I so appreciate your how your exposition situates PYS in a tradition of value-making, how the provenance that is nodded to by 'now' is to be understood as a value project rather than simply an exercise in parsimony which might be suggested by the insistence on not using even an extra syllable. Parsimony can be an epistemic virtue no doubt, as are simplicity and efficacy, but making the value added project explicit, at least for me, elevates the material from dry philosophy to dynamic engagement with this thing called life.
Douglas, Thanks for the first podcast/article in your series. In a way your writing to us is in itself a “sutra,” something of “inestimable value,” “worlds of learning not islands of thought.” I am currently teaching a course on Romantic Poets, and it occurs to me that the sutra tradition is still with us today with our great poets of recent years. The work of Wordsworth and Keats require similar “exegesis,” “contain ambiguity” and paradox, have “missing words,” and are also similarly “auspicious.” My class and I are “pulling on the threads” of the sutras of our time to “unravel more possibility and value.” Especially loved your examination of the “now.” Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks for the kindness. I think you're quite right, the sutra method lives in so many works. The peculiarity of its format and method are distinctive to India but the idea is, as you say, familiar to other artistry and learning traditions. My hope is to produce one Essay every week or two. There's so much for us to explore. Thank you again and again for your interest.
Thank you so very much for this piece 🙏 I’ve always felt 1.1 is overlooked or discounted in value yet I’ve always “felt” the import of being called into the “now”. I so appreciate the links you’ve shared to the alphabet and other texts which are outside my limited experiences.
I so appreciate your how your exposition situates PYS in a tradition of value-making, how the provenance that is nodded to by 'now' is to be understood as a value project rather than simply an exercise in parsimony which might be suggested by the insistence on not using even an extra syllable. Parsimony can be an epistemic virtue no doubt, as are simplicity and efficacy, but making the value added project explicit, at least for me, elevates the material from dry philosophy to dynamic engagement with this thing called life.
Douglas, Thanks for the first podcast/article in your series. In a way your writing to us is in itself a “sutra,” something of “inestimable value,” “worlds of learning not islands of thought.” I am currently teaching a course on Romantic Poets, and it occurs to me that the sutra tradition is still with us today with our great poets of recent years. The work of Wordsworth and Keats require similar “exegesis,” “contain ambiguity” and paradox, have “missing words,” and are also similarly “auspicious.” My class and I are “pulling on the threads” of the sutras of our time to “unravel more possibility and value.” Especially loved your examination of the “now.” Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks for the kindness. I think you're quite right, the sutra method lives in so many works. The peculiarity of its format and method are distinctive to India but the idea is, as you say, familiar to other artistry and learning traditions. My hope is to produce one Essay every week or two. There's so much for us to explore. Thank you again and again for your interest.
Thank you so very much for this piece 🙏 I’ve always felt 1.1 is overlooked or discounted in value yet I’ve always “felt” the import of being called into the “now”. I so appreciate the links you’ve shared to the alphabet and other texts which are outside my limited experiences.
As soon as I read " Being challenged is going to be the ordinary state of affairs" I knew I'd be very happy.
So grateful for this!!! Thank you for coming to Substack, Douglas!!