The Looking Glass Self: Self-Objectivation in Vajra Dakini

This post concerns Vajra Dakini, an esoteric teaching concerned with self-consciousness held within the human body. I was introduced to the concept for the first time without any intention of formulating a post; but I become motivated to engage in the exploration of it. 

By remaining within the natural attitude, the visitor to the garden of a pure land is unaware of shifts in noetic acts through which noematic correlates of the garden and associated images undergo presentational modifications within the context of the experience. 

One can shift into the aesthetic order of reality, which brackets the pragmatic motive of the paramount province of the everyday in order to savor, for the sake of aisthetikos, the perceptual/sensuous presentation of the image. 

Within the natural attitude this aesthetic province is easily conflated with the cognitive province of knowledge. In the cognitive order, the image is analyzed by applying concepts that serve to increase understanding and to acquire new data in a circumscribed context. 

The images presented in relation to Vajra Dakini, one in particular, can be experienced both aesthetically and as an image of cognitive analysis. A cognitive analysis may either enhance or stifle the aesthetic experience, and vice versa. 

From within the natural attitude, other orders of reality are also naively intended, and the observer usually shifts from one attitudial mode to another without achieving excellence in any one province of meaning-intention. 

The perceiver at times relates the artifact to him or herself personally. It then becomes subjugated to the role of psychological trigger, prompting the observer's thoughts about his or her own life. The Vajra Dakini merely functions as the occasion for introspection in which the self-reflective content only obliquely concerns the image. 

The artifact can also serve sociality, whereby consociates are escorted to the Vajra Dakini for their enjoyment. The value of the artifact in this instance is in its function of providing for a favorable social impression. 

One may focus on the image for its moral edification or as a vehicle for personal propaganda. One may attend to how the image has been produced, or perhaps to the stature of the producer/owner or his or her historical milieu. 

During my first visit to the Vajra Dakini and its associations, I shifted between the natural attitude and the phenomenological attitude, which allowed me to make these preliminary observations concerning attitudinal modifications. 

The problematic could be formulated as such: 

Is it possible to experience the phenomenon of the looking-glass self through an artifact or image that has been owned and expressed by a predecessor? The implications are many. 

The War on Plants

The war on drugs was weird enough because it was a war on plants, which I found quite odd. But the whole concept of a war on terror is absurd. How can you declare war on an abstract, on a notion? 

Mark Thomas, comedian

Mark Thomas' potent observation is both political and social. But the war on plants is not just a joke, it is a serious subject. 

Consider the war on drugs. 

The joke concept works because it requires us to imagine an absurd armed struggle in which the enemy is a plant. 

Of course no one who supports the war on drugs thinks they are actually going into battle with plants (at least I hope they don't think that because that would be weird; funny, but weird). In fact, they probably don't think they're engaged in combat in the conventional sense at all. 

The "war on drugs" is a metaphor for a political policy of working to eliminate the supply and use of certain potent, harmful or hallucinogenic plant. 

 

The Literal Part 

The joke concept "the war on drugs" is deliberately interpreted in an overliteral way. Then, on that interpretation, such a concept, e.g., "war" becomes ridiculous. This is not to say that "war" itself is ridiculous, but rather that the joke concept does not address what the war on drugs is really all about. 

In comedy, jokes and metaphors are transformed into polemic one-liners, gags and clever social commentary that make people laugh. Unlike a careful argument, a joke takes a controversial stance and kicks it square in the frig. 

People laugh because the concept of declaring battle against a flowering plant is literally absurd, though they are not usually thinking about a flowering plant but rather the corruption surrounding its go-to-market strategy. 

Earnest Comedians 

While comedians make us laugh, often times they are earnest about their political objectives and the messages they convey. Making jokes about a topic is a sure sign that the individual has thought about that topic, for whatever their reason. This being said, when a comedian says something that is meaningful to them, they become articulate and persuasive spokespeople for their cause(s). 

Naturally, fans respond to the truth of their words. Even if an individual has interpreted facts divergent from mainstream society, the faith they have in the soundness of their thinking and conclusions is evident ... and audible. In other words, even if they're wrong, they sound kinda "right". 

Taking Plants too Seriously 

This whole post sounds as if the author is taking plants (and comedy) too seriously. But that's just it, jokes hit upon uncomfortable truths. They disturb us by pointing out our struggles, ridiculous or not. 

Less is More

Less is more advocates for a minimalist approach to an artistic or aesthetic expression. One might pinpoint the declining number of posts published herein as a minimalist approach to blogging ... 

A philosophy of minimalism is similar to the philosophy of listening in the sense that it is conceptually "empty" but simultaneously "filled in" with thoughts or attributes. 

Speaking (or writing) is only one half of language, in which the power of discourse is highlighted over its necessary compliment: listening or reading. 

In order for one to be 'heard'

another must be listening

Over time society has empowered expressive language with the entire domain of communicating, negating listening.

For some, listening requires a Herculean effort. Most "listen" with the intent of responding. This is based on the idea that one must always know what to say as an expression of self worth. This might be true in certain professional circumstances when one's opinion is being sought, but in interpersonal relationships what we're listening for is the other's intent. 

Individuals with auditory processing challenges do not easily process when someone has asked them a question and is waiting for a response, or when someone has finished speaking and is waiting for them to interject a relevant comment. Over time these individuals end up "second guessing" (because listening intently can be just as exhaustive as speaking non-stop) in order to ease communication. Frequently this can result in "interrupting" the speaker. When an individual is listening so intently that the listener prematurely jumps the gun to speak prior to waiting for speaker's natural pause it can seem as if the individual is disinterested in the subject rather than intensely interested. Knowing your listener helps resolve this potential misunderstanding. 

 

One does not have to have an auditory processing challenge to accidentally interrupt someone. Some highly charged conversations filled with excitement and fueled by enthusiasm can produce the same interruption effect. 

Similarly, conversations to which little enthusiasm is applied can also result in interrupting. An attempt to "get the conversation over with" so as to move along with one's day indicates a lack of interest in the subject material and results in one person succinctly (sometimes, impatiently) summarizing the other person's premise in order to arrive to the "point" of the matter.  Here, listening has been replaced by processing alone. 

 

Effective listening starts with concentrated listening combined with knowledge on the subject matter. As such we are selective with whom we share certain information. With strangers, we discuss the weather or non-emotive news headlines. With friends, we discuss our vacations, hobbies and shared interests. With close friends and family, we discuss our lives. With colleagues, we discuss our projects. With ourselves, we discuss all of our discussions prior to having them. 

Just as listening is important to effective communication, so too is knowing what to share with whom and when. Setting the stage for effective communication requires our knowing when to say something and when to remain quiet. This is perhaps the most difficult part of the language experience. 

Relying on the less is more approach can result in a mystery. Others wonder what is being left out and why. 

A Fascinating Post

*contains emotionally evocative language


In modern English, the term "fascinating" is defined by the Cambridge dictionary as an adjective, something that is "extremely interesting" ...

The Evolution of Fascinating 

Fascinating comes from the Latin fascinum, a representation of a phallus. 

Tiny fasscini were worn by young boys as charms to protect them against the evil eye. In ancient Rome, these phalli were thought to be infused with magical power. 

Today when people claim to be "fascinated" ... 

it generally means that they are captivated by an idea or by an object. While linguists have made countless links to how similarly we and our ancient Greek and Roman ancestors utilize language, "fascinating" is a "funny" example of how language evolves over time. 

The Irony of Fascinating 

Think of the French poet Charles Baudelaire and be instantly transported to his 1857 publication of Les Fleurs du Mal, 

works characterized as one of the most important (sometimes referred to as "fascinating") contributions to the symbolist and modernist movements. The poems deal with themes relating to decadence and eroticism. 

As irony would have it, Charles Baudelaire having lost his ability to speak from a stroke, except for one phrase he repeated so often that the nuns taking care of him threw him out of their hospital: "Cré nom!" - short for sacré nom de Dieu.  

Today the English equivalent to this word is the historically blasphemous utterance associated with cursing a deity, i.e., "The Lord's name in vain." 

Secret Body Image Formula

The ever-so-determined Humorologist, Dr. Laughing, has recently, with the help of a few hundred social media friends, created the world's first Body Image Secret Formula, the now redefining trending, 

A x B = P

(A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR) x (ALL BODY TYPES) = (A POSITIVE BODY IMAGE)

Never before have funnier more profound words been shared with the general public. Except, for maybe, all the other seriously funny stuff out there. But to find any of it, you'll have to pull out your microscope and jr. detective kit to search for the elusive dust bunny tribe ... "keepers of all the really good stuff" ... remember when her Honey, Shrunk the kids? It's kinda like that. 

The BEST PART about Soph's humble discovery is that it inspired people EVERYWHERE to sit back and philosophize about it. They thought to themselves, 

"Okay, let's do this thing! 

Let's prove her wrong!" 

And you know what?

They did!

They thought of something that made them laugh. 

But then, Suddenly!

Something happened ... 

They took in a deep breath.

And when they let it out.

Their feeling good vibes were all a flutter!

Blasted Watermelons! 

I feel too good to be bothered with nonsense. I'll have to wait for this lighthearted moment to pass. In the meantime, I just caught my image in the mirror and thought, 

Oh Mighty Isis, 

I look good! 

And there you have it. The world proved the theory right. And rejoiced were all those little bears who like to prove theories right, for those little curmudgeons who secretly think they have proven some pretty mind blowing theories right, and for the rest, who are still wondering about it all ... 

You know where you stand.

Stand tall!

Or here, 

Please sit, 

if that's more comfortable.

Outdated Hairstyles for Women

If you're anything like me, you've probably fallen in love with a hairstyle and never ever abandoned it; at least not for long ...

Goodness, me!
My hairstyle is getting outdated!

If so, it's time to get yourself to the hairdresser, post haste. But don't go unprepared. You'll have to search the net for attractive hairstyles, ones that fit your face shape, attitude, color of hair, amount of hair, type of hair, and so forth.

Today I am trying to decide between two different styles.

Modern Version of the 

80s Swimwear model look

Modern version of the 

retired 80s swimwear model look

Seeing these pictures, I'm thinking my hairstyles have pretty much always looked the same, which means it's time for a drastic change!

But really, there's only so many looks this author thinks she can pull off and still feel comfortable with herself. 

Going back in time ... 

I've had bangs ...

Worn my hair up ... 

Embraced the wavy look ... 

And used a lot of product to stiffen my hair ... 

It's time for a change!

OPTION 1

OPTION 2

OPTION 3

OPTION 4

OPTION 5

It's gonna be a fun summer!