December 20, 2009

Design Consciousness, Kansei and the Tao part 4


Everything is constantly searching for balance within itself. The act of balancing is a process that attempts to restore harmony into every moment. Change creates imbalance in order to bring attention to those forces that effect us. The qualities of meaning (Kansei) and purpose (Chisei) nourish and support each other in our quest for harmony. This is a natural action that occurs between our thoughts, our emotions and the forces of the Tao. The dynamic relationship between meaning and purpose deepens our awareness without confining our understanding. The result is the development of an intuitive sense for being aware and in the moment that manifests as a willingness and strength to make the most appropriate choices.

We are fundamentally mental creatures and design describes the process that formulates thought into its most appropriate form. Forms, images, thoughts and emotions are not the actual replications of experience, but are symbolic representations, i.e. designs, that bring meaning and purpose to our relationship with the Tao. The connective leaps that are made between meaning and purpose describe the dynamics that are inherent to design, but they are not design itself. Likewise, the qualities of meaning and purpose are not and do not describe the balance. Ironically balance cannot be found through any attempt to describe, attain, discover or explain it. We only become entangled within the parameters of its symbolic structure.

Everything is contained within the nature of itself. When we respond and are consciously "in the moment", movement can become briefly contained. Balance will then be experienced as a "centering stillness". In this manner a natural freedom can be discovered through the relationship between meaning and purpose. The result is a deeper sensitivity and appreciation of the Design in which we participate. This is the same stillness of mind that Lao Tzu beckons us to experience. He urges us to seek clarity of mind, to be receptive and to act upon the unseen influences that surround us — influences that symbolically appear before our consciousness by Design. Harmony is brought to our awareness when we bring to fruition the realization of its freedom, a freedom of imaginative expression that is experienced through the process of designing.

"If practitioners of the Tao can realize things of the world are all temporary, and the body too is insubstantial, they will not set their minds on the evanescent world but will remain mindful of the realm where there is no form"[9]. Liu I-ming

The purpose of the Tao of Design is to cultivate the spirit made manifest in form by bringing light to form’s meaning and purpose. Through design, consciousness has the opportunity to see through form’s veiled distortions and bring to focus the essence and spirit inhabiting its integrity, which is the Tao. Design is the vehicle that facilitates this process towards self-empowerment. Design is the process where the spirit of the creator becomes reflected in that which it creates, both seen and unseen. Design allows us to meditate upon our creations and the underlying purpose concealed in the forms of our own making. Design assists us in discovering for ourselves the differences between the real and the unreal.

Design facilitates the "situations" necessary for any creative venture brought forth by the imagination. Design’s ability to effect our imagination nourishes a natural growth in awareness, which in turn perpetuates a greater knowing and understanding of both oneself and the world. In this fashion, the world intimately touches us in our evolutionary journey, as we in turn touch the world.

4. Conclusions

It is imperative that the knowledge in support of mankind’s true nature, i.e. mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, be learned and understood before significant progress can be made towards implementing conceptual networks surrounding both Kansei and Chisei. Current methods of investigation into Kansei are based primarily upon the scientific paradigm, which promotes a specific method towards revealing and interpreting phenomenon. Design investigations need to focus upon natural models and a true understanding of form generation, aesthetics, concepts surrounding the process of manifestation and evolutionary constraints. Design investigations into Kansei must consider the ramifications of change, which are fundamental to the understanding of human consciousness and its place in a universal design.

Humanity views the design phenomenon from many perspectives, all of which are based upon the conditioning power of culture, race, economic status, biology, sex, etc. Yet one of design’s roles is to seek balance through change. This task is accomplished by bringing to fruition humanity’s capacity to give form to formlessness. Design needs to be investigated and refined in order to demonstrate conclusively that it is intimately woven into the fabric of human and universal consciousness. Due to the nature of design, more appropriate tools need to be discovered for future investigations into its unique qualities. Design is an integral player in the holographic and vibratory universe in which we participate and key to future explorations that lie beyond the scientific paradigm.


References

Wing, R.L., The Tao of Power, Doubleday, 666 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y., pg.8, (1979).
Wing, R.L., The I Ching Workbook, Thorsons, 77-58 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 8JB, pg.12 (1986).
Jing, Yi, The Online Journal of the I Ching, http:fortunecity.com/business/influence.1805/taoism.htm.
Watts, Alan, Huang, Al Ching-liang, Tao The Watercourse Way, Partheon Books, New York, N.Y., pg.7, (1975).
Garant, Carl, The Tao of the Circles, The reader is invited to visit www.geocities.com/c_garant, where the power of the symbol, its emotional connotations and its reference to the design function is presented., Humanics Publishing Group, Atlanta, GA, Introduction, (2001).
Hirada, Akira, Lee, Seung Hee, Jan Stappers, Pieter, "Pleasure Products: Design based upon Kansei", Paper presented at the 2nd Conference of Pleasure with Products, Copenhagen 2000, Published "Pleasure with Products: Beyond Usability, Taylor and Francis, (2002).
Caplan, Richard, By Design. Why There are No Locks on the Bathroom in the Hotel Louis XIV and Other Objects Lessons, St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. (1982).
Cleary, Thomas, The Taoist I Ching, Shamballa Publications Inc., 300 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA., pg. 19, (1986).
Cleary, Thomas, The Taoist I Ching, Shamballa Publications Inc., 300 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA., pg.20, (1986).


Edited: 01.11.2017, 06.16.2017

Find your truth. Know your mind. Follow your heart. Love eternal will not be denied. Discernment is an integral part of self-mastery. You may share this post as long as author, copyright and URL http://designconsciousness.blogspot.com/ is included as the resource and shared on a non-commercial no charge basis. Please note … posts are continually being edited over time. Copyright © 2009 C.G. Garant. All Rights Reserved. Fair Use Notice. AI usage is prohibited.


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