earlier i discussed habits and their origin. this post is about aggregate habits, greater circle in which we run.
from early childhood we copy people around us. we see a smile and smile in return. we see a tear and shed a tear. we learn our ways encouraged and punished by those around us. we learn things 'cool' and learn things 'bad'; learn darkness and light. we learn to be ourselves.
what am i?
sometimes i'm cheerful, sometimes i'm sad, sometimes i'm angry, sometimes i'm nice, sometimes i'm stupid. lots of me. each one reacts differently and looks differently. thinks differently. different me.
and there are situations and conditions that can lure particular me out.
yet, what other than me can command these? can i call forth any one of them instantly?
sure. if there's an important meeting, i pull out nice me even if angry me lurks behind it. i pull out cheerful me if i don't want people to know or worry about troubled me. i pull out angry me when i want to be alone.
a mask behind a mask. what is me?
there's real me. the one behind all masks. someone kind and peaceful, willing to help.
yet it's another mask. another copy of something learned.
why is there a mask? every social human wears them. without a mask another social human will not understand me. i say something with a smile of a kind mask and my partner has another reason to think about my words. if i'm scared, here comes frightened me to tell everyone about it. even if no one is around. :) if courageous me comes, my spirits fly high and eyes shine. thus game of masks continues.
yet game is a game and masks are no more than a way of communication. it is not what we are. masks we learned somewhere do not have to dictate our thoughts and actions. masks running free often bring harm and call upon the sad mask.
so, what am i? masks do not know the answer, thus i can not write it.
wise mask off. here comes usual silly smile :)
good luck.
mickael
5 comments:
Thanks Mickael, it was really a revelation :)
I've been thinking about this same thing recently, and have concluded that almost all of my actions, and words, and thoughts are from somewhere else; and I thought it would be interesting to find 'me' beneath those layers of extraneous actions, words and thoughts.
But now I think that it would be VERY interesting to do so :)
Val
Our masks - even the mask of "Nice Barry" and "Kind Barry" - create incredible harm to those around us (and to ourselves). The masks deny the living truth of each moment.
How do we expose what resides behind every single mask? Good question, eh?
hi Barry,
masks merely are tools of communication. so far i know, every buddha used them to express anything. and for that only.
harm comes when masks dictate thoughts, which is the case with most of us.
what is it behind every mask? just another illusion i fear.
good luck.
mickael
Can the mask be the belief that the "I" is something other than a linguistic designation for anyone that speaks?
why not?
good luck.
mickael
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