Looking at the emergence of the notion of self/Self in the Greek/Roman traditions and the same in the Indian/Hindu traditions I feel moved to make the comment that the idea of causation active in the thinking around "animation" in our culture (and many colonized ones as well; well, actually, because of the universalism of science in "world-culture" nowadays) requires the dualism between forces and substances; everything being physics in those minds.
I think the conversation about causes and agency is really mixed up all the way up and down. If, for instance, we'd talk about the agency of magnets instead of what they can cause, then it would be easy to say that if you wind threads of a certain material around them their agency is enhanced such that they can come up with flows that add agency to other contraptions, like lightbulbs for instance.
Agency comes in a huge amount of flavors; flavors that can be mixed to create flows of agency we haven't witness before...
Your primer about animism (and I liked its form!) reminds me of the conversation around consciousness as something primary, like forces in physics. My personal take at present is that all of this is too reductionary: as if the multitude of phenomena could be grasped better if we reduce them to classes like animate/inanimate - that works for technology only, I'd say, and for manipulation.
We have the agency to change our perception by applying different understandings to the phenomena we experience; pragmatically that may mean that we can enhance our agency in the area of health by applying the understanding that "Reality loves me"; not as magic words but as a true understanding. I feel much better since I know, but need to reapply often to slowly change the auto-matic (self-moving) perception active where I am that takes reality to be something out there/in here. What is even more helpful to me, it turns out, is remembering that "the universe and everything" don't have intrinsic meaning at all - which reveals the self-celebration of all things (their luminosity) directly as if "on a silver platter."
So beautiful. Fantastic to see fellow POP UP mate Katie’s art on display. So talented and evocative.
The falling in love part was such a touching reminder--a helpful call to get up and pay attention. I believe that fundamentally we aren’t separate from Nature and each other, so when we fall in love with the World & Other, we are also falling in love with who we are at our core. This is why I sense ritual is important to what it means to be human. One way I have defined ritual in my life is an artistic act of courting and falling in love with the World.
the first part of this insight reminds me of a line from Chapter 68 of the Huangdi Neijing...Huang Di is in conversation with Qibo, his teacher, and asking about the patterns of motion that describe the relationship dynamic that gives rise to LIFE...
SW68. 帝曰其升降何如
dì yuē qí shēng jiàng hé rú
the emperor said, “what about the (motions) of rising and falling?”
in this way, (both) the high and low mutually (call to one another), and from these rising and falling motions, all things come into being.
this image referenced by the characters 相召, to mutually cry out, invokes a beautiful image of the lovemaking between the celestial and terrestrial and its offspring, the 10,000 things (everything in the world)
"Everything in the world is constantly falling in love and seeking reciprocal relationships, but our exhaustion and loneliness come from pushing away opportunities for connection and failing to appreciate the abundance of love and relationships available to us."
Here is a great example why you don't need to talk about "forces" to explain how materials create agency together.
https://youtu.be/mnCmvxt2jn8?si=6jepxJnR1GhXa8ua
Katie and Bonnie...wizards of imagination, craft, clarity and love. Beautiful!
Looking at the emergence of the notion of self/Self in the Greek/Roman traditions and the same in the Indian/Hindu traditions I feel moved to make the comment that the idea of causation active in the thinking around "animation" in our culture (and many colonized ones as well; well, actually, because of the universalism of science in "world-culture" nowadays) requires the dualism between forces and substances; everything being physics in those minds.
I think the conversation about causes and agency is really mixed up all the way up and down. If, for instance, we'd talk about the agency of magnets instead of what they can cause, then it would be easy to say that if you wind threads of a certain material around them their agency is enhanced such that they can come up with flows that add agency to other contraptions, like lightbulbs for instance.
Agency comes in a huge amount of flavors; flavors that can be mixed to create flows of agency we haven't witness before...
Your primer about animism (and I liked its form!) reminds me of the conversation around consciousness as something primary, like forces in physics. My personal take at present is that all of this is too reductionary: as if the multitude of phenomena could be grasped better if we reduce them to classes like animate/inanimate - that works for technology only, I'd say, and for manipulation.
We have the agency to change our perception by applying different understandings to the phenomena we experience; pragmatically that may mean that we can enhance our agency in the area of health by applying the understanding that "Reality loves me"; not as magic words but as a true understanding. I feel much better since I know, but need to reapply often to slowly change the auto-matic (self-moving) perception active where I am that takes reality to be something out there/in here. What is even more helpful to me, it turns out, is remembering that "the universe and everything" don't have intrinsic meaning at all - which reveals the self-celebration of all things (their luminosity) directly as if "on a silver platter."
"....is it grass growing horses" - how beautiful isn't that!
I will go out in my garden right now and emerge myself in our wonderful love affair.
Thank you Bonnie and Katie for this film.
So beautiful. Fantastic to see fellow POP UP mate Katie’s art on display. So talented and evocative.
The falling in love part was such a touching reminder--a helpful call to get up and pay attention. I believe that fundamentally we aren’t separate from Nature and each other, so when we fall in love with the World & Other, we are also falling in love with who we are at our core. This is why I sense ritual is important to what it means to be human. One way I have defined ritual in my life is an artistic act of courting and falling in love with the World.
the first part of this insight reminds me of a line from Chapter 68 of the Huangdi Neijing...Huang Di is in conversation with Qibo, his teacher, and asking about the patterns of motion that describe the relationship dynamic that gives rise to LIFE...
SW68. 帝曰其升降何如
dì yuē qí shēng jiàng hé rú
the emperor said, “what about the (motions) of rising and falling?”
SW68. 歧伯曰氣之升降天地之更⽤也
qí bó yuē qì zhī shēng jiàng tiān dì zhī gèng yòng yĕ
qibo said, “(it is from) the rising and falling (motions of) qi that the manifestations of heaven and earth transform (and come into being).”
SW68. 帝曰願聞其⽤何如
dì yuē yuàn wén qí yòng hé rú
the emperor said, “i wish to hear about these manifestations.”
SW68. 歧伯曰升已⽽降降者謂天
qí bó yuē shēng yĭ ér jiàng jiàng zhĕ wèi tiān
qibo said, “when the ascending (motions of qi) reach their completion, they descend. the (motion of) descent is called ‘heaven.’
SW68. 降已⽽升升者謂地
jiàng yĭ ér shēng shēng zhĕ wèi dì
when the descending (motions of qi) reach their completion, they ascend. the (motion of) ascent is called ‘earth.’
SW68. 天氣下降氣流于地
tiān qì xià jiàng qì liú yú dì
heavenly qi descends and flows down upon the earth.
SW68. 地氣上升氣騰于天
dì qì shàng shēng qì téng yú tiān
(in response) earthly qi rises and ascends back to heaven.
SW68. 故⾼下相召升降相因⽽變作矣
gù gāo xià xiāng zhāo shēng jiàng xiāng yīn ér biàn zuò yĭ
in this way, (both) the high and low mutually (call to one another), and from these rising and falling motions, all things come into being.
this image referenced by the characters 相召, to mutually cry out, invokes a beautiful image of the lovemaking between the celestial and terrestrial and its offspring, the 10,000 things (everything in the world)
"Everything in the world is constantly falling in love and seeking reciprocal relationships, but our exhaustion and loneliness come from pushing away opportunities for connection and failing to appreciate the abundance of love and relationships available to us."
..I really love this insight...thanks B