As my computer was down again this past weekend, I'm still trying to catch up on my blog reading. One post from C. Om., "Just a Matter of Perspective," sparked an idea before I had even finished the first paragraph: Perspective is nothing more than awareness with attitude.
As C. Om. points out, awareness always comes first. None of us can develop a perspective on anything until we first become aware of it. Once our awareness reaches full bloom, we too often start to bend what we perceive into a reality (i.e., perspective) of our own making. In time, our version of reality -- often a most distorted one -- replaces our initial valueless awareness.
I think that both Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu would recommend that we try to hold onto the awareness phase far longer and to be cautious when we enter the perspective phase. The aware person can more easily gauge the speed and direction of flow because you aren't attaching personal valuations to the situation or circumstance.
By comparison, a person with a perspective already has clouded their own vision with value judgments. These values distort the speed and direction of flow which is why we often move against the current and suffer the consequences!!
As C. Om. points out, awareness always comes first. None of us can develop a perspective on anything until we first become aware of it. Once our awareness reaches full bloom, we too often start to bend what we perceive into a reality (i.e., perspective) of our own making. In time, our version of reality -- often a most distorted one -- replaces our initial valueless awareness.
I think that both Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu would recommend that we try to hold onto the awareness phase far longer and to be cautious when we enter the perspective phase. The aware person can more easily gauge the speed and direction of flow because you aren't attaching personal valuations to the situation or circumstance.
By comparison, a person with a perspective already has clouded their own vision with value judgments. These values distort the speed and direction of flow which is why we often move against the current and suffer the consequences!!
You hit the nail on the head! "try to hold onto the awareness phase far longer and to be cautious when we enter the perspective phase. / a person with a perspective already has clouded their own vision with value judgments."
ReplyDeleteRaising awareness brings a balance that allows you to be in tune with everything to a greater degree. Perspective and awareness are like Yin and Yang.
C. Om is producing consistently great posts. He had a long break from posting some months ago and still takes a while between each new posting - but they're always well written and meaningful,
ReplyDeletethis is interesting, because i've always thought of perspective as awareness from someone's point of view. "to gain perspective" for me meant that i step back out of my own worldview and look at things either from someone else's, or a cosmic, point of view. i guess your term "awareness" would be the point of view of the cosmos?
ReplyDeletein that case yes i agree. :) people who are stuck in their own perspective tend to be close-minded, those stuck in a cosmic perspective tend to be detached from reality, and those who assume the perspective of whoever they are talking to tend to live their lives according to other people and don't make their own decisions.
fluidity between them all, i think, is the key. you need to come back to your own perspective often to "ground" yourself, you need to view things from a cosmic perspective in order to see the big picture and "center" yourself, and you need to see things from other people's perspectives in order to learn from them and relate to them.
I definitely agree with Iktomi.
ReplyDelete