There Is No Spoon? So There Is No Cube Either

The following is an extract from the movie "The Matrix"















Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.

"The Matrix" trilogy is undoubtedly one of the richest movies in terms of philosophical contents. The scene above has everything to do with our recent contemplations.

When the Spoon Boy tells Neo that there is no spoon, he is saying the same thing that we have been contemplating in the Cube experience; that we co-emerge with the object. The object gains its meaning because of the observer and the observer only exists because of the objects. One is not independent from the other.

What is the spoon really? Are there spoon molecules? Perhaps, spoon atoms? Maybe spoon electrons and neutrons?

No, the spoon arises only because we recognize it as such. We, as observers, don't establish connections with its atoms, molecules and any other cognitive element, we don't think about those things when we hold a spoon. We establish a connection with the "form" which presents a meaning to us, a meaning that we add to it. And if we are adding meaning to it, we are co-emerging with the object.

Having said all that, we can conclude that "forms" come to exist based on the relationship we establish with them. We don't establish a relationship with the raw materials of the objects, but with their meanings, and these meanings are what we will call "forms".

More to come! Great contemplation everyone!

Cris

So? Why does the Cube matter?

As a result of the contemplation of the Cube Experience, we can see that the it appears because of an internal mental disposition. Object and observer co-emerge in the same experience, and that shows that we have an important role as creators of reality, opposed to being mere spectators of it. We tend to think there is a world out there governed by external rules, and we assume a passive role trying to adjust ourselves to this pre-existent reality.

This example shows us how we are creating the world we see, by adding meaning and dimensions according to our own internal world. Furthermore, our difficulty to switch between cubes voluntarily, shows how uncontrolled our minds can be, and how difficult it is to change between perspectives.

If we look to the vertex "A", we can see one cube, and if we look at the vertex "B" we can see another one. Though neither of them really exists, we can see two of them, and the switch between them can be in accord to our own will or simply involuntarily by the will of our uncontrolled mind. Therefore not only we create things, but we get stuck in what we created losing control of it.
















Following this line of reasoning, we can see that when we face a difficult situation in life, not only we forget that we are the ones who have created that situation we are experiencing, but we solidify it by victimizing ourselves. If only we had the ability to switch our view of reality and recognize the opportunities we have by looking in different directions, we could turn that situation all around.

When the Dalai Lama states that compassion is key to happiness, that is what he means, to have the ability to look at the same situation under different perspectives. Compassion is the key instrument that allows us to remove the focus of our consciousness from our ego and broaden our minds toward a wider reality with vast possibilities. If we look around and pay attention to how other people manage to cope with bigger problems in life, and at the same time, lead a more happy one, we can find strength and wisdom within ourselves to search for alternative routes instead of blaming the external circumstances.

When a person does something negative to us, it is difficult to see good qualities in that person. Our view gets frozen in only one perspective, this way we limit our perception of reality and create more suffering. This limitation of reality is what we call ignorance. And here is where meditation plays a key role, because it will enable us to practice compassion, by making us not so responsive to our impulses and therefore broaden our minds.

It is amazing how this simple example from Lama Samten can show so much.

Have a great contemplation everyone!!!

Cris