Todd’s recent half-glass of water themed post “Optimistic Pessimism,” along with the trend in these begun by Wynne’s “The Glass Is Refillable” and then Crisbiecoach’s “A Glass Full of Water,” made me think of something Walpola Rahula wrote in his classic book What the Buddha Taught, namely that
“Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic.”
I don’t want to elaborate further on the meaning of that statement — at least not at this moment — because what I’m curious about now is the figure (the metaphor) of the half-glass of water. We say that the glass is half-full to indicate optimism, or an optimistic outlook. We say the glass is half-empty, indicating a pessimistic view.
What would we say about the glass to indicate a perspective that is neither pessimistic nor optimistic?
Besides writing, SeekerFive creates expressive photographic art at matthewvphoto.redbubble.com.
He also creates visual art and designs under his Leaf Town brand at https://society6.com/leaftown and on Instagram @leaftowndesigns (instagram.com/leaftowndesigns).
Images by (and property of) SeekerFive unless otherwise indicated.
What a clever way to ask the question. Trying to be in-line with your Buddha quote – what if we called it “real”?
That’s interesting because Rahula’s next sentence is: “If anything at all, it [Buddhism] is realistic, for it takes a realistic view of life and of the world.”
I can appreciate the surface and depth of that, if you’ll pardon the pun.
Ah, ha, ha, Ari!
Nothing is as it seems . . . Nor is it the opposite. Equanimity. Nice post!
That it is only a glass 😃 and we change metaphor!
So maybe the half-glass of water figure is not suited to a neither-optimistic-nor-pessimistic outlook?
I think it depends on your attitude towards life in that present moment. Some moments you may see the glass half full some others half empty. You can always decide to have an optimistic or pessimistic outlook. All depends on you at the end, and the half glass is constantly changing. Just some extemporaneous ideas.
Would you just say that it is a glass with water in it?
I do like that. Thanks!
This book is getting added to my reading list. 👍
It’s certainly a widely read classic. Proceeds kind of like Mill’s Utilitarianism, actually, responding to and clarifying or correcting common misconceptions.
How about a partial glass of water?
Hmm, that’s true, and it doesn’t really suggest anything evaluative (a point in its favor, I think). Thanks for the suggestion!
A couple things come to mind
It is what it is
And Bruce Lee’s suggestion to “Be like water” it takes the form of the glass
Tolle’s existence without or beyond form
It’s a glass with water about equal distance between top and bottom.
Very mathematical
A very interesting question here. I love the ending that other than writing seekerfive creates photographic art, that’s nice and good to know🔥🔥🔥👏
Sunyata…. All things are empty of intrinsic nature and existence…. We give them half empty, half full, tumbler,glass.