snapper and i decided at the last minute to dash over to the asian art museum to catch the zhan wang exhibit that was closing yesterday. the highlight was a topographic San Francisco cityscape—one of his “urban landscape” series- using steel rocks, mirrored surfaces, silverware, and stainless steel pots and pans, which was pretty cute, although given all the hoopla i thought his exhibit might have more than just one small room. it certainly was shiny, though.
seeing as we were already out and had paid our admission, we cruised through the rest of the museum. i decided to let snapper lead the way, and would just go over and examine whatever she decided to look at. given that the entire third floor was dedicated to tracing buddhism’s spread across asia, there were a LOT of buddha statues and carvings. it was interesting to see what aspects of buddhism resonated with each culture and how that was reflected in their depictions of him. speaking of which, i’m reminded that i’m desperate to see the hewlett/albarn opera monkey journey to the west, and i see that it’s actually in the states, but i’d have to go to south carolina to go see it? uh, what?
on the other hand, it did make me think of jill bolte taylor, who gave a great TED talk and just had a piece done about her in the nytimes today:
The incessant chatter that normally filled her mind disappeared. Her everyday worries — about a brother with schizophrenia and her high-powered job — untethered themselves from her and slid away.
Her perceptions changed, too. She could see that the atoms and molecules making up her body blended with the space around her; the whole world and the creatures in it were all part of the same magnificent field of shimmering energy.
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She brings a deep personal understanding to something she long studied: that the two lobes of the brain have very different personalities. Generally, the left brain gives us context, ego, time, logic. The right brain gives us creativity and empathy. For most English-speakers, the left brain, which processes language, is dominant. Dr. Taylor’s insight is that it doesn’t have to be so.
Her message, that people can choose to live a more peaceful, spiritual life by sidestepping their left brain, has resonated widely.
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But many reaching out are spiritual seekers, particularly Buddhists and meditation practitioners, who say her experience confirms their belief that there is an attainable state of joy.
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Although her father is an Episcopal minister and she was raised in his church, she cannot be counted among the traditionally faithful. “Religion is a story that the left brain tells the right brain,” she said.
Still, Dr. Taylor says, “nirvana exists right now.”
“There is no doubt that it is a beautiful state and that we can get there,” she said.