I find myself in a season akin to chaos. Greater, and still greater, changes stretch out before me, each clamoring for my attention, each asserting its own form of dominance. Shifts occurring, again and again, and again— my foundational blocks of knowledge’ how I perceive and interact with the world, becoming smooth, moving freely, becoming lighter. My thoughts less rigid. My spirit almost uncontainable.
I make quiet, contemplative times recurrent weekly, if not more. I cannot ‘unsee’ the value in it nor can I maintain my newfound neutral state without it. This state of contemplation is not to be feared but invited, serving as a compass in a world that constantly shifts beneath my feet.
As I’ve quietly contemplated these past weeks, I’ve metaphorically thrown open my ‘windows and doors,’ inviting in both the calm and the storm. Each season has felt a week in extreme before being sharply overtaken by a new master. Time and again, I’ve penned thoughts only to cast them onto a growing heap of words. My growing realization is I can’t freely translate what is so intrinsically unique to me—at least, not at this moment.
I must emphasize, particularly if you too wade through similar feelings, that this is a pivotal moment demanding full immersion by the one experiencing it. To let the ‘weather’ in is to embrace the repercussions and defy the consequences—it is I who should be the object of fear. Because here, I am governance.
Embrace your most intimate experiences as a shared gift between your past and present selves. Savor those rich, personal moments. Let them simmer. Allow time to pass, and let the essence waft through the air. Let passersby sniff and snort with upturned nose, imagining a grand feast fit for royalty. Let them ponder who you could possibly be entertaining, so audaciously leaving every door and window ajar. How audacious you must be, how unapologetically so.
Basil of Blueridge
The Butterfly Dream
The Butterfly Dream is a renowned tale from the ancient Chinese text “Zhuangzi,” attributed to the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi. He flourished during the latter half of the 4th century BCE, in the late Warring States period. The text itself was edited around 600 years later by Guo Xiang. The story is as follows:
Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn’t know he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up, and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn’t know if he were Zhuang Zhou who had dreamed he was a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and a butterfly, there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.
Zhuangzi | edited by Guo Xiang
The story delves into the nature of reality, identity, and the ever-changing boundary between dreams and waking life. Over the centuries, it has been interpreted in various ways—some see it as an optimistic tale of transformation, while others view it as a more melancholy reflection on the nature of existence.
For more in-depth reading, you can visit these sources:
- Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream | Decentered
- Zhuangzi and his butterfly dream: the etymology of meng
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Zhuangzi
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Zhuangzi
Citations:
- Kjellberg, Paul, and Philip J. Ivanhoe, eds., 1996, Essays on Skepticism, Relativism, and Ethics in the Zhuangzi, Albany: State University of New York Press.
- Graham, A.C., 1981, Chuang-tzu: The Inner Chapters, London: Unwin Paperbacks.
Featured Image: The Twelve-Angled Stone
The Twelve-Angled Stone is an archeological marvel located in the heart of Cusco, Peru. This intricately carved stone is part of a wall in the Hatun Rumiyoc street, near the Archbishop’s Palace. What makes this stone remarkable is its perfect fit among the surrounding stones, achieved without the use of mortar. The twelve angles of the stone are so precisely cut that not even a blade of grass can fit between the gaps. This level of craftsmanship is a testament to the advanced masonry skills of its creators.
For more in-depth reading, you can visit these sources:
- Twelve-Angled Stone – Atlas Obscura
- Twelve-Angled Stone – Wikipedia
- The Twelve-Angled Stone – Machu Travel Peru Blog
Citations:
- Bauer, Brian S. (2015). The Sacred Landscape of the Inca: The Cusco Ceque System. University of Texas Press.
- Gasparini, Graziano; Margolies, Luise (1980). Inca Architecture. Indiana University Press.
The stone serves as a symbol of the harmony between ingenuity and the natural world, much like the Butterfly Dream serves as a symbol of the fluidity between states of consciousness. Both stand as reminders that the boundaries we perceive—whether they be physical or metaphysical—are often more malleable than we think. –Basil of Blueridge