A Multicultural Garden

Wychwood Barns on St Clair and Wychwood Avenue has a beautiful art gallery, sporting what I can only describe as a universal outdoor garden.  Had the gallery itself not been closed this evening, I would not have chanced upon it at all. There are various plants coming from many different countries, such as Tibet, Poland and the Philippines. Something about this project of a multicultural garden resonates with me. It is a way of embodying diversity, rather than simply mouthing it or agreeing with it in theory alone. It also seems a rare gift to work with something of a given culture and witness how it stands alongside other cultures. What results is a beautiful tapestry that upholds the notion that differences are a source of strength. Each type of plant from each country has a unique quality and color that cannot be imitated by anything similar to it. I suggest the possibility that, in really working with concrete forms of diversity, people may be able to change the way their minds understand the qualities of things themselves.

Master Sheng Yen talks about the balance between reason and emotion in a chapter of Chan and Enlightenment called “Emotion and Reason: Dealing with Complex Relations”. He remarks, at one point:

Emotion keeps the activities and survival of society running, just like lubricant in a machine, making life more meaningful. Nevertheless, from the Buddhist point of view, we must dissolve emotion layer by layer, and enter the state of reason. What we mean by a subjective attitude is caring only about one’s own ideas and opinions, disregarding the thoughts of others.  Not considering others, not putting oneself in their position, is “emotion”. On the other hand, thinking first of others in all situations, seeking to lessen one’s own self-centered mentality and behavior, is “reason” (p.71-72)

I think that Sheng Yen’s distinction between reason and emotion is very unique and worth examining in some depth. One part I resonate with the most is that fine balance between using feelings to enrich one’s life and not getting drowned in one’s own subjectivity. Feelings become like the flowers in a garden. They enrich the experience of being, provided that they are not losing sight of a bigger picture of inter-being. One way I understand this is that how I interrelate with other things anchors my emotions. Without the sense of inter-relatedness, I could not really gauge whether an emotion were really benefiting either myself or others. One could imagine a virtual world (and there are such things!) where people just spout out the first emotion they have. Online chat-rooms abound with this kind of attitude. As long as we stand protected by the online screen, we can say whatever we feel in the moment. But is that truly beneficial? If we were to say or feel the same way in front of a real person, would the same ‘benefits’ we feel apply? Reason, at least for Sheng Yen, serves as a ballast to lessen the self-centered effects of only focusing on one’s own emotions. Reason demands that we see ourselves in a plenum of being with others. What we do and feel toward others only has consequences if we can imagine a world beyond personal reactions to things. Sheng Yen compares this idea to being in the same boat. He remarks, “we repair the craft and improve its performance so that we all may reach safe landing earlier. As we are also on board, we will arrive at the other shore safely as well.” (p.72).

              

           Sheng Yen’s argument is subtle, because there are many variations that are possible when reason and emotion intertwine. The most common error might be that of using emotions alone to make decisions, rather than considering the whole situation or calming the mind first. But when reason is applied without a sense of emotion, I could end up forgetting how others around me feel and experience life. Sheng Yen argues that even when people make mistakes, a whole variety of reasons may account for it. He remarks, “from the perspective of compassion…their offences may have arisen from their family background, social environment, or physical and psychological factors.” (p.79) I interpret this to mean that we should try to cultivate an orientation toward others. Reason and emotions are tools to help us do this, but in the end, reason and emotion are just helpful functions of mind. Any of these ‘functions’ could be abused or taken too far if they lose sight of their natural function in a state of inter-relationship. I am sure that most are familiar with a person who uses reason to isolate herself from the world, just as there are others who use emotions to barricade themselves from responsibilities. Both situations entail a lack of balance. And they both require letting go to try to get a handle on what is of most benefit to the most people at this present moment.

              

            For this reason, I suggest that reason and emotion should ideally supplement each other to promote the most diversity of viewpoints and behaviors. Under this view, I would suggest that diversity of being and inter-being has its own inherent value, because it honors all the riches of experience without attaching to one function or appearance.

References

Sheng Yen, (2014) Chan and Enlightenment. New York, NY: Dharma Drum Publishing