“A mushroom is a toxin-transformer, a dandelion is a community of healers waiting to spread…” (9)
- Q: In your view, what is a function of humans in the universe?
For my point of view, the function of humans in the universe is helping other people and let other people feel the beauty of the universe. Also, it will be admirable if people leave something and keep have positive impact to the world. It has so tiny chance to be an intelligent life entity in the universe. Therefore, we have to utilize the opportunity to bring happiness and love to other people, and live the the life we will remember.
From Buddhist ideology, any life will become other life forms after their death. What you will become in the next life loop depends on how much good things you did in the past. If a people do enough good things to the universe, they will live above the universe and no more life loop for them. I believe this could guide us to make our world a better place.
Q: Do you find any of these principles more difficult to achieve than others in your own creative practice? How?
The principle I feel difficult to achieve in my own creative practice is “change is constant(Be like water)”. I remember Bruce Lee also said the similar sentence, “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.” This is also a key concept from Tao. For my understanding, Water could be different forms in different environment. As humans, if we could be like water we will be adaptive to both negative and positive situation. Our world is constantly changing and our mindset should also keep up with the times. Our life will be easier if we become comprehensive and receptive.
For myself, I always strictly follow the instruction and flow of work or study, which make me be inefficient and less creative in different aspects. Some times, we have to break rules(it has to be legal), then we could find multiple possibility especially for doing art works.
“It has so tiny chance to be an intelligent life entity in the universe.” I am curious about other forms of intelligence/knowledge that might differ from Descarte’s “I think therefore I am” (Cartesian theory) that might challenge knowledge hierarchy and human-centricism. Are there other ways of “thinking”? What is “knowledge” and how is it obtained? Heidegger influenced thoughts towards Object Oriented Ontology which introduced alternative possibilities.
Hi Monika, thanks for your rely and what you said is really worth thinking deeply for me. I think I would adjust my words. From buddhist ideologies, We could be any forms of entity when we in different life cycles. We could even be a rock or a leaf. For my point of view, a rock’s duty might just be part of mountain and stay in there. As the time goes by, the rock will also disappear and transfer to different forms.
For Descarte’s “I think therefore I am”, I certainly come with an interesting idea and let me use the example of rock. We are not rock so how do we know rock can not think? the ideology was mentioned by Zhuang Zi who is a famous Chinese philosopher thousands’ years ago.
I too grew up with a lot f Buddhist ideologies implemented in my daily life. While I enjoy the whole ideology of reincarnation, as a girl growing up, I often ran into conflict with the “good things” I’m supposed to do growing up. I remember growing up, I was always troubled because it seems like I was doomed to go to eternal hell. Now that I no longer live in a Buddhist society, I’m used to seeing things I was taught as “good” are not necessarily “good.” In fact, many things I thought were “bad” are encouraged as “good” when in a different society. Not saying who has it right or wrong, I just feel a sense of relief but also feel grateful that I get to experience so many different societal structures.
Also, fun fact, I noticed in the footnote of the Emergent Strategy, that the author did indeed cite Bruce Lee as the source of “Be like water.” The video interview of Bruce Lee in that clip is priceless.
Hi Jaye, firstly, I could talk about buddhism the whole day but I guess no one want to hear that(it is boring for most of people lol). Second, I am glad you have release your mental stress in a non-Buddhist society. Third, I would say you could just be yourself and don’t force yourself to do the “good” thing. Refer to Buddhist ideologies, in the universe, everything tend to go to positive. When making decision, you could just do what you feel is right at that moment. Focusing on current time, the future will always follow our plan.