Simple… you’d think things in life would be more simple. In a strange twist, it’s remarkable how difficult it is to pull off simple. One key to simple is minimal, but in the middle of minimal one should discover profound. As Americans we tend to have a sense of profound being equal to many or much, erasing any sense of simplicity. Round and round it goes.
In the world of Bonsai, there is a style known as Literati. The trunk of the tree is twisted, long, gnarly, with a sparse amount of foliage. It’s the rugged nature of the bark that screams old…profound…weathered… worn out from its attempts at life. In an attempt to fake reality artists attempt to take a young tree that is tall and lanky and artificially create a natural look. Again I emphasize artificailly create natural, it rarely works. It seems like such a simple tree to create. But like we’ve already said, simple isn’t that easy.
It’s not that easy because it’s the combination of things, simple and profound. Simple is a childs game, “Chutes and Ladders.” Profound is an adult game like “Chess.” Simple is enjoying the art of another. Profound is 1,000s of hours working and failing and working again to artificially make something look natural. Simple is nodding your head when your teacher tells you to love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you. Profound is actually loving your enemies and praying for Gods very best to come into their life.
Life is simple, we tend to complicate it. But don’t be surprised at the difficulty of simplicity and don’t be surprised about the profound discovered in the simple. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you… you see… simple. For those that I see doing it… profound, thanks.
Truth, Grace, and Time 