The quote is by Nam June Paik – a korean artist. And all the carpet-weavers in the Orient know about this. The Amish, too, consciously integrate mistakes into their Quilts. The add mistakes on purpose, because otherwise lieber Gott böse – “god is angry”.

The real explanation is that only god is perfect and it’s considered outrageous to put yourself on the same level as god. Only god can create perfection. I think god is not angry, but just bored when things are too perfect. Because the small mistake, the unexpected, cute glitch brings out the humane, the wordly and at the same time divine in us.

Tantric philosophy assumes unity at the core. Everything is ultimately one. It’s like the Ying & Yang sign. Opposites exist, and exist in each other and together they create the whole. There is no ‘all good’ or ‘all bad’. In every right there’s a little wrong and the other way ’round. But at the essence of everything, there’s the divine.

And especially the Germans can take a big crooked learning out of this. Aren’t we the ones who want to make everything according to the rules and precise and perfect all the time? Well, in the end it looks great and it works – but it’s also a little bit boring. And then god jawns. And throws us a curve-ball. That’s how god sneaks up on us to have some fun. To make sure we can laugh about ourselves and so that things wobble and squeak and it’s all in good fun. We just have to remind ourselves to laugh about it.

It’s important for us: To see our mistakes, to accept them and smile about them – about our human-ness. We must not believe that we can make things perfect or can be perfect ourselves. Look at your little peculiarities and consider them a divine wink and reminder of something bigger. In yourself and in others.

My parents had bought a turkish carpet on vacation. Of course, it also contained a little ‘mistake’. Knit in on purpose, for sure. And there is was, in the middle of our living-room. Sometimes the gaze would fall on that little strange error in the carpet. But the mistake wasn’t something horrible. It was something cute and adorable. In it’s own way the error made this carpet whole and beautiful and special.

 

Join me for a special retreat to discover what makes you whole, beautiful and special.