charlatans

rounded jar of white color, top is small and base is same size, lovely visiion of rotundedness – like me

He sits on a throne with smug confidence,
Skin is bright gold, eyes are reptilian marbles,
Lips are smeared with honey, tongue is virile
     red.
He exhorts his followers to purge inhibitions.
“Whatever you feel is Tao, and should be
     indulged.”
They scream, they sob, they dance madly.
“Yes Yes!” he exclaims. “Whatever you do is
     Tao!”

There are too many charlatans in spirituality these days. If you meet such self-proclaimed masters, you must be wary. If the way they present to you seems easy, it is probably false. Why should spirituality be any different than any other endeavor? Can you become a ballet dancer easily? did you learn your job easily? Was it simple to graduate from school? Everything takes effort.

It does not stand to reason that spirituality will be established simply by sitting in the presence of a master. Yet people continue to fall victim to this logic. In mass gatherings, a mind hysteria and a herd mentality are cleverly exploited. A teacher will tell you that whatever you do is holy. whatever is said, though, the teacher cannot claim to give you Tao.

Tao is only gained by the self. Masters are hard to find, and following the road takes solitary discipline. It takes daily work, so how could you get it at a rally? Indulgence is not Tao. True Tao cannot be gained without understanding and strength.

charlatans
365 Tao
daily meditations
Deng Ming-Dao (author)
ISBN 0-06-250223-9

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Large jar, Choson dynasty (1392–1910),
18th–19th century
Korea
White porcelain; H. 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm)
The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art,
Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers,
Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds,
Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975 (1979.413.1)

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Description
The manufacture of porcelain, which requires a special clay and extremely high firing temperatures (1,300–1,350°C), was first developed in China. In Korea, white-bodied porcelain wares became popular with the advent of the Choson dynasty (1392–1910) and continued to be produced throughout the period. The early phase of porcelain production, from the founding of the dynasty at the end of the fourteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century, is characterized by undecorated white wares, although blue-and-white decorated wares began to be produced in the fifteenth century. These white wares reflect the austere tastes associated with Neo-Confucianism, the Choson state's official ideology, displacing Buddhism which had been promoted by the court rulers of the preceding Koryo dynasty (918–1392). This jar is among the most striking of the large, utilitarian objects made of porcelain. It was produced by joining two bowl-shaped forms at their rims. The pale blue tone of the thickly applied glaze enhances the impression of whiteness and freshness. Jars of this type, which reflect a uniquely Korean aesthetic, would have been especially admired for their irregular shape, a result of slight sagging during firing.


`view of middle, where the two were melded together into one`		`a better view of the color and structure of the jar`

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