Things You Haven't Named Yet

From the moment we are born, we live by learning many names.

Sky.

Sea.

Flower.

Dog.

Cat.

Happy.

Sad.

Success.

Failure.

By learning names, the world becomes a little easier to understand.

However, on the other hand, I think about this.

The things that are truly important actually have no names.

The feeling of falling in love with someone.

"That is love"If you say that, you feel as though you have explained it.

But is that really the case?

There are feelings that cannot be expressed by the single word 'love'.

Respect.

Peace of mind.

Admiration.

Nostalgia.

Heartache.

There is an emotion that feels like a mixture of everything.

And yet, the moment we give it the name love we lose sight of its complexity.

In Buddhism, it is said that one of the causes of attachment is discrimination (categorization).

This is the mind that distinguishes things, gives them names, and concludes, This is what this is.

Of course, that is not necessarily bad.
It is necessary in society.

However, when that categorization becomes too strong, we may lose sight of the true nature of things.

For example, have you given yourself labels like a failure, a sick person, or someone who couldn't keep a job?

But is that label really you?

That is only a part of your life, not you yourself.

A cherry blossom has the name cherry blossom.

But the scent of the spring breeze has no name.

The feeling that warms your heart when you see the sunset also has no name.

The sensation that makes you smile naturally when you see a child sleeping also has no name.

There are things that are beautiful precisely because they have no name.

A philosopher is not someone who seeks answers. They are someone who keeps asking, Is that really okay?

Recently, I have been asking the same question to my own heart.

Is this really anger?

Is this really loneliness?

Is this truly despair?

When I think about it that way, I feel like none of them are quite right.

The moment you remove the name, your heart becomes a little freer.

Babies do not see the world through names.

They are simply seeing the light.

They are feeling the wind.

They are hearing the sounds.

That is why their eyes sparkle at even the smallest things.

As we grow into adults, perhaps we gradually forget how to feel in exchange for knowing.

There must be things in your life, too, that you haven't named yet.

A joy that cannot be explained to anyone.

A sense of peace without a reason.

Tears that cannot be put into words.

They are not worthless just because they lack a name.

In fact, they are so precious that they cannot be expressed by a name.

I have lived for sixty-four years.

I have experienced suffering.

I have had illnesses.

I have started my life over many times.

In the midst of that, I have realized something.

The most important things in life are not found in the dictionary.

Because the moment you put them into words, they become something slightly different.

That is why today, I have decided to stop trying to force a name onto them.

It is okay for things you don't understand to remain that way.

It is okay for emotions that cannot be explained to remain as they are.

Even so, my heart is certainly moved.

Perhaps that "thing you haven't named yet" is what makes you, you.

Postscript

This article is for the August prompt.

Photo & philosophy donchan