THE TAO of HAIKU POETRY
Tao #6
Intuition
Intuition is like a timeless valley
It lies deep, is sometimes dimly seen,
Yet is always present,
Giving birth to the planted seed.
Because it lies so low
It cannot fall,
And to it all things flow.
Draw from it all you wish,
The more it is used,
The deeper it grows.
The Tao often speaks of listening to one’s inner voice rather than listening to others and of using one’s intuition rather than knowledge gathered from outside authority:
Tao #20
Those who seek to live a creative life,
Often give up formal learning,
To find their own way.
The Tao is an ancient Chinese philosophy which focuses on listening to one's inner self. It is written in the form of 81 poems which talk about enjoying the journey, rather than worrying about the result, being in the moment, and the importance of both the Yin and the Yang in life. Intuition or listening to one's self can be defined as “knowing something without knowing how we know it". According to Carl Jung, intuition is one of the four functions of our minds and does not “denote something contrary to reason, but something outside the province of reason". For some people, it is like a hunch, a gut reaction, or it can speak to us in images, perceptions, feelings, etc. but it always feels “right". There are many ways of tapping into intuition. One that will be discussed in this article is through the use of Haiku poetry.
The Haiku is a Japanese poetry from which can be easily practiced. It is a wonderful way of learning to write poems as well as being a tool for non-logical or intuitive problem solving. The Haiku consists of three lines with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, and five syllables in the third line. The brief form eliminates the use of sentences or connecting words such as “the, “and" , “as", “but", etc., and, therefore, tends to be non-linear or non-logical. It’s purpose is to bring one into the moment and, like the Tao, often uses nature as a metaphor.
One way of beginning to write a Haiku is to think of a topic and write down any and all words that come to mind around that topic. Include one word from nature. As an example, suppose the topic is the sea. Words that come to mind are: blue, waves, wind, white sand, soft breezes, wild sea, driftwood, palm trees, hammocks, herons, gulls, sandpipers, sunsets, moonlight, sea grass, swimming, running, walking, play, being. The next step would be to go back and underline eight or ten words that are the most powerful or have the most energy or interest: white sand, moonlight, wild sea, trees, herons, driftwood, waves, wind, sunsets, play. Next to these words, put the number of syllables each word has: white sand (2), moonlight (2), wild sea (2), trees (1), herons (2), driftwood (2), waves (1), wind (1), sunsets (2), play (1). Then begin to play with the words putting them together in a non-logical way but so they sound right to you. It is helpful to actually put them on small pieces of paper so that you can move them around and arrange them in a pleasing way. Let the words reveal a moment in time or a theme. Use other words if they come to mind and seem to fit. An example:
Moonlight, water, wind,
Heron sunsets, white sand play,
Driftwood being, waves wild sea.
The Haiku’s ability to reveal a new thought, or new perspective can be used in problem solving. Choose a topic or issue and write down all the words that come to mind around this issue. Supposing the issue is an upsetting change( a divorce, a move, a health issue, etc). Words that might come to mind: upset, sad, angry, betrayed, change, transformation, new identity, bereft, alone, anxious, hurt, new, closed, open. Underline the ones that are the most important or perhaps intriguing and put the number of syllables with each one. In this list, add a word from nature or a season and include that in the list: winter. The nature word may trigger other word associations that can be added to the list. Winter brings to mind: cold, bleak, hibernation, ice storms, etc. Arrange the words in a Haiku and allow them to flow without thinking about it too much, let the words determine the arrangement:
Winter sad, cold hurt,
Angry transformation change,
Identity new.
This Haiku started with upset and anger and ends with a more positive opening to a new identity. It still acknowledges the upset but leads to a possible new perspective. It is important to stay as non-logical as possible so that new information may be revealed.
* The Tao poems are from the book, The Tao of Creativity, available from Judith de Zanger, 1664 Third Ave., N.Y., N.Y. ,10128 for $12.
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