Description: This is an image of a GNU meditating and playing the flute, surrounded by Chinese writing which says "Wu Wei", or in English (a rough translation) "Not forcing". There is also the Yin Yang symbol behind.
Just because I know some will think this is the cliched westener putting symbol he knows nothing about there to look cool (which does annoy me lol), I'll explain a little about them.
Wu Wei is part of the philosophy of Taoism, and this particular aspect talks of how we should not resist what is natural. By accepting the tension between opposing forces, by not getting in ones' own way, one can live more easily and pleasantly. By the same token, I believe a desktop should not force itself upon the user, it should become almost invisible, so that it enhances your experience of the tasks you are doing. That is my "desktop philosophy" (hmm!) which I like to translate to my background.
The GNU is turning the use of his computer into a personally enriching and poetic affair by meditating with his flute. He does not need to even touch his keyboard, so at one with his computer is he, without losing himself to it.
Oh and I should point out that I stole the GNU itself from http://www.gnu.org/graphics/meditate.html
wu-wei
non-striving, to flow like water.
always makes me think of Krishna with Arjuna on the battleground--inside, a still, mirror like pond, in the midsts of chaos.
Colours - a slightly modified desert red
Fonts - window title (nasalization)
- menu (nordic)
- taskbar (lucidasanslucidix sans)
Icons - a mix of crystal, freeicons and my own creations
Style - .NET
Window decoration - Liquid - Mack Style
XMMS skin - my own, copying the decoration of KDE apps to try to get it to look the same
I can post some of these things as KDE-look submissions if you like.
I've been looking into this tao-thing myself
And o.O the translation i've run across is "meaningless effort"
Altho, i might be mistaken...
Anyway, nice wallpaper...
Depends on what part of china(and for that matter, america) your coming from:
It can be yin-yan(prolly the closest to the actually chinese you'll get), Ying-Yang(very americanized, but if you must...) Yin-Yang, etc.
It really shouldn't matter how you spell it/pronounce it though. If you understand the concept of yin and yan: Its not so much depicting that there is a light to a dark. It is actually depicting that one cannot exist without the other.
Can you know beaty if you do not know ugly? Can you really know love, if you've never felt hate? We only know of the good, from knowing of the bad. And this balance should aways be maintained. You need good, and you need bad. Because if you do not have one, you lose sight of the other. And you will eventually fall into chaos once again.
As for the background:
Very nice!! I like it. :D
I will have to download this one.
btw,
Its always nice to run into a fellow taoist ;)
Thanks! I did have it without the floating gnu for a while, but added him today - I wanted a reference to Free Software in there and remembered that image, which was perfect :)
Ratings & Comments
15 Comments
why don't you put it into screenshots? it's nice but on the wrong position, isn't it?
I really like it. Thanks.
wu-wei non-striving, to flow like water. always makes me think of Krishna with Arjuna on the battleground--inside, a still, mirror like pond, in the midsts of chaos.
of course, that's hinduism, not taoism, but all -isms aside, the concept is very alike.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei Neg, a bit confucius are we?
Great walpaper :) , keep up the good work :D
Very impressive. One question: what theme, font and icons are you using? I really like 'em! THanks!
Colours - a slightly modified desert red Fonts - window title (nasalization) - menu (nordic) - taskbar (lucidasanslucidix sans) Icons - a mix of crystal, freeicons and my own creations Style - .NET Window decoration - Liquid - Mack Style XMMS skin - my own, copying the decoration of KDE apps to try to get it to look the same I can post some of these things as KDE-look submissions if you like.
Looks more like a recorder to me...
I've been looking into this tao-thing myself And o.O the translation i've run across is "meaningless effort" Altho, i might be mistaken... Anyway, nice wallpaper...
Depends on what part of china(and for that matter, america) your coming from: It can be yin-yan(prolly the closest to the actually chinese you'll get), Ying-Yang(very americanized, but if you must...) Yin-Yang, etc. It really shouldn't matter how you spell it/pronounce it though. If you understand the concept of yin and yan: Its not so much depicting that there is a light to a dark. It is actually depicting that one cannot exist without the other. Can you know beaty if you do not know ugly? Can you really know love, if you've never felt hate? We only know of the good, from knowing of the bad. And this balance should aways be maintained. You need good, and you need bad. Because if you do not have one, you lose sight of the other. And you will eventually fall into chaos once again. As for the background: Very nice!! I like it. :D I will have to download this one. btw, Its always nice to run into a fellow taoist ;)
Isn't it Yin-Yang and not Ying-Yang?
Oops, spelling error! lol
I love it!
Thanks! I did have it without the floating gnu for a while, but added him today - I wanted a reference to Free Software in there and remembered that image, which was perfect :)