{"id":28988,"date":"2025-11-14T08:57:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T13:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/?p=28988"},"modified":"2025-11-14T08:57:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T13:57:45","slug":"pick-one-perfect-work-or-work-that-doesnt-fail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/pick-one-perfect-work-or-work-that-doesnt-fail\/","title":{"rendered":"Pick One: Perfect Work, or Work That Doesn’t Fail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[Image: “Lose It In the Trees,” by John E. Simpson. (Photo shared here under a Creative Commons License; for more information, see this page<\/a> at <\/em>RAMH.)<\/em>]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From whiskey river’s commonplace book<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Tune: “Thinking of Maiden Chin”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ascend high on the storied pavilion,
Below, mountains scatter in disorder;
The uncultivated plain extends
Far in the light mist.
In the light mist,
Crows have returned to their nests;
The evening horn is heard in the dusk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burnt-out incense, left-over wine —
My melancholy heart!
The evening wind hastens
The wu t’ung leaves fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wu t’ung leaves fall,
Again the autumn becomes beautiful,
Again the heart is lonesome.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(Li Qingzhao, translated by Lucy Chow Ho [source<\/a>; alternative translation by Kenneth Rexroth here<\/a><\/em>])<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

How do we learn? I’ve heard it a thousand times, without yet fully applying it to my own experience, that it is axiomatically the height of delusion to think of one meditation object as superior to any other. Phenomena are all the same in being fleeting, unsatisfying, and ungovernable–a true meditator notices whatever is happening and lets it go its own way without preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let come whatever comes. Let go of all that goes. I’m still working on that one.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(Kate Wheeler [source<\/a><\/em>])<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

During his sermon a monk asked him, “In whom does Buddha cause passion?” Chao-chou said, “Buddha causes passion in all of us.” The monk asked, “How do we get rid of it?” Chao-chou said, “Why should we get rid of it?”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(Chang Chung-yuan [source<\/a><\/em>])<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…and (italicized portion):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

It is not possible to overthrow pride. It is not possible because we ourselves are pride; Pride the Dragon and Pride the Deceiver as it is called in Mythology. But we can witness the defeat of pride because pride can not hold out. Pride is not real so sooner or later it must go down…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cannot and do not slay the Dragon, that is a medieval idea, I guess. We have to become completely familiar with him and hope that he sleeps. The way things are most of the time, is that he is awake and we are asleep. What we hope is the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have known some very young artists who are familiar with the Dragon and know many of his ways. They also recognize fear and are independent of judgement. They recognize themselves as mere shadows in reality. They like to be alone and seem to have had plenty of practice of being alone since early childhood. All that is a tremendous head start in art work and these artists are correctly recognized as geniuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will all get there someday however and do the work that we are supposed to do. Of all the pitfalls in our paths and the tremendous delays and wanderings off the track I want to say that they are not what they seem to be. I want to say that all that seems like fantastic mistakes are not mistakes and all that seems like error is not error; and it all has to be done. That which seems like a false step is the next step…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was the reaction of the person who first made a symmetrical house. He felt new contentment in the house. He could see that it reflected himself. He felt a satisfaction in having built it and perhaps an awareness of clarity in his mind as the means. (A contentment with oneself that is success. Do not stop short of real contentment. You may as well never have been born if you remain discontented.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfection is not necessary. Perfection you can not have. If you do what you want to do and what you can do and if you can then recognize it you will be contented. You cannot possibly know what it will be but looking back you will not be surprised at what you have done.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(Agnes Martin [source<\/a><\/em>])<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From elsewhere:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The first thing to do is to lift your foot. Breathe in. Put your foot down in front of you, first your heel and then your toes. Feel your feet solid on the Earth. You have already arrived.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(Thich Nhat Hanh [source<\/a><\/em>])<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

On the subject of rules and patterns, I think we are absolutely schizophrenic. We are drawn to the symmetry of a snowflake, and we are also drawn to the amorphous shape of a cloud floating high in the sky. We appreciate the regular features of animals of a pure breed, and we are also fascinated by hybrids and mongrels that do not fit into any classification scheme. We honor those people who have lived upright and sensible lives, and we also esteem the mavericks who have broken the mold. In some perplexing and ill-understood manner, we human beings with our oversized craniums seem to have a fondness both for the predictable and the unpredictable, the rational and the irrational, regularity and irregularity. Yes, we are certainly a difficult mess of self-contradictions…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We like order, but we also like surprises. We like the predictable. But we also like the unpredictable. Every once in a while, we demand a fly in the ointment.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(Alan Lightman [source<\/a><\/em>])<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…and:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humans: beings directional,
symmetrical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With left and right hands,
left and right feet,
ears that hear lullabies
from one side or the other,
nostrils that know fear or food
from one side or the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beings who sneeze
while following a trail
through wet woods
to whose asters and mosses
two eyes bring stereoscopic depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, it\u2019s true, the ears mishear:
death<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the feet\u2019s direction is only away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the hands misunderstand their task.
They tremble.
They ask their wrists: This?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fingers with such sensitive nerve ends,
such solicitude holding a chisel or cello,
they thought they were meant to inflict only beauty and kindness.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(Jane Hirshfield [source<\/a><\/em>])<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Image: “Lose It In the Trees,” by John E. Simpson. (Photo shared here under a Creative Commons License; for more information, see this page at RAMH.)] From whiskey river’s commonplace book: Tune: “Thinking of Maiden Chin” I ascend high on the storied pavilion,Below, mountains scatter in disorder;The uncultivated plain extendsFar in the light mist.In the light mist,Crows have returned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","h5ap_radio_sources":[],"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"federated","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Kate Wheeler, Agnes Martin, Alan Lightman, et al.: 'Pick One: Perfect Work, or Work That Doesn't Fail'","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[247,1393,4701,250,251,4159],"tags":[270,3810,4357,4508,5237,5599,6222,6223,6224],"class_list":{"0":"post-28988","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ruminations","8":"category-whiskey-river-runningaftermyhat","9":"category-my-photography","10":"category-art","11":"category-poetry-writing_cat","12":"category-essays","13":"tag-jane-hirshfield","14":"tag-alan-lightman","15":"tag-agnes-martin","16":"tag-thich-nhat-hanh","17":"tag-acceptance","18":"tag-the-perfect-vs-the-good","19":"tag-li-qingzhao","20":"tag-kate-wheeler","21":"tag-chang-chung-yuan","22":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/loseitinthetrees_johnesimpson.jpg?fit=1024%2C819&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kZSG-7xy","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28988"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29006,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28988\/revisions\/29006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}