Here's the story that the title for the piece came from. Looking back on it now, in light of all of the actions we have, I think there's a lot there. I also found a link on youtube to an animated film version of it. I noticed:
a) how much the monster galloping down the hill looks like one of the contact pieces Jaime and I made (the one people said looked like a creature)
b) how much Asa and Noa's contact statues evoked the struggle between the vessel of the monster and the monster itself
c) the non-consumptive nature of Annie and Mark's, for the most part.
d) I love the japanese versions of munch munch! chomp chomp! gulp! maybe we could use these...
a) how much the monster galloping down the hill looks like one of the contact pieces Jaime and I made (the one people said looked like a creature)
b) how much Asa and Noa's contact statues evoked the struggle between the vessel of the monster and the monster itself
c) the non-consumptive nature of Annie and Mark's, for the most part.
d) I love the japanese versions of munch munch! chomp chomp! gulp! maybe we could use these...
The Text with Select Images from the Story:
A long, long time ago in a land far away,
There was a monster without a name.
The monster wanted a name so badly.
So the monster left to go on a journey to find a name.
But the world was so large that he split into two to make his journey.
One went to the west and the other went towards the east.
The monster who went to the east found a village.
At the entrance of the village there was a blacksmith.
“Mr. Blacksmith, please give me your name,” said the monster.
“You can’t give away your name,” the blacksmith replied.
“If you give me your name, I’ll enter you and give you strength.”
“Really? If you can make me stronger, then I’ll give you my name.”
The monster entered the blacksmith.
The monster became Otto the Blacksmith
Otto the Blacksmith became the strongest man in the village.
But one day he said,
“Look at me. Look at me. Look at how large the monster inside me has become.”
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
The hungry monster ate Otto from the inside out.
The monster returned to being a nameless monster.
Even when he entered Hans the Shoemaker…
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
He returned to being a nameless monster.
When he entered Thomas the Hunter…
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
He once again returned to being a nameless monster.
“Mr. Blacksmith, please give me your name,” said the monster.
“You can’t give away your name,” the blacksmith replied.
“If you give me your name, I’ll enter you and give you strength.”
“Really? If you can make me stronger, then I’ll give you my name.”
The monster entered the blacksmith.
The monster became Otto the Blacksmith
Otto the Blacksmith became the strongest man in the village.
But one day he said,
“Look at me. Look at me. Look at how large the monster inside me has become.”
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
The hungry monster ate Otto from the inside out.
The monster returned to being a nameless monster.
Even when he entered Hans the Shoemaker…
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
He returned to being a nameless monster.
When he entered Thomas the Hunter…
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
He once again returned to being a nameless monster.
The monster came to a castle looking for a wonderful name.
In the castle, there was a sick boy.
“If you give me your name, I’ll give you strength.”
“If you can cure this illness and make me strong, I’ll give you my name.”
The monster entered the boy.
The boy became well.
The king was so pleased! “The prince is well! The prince is well!”
The monster liked the boy’s name.
He also liked living in the castle.
So even though he was hungry, he endured.
Every day his stomach growled, but he endured it.
However, he was so hungry that one day he said,
“Look at me. Look at me. Look at how large the monster inside me has become.”
The boy ate the king and even his servents.
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
Since there was no one there anymore, the boy went on a journey.
He kept on walking for days and days.
In the castle, there was a sick boy.
“If you give me your name, I’ll give you strength.”
“If you can cure this illness and make me strong, I’ll give you my name.”
The monster entered the boy.
The boy became well.
The king was so pleased! “The prince is well! The prince is well!”
The monster liked the boy’s name.
He also liked living in the castle.
So even though he was hungry, he endured.
Every day his stomach growled, but he endured it.
However, he was so hungry that one day he said,
“Look at me. Look at me. Look at how large the monster inside me has become.”
The boy ate the king and even his servents.
Crunch Crunch! Munch Munch! Chomp Chomp! Gulp!
Since there was no one there anymore, the boy went on a journey.
He kept on walking for days and days.
One day, the boy met the monster who traveled to the west.
“I have a name. It’s a wonderful name, too.”
The monster who went to the west said,
“I don’t need a name. I’m happy even without a name.”
We just have to accept that we are monsters without a name.
The boy ate the monster who went to the west.
“I have a name. It’s a wonderful name, too.”
The monster who went to the west said,
“I don’t need a name. I’m happy even without a name.”
We just have to accept that we are monsters without a name.
The boy ate the monster who went to the west.
The monster finally had a name,
But all the people who could call him by that name have disappeared.
And Johan was such a wonderful name, too.
But all the people who could call him by that name have disappeared.
And Johan was such a wonderful name, too.
3 comments:
Okay,
So I'll do a little Zen Buddhist translation, because it seems like this is really where this story is coming from.
So, we have these names, our egos, our identities. And they cause us to act as if we have seperate selves, as if we are "Asa" who needs to be an "actor" or "musician", so I'll walk around hurting people to get what I want, because clearly it's important for this infestismally small human to get exactly what he thinks he wants.
And alot of the work in Zen and Buddhism in general is to become identity-less, self-less, without belief in this little me's identity and needs, so that things are not full of suffering anymore and we don't walk around beating other people up for not doing what we want them to do.
And this is an interesting take on this...
The parallels are obvious, yeah? It's not really just a Buddhist thing, of course.
Yeah, sweet, thanks for posting,.
I also think within the context of this work there's a lot to be said about leaving your mark on the world, being remembered, and how seeking that, being greedy for importance and legacy and permanence is not only futile (because everybody dies, everyone/thing is ephemeral), but also destructive, and acceptance of this and a dedication to the actions available to you are where the epiphanies begin to occur.
"When everything exists only as reflected in the ego, then man has drunk up the sea"
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