must be able to appreciate that value in our own consciousness

in our own consciousness then it belongs to us by a natural

then it belongs to us by a natural uh and wonderful

uh and wonderful uh power

uh power of possession

of possession we possess what we need what we must

we possess what we need what we must have

have and in some wonderful way these things

and in some wonderful way these things do come

do come things are forever hunting for people

things are forever hunting for people it isn't true that people are always

it isn't true that people are always just looking for things

just looking for things things are out looking for the people

things are out looking for the people who can use them

who can use them and something happens and they come

and something happens and they come together when consciousness is right

together when consciousness is right well that's another phase of our problem

well that's another phase of our problem but we start out with these people who

but we start out with these people who are are trying to find activities

are are trying to find activities trying to find interests

trying to find interests i know a great many

i know a great many rather serious people these days who are

rather serious people these days who are taking up

taking up various interesting subjects

various interesting subjects with the understanding that every new

with the understanding that every new subject that we take up

subject that we take up opens a door

opens a door now this door that is opened

now this door that is opened usually opens into the creativity of our

usually opens into the creativity of our collective race

the person who suddenly discovers the creativity of man collectively

creativity of man collectively suddenly finds himself a member of a

suddenly finds himself a member of a magnificently interesting

magnificently interesting creature a society of beings

creature a society of beings that he thought

that he thought was a very dull society but because he's

was a very dull society but because he's gotten under the surface now and begun

gotten under the surface now and begun to move with the creativity of these

to move with the creativity of these people he discovers that he is living in

people he discovers that he is living in a world of extraordinary values if he is

a world of extraordinary values if he is able to appreciate them

able to appreciate them he learns that the simplest thing done

he learns that the simplest thing done well

well is a magnificent thing

is a magnificent thing so he opens doors

so he opens doors wherever he touches the creativity of

wherever he touches the creativity of life

life a man a woman who studies a language

a man a woman who studies a language not his own

not his own opens a door

opens a door opens a door into a world not just of

opens a door into a world not just of somebody else's speech

somebody else's speech but of the psychology of peoples

but of the psychology of peoples to know people's language is to have a

to know people's language is to have a tremendous bond of union

tremendous bond of union [Music]

[Music] to know a language is to understand more

to know a language is to understand more and more the soul of a people

and more the soul of a people and a whole universe of

and a whole universe of values is simply opened by this

values is simply opened by this circumstance alone

circumstance alone i know a man who having suffered a leg

i know a man who having suffered a leg injury by which he was not going to be

injury by which he was not going to be able to continue to get around very much

able to continue to get around very much went down and studied in our southwest

went down and studied in our southwest with some of our the navajo indian

with some of our the navajo indian silversmiths

silversmiths and became quite a droid an expert in

and became quite a droid an expert in molding and mounting

molding and mounting silver

silver with turquoise and other stones

with turquoise and other stones he wasn't an indian

he wasn't an indian but he gained a tremendous admiration of

but he gained a tremendous admiration of the magnificent craft of these people

the magnificent craft of these people he finally had gone down to take three

he finally had gone down to take three months study with them so he could find

months study with them so he could find a hobby

a hobby he spent several years with them

he spent several years with them and gradually learned to know that even

and gradually learned to know that even behind casting a simple

behind casting a simple indian buckle

indian buckle there was a a world of thought a world

there was a a world of thought a world of skill a world of

of skill a world of wise methods and ancient traditions and

wise methods and ancient traditions and wonderful lore

wonderful lore and when he came back and

and when he came back and not being able to get around he had his

not being able to get around he had his little table he had his wheelchair and

little table he had his wheelchair and he would sit in front of his table and

he would sit in front of his table and work with these things

work with these things he not only finally made some

he not only finally made some magnificent things in the indian

magnificent things in the indian techniques

techniques but he suddenly discovered

but he suddenly discovered that all this technique now he had

that all this technique now he had mastered it

mastered it gave expression to himself

gave expression to himself and he made some tremendously

and he made some tremendously interesting and dramatic original

interesting and dramatic original uh ornamentations and devices he found a

uh ornamentations and devices he found a world of self-expression in this

world of self-expression in this he found that this fact the fact that he

he found that this fact the fact that he could turn out a beautiful piece

could turn out a beautiful piece of molded silver

of molded silver into an exquisite design gave him more

into an exquisite design gave him more satisfaction more peace of soul then all

satisfaction more peace of soul then all his bank account could possibly bestow

his bank account could possibly bestow and he had the sense of

and he had the sense of creativity

creativity the god in him was moving

the god in him was moving because god is god primarily because of

because god is god primarily because of the great creative power which lies at

the great creative power which lies at the root of life

the root of life and whatever has

and whatever has creativity moving into expression has

creativity moving into expression has god coming into manifestation through

god coming into manifestation through that creativity

that creativity so there are all kinds of things to do

so there are all kinds of things to do nearly always our soul satisfaction does

nearly always our soul satisfaction does not lie

not lie in purely intellectual hobbies

in purely intellectual hobbies our soul satisfaction lies in bright

our soul satisfaction lies in bright glittery silvery things

glittery silvery things that bring

that bring peace and joy and sparkle with them

peace and joy and sparkle with them therefore

therefore we usually collect articles or items of

we usually collect articles or items of some beauty or of meaning

some beauty or of meaning another individual decided that he was

another individual decided that he was going to attempt to decode egyptian

going to attempt to decode egyptian hieroglyphs

hieroglyphs but he wasn't particularly

but he wasn't particularly addicted to such literary pursuits it

addicted to such literary pursuits it was interesting he had a lot of fun with

was interesting he had a lot of fun with it he spent several years working until

it he spent several years working until he was pretty good

he was pretty good at reading these glyphs and he found

at reading these glyphs and he found some very interesting inscriptions but

some very interesting inscriptions but he gradually hopped past this into

he gradually hopped past this into something else

something else the first thing you know egyptian

the first thing you know egyptian religion egyptian philosophy egyptian

religion egyptian philosophy egyptian mysticism

mysticism uh came through and took over

uh came through and took over but he found the knowledge of the

but he found the knowledge of the language extremely valuable

language extremely valuable and it enabled him to decode many

and it enabled him to decode many documents not generally known and to

documents not generally known and to correct

correct misinterpretations bearing upon the

misinterpretations bearing upon the religious beliefs of these people

religious beliefs of these people so he started with one thing but he went

so he started with one thing but he went on to what was his real interest

on to what was his real interest but this person could not be bored

but this person could not be bored this person could not any longer drop

this person could not any longer drop back

back into the mediocrity of just living from

into the mediocrity of just living from day to day

day to day each day was an adventure

each day was an adventure and this type of adventuring

and this type of adventuring is a much richer life

is a much richer life than can ever be gained in the levels of

than can ever be gained in the levels of success as we know them

success as we know them because success still leaves us bored it

because success still leaves us bored it leaves us numbed as far as value is

leaves us numbed as far as value is concerned

concerned so another person at a suggestion

so another person at a suggestion took up

took up working with children

working with children particularly children who had minor

particularly children who had minor physical defects

physical defects this person was very much interested in

this person was very much interested in the problems of children but not just

the problems of children but not just merely association they had a feeling

merely association they had a feeling that in some way

that in some way these defective children

these defective children could be

could be given a consciousness in life which

given a consciousness in life which would enable them

would enable them to go on and have great lives and not be

to go on and have great lives and not be caught

caught in the

in the negation of some defect

negation of some defect the fact that the child was club footed

the fact that the child was club footed should not be

should not be should not actually ruin the life of

should not actually ruin the life of that child

that child something had to be done to make that

something had to be done to make that child's life so important

child's life so important that this deformity was not not

that this deformity was not not significant

significant any more than the fact that steinmetz

any more than the fact that steinmetz was a hunchback

was a hunchback made very much important difference

made very much important difference he was still

he was still regarded as one of the great men of his

regarded as one of the great men of his time

time and uh he certainly was not limited

and uh he certainly was not limited to any serious degree by his physical

to any serious degree by his physical deformity

deformity he simply had a life so rich that he

he simply had a life so rich that he could carry

could carry this deformity

this deformity with graciousness and with wonderful

with graciousness and with wonderful insight

insight this man believed the children could be

this man believed the children could be worked within this way he started

worked within this way he started something

something and he gradually proved that he was

and he gradually proved that he was right

right and he was able to make some very

and he was able to make some very interesting contributions to improving

interesting contributions to improving young people

young people and knowing this very sensitive period

and knowing this very sensitive period say the first six or eight years of life

say the first six or eight years of life when these deformities become uh

when these deformities become uh suddenly a separating factor between one

suddenly a separating factor between one child and another he worked through that

child and another he worked through that period

period that was many years ago and some of the

that was many years ago and some of the children he worked with have now grown

children he worked with have now grown up and they are all much the better for

up and they are all much the better for having known him

having known him he made something interesting out of

he made something interesting out of something

something he found his artistry in this way

he found his artistry in this way but everyone must have some creative

but everyone must have some creative self-expression

self-expression and when the opportunity for this comes

and when the opportunity for this comes he must grasp that opportunity because

he must grasp that opportunity because it is the greatest value

it is the greatest value that can come into his life

that can come into his life [Music]

[Music] and uh depending on the circumstances

and uh depending on the circumstances and backgrounds and interests

and backgrounds and interests limitations means

limitations means of localities where we live

of localities where we live these values have to unfold a little

these values have to unfold a little differently for each person but each

differently for each person but each individual must in this lifetime to

individual must in this lifetime to fulfill the purpose of life

fulfill the purpose of life not only be a provident person a sincere

not only be a provident person a sincere person and an intelligent person but a

person and an intelligent person but a person with dynamic interest in value

person with dynamic interest in value if he can achieve this

if he can achieve this he then has some very good

he then has some very good comic patterns working for him

comic patterns working for him and helping him to go on into a fuller

and helping him to go on into a fuller expression

expression of his own life purpose

of his own life purpose and this is one of course the lessons

and this is one of course the lessons that

that we gain from the study of art

we gain from the study of art because life is the greatest of the arts

because life is the greatest of the arts and all art is merely some way a

and all art is merely some way a study in life study in the

study in life study in the in the

in the drama of the great spiritual emotional

drama of the great spiritual emotional unfoldment of human consciousness

unfoldment of human consciousness so in arts we have

so in arts we have these little symbols that we can set up

these little symbols that we can set up as

as the symbols of things we are going to

the symbols of things we are going to accomplish in our own natures

accomplish in our own natures now i've had people come to me for

now i've had people come to me for instance also who wanted to collect art

instance also who wanted to collect art who felt that art was going to be one

who felt that art was going to be one way in which they were going to suddenly

way in which they were going to suddenly become a little more sensitive they were

become a little more sensitive they were tired of nagging their children

tired of nagging their children they were tired of having their children

they were tired of having their children nag them

nag them they were tired of sitting around

they were tired of sitting around waiting for their arteries to harden

waiting for their arteries to harden they wanted to do something

they wanted to do something and having some means and some

and having some means and some intelligent understanding and grasp they

intelligent understanding and grasp they decided they were going to take up some

decided they were going to take up some form of the simple thing

form of the simple thing which we call collecting

which we call collecting now collecting

now collecting is a kite with a very long tail

is a kite with a very long tail because when you start collecting

because when you start collecting you say i'm going to get three of these

you say i'm going to get three of these and put them in a row

and put them in a row you get the three of them in the row and

you get the three of them in the row and you say they don't look right there

you say they don't look right there you got to do something about it

you got to do something about it and first thing you know

and first thing you know playing where shall we say secretary to

playing where shall we say secretary to your own art

your own art your own art begins to affect you

your own art begins to affect you and you can't have great art

and you can't have great art without any artistry in yourself it

without any artistry in yourself it begins to scream and yell

begins to scream and yell you have to mature in order to live with

you have to mature in order to live with it

it you have to learn what to do with it you

you have to learn what to do with it you have to learn to think about it

have to learn to think about it or else little by little

or else little by little it it becomes a tyrant

it it becomes a tyrant over your affairs

over your affairs so uh starting out on some field of this

so uh starting out on some field of this nature we say what are the situations

nature we say what are the situations that affect people

that affect people the american people today are more

the american people today are more art conscious probably than we will ever

art conscious probably than we will ever realize

realize the one art however which has gained

the one art however which has gained almost complete general favor is music

almost complete general favor is music music has become to the american people

music has become to the american people a tremendously redeeming force at this

a tremendously redeeming force at this time in our social life

time in our social life music is the one art

music is the one art which we are willing to accept because

which we are willing to accept because it gives a tremendous amount

it gives a tremendous amount until the average person does not demand

until the average person does not demand a great deal

a great deal music can be very demanding

music can be very demanding music can cause the listener to become a

music can cause the listener to become a great musicologist in his own right

great musicologist in his own right but he can also just be a good listener

but he can also just be a good listener and that is where it is most of the time

and that is where it is most of the time with us

with us there is however one little ulterior

there is however one little ulterior fact in here which we mustn't overlook

fact in here which we mustn't overlook that in our modern interest of music

that in our modern interest of music there's a good deal of mechanics

there's a good deal of mechanics involved

involved the average person today has become so

the average person today has become so tremendously interested

tremendously interested in high fidelity

in high fidelity and stereophonic sound and so forth that

and stereophonic sound and so forth that he is gradually changing from a music

he is gradually changing from a music lover into an electrical engineer

lover into an electrical engineer this is not quite the original intention

this is not quite the original intention but i know people who can't tell you the

but i know people who can't tell you the name of a single composer but they know

name of a single composer but they know every element of a 300 circuit that they

every element of a 300 circuit that they have with more

have with more little pins and

little pins and little switches and tiny little fuses in

little switches and tiny little fuses in it than you could ever count they know

it than you could ever count they know every one of them by name but they don't

every one of them by name but they don't know a single piece they hear over it

know a single piece they hear over it so this can get out of control also

so this can get out of control also and that can be the man who victoriously

and that can be the man who victoriously announced that he finally had the most

announced that he finally had the most perfect set in the world because when he

perfect set in the world because when he played a certain recording on it he

played a certain recording on it he could hear leopold strakowski breathe

could hear leopold strakowski breathe this uh

this uh this was the final proof that he had a

this was the final proof that he had a great

great set of uh

set of uh a great musical equipment

a great musical equipment so this is a common occurrence but art

so this is a common occurrence but art with us

with us other than music has been terribly

other than music has been terribly neglected

neglected some funny things have happened too

some funny things have happened too some of them

some of them rather interesting and others still a

rather interesting and others still a little pathetic

little pathetic one of the most interesting curious and

one of the most interesting curious and almost a little pathetic things has

almost a little pathetic things has happened is that you can now take out

happened is that you can now take out pictures and color

pictures and color from the public library on your library

from the public library on your library card

card keep them at home and live with them for

keep them at home and live with them for 30 days and then bring them back and get

30 days and then bring them back and get another one now this is

another one now this is i would say a streamlined way of

i would say a streamlined way of introducing art to the american home

introducing art to the american home incidentally you should see the pictures

incidentally you should see the pictures you can get out

you can get out [Music]

[Music] i've seen them

and in the spirit of the time most of them are pretty bad

them are pretty bad they're famous but they're pretty bad

they're famous but they're pretty bad other cases now you can rent pictures by

other cases now you can rent pictures by the month

the month also

also i think far more to the point for a

i think far more to the point for a small additional fee

small additional fee the gallery will send someone to decide

the gallery will send someone to decide what picture you should have

what picture you should have after all there is this problem of the

after all there is this problem of the wallpaper and the drapes

wallpaper and the drapes you can't have a picture that screams

you can't have a picture that screams against the upholstery

against the upholstery so an interior decorator will help you

so an interior decorator will help you to choose a picture that is just what

to choose a picture that is just what you have always wanted whether you know

you have always wanted whether you know it or not

so art has a hard time in our way of life

life it's a step child

it's a step child we have forgotten that art is not a

we have forgotten that art is not a luxury of the rich but a necessity of

luxury of the rich but a necessity of all peoples

all peoples we have not learned to realize

we have not learned to realize that art is civilization whether it be

that art is civilization whether it be music or painting or drama or literature

music or painting or drama or literature or poetry

or poetry there's something very serious wrong

there's something very serious wrong with a culture in which no book of poems

with a culture in which no book of poems can sell over 500 copies no matter who

can sell over 500 copies no matter who writes it

writes it of course some of them aren't worth any

of course some of them aren't worth any more than that but some are but you

more than that but some are but you cannot

cannot get any

get any recognition for poetry you can get very

recognition for poetry you can get very little recognition for good theater

little recognition for good theater you can get very little recognition for

you can get very little recognition for any of these dramatic arts

any of these dramatic arts they must be very flamboyant very

they must be very flamboyant very literal literal and very noisy today in

literal literal and very noisy today in order to get any attention at all

order to get any attention at all not to say the at least that they might

not to say the at least that they might must also be

must also be quite vulgar to be really successful

quite vulgar to be really successful this type of thing is bad it shows not

this type of thing is bad it shows not that we are simply lacking art culture

that we are simply lacking art culture it shows that we are falling apart

it shows that we are falling apart it shows that our whole culture is

it shows that our whole culture is weakening

weakening and it also shows that there is going to

and it also shows that there is going to be more crime more misery more

be more crime more misery more psychological breakdowns

psychological breakdowns uh

uh more juvenile delinquency more dope

more juvenile delinquency more dope addiction more acute alcoholism unless

addiction more acute alcoholism unless this situation is cured

this situation is cured because this collapse of culture is the

because this collapse of culture is the collapse of a people and if it goes

collapse of a people and if it goes beyond a certain

beyond a certain degree the nation or the race involved

degree the nation or the race involved will not survive

will not survive so it becomes rather important to take

so it becomes rather important to take hold on some of these things

hold on some of these things not only

not only because we need the individual

because we need the individual experience but because we need to set an

experience but because we need to set an example for a collective experience

example for a collective experience which is more than do

which is more than do we are far too mature as a people to be

we are far too mature as a people to be merely a mechanistic industrial

merely a mechanistic industrial civilization

civilization so we do swan to do something with these

so we do swan to do something with these this artistic instinct in ourselves

this artistic instinct in ourselves to find repose to find peace

to find repose to find peace to find

to find a tranquility of spirit

a tranquility of spirit and most of all to experience some sense

and most of all to experience some sense of being valuable as people

of being valuable as people not simply because we can support the

not simply because we can support the government through taxes but because we

government through taxes but because we have a creativity in us that can support

have a creativity in us that can support life can support civilization the future

life can support civilization the future of a world

of a world also that we can bring more creativity

also that we can bring more creativity to the lives of children around us and

to the lives of children around us and those whose lives are directly

those whose lives are directly influenced by our own attitudes towards

influenced by our own attitudes towards living

living so we can take up other fields also

so we can take up other fields also some people can take up writing they can

some people can take up writing they can attempt creative writing we can write

attempt creative writing we can write anything we want to as long as we don't

anything we want to as long as we don't expect to get it published

expect to get it published but that isn't the point

but that isn't the point many of the greatest literary works in

many of the greatest literary works in the world were not published at all

the world were not published at all during the lifetime of the author

during the lifetime of the author they were hidden somewhere and 500 years

they were hidden somewhere and 500 years later someone found them and thought

later someone found them and thought they were rather good

they were rather good it isn't important we do not write for

it isn't important we do not write for publication

publication we write primarily for expression

we write primarily for expression for creativity

for creativity and gradually if we learn

and gradually if we learn so that we are writing not just from the

so that we are writing not just from the fullness of our hearts but also have a

fullness of our hearts but also have a little training in writing

little training in writing many people will produce

many people will produce better literature than they are buying

better literature than they are buying but they just don't know this

but they just don't know this but you have to add to the desire

but you have to add to the desire the willingness to train for a year or

the willingness to train for a year or two

two under proper guidance and know what good

under proper guidance and know what good writing is

writing is this may increase vocabulary this may

this may increase vocabulary this may help us to release psychological

help us to release psychological pressure

pressure the most successful book of every author

the most successful book of every author is usually the psychological story of

is usually the psychological story of himself

himself but he's gotten it out

but he's gotten it out he's gotten release from pressures and

he's gotten release from pressures and tendencies that have held him in bondage

tendencies that have held him in bondage perhaps for half a lifetime

perhaps for half a lifetime writing is very good

writing is very good all these things are good because they

all these things are good because they make us express something

make us express something i think the uh i think the japanese idea

i think the uh i think the japanese idea the 17 unit point is a tremendously

the 17 unit point is a tremendously intriguing thing

intriguing thing and here's something that could be a

and here's something that could be a very great creative expression for our

very great creative expression for our people

people the american people are divided largely

the american people are divided largely between the two groups those who say

between the two groups those who say very little and those who say too much

very little and those who say too much and uh to get it down to a very nice

and uh to get it down to a very nice moderate situation is wonderful

moderate situation is wonderful it also gives us conciseness

it also gives us conciseness now if you can do

now if you can do a complete point in 17 syllables

a complete point in 17 syllables not 17 words 17 syllables and this poem

not 17 words 17 syllables and this poem becomes a masterpiece

becomes a masterpiece you have achieved a number of things

you have achieved a number of things first you achieve tremendous

first you achieve tremendous inventiveness

inventiveness secondly you have learned not to insult

secondly you have learned not to insult the person who reads the poem by filling

the person who reads the poem by filling in all the details for him

in all the details for him you learn how to draw with a very broad

you learn how to draw with a very broad stroke

stroke and you can put together the elements of

and you can put together the elements of one simple idea

one simple idea it must be completely simple

it must be completely simple [Music]

[Music] and in the simplicity of this idea you

and in the simplicity of this idea you tell a wonderful story

tell a wonderful story you make a little fragment of existence

you make a little fragment of existence you sum it up

you sum it up you relate it to value in some way

you relate it to value in some way for this little poem and its 17

for this little poem and its 17 syllables must tell a story

syllables must tell a story as well as describe a circumstance

as well as describe a circumstance if you can do this

if you can do this you have gained a new control

you have gained a new control of the dimension of language

of the dimension of language it is something really tremendously

it is something really tremendously interesting and extremely worth thinking

interesting and extremely worth thinking about

about you can spend a great deal of time

you can spend a great deal of time trying to see

trying to see how much you can project

how much you can project in the form of a conscious experience in

in the form of a conscious experience in seventeen syllables

seventeen syllables you may find in the end

you may find in the end that a great deal has been accomplished

that a great deal has been accomplished [Music]

[Music] well many wonderful things have been

well many wonderful things have been said very

said very quickly

quickly someone pointed out long ago that the

someone pointed out long ago that the largest statement in the world that we

largest statement in the world that we know today

know today is a very simple statement

is a very simple statement in the beginning god created heaven and

in the beginning god created heaven and earth

earth [Music]

[Music] how are you going to add to that

how are you going to add to that for the for a magnificent statement

for the for a magnificent statement of total

of total spiritual value

spiritual value there are tremendous things

there are tremendous things that can be captured out of life

that can be captured out of life experience

experience with utter simplicity

with utter simplicity and this is the beginning of a great

and this is the beginning of a great maturity of literature for a people

maturity of literature for a people and has a tremendous appeal

and has a tremendous appeal uh to the thoughtful person as a

uh to the thoughtful person as a discipline upon his own faculties

discipline upon his own faculties another of course oriental contribution

another of course oriental contribution to this problem is flower arrangement

to this problem is flower arrangement a very interesting and dramatic area

a very interesting and dramatic area for human activity

for human activity here we have

here we have man

man placed in a curious relationship with

placed in a curious relationship with nature

nature here we have man attempting to eliminate

here we have man attempting to eliminate man

man and perfect art by revealing nature

and perfect art by revealing nature to the degree that a flower arrangement

to the degree that a flower arrangement indicates human

indicates human activity it is a failure

activity it is a failure to the degree that the individual is

to the degree that the individual is able to arrange these flowers leaves and

able to arrange these flowers leaves and stems

stems so that they appear that this is the way

so that they appear that this is the way god grew them

god grew them and that no one has touched them

and that no one has touched them the degree that that

the degree that that can be done

can be done with the strange but inevitable abandon

with the strange but inevitable abandon of divine order

of divine order to that degree you have a great

to that degree you have a great flowering

flowering great because

great because man

man has

has inwardly sensed how nature would do this

inwardly sensed how nature would do this thing

thing this is a tremendous

this is a tremendous intuitive experience a tremendous

intuitive experience a tremendous inspirational experience

inspirational experience [Music]

[Music] now it's harder for us to take hold of

now it's harder for us to take hold of some abstract oriental art such as for

some abstract oriental art such as for instance the tea ceremony

instance the tea ceremony i know a great many people who have seen

i know a great many people who have seen it i know very few non-orientals who

it i know very few non-orientals who have appreciated it

have appreciated it to most western people it is a long

to most western people it is a long drawn-out way of pouring a cup of tea

drawn-out way of pouring a cup of tea and actually because of the fact that

and actually because of the fact that powdered green tea is used and you drink

powdered green tea is used and you drink the powdered tea grains and all

the powdered tea grains and all it's not exactly regarded as a delicious

it's not exactly regarded as a delicious experience even in the drinking of the

experience even in the drinking of the tea which is about the consistency of

tea which is about the consistency of sour soup

sour soup therefore it is not a greatly

therefore it is not a greatly appreciated art among other people

appreciated art among other people but what is the actual

but what is the actual uh idea behind it

uh idea behind it it is

it is complete self-discipline

complete self-discipline it is a magnificent ability to perform a

it is a magnificent ability to perform a series of actions

series of actions with every effort made possible to

with every effort made possible to transform bodily motion into perfect

transform bodily motion into perfect poetry

poetry the the t master becomes a living poem

the the t master becomes a living poem he reduces the composition of this poem

he reduces the composition of this poem to a series of simple motions that

to a series of simple motions that almost suggests the 17-syllable poem

almost suggests the 17-syllable poem everything is reduced to its starkest

everything is reduced to its starkest beauty

beauty there isn't a wasted motion

there isn't a wasted motion everything is done

everything is done according to a tradition of the complete

according to a tradition of the complete harmonic beauty of motion

harmonic beauty of motion it has a strange static parallel with

it has a strange static parallel with the dance

the dance for the tea ceremony is a kind of dance

for the tea ceremony is a kind of dance in which there is practically no motion

in which there is practically no motion very little

very little but every movement

but every movement is

is is backed by the fullest

is backed by the fullest consciousness of the artist

consciousness of the artist he is doing everything as though he was

he is doing everything as though he was painting

painting a magnificent picture

a magnificent picture and he is doing it to an audience that

and he is doing it to an audience that appreciates what he is doing

appreciates what he is doing who recognizes that it has taken him a

who recognizes that it has taken him a lifetime to learn to do this

lifetime to learn to do this and a group of critics who if he is poor

and a group of critics who if he is poor at it will not hesitate ultimately to

at it will not hesitate ultimately to let him know

let him know but if he is good at it we'll respect

but if he is good at it we'll respect him for all of his attainment and admire

him for all of his attainment and admire him in many other phases of his living

him in many other phases of his living so this becomes

so this becomes a tremendous discipline

a tremendous discipline of

of ordered self-control

ordered self-control the the attempt

the the attempt to express creatively

to express creatively total beauty of motion

total beauty of motion without anything except a t-bowl

without anything except a t-bowl and a little dipper and a feather and

and a little dipper and a feather and two or three things like that to make

two or three things like that to make this action possible

this action possible so here is

so here is perfect

perfect creative motion and only an individual

creative motion and only an individual who has

who has a thoughtfulness in this area can

a thoughtfulness in this area can possibly appreciate it or the artistry

possibly appreciate it or the artistry which so often associates this ceremony

which so often associates this ceremony with ceremonial suicide it is a very

with ceremonial suicide it is a very subtle thing

subtle thing but it represents a strange development

but it represents a strange development of consciousness within this individual

of consciousness within this individual himself

himself so the artistry can take almost any form

so the artistry can take almost any form that we want

that we want or are able to use

or are able to use but whatever it is we must reach for it

but whatever it is we must reach for it and take hold upon it we must do

and take hold upon it we must do something

something and i believe that

and i believe that most people's lives would be far less

most people's lives would be far less negative

negative in in the in the hurt way

in in the in the hurt way most people suffer much more than they

most people suffer much more than they need to

need to most people are sad or angry far more

most people are sad or angry far more often than the circumstances even at

often than the circumstances even at the most exaggerated interpretation

the most exaggerated interpretation really would justify

really would justify because this this quality of

because this this quality of preoccupation in value

preoccupation in value has not has not come into their lives

has not has not come into their lives has not given them

has not given them this

this wonderful vision

wonderful vision of what

of what could be if they would only let it be

meditational disciplines also can create great artistry but meditation

great artistry but meditation really arises out of art

really arises out of art uh wherever in asia especially you'll

uh wherever in asia especially you'll find great artistry you'll find your

find great artistry you'll find your meditational life the meditation of life

meditational life the meditation of life in the west is an escape usually from a

in the west is an escape usually from a negative situation

negative situation in the east it is the projection of an

in the east it is the projection of an already existing positive situation

already existing positive situation your zen monk is a great painter

your zen monk is a great painter your shin gong mystic is a great

your shin gong mystic is a great we may say a great musician

we may say a great musician he plays superbly upon some instrument

he plays superbly upon some instrument his artistry is tied very closely to his

his artistry is tied very closely to his religion

religion and religion itself implies

and religion itself implies the impulse to creative expression

the impulse to creative expression through art

through art look at western culture for a moment

look at western culture for a moment in the fast in the last 500 years

in the fast in the last 500 years what great religious art

what great religious art has western man produced

the last great european artist perhaps of

of of dynamic of religious art

of dynamic of religious art in

in europe

europe may have been albrecht duda

may have been albrecht duda [Music]

[Music] i'm not thinking now of the of the very

i'm not thinking now of the of the very gentle mystical souls but of the ones

gentle mystical souls but of the ones who had tremendous dynamic in spiritual

who had tremendous dynamic in spiritual art the only great artist

art the only great artist in spiritual art that england ever

in spiritual art that england ever produced was william blake

produced was william blake i can't think of a single name

i can't think of a single name outstanding

outstanding in american art

in american art as a great interpreter of man's sacred

as a great interpreter of man's sacred conviction

conviction religious art is simply

religious art is simply disappeared

disappeared the only thing that we get is a little

the only thing that we get is a little model in sentimentalism

model in sentimentalism we get no dynamic in art

we say that protestantism dividing ceremonialism

dividing ceremonialism from the common life of the protestant

from the common life of the protestant christian

christian actually damaged his art instincts

actually damaged his art instincts because it's been very little art and

because it's been very little art and protestant christianity

protestant christianity it was avoided as part of the old

it was avoided as part of the old background that must be forgotten

background that must be forgotten there's been very little great music

there's been very little great music certainly there is a wonderful kindly

certainly there is a wonderful kindly sentiment in the old hymn

sentiment in the old hymn but as music it is not exactly

but as music it is not exactly outstanding

outstanding and we do not produce greatness

and we do not produce greatness our religious life does not express

our religious life does not express through creativity

through creativity we go and sit and listen and go home

we go and sit and listen and go home again

again but that but it doesn't move out of our

but that but it doesn't move out of our lives through great music through great

lives through great music through great painting

painting uh through great

uh through great uh creative artistry great theater great

uh creative artistry great theater great literature

literature the ma the real things of life that are

the ma the real things of life that are most important to us are not articulate

most important to us are not articulate in our arts

in our arts when we finally put the statue out in

when we finally put the statue out in front of the city hall it's something we

front of the city hall it's something we don't know what it is after it's there

don't know what it is after it's there it's some absolute atrocity

it's some absolute atrocity we don't we don't know

we don't we don't know so our religious instinct is not

so our religious instinct is not creating self-expression

creating self-expression perhaps it's because the average person

perhaps it's because the average person isn't trained in self-expression the

isn't trained in self-expression the average person has never taken an art

average person has never taken an art lesson in his life but he's trying to be

lesson in his life but he's trying to be a religious person

a religious person he needs both

he needs both he needs to have the value

he needs to have the value of knowing what is great and gradually

of knowing what is great and gradually moving his own conviction into

moving his own conviction into manifestation

manifestation after he has learned to know what is

after he has learned to know what is good in art

good in art he may also be able suddenly to discover

he may also be able suddenly to discover that he can create it

that he can create it if he doesn't know what's good he will

if he doesn't know what's good he will not know what he is creating

not know what he is creating but religion should lead to creativity

but religion should lead to creativity it should lead to a tremendous dynamic

it should lead to a tremendous dynamic in art

in art and if a great artist and religion

and if a great artist and religion should come along

should come along this artist for the continuance of his

this artist for the continuance of his own

own inspiration or the or the effect of his

inspiration or the or the effect of his artistry upon civilization must have

artistry upon civilization must have those who believe in his art who support

those who believe in his art who support his art who purchase his art otherwise

his art who purchase his art otherwise he will starve to death and disappear

he will starve to death and disappear again in the great silence of the

again in the great silence of the unknown

unknown and

and unrewarded creators

unrewarded creators he must have someone who appreciate or

he must have someone who appreciate or he cannot produce

he cannot produce so all through this

so all through this modern way of life

modern way of life we feel this brittleness we feel this

we feel this brittleness we feel this sudden sensing that everyone would like

sudden sensing that everyone would like to foreclose a mortgage on us

to foreclose a mortgage on us we have the sense that everywhere we go

we have the sense that everywhere we go someone's trying to exploit us yet we

someone's trying to exploit us yet we are not doing anything to create the

are not doing anything to create the warmth which prevents exploitation and

warmth which prevents exploitation and makes persons have a sense of kindliness

makes persons have a sense of kindliness taught each other rather than a quick

taught each other rather than a quick desire to exploit each other

desire to exploit each other well there's great art there will be

well there's great art there will be more understanding between people

more understanding between people more of the understanding between

more of the understanding between families

families so to reach out into this value sense

so to reach out into this value sense uh

uh i know from working a long time with

i know from working a long time with people that those who have found

people that those who have found artistic outlets have suddenly become

artistic outlets have suddenly become better people

better people happier people

happier people wiser people

wiser people the religion has meant something to them

the religion has meant something to them it never meant before

it never meant before because they have sensed that the reason

because they have sensed that the reason why we seek inside ourselves for truth

why we seek inside ourselves for truth is in order that we can free truth that

is in order that we can free truth that it can come out

it can come out actually

actually religion must come from within us into

religion must come from within us into our lives into our activity

our lives into our activity religion is something sacred if it moves

religion is something sacred if it moves into our lives it must move into a

into our lives it must move into a manifestation with the dignity and

manifestation with the dignity and graciousness of a sacred thing

graciousness of a sacred thing when we decide to or when we are

when we decide to or when we are impelled to release religion into action

impelled to release religion into action it should cause beautiful action

it should cause beautiful action it should cause noble action

it should cause noble action it should cause the kind of action which

it should cause the kind of action which is recognized by other people as

is recognized by other people as superior

superior as something that has its root in a

as something that has its root in a divine principle rather than the common

divine principle rather than the common principle of human competition

yet if we have this creative instinct if we have this infinite desire to release

we have this infinite desire to release religion and we have no talent no

religion and we have no talent no ability no instrument

ability no instrument for implementing this

for implementing this instinct

instinct then we are like the individual who

then we are like the individual who always wanted to be a musician but never

always wanted to be a musician but never trained his hands

trained his hands we have to train

we have to train we have to gain appreciation we have to

we have to gain appreciation we have to gain sense of value

gain sense of value so while we are releasing religion from

so while we are releasing religion from the inside we are releasing

the inside we are releasing discrimination

discrimination from the intellectual and emotional

from the intellectual and emotional levels of our natures

levels of our natures so that someday

so that someday the fact that we have gradually learned

the fact that we have gradually learned to understand what is valuable what is

to understand what is valuable what is beautiful what is true

beautiful what is true will instinctively equip us to express

will instinctively equip us to express our own life beautifully

our own life beautifully and release our own conviction in a

and release our own conviction in a manner that is truly worthy of us

manner that is truly worthy of us for there is a sermon

for there is a sermon in a beautiful thing which we have

in a beautiful thing which we have created

created we are creating solely as the old

we are creating solely as the old chinese poet said we are creating solely

chinese poet said we are creating solely because god is in us and if we turn and

because god is in us and if we turn and produce something magnificent

produce something magnificent god is the artist

god is the artist but we have become the faithful

but we have become the faithful apprentices of that artist

apprentices of that artist now god is art

now god is art god is the creative artist

god is the creative artist creating all beauty and all good things

creating all beauty and all good things in the world can never be truly sensed

in the world can never be truly sensed or known unless we are also artists

when the time came in the alchemists of the middle ages

the middle ages to produce the mysterious transmutation

to produce the mysterious transmutation of metals

of metals they had a patron saint a mysterious

they had a patron saint a mysterious unknown elusive being

unknown elusive being who was called elias attista

who was called elias attista elias the artist

elias the artist and those who transmuted in chemistry

and those who transmuted in chemistry base metals into gold were referred to

base metals into gold were referred to as artists

as artists therefore alchemy was an art

therefore alchemy was an art an alchemy was the transmutation of all

an alchemy was the transmutation of all base things into beautiful things the

base things into beautiful things the reformation of human society

reformation of human society the transmutation of the base metal of

the transmutation of the base metal of undeveloped character into the pure gold

undeveloped character into the pure gold of illumination

of illumination and these things were accomplished

and these things were accomplished because of the power and the secret

because of the power and the secret wisdom that was communicated

wisdom that was communicated by elias atista

by elias atista the master of the alchemical mysteries

the master of the alchemical mysteries elias the artist

elias the artist and all great transmutation and

and all great transmutation and transform formation of self is art

transform formation of self is art the art of making

the art of making a magnificent likeness of god in the

a magnificent likeness of god in the nature of man himself

nature of man himself the skill to sculpture our own character

the skill to sculpture our own character into the likeness of truth

into the likeness of truth these are all great arts

these are all great arts and great arts and little arts our

and great arts and little arts our brother and our brethren of different

brother and our brethren of different ages but of the same family

ages but of the same family so by gradually becoming

so by gradually becoming maturely aware of beauty

maturely aware of beauty and of true value

and of true value and of

and of the finer things of life

the finer things of life we refine our own natures

we refine our own natures and as a result of that the divine

and as a result of that the divine principle moving through us

principle moving through us manifests more purely

manifests more purely its own magnificence

its own magnificence the person who has great music in his

the person who has great music in his soul

soul has already the power

has already the power in some mysterious way

in some mysterious way to be closer to the music of the spheres

to be closer to the music of the spheres to be the mu to the music of the

to be the mu to the music of the infinite the musician can discover god

infinite the musician can discover god as music

as music uh the artist can discover god as great

uh the artist can discover god as great art

art the point

the point finds deity as

finds deity as the great point

the great point whose very

whose very poems unfold in the heavens

poems unfold in the heavens like a scroll

like a scroll everything is

everything is available

available to those who have discovered the

to those who have discovered the sensitivity

sensitivity of great creative value

of great creative value and i think each one of us should try to

and i think each one of us should try to hold on to this value

hold on to this value which is this value which is the

which is this value which is the experience of the creativity of beauty

experience of the creativity of beauty and we gain it little by little through

and we gain it little by little through simple means

simple means but finally as it matures within

but finally as it matures within ourselves

ourselves we move from the mere appreciation of

we move from the mere appreciation of fine things

fine things to the embodiment of fineness

to the embodiment of fineness so that all good things

so that all good things move through us

move through us to their own fulfillment without being

to their own fulfillment without being detoured by some blank area in our own

detoured by some blank area in our own appreciation

appreciation i think that this type of thing is of

i think that this type of thing is of the greatest value it is hard to talk

the greatest value it is hard to talk about

about but it is more conveniently experienced

but it is more conveniently experienced than described

than described and anyone who takes hold up on value

and anyone who takes hold up on value anywhere and holds to it tightly

anywhere and holds to it tightly and allows it to lead him

and allows it to lead him will come in the end to this kind of

will come in the end to this kind of mystical experience

mystical experience which makes life a very much more rich

which makes life a very much more rich and wonderful

and wonderful span of years

span of years and makes every life no matter how

and makes every life no matter how humble in its common circumstances makes

humble in its common circumstances makes every life a great life

every life a great life an important life and a creative life

an important life and a creative life well i guess time's up so we'll have to

well i guess time's up so we'll have to end this ramblings and we'll ramble on

end this ramblings and we'll ramble on again next week thank you very much

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YouTube Transcript:MPH: Philosophy of Value 4 - Taking Hold Upon Value

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MPH: Philosophy of Value 4 - Taking Hold Upon Value