Inspiration vapors

by Jin Li Hai (written in a lifted state)

Inspiration, the meaning of life is it not? Why else do you smoke then? To escape? The melt?

Inspiration is what grabbed you in the first place…things afresh seen with eyes anew. Same direction different angle.

From our embryonic forms in the folds of our presented world we made our first cut. We went deeper and found things that sometimes shocked us, some which made us weep and some which made us understand.

Inspiration to make art, to make ourselves and make our worlds. The world has always been colored gray to some extent, the city reflects it, subconsciously, it hits us; and when we meet someone or find something refreshing, we remember the warmth of that color.

So that’s why we persist. Seek it all around the world, like us in the East, where work and grayness can catch one unguarded and surprised, and speaking to different people can take you in all different directions. It is always important to stay inspired, even if a price has to be paid for it. It could be time, it could be money. You make the choice.

And you always have, it’s always been you. I have met myself in inspired times, I had conversations and confrontations. You break, you grow. What do you have to show for it?

Now what is all this philosophy you might ask? Perhaps its my Technochrist stick, with unknown oils and spices from China. Perhaps it’s the dawning of the Age of Aquarius; perhaps one just gets tired of all this nonsense and you just feel like breaking out and finally doing something about it!

Either way…that sweet inspiration goes a long way. Taiwan and oldschool Tao teaches the way of living gentle and slow, like a tree ever growing and trying to remain unshaken. Drinking green tea with friends, stretching and breathing, drinking warm water, sleeping early, rising early. Of course not everyone does that…the new generation are al on their phones until late at night…playing mobile games and having the majority of their conversations on an app.  This is their reality, caught between oldschool traditions like having to burn paper money for your deceased relatives or for your business so that it can prosper and so that grandpa can show his dead neighbors how much his children still care for him and now he can live in luxury in the afterlife (no joke); and a techno world where kids watch ipads from 1 year old.

I learn a lot, and find a lot of respect for the old ways, and how to successfully merge them with the future.

Chapter 1

 The way that can be spoken of
is not the constant way;
the name that can be named
is not the constant name. The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth;
the named was the mother of the myriad creatures.

 Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets;
but always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations.

 These two are the same
but diverge in name as they issue forth.
Being the same they are called mysteries,
mystery upon mystery –
the gateway of the manifold secrets.

-Lao Tzu