Zen Pencils by Gavin Aung Than for October 21, 2013

@Zen PencilsGavin-sama, ignore the under-literate ungezeiferen who pass such comments on your work. You and I ought to collaborate, Gavin-sama, given that we both seek to bring wise words to the public. My anger stems from those who do not wish to be taught. For more on that, look up the Panchatantra fable of the sparrow and the monkeys.

I don’t find this to be at all creepy. He lived a good and faithful life, worked good, travel the world and everything. Had a family, lived to see his son have one also. Now that he has grown old gracefully, he now sits and reminiscence about the achievements he did. That is, until it’s time for the good lord to call him to join his wife at home in heaven.

I think that is his point. Many quote this thinking it is describing a “life defining” moment, supposing in their mind that the end result will be vastly different. Robert Frost is simply stating the beginning of two different journeys not their ends. Gavin brings out a that both roads, although very different from one another, can lead to similar ends. This could or could not have been Robert Frosts intent with the poem. Most suppose that what is meant is an entirely different end life experience, but by doing so you are putting your own end to the poem. He simply states that he took the road less traveled. That will mean different things to different people. So the emphasis is on the different journey here and not the end of his life as ultimately in truth we all experience death alone.

Bravo. How nice to wake up to contemplations of life’s deeper aspects. Gives me roots for the day…. “The unreflected life is not worth living…” Now I can do my Yoga and more expeditiously release my past decisions, and be here now, parallel universes and all. Thanks again.

Up until now I have only known the last part of the poem“…I took the one last traveled byand that has made all the difference.”And assumed that this choice was life defining and that in the author’s mind, the choice he made was the better of the two. Now having read the entire poem, I can’t say that Gavin’s painting both paths as equally good is wrong. Fascinating…

It is not creepy or disturbed.Just the Zen principal of life.All paths travel to the same point.The journey is to be come enlightened by the end of the journey.Death is at the end of every journey.Become enlightened and your journey will be worth it.

The Middle Way does not mean that when the road diverges, the traveler goes straight ahead, crashing through the brush. It means that every way can be the Middle Way. It’s all in how you walk it. One step at a time, concerned with each step, not the destination. Walked that way, all ways are “the road less traveled.”

For myself, it is yet another reminder that life is not about the destination, but the journey.

Well, not everyone gets Robert Frost, I guess… or Zen Pencils either. A nice take on this poem Mr. Than.

I have appreciated today’s Zen Pencils even more because of the thoughtful comments posted. Thank you, commentators, for giving me new ways to look at this poem. I had always assumed the road less traveled to be the “right” choice, and the more traveled road was the “wrong” choice.

Just because the pictures end with him sitting by himself means he’s alone. In both instances he could be looking into a camera. Gavin’s take as I understand it is whatever path you take, if you’re basically happy with it, you’ve taken the road less traveled. If you’re unhappy, you’re probably not on the correct road.

This poem is one of my favourites. It has inspired different paths of thought (and journeys) at different times of my life. Well done, Gavin Aung Than, and thank you.

Beautiful.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood….

Forgive me if it seems I misunderstood Frost’s poem – in fact I know it well and have loved it since my first reading – rather, I felt the illustrative interpretation is a touch pretentious, and the final image sad and disturbing, rather than uplifting as the poetic message has always been for me.-do not presume that I am uneducated, or illiterate – but rather, I hold a different view point of this illustrative interpretation to you. It does NOT mean that I am right nor wrong – just have taken the road less travelled in my reaction to it than you.

Wonderful; the illustrations are such fun to compare, and this has added some layers of meaning to Frost’s beautiful words for me. Splendid job!

Wow, a guy can’t just sit and watch tv by himself without people calling him creepy.

Interesting thought though, if you are from San Francisco you would probably live the left side. If you’re from New York, you’d probably live the right side.

Left side is colored almost in 49ers color while the right is colored resembling the Giants. Now THAT is creepy!

Interesting, while I’ve read Frost’s poem I’m no expert at all on it. I do rather like this take on it. Its the first Zen Pencils I’ve been able to really relate to. It’s you that makes the journey what it is, not the road you take.