Contour Lines | 007
In which I start to plot my coordinates.
Good Morning!
The Cultivar Substack is getting underway - and I couldn’t be more excited! Inspired by Grace Nikae and taking part in her “Sketches” experiment, I’m striking out on my own, with Contour Lines.
Much like the depiction of elevation on a topographical map, these short(er) segments come at regular intervals, 3-5 times per week. These lines are personal in nature, written in an informal manner; looking at philosophy, food, and whatever else I want to talk about at the moment of writing. If you want to see where I'm at in navigating the terrain of my life's ecosystem, leave a comment and subscribe!
Today I’m going to do one more week of looking at Chinese philosophy, then I might switch to another school of thought for a while, we will see. I’ve enjoyed the synchronicity of recent experiences with what I’ve been opening to randomly in my sourcebook, but feel pulled to explore other avenues.
The topic at hand is the T’ien T’ai school of Buddhism, and as usual I’m drawing from Wing Tsit Chan’s translation of A Sourcebook In Chinese Philosophy, and the selections are found on pages 398-399.
Selections:
By concentration is meant to know that all dharmas (elements of existence), from the very beginning have no nature of their own. They neither come into nor go out of existence. Because they are caused by illusion and imagination, they exist without real existence. But the existence of existent dharmas is the same as nonexistence. They are only the one mind, whose substance admits no differentiation. Those who hold this view can stop the flow of erroneous thought. This is called concentration.
By insight is meant that although We know that things originally do not come into existence and at present do not go out of existence, nevertheless they were caused to arise out of mind's nature and hence are not without a worldly function of an unreal and imaginative nature. They are like illusions and dreams which [seem to] exist but really do not. This is therefore called insight. It means to base and concentrate on the one mind in order to practice concentration and insight.
Although this mind has been obscured from time immemorial by contaminating dharmas based on ignorance, yet its nature of purity has never changed. Hence it is called pure. Why? Because contaminating dharmas based on ignorance are from the beginning separated from the mind, Why do We say that they are separated? Because dharmas with ignorance as their substance are nonexistent dharmas. Their existence is the same as nonexistence. Since they are nonexistent, they cannot be associated with the mind, Therefore We say they are separated.
Thoughts:
I find myself connecting the experiences of growth and alignment I’ve had the past few months with thoughts on the nature and culture of organizations.
Our mind is a fascinating interpreter of reality, and we shift our perception based on the illusions we pull over our own eyes. Yet the illusions become reality, because our mind “admits no differentiation.”
In ignorance of self, our existence is an illusion. Social media is the pinnacle of impure elements of existence. Whether we tell ourselves we are capable of something or not depends just as much on our belief of what isn’t possible as much as what is. Again I am drawn back to the concept of liminality in growth, and the mental spaces we find ourselves in as life goes on.
I believe these concepts to hold true for organization culture as well. Take for example, the toxic attitude of “oh we treat our employees like family,” an ignorant take that preys upon everyone’s desire to have a loving supportive connection and extracts life and mental or physical labor from everyone without regard to their needs, as many families do to each other. It is simultaneously the opposite of how we wish families would act, and yet exactly how many families treat each other. Societal, families, and individual ignorances, illusions, and existences.
The elements of existence of either a personal or organizational culture have no nature of their own, because they are all based in the human perception of connection and social dynamics. People must close this gap internally to achieve oneness with themselves, and organizations must decrease the dissonance to truly match vision, values, and practices.
Every one of us, individuals and leaders alike have this insight. We know what the right path is, we choose to follow or ignore it based on our perceptions and imagination at the time of decision.
Tell me, what is your pure aligned self imagining today?
As always, thank you for reading!
-Chris