JustJimAZ

Monsters, Muppets, and Haunting Zen

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Watch out! Its... It's... A MUPPET!




I love this little video on puppet making from Jim Henson himself. I see haunters as "makers with a theme". While Mr. Henson is clearly NOT creating Halloween themed puppets here, isn't he demonstrating the very essence of what so many of us do?

In Zen, the concept of "beginner's mind" is central. Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki wrote,?In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.? In a way, Mr. Henson is demonstrating this concept - a concept so fundamental to Zen and to haunting too.

He sees a sock or a paper bag in their fundamental nature (what are their properties) and in their potential(what could they become) rather than simply their intended purpose. Maybe their intended purpose is not their right purpose. Wouldn't it be cool to take Jim Henson to Lowe's and see how he perceives all the wonderful materials there?

Better still, wouldn't it be amazing to find one employee at Lowe's who sees the stuff like that? Then, instead of confused looks when you tell him what you are trying to do, you would get helpful insight.

Happy haunting!
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