1/29/11 – Night at the Museum

Aaron and I went to the Denver Museum of Art. To examine how human beings preserve and honor the past is to experience a fascinating aspect of the Metal element. The building itself is a geometric set of wings of peculiarity, architectural refinement and unusual unique quality. The physical structure evokes in me feelings of austerity, over-the-top form, and gray sterility. The structure itself is lifeless, and imposing, yet beautiful in its shapes, lines, and unusual energetic qualities. If a person were like this structure, they would pride themselves on how different, unique, and special they are. How polished, refined, and simple they were in their self-created complexity. This person would be hollow and empty inside – a void – either filled with garbage or the highest quality treasures – yet on the outside the edifice would be imposing and oddly attractive.

Once inside, the scent of cleanliness and the energy of respectful silence and sterility hit me. Each exhibit hall provides slightly different scents of dust, age, chemicals, spiciness, and decay that would occur in the upper nostril. Some exhibits would add rancid notes of paint, framing chemicals and floor wax. High geometry and form composed each room. The museum showed its treasures against the empty gray walls of nothingness – showing once again that you must first have a void in order to contrast the essential. The walls were lifeless neutral tones, evoking nothing. This created the necessary contrast to highlight the true treasure.

Each exhibit hall had an individual patrolling the halls, enforcing correct behavior and decorum. Respect, stiffness, and importance were upheld by their very presence. The windows to the outside world were small and mostly artificial light filled these places. This place was protected, withdrawn and taken out of the outside world. It reminded me of a hermit who takes themselves out of the day to day world to worship at whatever alter they deem important.

When I entered into the room of Indian, Tibetan and Nepalese art I was overwhelmed with the spiritual energy of the pieces. The high quality of spiritual qi and meaning that was imbued into certain spiritual objects created in me an awe that brought tears to my eyes, stopped my mind and made me refine my thinking, purify it and lift it towards the ideal. This was the energy of Middle Palace, LU 1.

I stared one particular piece for quite some time. It was an ornate temple doorway. It was red, green, and gold. Inscribed with intricate designs it evoked in me imagination. How many souls had passed through those gates over the ages carrying with them ritual, intention, and the Ling spirit – spirit of spiritual potentiality. I was transported in their presence to another world. I felt how it is to be in the presence of a great preacher, or wise elder who’s words and story weaving transport you from day to day reality into the transcendent experience of the world.

I’m reminded of how it must feel to be breathless and what it feels like when you cannot use language to describe an emotion or state of being. Like the finger pointing at the moon, the Museum was otherworldly.

Lastly I stepped into the East Asian room showing Japanese art. I felt myself saying wow over and over again as I became present to the highest sense of refinement that the human hand can create. Each object and scroll contained within it such aesthetic perfection and flawlessness that being in the very presence of such high quality of qi made me feel energized with wonder and spirit. Each object was imbued with the qi and love of its maker. The higher the quality and refinement, the higher the qi the object contained. When our qi is brought in resonance with such objects, we cannot help but resonate and be moved by their power.

When I left the museum, I felt more alive, more purposeful, more loving and respectful of the beauty of people and their work. At the same time I was mournful for how unique my experience had been and how unfocused and uninspired the hardened faces of the people walking the streets seemed. Unfocused, uninspired, flat, and consumed with their thoughts, plans and to do lists. All my need for worldly things other than food and sleep were dissolved.