Spent one hour of my life yesterday (not much really), watching and being captivated by the pilgrimage of three buddhist monks. Their journey was to take them 2,500 kilometres to reach their journey's end at Jokhang Temple, in Lhasa. Not only was their journey to cover mountains, rivers and busy roads, but they achieved it by moving three paces forward and then, with wooden paddles on their hands, they were to slide forward and lie prone on the ground, making a symbolic hand gesture and touching the ground with their forehead. They repeated this for their entire journey. This was a representation of the custom that most worshippers perform at the temple itself. However, for these three monks it was a calling to take the entire journey as such. I was fascinated. I will say that I was so fascinated by their journey that at times it bought me to tears. Why? Simply because of their conviction, dedication and faith in their cause. Nothing stopped their path. Ice, snow, water, fences, rock faces where all charged and confronted with the same gentle and calm attitude as the more simple grasslands and roads. They had smiles on their face and never seemed tired or disgruntled by their mission. Being an atheist and having many a conversation on western religion, I made a point to my daughter that if she wanted to learn something about faith, then she should watch this and learn something of such matters. She smiled in her youthful, naive way and said she thought they were a little crazy.
This made me think as I woke this morning about these such things we do to others, and tend to dislike others doing to us; those of marking each other with 'labels'. I guess we are all victims of this from both angles: giving and receiving the categorising. Why we do it? I guess that it secures us in our own lifestyle and belief on matters. Maybe, it is part of the ego structure and cultural identity of most of us, to believe that the correct path or way of life is that which we have chosen. The funny thing is, that maybe for the person involved, it could well be. But to label someone against that lifestyle because they enjoy a different way of living is not productive. Modern living has aided greatly in this mental boxing of people. The more we are made to analyse our own interaction in this great maelstrom of life, the more we need to protect ourself from it's conclusion. These monks were happy in their task. Like many other happy persons we see around us, they get on in their own way of living, not too worried by these 'labels' that people apply.
It almost gets the state of determination that, for example, if you walk down the road and smile and say 'good morning' to every sole you encounter, people will apply the 'label'; 'crazy', upon you. Or they think you 'weird' if you listen to a certain type of music, or 'odd' for mixing colours that you choose to wear in the morning. To you, it's a definition of your individuality. A signature that states your place in society. But to those who apply a 'label' it is a method by which they justify their own existence in mediocrity. The terrifying issue, and something I see being a designer, is that most things around us are made to be safe. To give an almost subduing, narcotic approach to even a slight 'revolutionary' thought about how to make the world a better place; even if on a micro level. Most 'shocking' fashion is that were society's rules are set aside to create an eclectic statement. People mixing and matching elements that most 'normal' people would consider not to be right. The whole aspect of fine art, is a labelled contradiction to social norms. Unless this is controlled by academic acceptability in the form of the 'blue lady' or kitsch poster art, and landscapes and object study.
Trailer for the documentary | IMDB page
The issue here is that by making statements about 'labels' one ends up re-affirming other labels in the argument. What society does however, is strongly work 'labels' against the minority that seem to stand out. Saying to someone; "you seem like a normal person for your opinion" doesn't have the same degree of derogatory bite as expressing that "you are a little crazy for saying that!" Watching the "Think Different" commercial aired for Apple computers some years back, it also makes a point be saying that the ones we call "crazy", are one ones that end up making change. You can't deny people the position to live the life they wish. However, what occurs with great underlying strength is the social control, by whatever protagonist set there to make the status quo fit to some global label; which funnily enough is remarked and called "normal".
These Buddhist monks are normal. They just have achieved an extraordinary feat, that makes them stand out from other. Ultimately the extraordinariness in their task can be made less extraordinary by understanding. This is not in anyway to take the respect away from such a beautiful and pure conviction to something. By knowing the reason to something the 'labels' can be dropped. Maybe in a bright future, if all of us learnt to see each other as a person getting on with their life and some of us finding ways to enjoy that life through expression, then maybe things would be better on this planet. The other day I was walking through a market, having to step aside almost every step. Mainly because each and every shopper in that market was self-absorbed in their direction. As I walked among them I thought of ants. The visual of all these scuttling people reminded me of the times I have seen ants on their communal food gathering trails. The difference being that ants are 'communal' (if I can label them). They are aware of every other ant on that path and interact with it according to the fact that they all have the same instinctual goal. For the humans in the market, there was a great disparity afoot. Not one of these humans, living in their 'community' was being at all 'communal'.
Maybe labels are added to me, and maybe I place them on others likewise, however, what my aim is is to be more tolerant of people's differences. One thing I tend to find, is the more remote they are from the chaos of modern living, the more at ease I am in accepting these ways of living. So much so, that there is never any conflict in understanding them. Too much can be learnt from these folk that are often labelled 'simple folk', but simple truth is, the reason their life is such, is maybe it is just perfect for the way they want to live it.
Originally posted on Rob - Creativity and Creativity Blogspot
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