Curiosity

 One of the hallmarks of a good movie (or book, or anything, for that matter) is that it stimulates an interest to learn more about the subject matter. Watching the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, I am compelled to learn more about Freddy Mercury, particularly as the movie portrays a very compelling story about a man who faced a lot of discrimination in his rise to fame. Sometimes curiosity (as in this case) is a very natural occurrence: it is part of the art form itself that makes a person want to learn more about how the person lived, what they thought and what made their life meaningful in spite of the sufferings they underwent.
   Curiosity is also something that is cultivated in meditation practice, albeit in a different form. While I was participating in the one day meditation retreat today, I practiced intentional curiosity for the huatou method: that is, I generated a kind of curiosity for the method, even during times when I was not feeling so interested in answering the question (or was even confused about it). Intentional curiosity differs from the kind of curiosity that is a kind of response to an art form or an entertainment. Whereas the latter case is a kind of visceral response to a planned event created by a writer or an artist who is setting out to engage the audience, the former case does not involve any set up. It comes from a kind of choice: I am going to be present with this question, regardless of how I feel or react, and it's the presence itself that gives rise to an "answer". This choice involves great faith, but it's not about having faith in an external being. More so, it can be likened to a kind of deliberate attentiveness that knows there is an answer, but just doesn't quite know what or where it will be. Such a frame of mind is sharp and very clear, as well as engaged in the present, because it is not operating from a pre-made assumption about what things are supposed to be.
   This kind of curiosity can be extended to a great many things, including daily life. And it's a reminder that it's not a "thing" that is curious but a state of mind.