Story behind the painting (Part 14) - Empty Glass,

 

Bamboo leaves, black ink and Chinese brush are essential tools for a Chinese-style art piece.  But there is more to it in this painting.  The inspiration for the work came when I was working at my Kambatik garden in Kuching where I planted two big bamboo clumps.
The bamboo leaves have inspired me to do a Chinese-style painting  but with a slight philosophical touch to it.  That's where I decided to adopt the glass motif in the painting.

I have always been attracted to the philosophy of the glass whether it is half full or half empty.  The glass object is to represent the philosophy much discussed in the western world.  I am also attracted by the wise words of a Chinese philosopher named  Lao Tzu who said:

"Thirty spokes share the hub of a wheel;

yet it is its center that makes it useful.

You can mould clay into a vessel;

yet, it is its emptiness that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows from the walls of a house;

but the ultimate use of the house

will depend on that part where nothing exists.

Therefore, something is shaped into what is;

but its usefulness comes from what is not.”

I presume that if you are a person who is philosophically bent you should smile when you see the picture. Why? This is because you need to be the content maker.  You need to contribute positively  to the empty space of life to make life meaningful. Your knowledge should not just be a solid vessel full of empty air. Instead make your knowledge useful to humankind or good to others.  This is explained well in this story. 

"A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.  The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.  The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes’.  The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.  The sand is everything else—the small stuff.  ‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.  Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.  Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.  Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’  The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

(Note: The above story is sourced online  by following this link... ...https://www.behaviouralsafetyservices.com/the-wise-professor-who-looks-after-his-golf-balls/ )