The Ways of Art

(continued)

I had a dream shortly after obtaining the Fa. In the dream I saw that the earth was covered by feces; I couldn't even put my feet on it. I jumped up and ran away. At the same time a nearby cliff collapsed, but after this happened, all of them froze into beautiful gems. When I woke up, I thought: Wasn't that the same as the process of creating artistic work? Artists spend their whole lifetimes creating their artistic works. Audiences enjoy the works without a clear mind. Those messy modern art works will be admired too, once they are displayed in an art museum. Even those pieces that are made by Futi (spirit possession) can be treated as "artistic treasures" which can eternally harm the audiences. Don't the arts always play a role in the lubrication of the descent of humankind's ethics and affect human beings when they watch and appreciate? This dream not only reminded me of trying my best to cultivate in order to leave this rotted environment, but also made me think about the essentials of the creation of art. I should no longer be attached to the path with which I am familiar for artistic creation and repeat, unchanged, those contents and forms, but explore a new way based on my understanding of Dafa.

So how can a Dafa disciple detach from the deformation of art and also rectify Fa in this field? Master tells us: "The Buddha Fa is the nature of the universe. It is the factor that created the origin of matter, and it is the reason for the genesis of the universe." "In the future there will then be many experts and scholars whose wisdom will be broadened through the Buddha Fa. They will become the new mankind's pioneers in different fields of learning. Yet it is not for you to become a pioneer that the Buddha Fa has given you wisdom. You have attained it because you are a cultivator. That is, you are first a cultivator and then an expert. Then, as a cultivator, you should make use of all feasible conditions to spread Dafa and validate Dafa as a correct and true science, rather than preaching or idealism—this is every cultivator's obligation." ("Validation" in Essentials for Further Advancement).

My understanding is: good artistic works can be produced only when one cultivates well. Art works have great power. We can validate Dafa with our creative works, influence others with our understanding of Fa and let people realise that the artistic holy light can radiate only from a pure heart. We can tell people how to find a pure heart and the truth of the universe and of life.

Artists all want to create good artistic works, but it is very difficult for them to find a right way. An artist is quite different from a technician who only needs to know some techniques. An artist should develop his own characteristic art after he has a deep understanding of the universe and life. If only good things fill his mind, no matter how he produces a piece of art, the effects on society and on the audience should both be positive. An artist accumulates De (virtue, merit) by taking advantage of his profession, which is shouldering responsibility for his eternal life. We should tell those artists who aimlessly pursue self-emancipation and manifest demonic nature without any ethics: what the truth behind superficial phenomena is and the serious result of generating karma every day. The development of the practices of all the arts is guided by a kind of artistic philosophy, but in a society where people's minds have been distorted, almost all of the theories are distorted. Only the Fa can create total perfection in all the layers of the universe. There is no exception for art. Any artistic theories and practices cannot disobey the principle of the universe "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance". They should be the manifestation of lofty thoughts and clear wisdom. When artists can understand the truth of universe, resist the temptations of fame and material gain, cultivate their minds and produce artistic works simultaneously, and take this as a common practice, then I think this is Fa rectification in the field of art.

The principle of mutual-generation and mutual-inhibition will be changed in the future. Social contradictions, moral concepts, philosophies about life and people's hobbies, among other things, will all be changed. In the future people will discipline themselves with ethics. New scientific concepts will be in place, and people's minds won't be so complex, distorted and narrow. Therefore, no matter what the themes are, the contents and the forms of art will be new ones. Dafa disciples are in the period of Fa rectification, so we should act as transition bridges on our own initiative. And with the rapid development of Fa rectification, humanity's morality will come back onto the right path. An artist who cultivates his mind will incisively feel the most positive changes in society and present them with all his heart and soul. A new culture will naturally be produced in this process.

Translated from:
http://zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2001/8/5/11112.html