Want to keep up with Arthur’s current writings? register to receive an email every time a new column comes out
What is sound Clapping one hand?
You may encounter this cryptic question at some point. It is a cone or puzzle invented by a Zen Buddhist master in the 18th century. Hakuin Ekaku– Such controversial questions have been used for centuries in the training of young monks. They were taught to meditate and discuss those questions. This is taxing work that can cause exasperating frustration. But there is a method as well. The novices did not intend to give a neat answer. They should gain a deeper understanding of the question through mental struggle. Because this is the path to enlightenment.
You don’t need to be trained as a monk to realize the value of difficult questions. That doesn’t have a clear answer. Fight your own koan for example. Why am I alive? or What would I give my life for?—It can be one way to improve your emotional health and grow as a person. You may resist doing so because the basic mysteries of life are uncomfortable to contemplate. And the world gives you the opportunity to avoid it. But when you enter the mysterious world of unanswered questions You will definitely grow as a person and change for the better.
The asked What matters most to us is often the person least likely to have a clear answer. If you ask me “Why do you love your wife?” I will try to answer convincingly. I know I know But the reasons seem impossible to articulate. Everything I say (“Because you’re nice to me”) misses the point entirely and trivializes the relationship. Indeed, it’s no coincidence that such a trivial question is so easily and clearly answered. (“How do I get to the supermarket?” Turn right twice and then left..) Famous psychotherapist Carl Jung considered this easy test to be the most important way to understand things. “All of life’s greatest and most important problems are fundamentally unsolvable,” he said. write In the year 1931
We might call life’s unanswered mysteries “unsolved mysteries.” “Right Brain Question” Neuroscientists are interested in the division of the brain’s hemispheres and how each hemisphere performs different functions. show It is when people use deep understanding and intuition. Contrary to analytical methods to understand the problem high frequency bursts or gamma band Activity appears in the right temporal lobe. which corresponds to changes in blood flow in Right frontal superior temporal gyrus This observation is consistent with the hypothesis of British neuroscientist Ian McGilchrist, who argued that most people use the right hemisphere of their brain when pondering life questions. meaning–
We generally resist work that involves this kind of right-brain understanding. Because facing a big problem that is difficult to solve is uncomfortable. As there are some studies performanceBusy life questions without clear answers can cause dark moods with no clear biological explanation. This can be especially difficult for teenagerThinking about the big questions The first is about fate and death. Emptiness and meaninglessness feelings of guilt and condemnation
You might conclude that For your well-being You should avoid such contemplation. But you will be mistaken. Just like you make the mistake of avoiding exercise. Because exercise is physically uncomfortable. First, dwelling on the problems of life, death, and love forces us to accept the limits of our understanding—saying, “I don’t know.” Researchers have show In the experiment people were highly averse to this response. But doing so is a sign of intellectual health. It seems reasonable to speculate that learning to make this admission easier might be a good way to improve your cognitive health.
Even replying “I don’t know” can lead to deeper understanding. (if not mentioned) with important benefits. For example, in 2012, two psychologists asked a sample of young people whether they considered questions such as “How often have you pondered the purpose of your life?” and “Have you ever thought about the human soul or what happens to the afterlife?” meet People who spent more time on these questions tended to score higher than their peers on measures like spiritual intelligence. critical thinking Feeling the meaning of life curiosity and well-being That definitely sounds like intellectual health to me.
TAsk for evidence When combined I would like to propose the hypothesis that, as a society, we are spiritually weak and mentally incapacitated. Because we don’t have answers to challenging existential questions. As much as there is a lot of research documentAnxiety and depression are epidemic in the United States. Especially among young people I believe it’s not because we think the same way. a lot About life’s difficult questions, but also a little– As I said before. We spend hours and days mesmerized by the trivialities that are inserted into our lives through our technological devices. and unwilling to delve into deeper matters. I believe there is an increased level of sadness and fear. This is, at least in part, a result of our philosophically sedentary lifestyle. The same applies to the benefits of vigorous exercise. Short-term discomfort on important questions It is necessary to avoid long-term health problems caused by avoiding these questions.
To solve this problem I would like to see a revolution in existential thinking. A mania for contemplating the mysteries of life. Social entrepreneurs can set up reading rooms and debate clubs in every city. Philosophers may be just as popular. with the hottest fitness influencers That was my imagination anyway. But if it doesn’t become a reality Let me suggest a routine that you can follow.
1. Schedule your mental exercise.
If you go to the gym, you might as well stick to your planned time. You must do some form of exercise as well. And there are some things you wouldn’t do while exercising, like eating pizza or taking a nap. You can apply similar principles to your mental fitness. Choose a time each day, such as 30 minutes, that you can dedicate to weighing difficult questions. That is truly important. First, ban all devices and keep them from being a distraction. Then think ahead about what existential or spiritual challenges you plan to consider. You can use a paragraph or two of philosophy or scripture to focus on a specific question. Break down the details and improve your understanding.
In Tibetan Buddhism this is called the method. analytical meditationAnd similar practices exist in other traditions. As you may find during your first few weeks at the gym, exercising is difficult at first and tempting to abandon. But when you have discipline Habits will become easier. Satisfactory and is indispensable For years I’ve combined these two practices: After morning hours in the gym. I spend the next half hour (usually 6:30–7:00 AM) in meditation. At this point I can’t imagine starting the day any other way.
2. Go for a long walk.
For some people, a better option is to walk alone without any equipment. To provide an avenue for questions about your right brain. Philosophers have long championed this technique: Immanuel Kant was famously a regular. To help you think deeply With the neighbors watching as he left. Research has shown that walking in nature stimulates creativity and helps to concentrate without being distracted I like to require my students to do this in the morning. Especially if they feel meaningless.
3. Boredom
One effect of our screen-based culture is that we are never bored. This might sound good. It’s like improving the quality of life, but it’s not. Experiencing boredom is essential for abstract reasoning and insight. This is because it stimulates the brain’s default mode network. It is a set of brain regions that become active when the outside world does not interrupt our mind’s attention. There are also neuroscientists. show that such activities are essential to reaching a higher level of meaning, and therefore it is important to create moments of boredom in our lives Because these things no longer occur naturally. A good way to do this is to run errands and take short trips without your phone. At first, you’ll still feel the reflex of reaching for it every few seconds, but it’s pretty fast. You’ll start to find your default mode network sparking again. Probably the first time in a long time. In terms of in-depth knowledge and understanding Boredom is good.
g Decades agoAfter a long journey to India I walked away many times pondering unanswered questions. above all else I consider the question posed by the koan that opens this article: What is the sound of one hand clapping? I aim not to search for answers. But to shed more light on the question—which I hope will shed some light on other mysteries. In my life
A few weeks ago I began to understand that the clapping of one hand was the sound. mirage– Hand movements imitate clapping. But the only way to make the illusion come true is to add a seconds hand. The sound of one hand clapping can only be imagined. But there is no clapping until another hand appears. With such awareness I therefore perceived the Koan question as a way to understand the Buddhist doctrine of emptiness (Chunyawada in Sanskrit) which states that no person or person exists inherently. There is only relationship. Depends on anything else The concept of the nature of the individual is like clapping one hand. considered an illusion
Upon further reflection This brings to light another mystery that is indescribable to me. One thing I mentioned earlier: Why do I love my wife? I’m the only one clapping. It’s like a human illusion. I come into complete identity only when I am complete in the presence of my partner. For me, she is the creator of the sound of our life.
