“Any
work of art that deepens our understanding of anguish, moves us to relax the
constrictions of self-centered craving, reveals the dynamic play of emptiness
and form, and inspires a way of life conducive to such ends bears the hallmarks
of authentic beauty. …
The
same aesthetic vision inspires the imaginative tasks of self- and
world-creation. The ennobling truths are not just challenges to act with wisdom
and compassion but challenges to act with creativity and aesthetic awareness.
Our words, our deeds, our very presence in the world, create and leave
impressions in the minds of others just as a writer makes impressions with his
pen on paper, the painter with his brush on canvas, the potter with his fingers
in clay. The human world is like a vast musical instrument on which we
simultaneously play our part while listening to the compositions of others. The
creation of ourself in the image of awakening in not a subjective but an
intersubjective process. We cannot choose whether
to engage with the world, only how
to. Our life is a story being continuously related to others through every
detail of our being: facial expressions, body language, clothes, inflections of
speech – whether we like it or not.”
Batchelor S. “Buddhism without beliefs. A contemporary guide to awakening.” Riverhead Books, NY, 1997.
No comments:
Post a Comment