Unity and diversity

[Unveiled Artist]

I like differences over unity. When I think of differences in unity, I think this:

The Neighborhood

Im not too much of a Tim Burton fan, but this movie is cute. Monolithic neighborhood with differing colors but same type of neighbrhood and people. Creepy.

The brain naturally tries to find sense and unity in a given idea or external subject. It is essential to many that unity in all things. In relation to the second picture above, life just isnt that way.

We can meditate sometimes to find our uniquenes. Some cultures are community oriented; so, they can reflect their community's place in the world compared to those outside it. Regardless, in my opinion, trying to find order and unity in this picture is defeating what the artist is emplying. Not everyone is into abstract art; but, disagreeing does not mean its morally wrong.

 

[PureX]

We are a 'universally diverse' species. We are all the same in that we are all unique and we all know it.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

We are a 'universally diverse' species. We are all the same in that we are all unique and we all know it.

Our unity is based on diversity. Our diversity isn't based on unity.

That's my view. Some say it's the other way around. I went to a Universal Unitarian Church with this view. They broke off from The Church so they have a foundation though they don't call it by name.

 

[Nakosis]

I like differences over unity. When I think of differences in unity, I think this:

View attachment 25936
The Neighborhood

Im not too much of a Tim Burton fan, but this movie is cute. Monolithic neighborhood with differing colors but same type of neighbrhood and people. Creepy.

View attachment 25937

The brain naturally tries to find sense and unity in a given idea or external subject. It is essential to many that unity in all things. In relation to the second picture above, life just isnt that way.

We can meditate sometimes to find our uniquenes. Some cultures are community oriented; so, they can reflect their community's place in the world compared to those outside it. Regardless, in my opinion, trying to find order and unity in this picture is defeating what the artist is emplying. Not everyone is into abstract art; but, disagreeing does not mean its morally wrong.

Profound but hard to achieve.
Diversity is superficial from this view.

 

[Revoltingest]

I like differences over unity. When I think of differences in unity, I think this:

View attachment 25936
The Neighborhood

Im not too much of a Tim Burton fan, but this movie is cute. Monolithic neighborhood with differing colors but same type of neighbrhood and people. Creepy.

View attachment 25937

The brain naturally tries to find sense and unity in a given idea or external subject. It is essential to many that unity in all things. In relation to the second picture above, life just isnt that way.

We can meditate sometimes to find our uniquenes. Some cultures are community oriented; so, they can reflect their community's place in the world compared to those outside it. Regardless, in my opinion, trying to find order and unity in this picture is defeating what the artist is emplying. Not everyone is into abstract art; but, disagreeing does not mean its morally wrong.

I recognized the top pic instantly.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Profound but hard to achieve.
Diversity is superficial from this view.

Which sutta is this?

Not saying it's not good but there are a lot of good quotes attributed to the Buddha where none exist.

The Buddha taught individual quest and understanding of ones self. Unity is not part of The Dharma insofar of our enlightenment. It's not false but not the foundation of The Dharma which says self does not exist in light of karma because by keeping things in motion, there is no fixed in itself.

People naturally try to find unity. That's how the mind works to put things together they have in common. Seeing life in its diversity as a foundation is hard for the mind to do. That's why we have wars etc and political issues and prophets and saviors meant to save mankind as a part of a whole and church and community.

It is profound when one seperates the one color of white into many. We can't see the uniqueness and nature of a given thing when unified. The second picture is more profound in its message and meaning. People stare at abstract arts for hours soaking in this profound connection of each artist's work.

Some cultures value unity and others diversity. I see differences over unity for reason described in the OP.

 

[Nakosis]

Which sutta is this?

Not saying it's not good but there are a lot of good quotes attributed to the Buddha where none exist.

The Buddha taught individual quest and understanding of ones self. Unity is not part of The Dharma insofar of our enlightenment. It's not false but not the foundation of The Dharma which says self does not exist in light of karma keeping things in motion, nothing is fixed in itself.

People naturally try to find unity. That's how the mind works to put things together they have in common. Seeing life in its diversity as a foundation is hard for the mind to do. That's why we have wars etc and political issues and prophets and saviors meant to save mankind as a part of a whole and church and community.

It is profound when one seperates the one color of white into many. We can't see the uniqueness and nature of a give thing when unified. The second picture is more profound in its message and meaning. People star at abstract arts for hours soaking in this profound connection to each artists work.

Some cultures value unity and others diversity. I see differences over unity for reason described in the OP.

Good question, apparently it is from the Bhagavad Gita.

It doesn’t take much research to find that this quote originates from the Hindu classic, the Bhagavad Gita, in the translation by Shri Purohit Swami (1882 – 1941). In a fuller quotation it’s:

“He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye; he who sees Me in everything and everything in Me, him shall I never forsake, nor shall he lose Me.”
"He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye." - Fake Buddha Quotes

So in looking at the painting in your OP, at first glance I see nothing interesting. Yet in considering this "quotation" if I look at it sectionally, I can see unity in each section as I find something in each individually relating to me. Then of course it becomes much more interesting.

This leads me to two additional questions. First must we find unity in diversity in order to make it interesting? Second, if so, must this unity arise from the individual? IOW, do we need to find self interest in diversity to be comfortable with it. Previously we had religion, race and nationality to motivate folks to unity. Now?

While this seems to work/have worked with me, I am just one person.

 

[Quintessence]

I think it might be more accurate to say that the human mind is wired to look for patterns more generally. If it is true that the human mind is wired for seeing similarities, it is equally true it is wired for seeing differences. The inability to do either of these would have been the nail in a proverbial coffin of species extinction.

 

[PureX]

Our unity is based on diversity. Our diversity isn't based on unity.

But it is. Each is recognized in relation to it's opposite. It's how the human mind cognates experience. We can only recognize our differences against the backdrop of our sameness. And likewise.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hm.

It doesn’t take much research to find that this quote originates from the Hindu classic, the Bhagavad Gita, in the translation by Shri Purohit Swami (1882 – 1941). In a fuller quotation it’s:

“He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye; he who sees Me in everything and everything in Me, him shall I never forsake, nor shall he lose Me.”

"He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye." - Fake Buddha Quotes

I may be mistaken but that sounds like Brahma. There is no soul or entity like or noun that brings together unity. But then I'm just speaking in regards to enlightenment. There is no hard facts in believing there is a source or not that's inside us. Maybe it's talking about our individual choices as per human nature, we each make decisions for the benefit of the whole rather than the whole being the source of the decisions we make?

So in looking at the painting in your OP, at first glance I see nothing interesting. Yet in considering this "quotation" if I look at it sectionally, I can see unity in each section as I find something in each individually relating to me. Then of course it becomes much more interesting.

It's natural to find pattern (corrected by Quin) to intepret the picture as a whole....

This leads me to two additional questions. First must we find unity in diversity in order to make it interesting?

Second, if so, must this unity arise from the individual? IOW, do we need to find self interest in diversity to be comfortable with it. Previously we had religion, race and nationality to motivate folks to unity. Now?

I see diversity over unity. When I personally look at a painting, it's nice to see it as a whole but to see how the artist put each piece together to the whole from its diversity is a beautiful thing indeed.

The second I see self interest (maybe by our individual self or community apart from another) as unique. Therefore, in order to be unified we have to be part of the same puzzle. According to our individuality, we are not. We are our own puzzles. So, unless there is a common source, how can we come together without clashing?

While this seems to work/have worked with me, I am just one person.

True. If you see the whole (god?) as the foundation of diversity, how would you would you work towards that whole without overstepping some one else's source via the diversity of life?

In other words, unless everyone believes in god, that would be hard to accept each diversity has its own source (per the name). A lot of conversions are of a result of this difficulty. Maybe another way would help?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

But it is. Each is recognized in relation to it's opposite. It's how the human mind cognates experience. We can only recognize our differences against the backdrop of our sameness. And likewise.

We recognize our wholeness from diversity as it's source. Unless there is a common foundation, in what means is diversity alike to where it came make up a whole while still calling it diverse?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I think it might be more accurate to say that the human mind is wired to look for patterns more generally. If it is true that the human mind is wired for seeing similarities, it is equally true it is wired for seeing differences. The inability to do either of these would have been the nail in a proverbial coffin of species extinction.

Probably patterns is better. We look at the differences but treat them as part of a whole not a source by themselves. We recognize differences and similarities but similarities are always the source rather than equally opposite. That's what I'm addressing. Similarities defining differences as one. Our mind find similarity in differences.

 

[Nakosis]

Hm.


I may be mistaken but that sounds like Brahma. There is no soul or entity like or noun that brings together unity. But then I'm just speaking in regards to enlightenment. There is no hard facts in believing there is a source or not that's inside us. Maybe it's talking about our individual choices as per human nature, we each make decisions for the benefit of the whole rather than the whole being the source of the decisions we make?

Being an atheist, it's just a quote. Not trying to use God or even Buddha as an authority.

It's natural to find pattern (corrected by Quin) to intepret the picture as a whole....

But is it a necessity? Diversity = chaos for me. Hard to find unity in chaos.

I see diversity over unity. When I personally look at a painting, it's nice to see it as a whole but to see how the artist put each piece together to the whole from its diversity is a beautiful thing indeed.

The second I see self interest (maybe by our individual self or community apart from another) as unique. Therefore, in order to be unified we have to be part of the same puzzle. According to our individuality, we are not. We are our own puzzles. So, unless there is a common source, how can we come together without clashing?

In art, diversity is fine. Folks trying to express themselves which I may or may not come to understand the artist's expression. I can only seem to appreciate art via self interest. How does this translate to life/living? Diversity works only where we find self interest? I think you see this differently. An appreciation for diversity does not seem natural or at least come naturally to me. Acceptance of diversity, in this case art, is a mental exercise, always? Or am I missing something?

I feel I am pretty clumsy when it comes to art, this is the point of my asking.

True. If you see the whole (god?) as the foundation of diversity, how would you would you work towards that whole without overstepping some one else's source via the diversity of life?

In other words, unless everyone believes in god, that would be hard to accept each diversity has its own source (per the name). A lot of conversions are of a result of this difficulty. Maybe another way would help?

I see a need of understanding diversity from a different POV. Is there another way besides self interest?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

But is it a necessity? Diversity = chaos for me. Hard to find unity in chaos.

Ha. Unified chaos?

No. I think its better working together with our diverse beliefs being a motor to that joined work. Diverse source to for a agreed goal. Notice how earth came about. Not from unification as if all parts had perfect planning. More so from spontenous forming, crashing, and growing.

Im an atheist too; so, I cant think of a force behind "creation". Luck of the draw.

In art, diversity is fine. Folks trying to express themselves which I may or may not come to understand the artist's expression. I can only seem to appreciate art via self interest. How does this translate to life/living? Diversity works only where we find self interest? I think you see this differently. An appreciation for diversity does not seem natural or at least come naturally to me. Acceptance of diversity, in this case art, is a mental exercise, always? Or am I missing something?

We are a work of art. We can understand the whole by looking at the sources which is our individual self. The issue is we are taking advantage of our source because we cant work with others whose source is different.

I feel I am pretty clumsy when it comes to art, this is the point of my asking.

Shrugs. Im not an expert since I use art to clarify life and wellbeing thans study and passionate perfection.

I see a need of understanding diversity from a different POV. Is there another way besides self interest?

Ask others and see it in their shoes without translating it through self-lens. For example, if you were christian and I say The Buddha showed love through The Dharma via actions and you translate that love from god and actions from spirit, its translating it throug your own interest and interpretation. Of course its hard to see other views, but not impossible just patience and learning that we-arent-special.

 

[PureX]

We recognize our wholeness from diversity as it's source. Unless there is a common foundation, in what means is diversity alike to where it came make up a whole while still calling it diverse?

"Here" is here only because "there" is there. And "there" is there only because it's not "here". It's how the human mind cognates it's experience of place. Cognition is a process of comparing and contrasting sensory information. In the reality apart from the human mind there is no "here" or "there". Just as there are no "similarities" or "differences". These are conceptual phenomena created by the process of human cognition.