seeing things as they are
the other day, when i met b, one analogy stood out in particular. she mentioned it from a mechanical engineering standpoint, and i am sure i butcher it here. it did have its impact, and so i record.
when we assess the motion of an object, we need a frame of reference that is steady and fixed. only then can we truly understand its motion. if the frame of reference is unsteady, and the object is moving, it is difficult to accurately assess that motion. so it is also with us and the world - when we are aware of ourselves and steady in this knowledge, we accurately assess the world around us. not only do we see ourselves clearly, but in doing so, we see the world clearly as well. when our vision of our own self is clouded, there is no way to clearly see the world around us either.
this brings to mind another moving story that a shared with us last week. when a husband and wife move into their new apartment, the wife sees an old lady in the neighborhood who hangs her wash out to dry. the clothes look dirty, and the wife remarks that the old lady probably does not use good detergent to wash her clothes. this happens daily, and daily the wife remarks thus. the husband is quiet. one fine morning, the wife wakes up to find that the old lady's wash looks spotless! she brings this to her husband's attention, adding that the old lady probably found a better detergent to wash her clothes with. the husband then tells her that he had woken up early that morning to clean the windows.
the story was simple and quaint, but there's a lesson there for all of us, isn't there? how often do we think that the rest of the world is in need of the right detergent, without taking the time to check if our windows are indeed clean? point to ponder, yes?
as i see them, both analogies speak to the same objective - that we must clean our windows and steady ourselves in our knowledge before we attribute a flaw to the world outside. only self-purification and self-awareness can really help us get to the point where we see things as they are.
this brings to mind another moving story that a shared with us last week. when a husband and wife move into their new apartment, the wife sees an old lady in the neighborhood who hangs her wash out to dry. the clothes look dirty, and the wife remarks that the old lady probably does not use good detergent to wash her clothes. this happens daily, and daily the wife remarks thus. the husband is quiet. one fine morning, the wife wakes up to find that the old lady's wash looks spotless! she brings this to her husband's attention, adding that the old lady probably found a better detergent to wash her clothes with. the husband then tells her that he had woken up early that morning to clean the windows.
the story was simple and quaint, but there's a lesson there for all of us, isn't there? how often do we think that the rest of the world is in need of the right detergent, without taking the time to check if our windows are indeed clean? point to ponder, yes?
as i see them, both analogies speak to the same objective - that we must clean our windows and steady ourselves in our knowledge before we attribute a flaw to the world outside. only self-purification and self-awareness can really help us get to the point where we see things as they are.
2 comments:
wow! brilliant analogy! and lovely synthesis of ideas n! :)
geez, louise! i just take pieces from others and tie them together. no credit deserved there :).
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