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ceramics
October 2009 
Freedom from duhkha
Posted on May 29th, 2008
by 
Jw
Jw
"Dukhka literally means a wheel whose hub does not rotate. The axle of the wheel doesn't revolve...What Buddha discovered and taught was to free up the wheel. He called it suhkha, a liberated wheel..." from Big Mind - Big Heart, by Zen Master Dennis Genpo Merzel
I recently took my travel money and invested it in a wheel but not for traveling across space but to travel across consciousness. With this wheel, my attention is focused on the clay, how it feels and what is happening with it. There is nothing else worthy of thought.
This is third time I have made an attempt to be a potter. Each time before some drastic change happened.
The first time I was in college as an art major. I had a crush on my ceramics teacher. He talked about learning to make love to the clay. He let us give ourselves our own grades. I gave myself a "C", even though I deserved better. I wanted him to call me up to discuss this. He never did. It was this grade that got me kicked out of the art department. A traumatic thing. Men can be such a distraction.
The second time I lived with a boyfriend near the Napa Valley after graduating from college. We had a small cabin in the country and were doing the back-to-nature, hippie thing. We lived on his GI bill money and ... well, I'd rather not talk about that. The community college hadn't received my transcripts so they wouldn't let me enroll. I took a ceramics class in my boyfriend's name and made a whole set of dishes. I was just about to get a job demonstrating wheel-throwing in front of a little art gallery when we moved onto a sailboat. It's pretty hard to be a potter when you live on sailboat so I took up lace-making.
I hope this time will be the time. I am much better at centering clay after 7 years of martial arts. To center clay one needs to be firmly grounded, to be aware of the source of energy and power....and to be mentally centered.
There is nothing like the feel of the clay walls of a pot, all slippery and wet gliding between your fingers; and to watch as it transforms itself from a lump with some nudging and coaxing from your fingers, into a vessel. It's magic!
Access: Public
Good luck on this practice of centering working with clay. It sounds like you love to work with your hands and physical body. It reminds me of something I read once….that we all usually have one area or inclination upon which we begin to sense that center (or move inward to God, whatever the words were). Some people are more naturally inclined to go through physical movement, others through their feelings, others through their thoughts, others through their dreams. And I'm sure there may be more than that, and maybe we eventually move inward with everything…but we usually have an inclination that's stronger.
So do you know about Big Mind? I just found their group on here last night and am fascinating to discover more. Do you know if Genpo Roshi combines Voice Dialogue and Eastern thought/meditation. Seems like I read that sometime also.
Kathy, Yes, about Genpo Roshi, voice dialogue and Buddhism. In the first few chapters of his book Big Mind - Big Heart, he summarizes so many concepts so clearly that I often like to quote him.
Third attempt is a charm, and there are no distracting men! LOL
I think it would be a wonderful zen feeling to mold that wet clay.
I know this time, you will be happy with your results!
Blessings,
a
this is something I always thought I would love to do, but I haven't. I hope it works well for you.
What a wonderful journey you've been on…and coming back to the wheel sounds like a complete joy. I love your description of forming the wet clay…as conscious spiritual practice…beautiful.
amazing photo
I find pottery SUCH a beautiful process
from start to finish!
though I find the dust difficult
- get clogged up!
sounds like you have an adventurous journey with the wheel!
Let's see what happens at this turn!
many blessings
Thank you for sharing those wonderful stories! I think you've mentioned some (like the self-inflicted “C” in art that to you dropped from the art program. You were talking about what brought you to drafting and mechanical drawing, I think. But this context or perspective is a lot of fun! It's great to hear some of your personal adventures. I agree with the folks above that three times is the charm, and wish you a wonderful adventure of self-discovery that doesn't bring about unwanted changes–just growing and deepening. You are awesome! :)
Oh, Janine, how exciting to see you working with clay. I almost jumped through my computer to give you a hug when I clicked on your icon and read your banner.
I love the picture of your footed bowl in progress. Throwing clay feels right for you. It is something that I don't do. I pinch, massage, lick and carve. Throwing never felt good on my body. Perhaps I didn't give it the time. I do not regret.
What a story you giving yourself a C. It takes brutal honesty and Center to tell a story like that on yourself. You gave yourself a C cause you hoped he would call you. 19 is a crazy age. I was crazy at 19.
I came to clay only about 12 years ago. In college I took a ceramics class. The first semester was handbuilding only. I did not have a crush on the teacher. I made the ugliest handbuild pots in the world, and I got an A. What a wuss my teacher was. He should have made me do all my pots over, that is how bad they were. I took the wheel class the next semester, but there were some very technically excellent and creative potters in the upperclasses and I was intimidated so I quit. It was all me. They were not intimidating, they were too busy.
You brought back memories. You will make beautiful bowls because your mandalas have taught you how.
DC
“Round” seems to be a current theme for me.
Many thanks, great friends, for all the kind words. Wishing all of you as much fun and contentment. jw