Mindful College Writing: Anthem by Ayn Rand

            Atlantis was said to be a highly advanced civilization with technology that went far beyond present day conceptualization. Everything that existed during that time is lost. Civilization broke and started over again. The world today with all its advancements in science, technology, and international communication is lost to those characters in the story Anthem. Ayn Rand’s message to humanity is clear in the Anthem, “…men with nothing to offer” (Rand 63) turns the world dull, all liveliness and sense of wonder vanish. Stepping into the psyche of Ayn Rand a person can conclude that freedom pushes humanity towards new birth. Sameness doesn’t evoke creativity. A society that refuses a person the privilege of excelling in one’s natural talent causes them to sacrifice their integrity to please others.

Anthem is written in first person with Prometheus as the narrator. The protagonist is change. Change guides the story forward and is played by Prometheus, a young man that awakens to a hidden truth that his uniqueness, in a world where all are told “we are nothing” (Rand 7), is his most honest integrity, “I understood why the best in me had been my sins and my transgression” (Rand 60). Prometheus realizes that his antagonist, fear, has been trying to suppress his most brilliant and original self, “…their bodies were shrinking and wished to shrink out of sight. And a word steals into our minds…fear” (Rand 23). Fear challenges change. The people have been programmed for hundreds of years to believe they are worthless, but change asks of them to embrace curiosity with inner exploration.

The uncharted forest is symbolic for stepping into the unknown. The novel The Giver by Louis Lowry has a forbidden land that the main character, Jonas, travels into to escape and save the people of their dull life. Stepping into unknown land alone shows that a character is a pioneer on a frontier about to experience significant change. “I shall cut into the stone the word [ego]…” (Rand 64), this image is symbolic for Prometheus stamp on history. The same can be seen for David by Michelangelo. This stone carved human figure, is Michelangelo stamp on history.

The setting takes place in a colonial American vibe, candle light, horse buggy, society. Prometheus travels to an underground dark tunnel where his discoveries take place, “… in our tunnel, we feel it no longer [fear]. The air is pure under the ground” (Rand 23), Prometheus views his world has stifling and his dark tunnel as refreshing. The setting in the end takes place in the uncharted forest where Prometheus discoveries a house that was built before the time of sameness. It becomes his headquarters for a rebellion against the sameness that keeps humanity dull. “…we heard suddenly that we were laughing” (Rand 46), Prometheus genuinely feels joy in the forest after realizing he can do whatever he wants. Instead of robotically wake up each morning to do his street sweeper job that was assigned to him by a Council that knows nothing of him.

The plot happens in chorological order. It is not lenient to extra information not needed to convey the main message and gets straight to the events that support the author’s message. The story jumps over long periods of time and focuses on specific events that are all turning points for Prometheus. This style of writing helps the reader stay focused and reminds them that the novel isn’t for exploring interesting characters and settings like reading a Harry Potter book by J.K. Rowling, but more as a pamphlet with precise messages that the author doesn’t want to get deluded by too much setting detail, back ground, and character building.

The primary theme Ayn Rand wants the reader to know is the enslavement of humanity always dulls the greater whole. “…neither god nor king nor other men can take away from him” (Rand 62), the desire for respect to follow one’s own pursuits has lead to numerous battles throughout centuries. Ayn Rand asks of humanity to respect each other’s difference and not seek to control another’s behavior due to fear of them making the wrong decision,”…and he stood on the threshold of the freedom for which the blood of the centuries behind him had been spilled” (Rand 62), the desire for a rebellion will always be in the heart of humanity as long as people feel entrapped by a society norm that prevents them from exploration. 

Works Cited

Rand, Ayn. Anthem. CA: Mockingbird Classics Publishing, 2015. Print. 

Mindful College Writing: Time is the True Unit of Measurement

“Literature helps us to remember what we’ve experienced”, is a quote said by Joshua Prager that sum up his March 2015 TED talk. Mr. Prager often writes about historical secrets. He wrote the classic children’s book of “Goodnight Moon.” He went to Colombia University where he studied music theory. Mr. Prager’s unique human experience should be made as an example that the world experiences make us brighter if we can see life as our school where we are destined to grow.

 Death and time are two concepts that we are too familiar with. It is enviable that we will die. Our experience on Earth is objectively short in comparison to the greatest known thing, the universe and the time that is outstretched unfathomable to us. To be wise with our aging body is to become enlightened by our experiences. Joshua is turning 44 years old and is seeking meaning to the aging experience. He is reflective on the many ages, conditions attached to those ages, and the experiences that are in response to changes of time. Time would not exist if the threshold of one condition entering into another condition was not apparent to us like the universe does not age forward or backward. It is in a state of infinity but since we cannot view ourselves in a state of infinity we bring down the complexity of the universe to make it comprehendible to the human mind. We come to the conclusion that the universe is expanding, becoming wiser and all things that are becoming wiser are associated with aging according the Alan Watts perceptive. We create science, math, writing so that we can understand the slightest bite of what is actually going on in the cosmos.

In order to become wiser is to capture our experiences like a photo of a butterfly, so that we can see details that we could not see without sitting still and viewing the photo with focus. We discover that the blues, purples, yellows, and the patterns in which they are organized on the butterfly’s wings become surreal like switching a dime bulb to a new brighter one, the room begins to open up. In writing we form new thoughts that did not exist prior to contemplating what we wish to write about. The new thoughts are an effect of our stillness as we reflect and try to find the best way to describe our minds eye so that the person reading it can see exactly what we see, more than that, the reader through aging time can see and feel beyond what we saw and felt.

Matter can be seen when infinitely is broken into fragments. In the movie “Lucy” the main character reveals the true until of measurement, time; “Film a car speeding down a road. Speed up the image infinitely and the car disappears. What proof do we have of its existence? Time gives legitimacy to its existence…[time] gives proof to the existence of matter” –Lucy. The human experience asks of humanity to become wiser. Nothing would make sense if one was not seeking to become wiser. Each passing year the mind has an opportunity to become wiser. Joshua Prager made it clear to me that age is a passing number, but how much the people allow themselves to live, experience, grow, change, evolve, become wiser is what time offers. 

Contemplating on a typical America day, waking up, going to work, coming home, feeding the kids, doing chores, to wake up and do it all over again has awakened me that Americans do not value their time. They speed through time hoping for a better time to come. Nothing has meaning if a person lives that way. Daily accomplishments should stamp that one has become wiser, but there are no daily time stamps, therefore, there is no significance to one’s day, but random moments a person hopes will lead to a greater moment.

“Life passes into pages if it passes into anything” (James Salter, Burning The Days), this quote shows Mr. Prager’s perspective on life and writing. A thought comes to mind while listening to Mr. Prager thoughts about this quote. Avatar by James Camron. The tree of souls, which to the indigenous people is one with everything. When a being connects with the tree they can download wisdom from the entire world and all that have lived and will live and input their own wisdom. Can this be used as a metaphor for what writing is, but an infinitely more complex idea of it? We have access to wisdom through memories, even if those memories are fiction or non-fiction through novels. James Camron takes the idea of wisdom human kind associates with reading into a spiritual divinity. Joshua Prager’s lecture transforms writing into more than just shared ideas but writing is a glimpse into the eternity that lives beyond the mundane thought. Writing has a spiritual core because It awakes readers to how interconnected lives of humans, plants, and other animals are. Each thing on Earth ages and affects the entire world.  

Mindful College Writing: Parallels between Pico's Divinity of Man, Hindu, and Buddhism

Buddhism, Upanishads, and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola share the insights of choosing peace over ambition, unity with humanity and heaven, having faith over fear, being open to change, either through receiving or giving, and recognizing the importance of all beings.

A Buddhist has no fear. The fear is the protagonist to humanities plot. Without it a person wouldn’t be considered human. No one can truly conceptualize a mind without fear because it is in every thought and attached to every conversation. There is fear from the daily introspective thought of “Am I on the right path?” and fear in expressing depth in a conversation. Fear dissipates when a Buddhist can whole heartedly embrace this moment now without expectations to what it offers or where it will lead. Whole hearted devotion to peace in the now sets a Buddhist free.

The Upanishads connect the heart, intellect, and spirit to a vast universe where everything meets back up into the ONE. “I shall join Brahman when I see beyond what is known and begin to connect with all,” (Upanishads) a person can sense the presence of the one when individualistic fear of not reaching one’s fullest potential is relieved. This happens when a revelation occurs that they are the trees, their neighbor, the fireman, the doctor, the lawyer, the teacher, the student, and none are more or less important.

“…man is…considered and called a great miracle and a being worthy of all admiration,” (Oration on the Dignity of Man) this optimistic perspective asks of humanity to be grateful to be alive. The soul of humanity has wonder and when it isn’t clouded by envy caused by the “…hierarchy of beings assigned to [man]…” it can serve humanity gracefully. Humanity can be looked up to be as angelic as angels and as maleficent as demons. Humanities devotion to balanced generosity sets them free. 

Mindful College Writing: Essence of Buddhism

The Buddha teaching is meant to carry man to peace, happiness, and ultimate bliss/Nirvana.

The core premise of Buddhism is to be enthusiastic, energetic, calm, and balanced throughout life regardless of hostilities that may be around, “…He is calm and serene and cannot be upset or dismayed by changes” (19). When a person has a strong sense of Self this leaves space for suffering because attachment to one owns identity causes pain when change occurs. A person can believe hardship is the universe being against them, but in truth the universe isn’t for or against anything, death and rebirth is a part of change that must occur. Like a plant grows, it is flexible to the environments because it knows that to reach its fullest potent is must adapt or die. Attachment to ideologies on how life should be for a person is the leading reason for deep pain because nothing is permanent. Nor should be because the Self that a person is today will not be tomorrow so there is no relevancy is attaching oneself to any ideology on Self.

. “…Consciousness depends on matter, sensation, perception, and mental formations and that it cannot exist with it…” (18), is a truth according to the Buddha yoga. The essence or soul of a person is only a combination of every-changing physical and mental forces that flow through and out of a person’s identity. A Buddhist accepts the conditions and environment in which they live in. Everything is empty ready to be filled up and then poured out again. It is important to not waste time on metaphysical pursuits. A person’s focus should be on being joyous in this life and not worrying about what is beyond this life. A Buddhist should not be concerned with ownership over things because a person is not here to own pleasures on Earth, but to co-create with Earth. Overall, the Buddhist religion accepts the world the way it knowing that everything changes and pursuing joy through simplicity and kindness. 

Mindful College Writing: Upanishads

According to the Upanishads humanity is one with all things, rivers, oceans, animals, plant life, the universe, and itself. Everything is connected by a common thread. Atoms, - helium, nitrogen, carbon, and hydrogen are found in all things, a tree that takes in carbon, fungus and humans that release carbon, a star that is a carbon ball, “Who sees all beings in his own Self, and his own Self in all beings, loses all fear” (ISA). There is no fear when a person is in synch with another because their thoughts are complimentary, hearts beating in unison. The unknown factor of another person’s intention causes fear, but being in synch with another is recognizing the importance of the other being on the right path because when one is not it affects all.  

 Brahman is the empty spaces in space and matter. “Brahman who is Truth, consciousness, and infinite joy…goes beyond the universe, and the light of the sun…” (TAITTIRIYA). Brahman is aligned with every heart and misaligned heart. Brahman is human and is not. One shall join Brahman when one sees beyond what is known and begins to connect with the threads that move alongside the visible threads, but cannot be seen. Brahman sees the same light that is in him/herself in a person, animal, and the universe, so much so, that he knows him/herself to be Everywhere. 

Mindful College Writing: "Wabi" in Shintoism Tea Ceremony

The Zen disciplines for focus. The Japanese tea ceremony incorporates the Zen element in each movement. The ceremony requires that the preparer of tea move with precision. Each movement is graceful and ritualistic. The feeling one gets while watching the tea ceremony is peace, calmness, and relaxation. The key values of the Japanese tea ceremony are harmony, respect, purity, and stillness. Its intention is to unify two warriors in a moment of peace together. In welcoming the quest, the preparer of tea creates a relaxing and calm atmosphere for the quest by having a clean, organized, and simple home, and by his/her tranquil hand movements in preparing tea. The Wabi is manifested in the Japanese tea ceremony in the simplicity of the tea room, in the slow and graceful hand movements, and in the organic material used for making the tea.

            Shintoism has one command and that is to be loyal to one’s ancestors. Those who worship Shintoism value all elements of nature. They connect with their ancestors through nature. Shintoism encourages people to be sincere, cheerful, and pure, and to live in harmony with the Spirit in all things. The Wabi is manifested in the Shintoism in its content with being connected with nature, having no ownership over the lands, and in its value in having a peaceful life.  

Mindful College Writing: Daoism

What was striking about the five chapters in Tao-Te-Chang was the concept of love and nurture, but do not force, “…he does not lay hold (so), and therefore does not lose his hold” (62). My own revelation on this concept came to me while watching an interview about the Rapper Future after reading this section. According to the Dao a person should work with what is in front of them rather than trying to control what isn’t. Success is ruined when trying to manipulate the conditions that aren’t present, “…if they were careful…they would not so ruin them” (62). For example, Future before he became a super star was told by his record label to go to the strip club and throw hundreds of thousands of dollars as a method in promoting his music and brand. If I wanted to become a professional artist it’s important to focus on what is in front of me. If I don’t have a record label I shouldn’t put my energy into visualizing the demands of having one. It’s important to not push a desire to be what we expect it to be because than we aren’t open or flexible to the uncontrollable forces of nature. We should be prepared like an empty cup is prepared for the unexpected liquid that will be poured into it. 

Mindful College Writing: The desert, Bedouin values, and Islam

Arabian culture before the Prophet Muhammed was the driving force for the Islamic faith. The Bedouins had to be tough to be able to handle the rough conditions of desert living. The desert prevented the Bedouins from creating towns or large communities. They were self-reliant because of the scarcity of food and water. Seasonal migration was the Arabs’ way of life. Kinship ties were very important for migration. These blood ties allowed for nomads to cross the territory of a different tribe without problems due to having a blood relative in that tribe. The Bedovins valued “Asabiyyah” and “Murua’a”, which later influenced The Qur’an.

The values of “Asabiyyah”: The Bedouins valued social solidarity because it was easier to survive being independent than the alternative which was to feed and provide water for a large migration group, which would raise the death rate due to starvation or dehydration. Unity and social cohesion brought peace among tribes because they all had a common goal that bound them together - survival. The focus on group consciousness influenced Muhammed’s mission to bring his followers in Mecca and Medina together. The Arabs needed unity because they need corporation from others for finding water and food.

The values of “Murua’a”: “do what must be done” encouraged Bedouins to be responsible for keeping one’s word and protect one’s tribe. Competition over resources was intense and a readiness to participate in organized warfare was common. Generously sharing water and/or food was one of the most important values. The Bedouins had to possess courage to face the harshness of desert living and raid tribes for the necessities for survival.

These values influenced The Qur’an, for example, the Islamic people were obligated to follow the teachings of The Qur’an which can be seen in early values of the obligation to pagan ritual. Divine mercy and compassion are themes in The Qur’an. This was influenced by the early Arabs values of being generous to each other. The Arabs understood the importance of being kind to each other for the longevity of the Arabian people. The deities the early Arabs worshiped influenced the deities that were later worshipped at Mecca and Medina. The Arabian culture before the Prophet influenced The Five Pillars. Generosity seen in The Five Pillars that Muhammad was greatly in support of was a crucial value for the early Arabian culture.