Nature of Reality

“Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat crude rhythms for bears to dance to, when we long to make music that will melt the stars.” --Gustav Flaubert

Language arises from thoughts and images we hold within our being. It is an inadequate medium at best, an attempt to translate our inner self into a form we can share with others. The difficulty the poet experiences in capturing image into words is a prime example. These difficulties exist in the language which we speak natively. The problems in sharing thought and image increase when we desire to communicate in a different language, as well as when we desire to communicate in our own language with individuals who speak a different native tongue.

Language is our attempt at communicating with those around us. It is common to assume that language is simply verbal speech or written marks. Among some cultures, one's body language is a part of language. In others, the language is comprised in large part of sound vocalizations. Some languages have a single word for a thing, with descriptor words used to account for variables. Other languages have unique words for each of the variables.

Most of us do not use all of the words which comprise our native languages, on a regular basis. We use the words which convey our intentions and thoughts in such a manner that the recipient will understand. Words slip out of our common usage and eventually are no longer part of our language, while new words are created to allow us to communicate about new concepts in our environments. We use old words in new ways, we speak in idioms and slang. Within our general language are many dialects of that language.

These all contribute to misunderstandings between people from different language backgrounds. I may spend years studying, learning, reading and speaking a language yet still make mistakes a "native speaker" would not. There are cultural concepts which are hard to describe through language, that are integral to our view and understanding of the world we live in.

When we are studying with people from varied cultural backgrounds, and something that has been said seems confusing or incorrect, simply ask for clarification. It may be that if the idea is phrased with different words, the meaning will become clear. When we are studying from texts that have been translated out of their original language, understand that some of the nuances may have been lost.

As we study together and talk amongst ourselves, and as we study many various materials from many cultures and many ages, we will see similarities and patterns emerge. Underneath our language barriers and differences, we are all human. As humans we share in many of the same desires, motivations, approaches to the Universe, archtypes.

Language may be an imperfect vehicle with which to convey our thoughts. However, it is the primary tool at our disposal. For those with more than a cursory interest regarding language and how it relates to humans, I suggest researching the subject of Linguistics. Many of the materials you will find will be very dry reading, though deeply interesting.

“Language is by its very nature a communal thing; that is, it expresses never the exact thing but a compromise-- that which is common to you, me and everybody." -Thomas Ernest Hulme