In the first part of the course ”How to interpret works of art, interior design, architecture,1 we learned how to release potentially possible to use but for different reasons not used focus particles. In the second part of the course ”How to interpret works of art, interior design, architecture, 2 we learned to move beyond objective reality and discovered new opportunities to be able to optimize our memory, similar way as files can be compressed in hard disc of computer, when to express it in computer terminology, and how to recover our attention energy, which was lost or left somewhere on the way to achieve our goal – to understand observed object of art.
If skills which we gained in first part of course to explain in comparison with the surface of the lake, we learned how to calm water of the lake. Increase of mind abilities described in the second part of course could be compared with ability to throw bigger pebbles on the water and be still able to calm down a water despite larger water circles created by bigger stones thrown to the water.
Actions described above was as in a two dimensions – width and length of the lake surface.
We will add one more dimension or coordinate – concentrated effort in this part of the course.
When you begin consciously to use concentrated effort it feels as you move higher and higher in your inner space. It seems to be as a ”vertical” coordinate as compared to length and width coordinates – attention release and information accumulation. Freeing more attention and collecting information it is not only two dimensional activity, but if to say it is X and Y and effort is a coordinate Z, it would help to understand concentrated effort and how to work with it.
Let’s go back for a while, look at the course material from the beginning and one more time compare it with a throwing of stones on the water of lake.
1. We freed our attention. We made water calm.
2. We pushed three dimensional barriers out of our way. We can observe pebbles even falling down below water surface.
3. We optimised information files in our memory. Wee can throw bigger and bigger stones into the water and still can make water to be calm.
There is very subtle transition between optimising or compressing information, collecting back attention energy, described in part 2 of the course, and concentrated effort. Concentrated effort dimension it is necessary to adopt larger and larger amounts of information. If we would look back, we could see that effort to understand existed since the beginning of the object observation. It could be said, without even smallest effort you would not begin to observe something. You would not even read these lines.. Why, what..? It existed from beginning or even before beginning of observation process, but it begins ”to be” as a dimension when you begin to work with compression of information. You compress a larger amount of information and it is as you need to get higher and higher.. to higher and higher realms of truth. When you begin to compress information as in Exercise 2.3, you kind of “press it together” and “move up” – at the same time you fill a little bit more happy. It looks like way to happiness and way to truth, despite it exists as a different or parallel realities, one thing they can share together or can both be a components of concentrated effort.
4. We get higher and higher as vertical dimension, Z is. We can observe larger and larger amounts of information, we can do it faster, we can be more happy and we a more near the truth. We are moving as out of the water, we get higher and higher out of realms of water as a water vapour rises above… We are lighter, faster. We are excited. We rise above…
5. …until you reach an…We get an idea, here is understanding. Vapour reaches a cold air and turns into a water droplets. Understanding is just as a new water droplets, which… it was just water of the lake, where you played with your pebbles… small droplets splattered over the lake surface… it became vapour that rose into the air… it became white clouds in the sky above… and which again fell to the ground, on the grass, filled the waters of lakes and rivers and joined the seas.
.. but it is just our attention, our particles of attention, our energy of attention, we just observe it. We observe attention, which observes piece of art, interior design detail or architectural form.
It all begins as.. you have same attention energy, where to use it, what to do with it? It goes, or follows where your interests are, what is interesting for you, what you want or would like to do or understand.
3. The concentrated effort to understand the object
Some people have absolutely no interest in some things and it does not attract their attention to it. They either more or less know all or almost all about some things or do not know anything and it could be even do not know about their existence, or there is some problems and they can not even look at that side. For example, we probably know that painting and there is not so much left to explore. We never heard about that painting, and we even do not want come to see it. It could be there are fearful colors, and we are afraid even to look at the canvas. If we do not understand something we need to have or rise a little bit interest towards the object. If we already have some interest we could come closer and start to look. It means to do Exercise 1.1. From this point of view interest as a part of concentrated effort should exist or be created even before observation.
3.1 Exercise
Expand and Transform
Perform Exercises 1.1, 2.1 and 2.2 and try to increase interest in observed object. It is like you get higher and higher in your interest. You lift yourself into exhilaration, happiness, mindfulness and somewhere on that way you can get some conceptual understanding about piece of art or whatever you observe. This exercise is intertwined or exists in a mutual connection with the process of accumulation and compression of information described in 2 part of the course. We collect information as in 2.1, 2.2 and compress it as in 2.3, but we go higher and higher as a compressed information let us to have new and new foundation…but new base demands a higher level of interest, more happiness. We reach with our attention to some extent – we need and we create more interest, more happiness and our attention reach to larger extent and etc. Stronger interest – is as a larger area of expansion, where our attention energy can reach. It ”expands” to some extent our mind.
Calm, Expand, Transform – here is an answer, how to understand something.
Cheerfulness, Happiness creates energy, which flows much more faster. If we want to get more information about something, we better be more happy, we better begin to appreciate or much more better – fall in love with observed object.
One more component of concentrated effort is intention, which is as a carrier wave of interest, which keeps attention to move back and forward, go beyond and get higher and higher, until we are here and know, – and with a new knowledge, new ideas, new thoughts.
It could be said Exercise 3.1 transforms process of observation into a meditation. It means to ability to observe 1.1 and collect information 2.1 – 2.3 you will add ability to increase 3.1, what and where your attention can reach. When you observe, collect, increase amount of information to a certain extent and it will reach ”critical mass” – it transforms itself to a new idea.
Some quantity reaches a critical mass and becomes a new quality.
Sometimes you will feel that the observation / meditation seems as lead to a “dead end”. It is like meditation process can not “to pull out” enough information or it is necessary additional information and you are “stuck”. Ask yourself – what else information I need, what data should be missing, what would help me to understand idea, “floating” behind sculpture, interior decoration detail or architecture of building? Try to use your intuition. There is the answer somewhere… maybe it is necessary something extra to read and let the information to “settle down” for a few days or longer.
Calm your mind, Collect information and Transform it. That is a game.
I wish you a patience and you will be rewarded!
Transform information into ideas!
If someone is familiar with Buddhism and, especially after practising exercises, was able to recognize that observation / meditation process reminds, just could be said approached from the different point of view and explained in different words, – a part of Buddha`s Ancient or Eightfold Path. Main components of our course “How to understand..” are more or less equivalents or slightly reminds three components of Concentration group (samadhi) of Buddha`s Eightfold Path: Right Effort – our interest, intention and love, Right Mindfulness – relaxation, peaceful mind, which can keep information safely, Right Concentration – our attention, ability to look and see, – which leads to the first component of Wisdom group (panna) – Right Understanding and leads to the second component – Right Thought. We understand, that to practice components of Virtue group (sila) – Right Speech, Action and Livelihood would help to release a lot of attention energy and to be here and now, – with an open heart and mind.
