A basic question like, "How can we improve the shape of a tire?" runs the risk of getting slammed by leagues of naysayers. How many people would have the courage to maintain this line of exploration if everybody around them is saying, "That's crazy. Everybody knows the tire has been round for eons, so drop it dude and get real."

For most, this lack of encouragement would totally kill any enthusiasm for exploration. The example demonstrates that ideas shrink and contract when faced with judgment.

However, the example also shows the reverse to be true. Just for a moment, work with me here, suspend all your ideas about round tires. Now imagine that someone else in our group throws out the idea, "How about a triangular tire."

I suspect that many will think in their minds if not with their vocal chords, "this is now getting really crazy because there is no such thing as a triangular tire." But again, we hold our judgment off to the side. Another group member responds, "Hmmm. Never heard of a triangular tire but you know tanks can get stuck spinning if they are wedged into ravine like grooves. Maybe a triangular tire inside a tank track belt would have some advantages for climbing out of ditches."

Now, participants can see how one thought can trigger the onslaught of others. Thus showing that creativity sparks are much like a chain reaction which grows, while judgments contract into abyss-like black holes.

Keep in mind, judgment is different from discernment. I'm not saying that applying one's beliefs, criteria, knowledge, etc. to a situation is not valid. I'm simply saying that there comes a time to suspend that which we think we know in order to make room for discovering that which could make it better.

Discernment helps us decide right actions, and we will address this more in Part Two, "The Creative Formula and Compass in Action."

If infinity is best represented by the Source, the Creator of all creations, then let's consider the role of judgment from this perspective.

Disclaimer: I know I tread on emotionally charged waters and risk offending, yet I mean no disrespect to anybody or any institution which promotes honor, respect and love for the Divine's creations. I offer the following merely for intellectual consideration in the hopes of showing the limits of judgment as it pertains to ourselves and the importance of suspending it when pursuing creativity.

Apparently when the Christian missionaries first encountered the Hawaiian elders, the elders were intrigued with all concepts of Christianity except one, the concept of sin. They explained to the missionaries that, given the eternal massiveness of God's universe, they did not see how it was possible for a human being to do anything that significantly mattered. "He loves us and we love Him. Surely He doesn't need us. Anything we could give Him already came from Him, so this sin concept can be an excuse to take ourselves too seriously and force a divide."

I've always been fascinated with this Hawaiian thinking, not because it lessens the importance of my own wrongdoings, for surely sin and accountability are two distinct animals. Instead, the Hawaiian thoughts about sin offer a paradigm shift in judging our relations to Him and His creations (e.g., the earth). Consider original sin. Interestingly enough, Christians are one of the few groups that believe we were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. To many indigenous folks, they've never left. Accordingly, we can see how easy it is to trash a world we live in if we judge/think it to be separate and apart from ourselves/God.

Before we leave this issue of judgment, I would like to share a Hindu story which parallels the limits of judgment on a divine level. The story goes something like this:

A saint and God sat together one afternoon enjoying lotus blossom tea when God challenged the saint to find a person on earth who really understood Him.

And so the saint comes to earth incognito and first finds an ascetic hermit who has been living in an isolated cave for years with only his bowl and loincloth as possessions. The saint says, "I am a special messenger sent by the Lord to seek out His true devotees who understand Him."

"Well esteemed emissary, it's about time. Surely your eyes are beholding the greatest devotee of the Lord on this earth. For over eighty years, rain or shine, I have practiced every imaginable technique of tortuous mental and physical self-discipline to attain knowledge and to find merit in the Lord's eyes for His honor," says the ascetic.

Pleased to find a winning soul, the saint moves on to discover others, but his attention is arrested outside a small village when he comes upon a drunken young farmer working in his field. The scene of this drunken man trying to place large bamboo poles into ground holes by bouncing the poles on the ground and falling from his drunkenness generates great laugher from the saint.

Then he hears the farmer cursing God, "You unfeeling, lazy God, what a fine friend You are! Playing hide and seek with me in those clouds of Yours. Come here now, and help me to fix my pole in this hole, or I'll thrust this bamboo right through Your hard heart."

Then the farmer sees the saint and yells, "What are you looking at! You useless spectator. Who are you and what do you want?" And so the saint tells him.

"Wow, God. Cool. Hey, where's He been? I've been asking Him to help me fix this fence, so when is He going to show up?" replies the farmer.

The saint returns to heaven and recounts his findings by holding up the drunken farmer and noble ascetic as contrasts.

The saint is totally thrown back when God replies, "I'm not sure I know that first man, but that second one sounds familiar."

"What do you mean," cries the saint. "Can't you see how loyal the first man has been to you and how disrespectful the other one is?"

God chuckles and says, "I'll tell you what. Why don't you go back down and tell them both, 'God heard you but is busy right now stringing millions of elephants through an eye of a needle and will be with you as soon as He is done,' and see for yourself."

So the saint goes back to earth and repeats God's message, first to the ascetic, "That's preposterous. No God of mine would be doing such a half brained thing as you mentioned. GET OUT YOU FAKE PHONY. Oh, my life has been a waste, a trick trying to find honor in some nonexistent God. Forget it, I quit."

The saint is shocked by this reaction and then goes to repeat the same message to the farmer. Still just as drunk as first encountered, the farmer's reaction was quite different.

"Hmmm. I never knew God would want to string elephants through an eye of a needle. That's pretty cool to be able to do that. Any Lord of the Universe can certainly finish stringing elephants soon enough. You tell Him I'm still working on this fence and look forward to His help when He's done. I'll be right here. Yippee. I can't wait until He gets here!" Then the farmer started to dance around in circles from great happiness.

When the saint returned to heaven God said, "So do you think its fair that I be dictated to and told how I must appear? See how one expects Me to fit into a fixed bottle, where the other celebrates the love of my eternal nature. After all, I'm God. I can show up any way I want to."

So the moral of the story is if the CEO of the universe isn't inspired by judgment, then neither should we.

So the next time you get hit with a line of judgment, just say "Thanks for sharing" and keep going.

PS - Part two of the legend has it that the farmer quit drinking and went on to great fortune with his picket fence invention. During a recent interview when asked to explain their incredible popularity and influence in Western suburbs, he commented, "I think our customers make the connection that the small pointy tops are reminders to look up, since all good things come from above." As for the ascetic, he now has an infomercial and is enjoying a thriving business of his own with a line of five star ascetic retreats and spas.   top