Notes from Form

Chapter Notes:

• The game of black and white is the illusion of division and our tendency to just focus on the mountains and not see the valley— all sense are some form of touch or even more foundational, neural triggers ( 0s & 1s )
  • there is no on without off, etc
• Eyes and ears respond to the up & down beats but our minds only notices ups or the presence of things.
• Sound is both the presence of sound and silence.
  
• If there is nothing outside of something, there is only something.
  • Space is the relationship between bodies
• Cause and effect
  • we often ask the wrong question instead of “does everything have a cause and an effect” we should ask is there actually separation of anything?
  • The world isn't made up of cause and effect or bits but instead is just one thing.
• We selectively remember things despite their existence.
• The things we notice are often dictated by what we view as important.
• “we cling to ourselves and our lives in chronic anxiety, however pushed into the back of the mind. But when the time comes where clinging is no longer of the least avail, the circumstances are ideal for letting go of oneself completely. When this happens, the individual is released from his ego-prison. “
  • In a very simple way I can relate to this in terms of running
    • when I expect the run to be short I have a lot of anxiety about it finishing 'soon'
    • when I go on really long runs, I just don't worry about the length — I let the anxiety go and just do the run. –” The point is only to know, beyond any shadow of doubt, that “I” and all other “things” now present will vanish, until this knowledge compels you to release them—to know it now as surely as if you had just fallen off the rim of the Grand Canyon.” –“In death we doff the persona, as actors take off their masks and costumes in the green room behind the scenes” –“The speed and efficiency of transportation by superhighway and air in many ways restricts freedom of travel. It is increasingly difficult to take a walk, except in such “reservations for wanderers” as state parks. “
  • This is interesting , I am not sure what to think about it.
    • technology does restrict us in some ways but it seems impossible to deny that it also removes restrictions
    • You can fly to a state part now
      • but, you used to be able to just walk out your door
• Nothing stays put, everything is a continuing process.
• power isn't always wisdom — just having a ton of information doesn't == wisdom
• The later of the portion of the chapter is a monologue against technology as an evolving prison. With more technology we have more constraints and more expectations ( slack means people expect you to respond all the time. )

Personal Thoughts:

• Over all I found this chapter relatively flat and one-sided.
  • This is particularly funny given the intro to the chapter is all about sound/no-sound, black/white and how you can't have one without the other and how they are actually all-one-and-the-same.
• The material about the game of Black-and-White was good, the author presented interesting metaphors that seemed helpful.
• Technology as a limiter:
  • I understand the appeal to an arguments like this but it also seems very one-sided ( ironically ). Surveillance Capitalism has 100% had a limiting effect on society; however, technology as a whole has had a much richer impact than just a single direction of progress.
    
  • I believe that you can have healthy relationship with technology. I put my slack on silent after 5 pm and stopped wearing a smart watch. But I practice Zazen every-morning over zoom + meet with my Zen teacher once a week over zen. Because of where I live , I wouldn't be able to do these things. I also connect with my parents over video chat , which has been great over this pandemic.