Albert Herdianto Widjojo
Everyone agrees that crystals are a beautiful natural creation. The beauty that then inspired humans to process crystals creatively and make them decorative products that decorate human dwellings space.
Crystal flower decoration is one of the popular decorative products of human works and the price is definitely more expensive than the original flower. Crystal is natural, original, but when it becomes a decorative flower, it becomes fake.
That’s what I think when I enjoy a group of crystal flowers. The authenticity that turns into falsehood. Something that can be commercially far more expensive than what it imitates. We know that it is beautiful, but at the same time, we also know that it is only imitation and fake. It is more expensive if it is measured by exchange rates but is worthless compared to the essential value of life.
This thought then touches our existence, human beings, who increasingly seem increasingly distant from the side of our originality. Apparently, we have moved away and will be increasingly distant from our authenticity, our essence, flowers that are lively, supple, soft and have a distinctive fragrance, into crystal flowers that are unnatural, stiff, fragile, and easily worn out.
We know that crystal flower is a product of creativity that is made according to the concept and taste of the maker, to be consumed by the tastes of those who buy and display it. The artificial flowers are also cultural products that come from and will end in the certain limits of culture and segments of society.
Look around us, can we clearly see two types of people, who are present among us as genuine flowers and expensive artificial flowers? Then, what about ourselves?
This is not a judgment but merely a reflection. People abandon their authenticity, build an image, and become false, or idolize falsehood because they want to be accepted – may also want to be idolized, want to have authority, be worshiped and glorified – by others. That situation also occurs because we always compare our actual situation to what it should be. “Circumstances should” be projections rather than what we think should be. The contradiction occurs when there is a comparison, not only with an object or with someone, but also with our situation yesterday, and therefore a conflict arises between something that was past and what is now there. What now exists only appears if there is no comparison at all, and living with what is now there is living peacefully. Then only then can we pay full attention without the slightest disturbance in what is inside us – whether it is despair, ugliness, cruelty, fear, worry, loneliness – and live with it fully; then there will be no contradiction and therefore no conflict.
If we don’t compare ourselves with others, then we are us. Through comparison, we hope to develop, grow, become more intelligent, more beautiful. But is that right? The fact is that we are like this, and by comparing, we divide that fact, which is actually vain of wasteful energy, the energy that actually is so important to understanding the whole of life. Seeing ourselves as we are, without the slightest comparison gives us enormous energy to see. If we can observe ourselves without comparison, we stand outside comparison, and that in no way means that the mind is stuck in satisfaction.
Funny, so many people want to be Pinocchio in order to be able to perform on stage, while Pinokio wants to be human.
Wow! Thank you very much for your appreciation, my friend.
Those flowers are really wonderful
Thank you for the compliment, SuncicaZ.
Well, in a sense they are dead, but there is a different kind of life in them. Not the sadness of a wilted rose for example, where we cannot help but lament that something once so beautiful has withered. The colors are pretty and the light plays with them. In that sense they are alive.
It turns out you are very philosophical and poetic, Ann.
Thanks for your beautiful thought
Thank you. A few years ago I visited Chihuly Bridge of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, USA, and the glass museum there. It was pretty amazing.
You must have gained a lot of knowledge there, and it must have been very impressive.
You are a real master – everything is fine
I wonder, your praise always makes me fly high, Lado. Thank you very much for that.
I apologize to my friend just do not understand this comment – Gogl has mixed everything
Maybe it’s good if you added your translation with another app like Grammarly.
Thank you for your friend’s friend-i will try
For me it’s useful and it makes reading and writing more correctly easier…
Many humans put on a mask appropriate for the society. Being natural and being yourself… moreover, to be able to tell the truth – is a luxury nowadays.
Being “real you” is the ideal, but life is complicated and not ideal at all. At least in the family we can afford being natural…
If life is ideal or all according to our wishes, then there must be no lesson at all, and surely that is not the reason we are on earth today.
I’m glad to know that you and your family can be natural.
Thank you for your thought, Natalya.
Absolutely agree with you that humans should be taught lessons in life.
…and the most important lesson is to know yourself, our true self…
It’s a great riddle to solve! It’s crucial in life. Can’t but agree!
Now I’m sure you are on the path to that point
Well done! Nice post!
Hi Georgi… Thank you…
You are a very wise man Albert. This is a hard lesson for some to learn. My oldest son has a problem with this. My youngest does not. It is also very hard to teach.
Great thoughts…
I do like the crystal flowers though! But on the other hand I would never purchase something like this. I don’t usually go for nick knacks.
This problem is indeed difficult to realize because this is a general tendency so. Because of this tendency, the problem seems doesn’t exist and appears to be normal, looks fine and even has to be improved.
Truly that it is not ok to compare ourselves to others for we will a lesser person or a better person than us.
That is the best and wisest way to stay away from conflict in our self to enjoy happiness and peace.
“The authenticity that turns into falsehood” is pretty much the basis for all my work. Great phrase…
Thanks, Brother.
The most important thing for me is that we realize the phenomenon clearly.
as an artist, I am filled with the knowledge that appearance is deception…
And everyone on earth appears and displays something in life.
right, but they aren’t really there- they are actually just clouds of subatomic particles…
I’m so glad if you start talking with that meaning.
It reminds me of the Hindu/Buddhist concept of Maya
Right. Even with quantum physics and quantum mechanics.
you wouldn’t expect them to agree, let alone compliment eachother like that…
Of course not. This is only for both of us, and in order the mermaids are not jealous.
but there seems to be agreement between the religious explanation and the scientific explanation…
You are right, at least there is a meeting point at a certain level.
unexpected cross discipline correlation
Science arrived at a coordinate point of the limitless universal truth plane and it ignited the bulb.
but we can’t tell if the bulb is lit on not until we observe it…
…and we already seen it, right?
that only means we knew the bulb was on when we saw it
My friend is the kind I am, and I do not think to change – I do not think I’m a bad-looking post and a picture as always
Thank you for the compliment as always, Lado, my friend
Be true to your own self.
You should appreciate yourself, that others appreciate you. A special photo.
You have a philosophy of life that is wise and right, Branka.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom, and for the compliment, too.
Beautiful flowers, wow. I never compare myself to others but I know of many that do that. It could really makes you unhappy to do this. Acceptance of yourself is vital in life. Be true to your own self.
I agree with you. Many people know that but not many people cling to that principle like you, Carol. We grew up in a comparison system. At school, we are compared to other students, as we also compare ourselves with others or vise versa. In social life, too, we compare ourselves with people who are more handsome, richer, more successful, seem happier, and then we comparing our selves with ideal ideas about ourselves upon all the experiences of those comparison etc. Then… we stay in conflict, within.
Yes and then there are the bullies. The ones that make you doubt yourself. Somehow I survived that stage of my life. I kept to myself, maybe that is how I did it.
I admit you as a survivor, Carol. Even more than that, you are a fighter who has managed to fly after seeing all the problems and trials as a weight training to relieve the body.
I heard a saying and I laughed but at the same time I sighed – “We always try to impress people that doesn’t give a damn about us.”
I guess it can be the same case with who we wanted to be.
That is great, never heard it before.
Our friend here give real examples around us.
That’s a fit and contextual example of a saying and attitude, my friend. There are so many paradigms and behavior that we can relate to the ideas of this writing.
Yes, I agree…
This is what first came to my mind … when we compare we’re putting ourselves through that. It’s pretty pointless.
lol
I am sure you will agree. A wise fellow knows each other’s smells right?