Existence
If you awaken from this illusion,
and you understand that black implies white,
self implies other,life implies death.
You can feel yourself, not as a stranger in the world,not as something here on probation, not as something that has arrived here by fluke, but you can begin to feel your own existence as absolutely fundamental.
What you are basically, deep, deep down, far, far in, is simply the fabric and structure of existence itself.
– Alan Watts
It seems quite the opposite of how I’ve been feeling for some time now, but perhaps feelings are deceiving. Going the opposite way (we are all lonely strangers, aliens on borrowed time) lacks enough meaning, enough belief in something, anything to actually feel like any of this matter.
We seem to be built in a way that we need to have some sort of meaning to everything, even our own existence. We need some sort of belief system doesn’t matter how real or bizarre to remain and survive. It can be pink elephants or pasta monsters, or whatever else of your imagination. The fabric and structure of existence itself sounds amazing too. Star dust even. Does it get any easier? Anyway.
We seem to be built in a way that we need to have some sort of meaning to everything, even our own existence. We need some sort of belief system doesn’t matter how real or bizarre to remain and survive. It can be pink elephants or pasta monsters, or whatever else of your imagination. The fabric and structure of existence itself sounds amazing too. Star dust even. Does it get any easier? Anyway.
Enjoy this sunset, will you? I did.
Song of the day: Nuages - Dreams
You are fairly talented with the camera. Nice shots.
That is very kind of you @cryptoandcoffee :) Still no idea what I'm doing with photography though. Pointing and shooting and cutting what feels right.
Great photos. Watts is talking about the interconnectedness of everything in the above. It's an underlying theme in all Buddhist teaching. Another is the impermanence of everything. Two reasons not to cling to anything.
Thank you @markkujantunen :)
These particular words found me through the song of the day by Nuages and after staring at them and rereading them multiple times I understood why they bugged me a little. I feel disconnected quite often, specially when it comes to people. I think it has been recurring theme in my posts as well hehe https://steemit.com/photography/@m31/hello-stranger
I believe in my friends/family.
They make life worth it.
<3
I just wish they would not have suffer, but it wouldn't be this life without suffering right?
I don’t believe that.
As much as I don’t want to admit it (because I’m guilty of it myself) I think we choose misery sometimes.
Life is what you make of it.
You don’t need the reassurance that a god gives you when you realize that you’re the one in control.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
You can’t enjoy the sunny days without a couple cloudy days.
Absolutely stunning work!
Your style is still so awesome and unique, lovely photography!! sunset is sooo lovely!
Reading that brought warmth to me old soul :)
magnificent photos, be delighted with your writing and photos 😍
You got a 35.04% upvote from @ocdb courtesy of @m31!
Really nice work M. Happiness can be found if one looks and the imagination is a good place to start, but we are surrounded by so much beauty in nature if we choose to take the time to appreciate it.
Thank you for the sunset... I always feel happy whenever I see one because even though there have been trillions of them, and in fact, it is always sunset somewhere in the world, the one you shot has never and will never be seen again - not quite like that.
It's true... We humans do need to hang onto something, it seems, in order not to go insane. I've become quite comfortable not believing in anything and actually this very thing has given me more peace than any of my previously held beliefs.
I'm with Carl Sagan and others who believe that it is up to us to give meaning to our own lives, and that doing this is in fact much more satisfactory than relying on a belief in some mythological archetype.
But that's not to say that speculating about the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or the Matrix, is not fun ;P