Haiku — 0019: Perspectives
Is that a pillar, a snake, or a wall?
An observer true,
A shift to the other side,
A truth falsified.
I read an introductory-level translation of a commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad, and one of the verses (2.33), which dealt with the idea of how perceptions of an object may be widely different from the nature of the actual object itself. The example, which is widely used in Hindu and Buddhist teachings, is that of the ‘rope’. Under different conditions, the rope may be (mis-)construed as a snake, a stick, a stream, or just a rope.
This reminded me of that story about a bunch of people blindfolded (or perhaps blind? I think there are different versions) who were asked to describe an elephant by feeling just one part, which I have written into the subtitle.
A story of perspectives.
In today’s world, I think this message is very relevant, especially given how we are getting increasingly attached to our perspectives (or rather, biases), and we fail, or refuse, to see the other side. By shifting the frame of reference, the truth can become entirely reversed (don’t trust me? Just consult your nearest quantum physicist), and therefore, perspectives need to be kept open as possibilities.
And we just might realize that we have not THE truth, but A truth.
So, what is YOUR truth?
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