Pressure

Pressure – of existence. Pressure of Time. Pressure of movement, performance, evaluation, confirmation, denial, achievement, security, stability. Pressure to stay ahead, race ahead and to accomplish happiness – at all costs. For this, we have defined a funny concept for ourselves, called ’Purpose’. It is made to sound as the only valid definition for our identity, as if our entire identity can be stated as a mathematical formula that denotes some purpose…..eg Niranjan = Academician (or something to be put in that right hand corner of the equation). The ‘=’ sign can then keep expanding based on milestones such as Richard = Engineer + wife + 2 kids + bungalow + SUV + golf + Budweiser + etc. etc. Many times the image that crops in my mind is of an unstoppable Juggernaut character bashing anything that comes in between. 

Have all of us become Juggernauts? 

What is this blinding rage to just keep moving, going, and defining rigid parameters of existence? A pause is unthinkable; a reflection, a stare, a doodle, a scribble, is considered a sign of being aimless. Does it have to be so? More critical is the question of why do we behave in this way? Why can’t we just stop or at least pause for a while and prefer to do nothing but observe without any motive? Why should a motive or a purpose be defined for every action we choose to perform? This is tied to efficiency, planning, results, optimization, improvisation and speed of growth. And speed is tied to a belief in stability and happiness. I am not sure if this relation works. It might work quantitatively, but there is no guarantee regarding qualitative aspects of life under such compulsions to speed.

Fundamentally, a blinding speed may express an internal discomfort with Time. A discomfort in Time is an indication of non acceptance of Fear. The Fear is a result of our identification with mind-body existence. Thoughts are because of this identification of phenomenon of mind-body. Like all phenomena of manifestations, our mind-body will grow and dissolve or transform into something else. We have no control over its transformation or dissolution. We suffer in such pressure because we hope to control our thoughts – and we can’t do it completely. We want to feel something or achieve a particular state of mind at defined time frame – but that does not happen. We think our state of mind depends on outside circumstances of place and people and money and if we control those, we may become happy. Again, we are proved wrong. We hope to cling strongly to an idea which seems to work for us, however, any thought slips away and is replaced by some other thought. A thought, therefore, is never in isolation and is never static. This is a highly complex affair. Intellectually, we may be able to sense the fluidity of thoughts, but the Intellect is uncomfortable with any non static/ ambiguous things in life, hence the discomfort. 

Another cause for discomfort is not accepting the Unknown. The Unknown is present everywhere, at any scale, at any time and is also a part of you and me. It is spontaneous, unpredictable and beyond Time pressures. All ideas, thoughts, concerns, issues, manifestations, products, logic, art – all are a result of this Unknown. Does the Unknown require anything for survival? No. Does it require approval? No. Does it begin somewhere and have an end? No. Since this is what includes everything, we cannot hope to aim for any control over it and with that can’t expect any absolute stability for our lives. In other words, stability is not in the scope of the Intellect. Ambiguousness is required to be felt. The Unknown is required to be perceived, from which, the Intellect is contained. Time and its pressures are the making of our mind. Faster pace in life is no guarantee of peace of mind. Neither is fat bank balance or a wonderful spouse or close friends or anything which is connected with our experiences stemming from body and mind. Then why do we cling so much to these things? Why do they affect us so intimately? 

Are these experiences real or just in our minds? What is a mind? Are we dreaming, because we have a mind and which is also some temporary fleeting thing?! Thus, mind is a mysterious thing. From its boundaries, the expansiveness of the Unknown can be felt. Can we expand our constructed boundaries? Can we dismantle the boundaries? Can we let go? Can we become Space?

Less

The repercussions of practicing “less” are enormous. We will state some of them:

The basic question which is entertained by the mind is: ‘why’ do something extra if the same action can be done with optimum resources/ effort and time? This leads to the understanding of the following approaches:

1. Comprehensiveness of the situation: As an architect, ‘I’ am the climatologist, the botanist, the artist, the environmentalist, the technologist, the client’s representative, the Creator, the Builder…all rolled into one. Thus, it is imperative on my part to know the context in totality (climate, place, people, perception, skills) which informs my synthetic process of designing and conceiving a solution for a given situation. Solutions thereby tend to be ‘grounded’/ local/ sensitive. On the other hand, if I sublet all above tasks to experts, I am unnecessarily complicating the situation and what might be delivered is a disproportionate solution (in physical size, costs, and carbon footprint) for a supposedly simple and humble scope.
2. Questioning the necessity of program/ requirements: Clients can be tempted to demand excessive requirements. Is it really necessary to satisfy all of them? Do we act only as service consultants or do we advice the Client on his/her actual needs? Can we suggest necessary reduction in program requirements? This is possible if we know the potential of multifunctional and multiuse spaces. We need to also know the potential of ‘open’ spaces that offer flexible usage. In the same parameter we are addressing the need for sharing of resources and moving against exclusive usage or excesses of private spaces.
3. In terms of form, we start to move towards  highly flexible and a simple form that seems almost diffused and expandable (derivations of a cube)
4. In terms of experience (which is an important consideration), we try to always go towards the fundamental mood expected while moving and experiencing space – that of tranquillity (regardless of the ‘function’ of the building). While trying to go towards fundamental mood creations, we may realize the fundamental role played by light, air, nature, smell, sound and sight. We may realize, we do not require anything else to enliven our spirits other than being fully present and aware of these natural elements! Summarily, I guess, architecture may feel only as gestural, ‘open’ and non-built.
5. The idea of “less” also means to drop of ALL social constructs that prove unnecessary baggage for us – prestige, fame, tradition, maybe culture, etc. We discover what thought connections are most important for our sustenance and what need not be entertained. We can do this by decoding phenomena which we encounter.
6. The extension to (e) is to decode our own mind, because the definition of ‘phenomenon’ is linked to the mind itself! In the process of understanding and decoding the phenomenon, we realize the object (external) – subject (internal) relationship and we continue to decode our own thoughts till we reach the zone of a single thought and beyond which, we have Nothingness. Therefore, we conclude, that the ‘world’ as we had believed to exist, can also be seen as an illusion (not to be treated as absolutely real). What we experience, therefore, is catharsis – dissolution of ego. This maybe a painful process, a lonely process, a frightening process. According to me, it is the process undertaken by the Intellect to outgrow Itself.
7. Another way to move beyond the complexities of the mind (and therefore the world) is to evoke a universal/ profound experience (feeling) in a person. This is done through Art. Art, in its purest form, evokes a feeling (different from gross emotions) and takes us beyond an intellectual purpose. In this state, we do not (and need not) question ‘why’ of the situation. We just exist as an Experience. This approach is through ‘feelings’ and not the Intellect. In this process, we would not feel lost or lonely or anxious. Herein too, we have moved beyond the mind-body consciousness (ego).

It is important to practice above approach in an age of abundance of choice. What we are trying to understand is what really ‘abundance’ is? Is abundance a matter of quantity and variety of forms (manifestations) or is abundance an indication of limitless potential of a fundamental space? Is abundance a matter of visual delight or is abundance a matter of profound experience of potential by encountering the Void? Is abundance the entertainment of a billion thoughts or is abundance the realization of unlimited internal Energy achieved by sharp focussing of a single thought? Is abundance the ability to multitask a billion things in a single moment or is abundance the experience of joy by slowing down the pace of action? Is abundance to be ‘loud’ or is abundance to experience ‘Silence’?

On Creativity and Decoding

Generally, what are we dealing with? All the events, actions, objects, people, experiences, purposes, meanings, and so on…..perhaps the time has come to realize what kind of force are we dealing with?

Summarily, it can be termed as a cyclic Force of Creativity and Decoding. 

It starts with Space – Void or Nothingness – there is no matter or intention or purpose or time or place. This is what makes us all. This is what seems to be there forever and this is what takes any form. The process of taking a ‘form’ means the birth of consciousness (thoughts), followed by action and delivering certain objects. Consciousness seems to be the next step in the creative process. The moment a Space creates a ‘boundary’, there seems to be consciousness at play. It includes concerns, issues, ideas, feelings that propel some kind of action manifestation - place, community, objects, art, architecture. Summarily, the manifestations can be termed as ‘products’.

Products, naturally mean dimensions of place and time – they age (are subjected to life and death and they grow). Products interpret and are interpreted by other manifested forms. Thus, we are talking of object-subject relationship. We are saying that product is of temporal nature, a product is not absolute, it is relative, it is fluid and it has many meanings or purposes. It is an indicator of the Void having a particular Form in Space. 

This leads to the question of ownership of product and our futile attempts to gain stability and security by owning an object or a product or an idea. 

It is fruitful to remind oneself time and again, that an object is just a ‘pause’ in Space – it is a place-time relationship. It may appear ‘unique’ in a particular context, however, it consists of universal dimension of Space. 

Thus, everything is formed from the Void and everything can be interpreted in billion ways to lead back to the Void.

Let Go...

Everything you know or believe, will dissolve. 

Everything you cling to, you aspire for, you hoard, you crave for, will dissolve.

Every thought you entertain, will leave you eventually.

Everything you invest with purpose or meaning will not be valid for long.

Everything you wish to store for yourself, will seem immaterial in the end.

Everything that made a part of your reality, will be realized as an illusion.

If this is so,

Why do we continue to cling?

Why do we run after desire?

Why do we insist in living forever?

Why do we fight over yours and mine?

Why do we allow ourselves to be intoxicated by our own thoughts? 

Why do we believe this illusion to be true?

Rock or Smoke?

Thoughts are formed from ‘nothing’. Thoughts lead to actions and actions lead to some product – object, furniture, or architecture. Thus, the objects – whatever they may be – are indicators of thoughts/ ideas/ concerns/ beliefs.

As time goes by, the physical object may remain the same, but perspectives towards it, keep changing. At times, the same meanings get reinforced to such an extent, that the thought and the object become virtually inseparable. The meanings get so loaded, so layered and so accumulative of years of perceptions, that the object becomes “heavily” value laden. In such cases, it becomes difficult to change the physical object that is consumed in our experience. I think, that is what seems to happen to objects representing ‘tradition’, a cultural meaning or a symbol. Objects signifying collective memories are also hard to break or change. Examples among them are temples, forts and anything that can be recognized as being “religious”.  Any attempt by architects or designers to change the form of the object is perceived as sacrilege by the society! The society has forgotten the idea behind the object and considers the object as the complete reality – or an end in itself. The idea of the object has now become as hard as a ‘rock’.

If an idea (and the object communicating it) has become as hard as a rock, it will take enormous strength and time to loosen its grip on our mind. However, the rock also disintegrates into granules and granules into dust. That way, everything can go into dust! This should be remembered by all.

The process of loosening the hold of the object on us – is of “decoding”. This simply means to keep asking why and keep going back to the origins of the thought and the connections that have formed by billions of thoughts to make the present object. As we unearth the connections, a sort of fluidity emerges and we encounter the domain of nebulous ideas – continuously forming and dissolving. These ideas can be transformed, adapted, changed, into anything else in any given time at any given place. Thus, we have encountered the zone of pure space – (or void or nothingness) where everything is possible. We have moved beyond the object and the object has dissolved completely for us. The object is not the reality for us any longer; the object is only a temporal expression of space.

This leads me to infer that the link between an ‘idea’ and the ‘object’ it represents, is NOT direct or straightforward or logical. The same idea can generate numerous objects and the same object can communicate numerous ideas. An object can be seen as the container of billions of ideas, so why should we be so concerned about a ‘particular’ object and its specific syntax? Can’t the object be seen only as a gesture to indicate a higher and a nebulous space? In realizing and being aware of this space, it then becomes acceptable for us to represent or express a particular idea in many manifestations (or Avataar).

This is the crux of designing a product, where a potential thought can manifest itself in numerous products. And the products get interpreted in numerous ways by the end users! Students sometimes make a mistake in trying to rationalize their thoughts into some equivalent object of expression. This need not be so. If a student realizes the mystery, the fuzziness, the eccentricity, the intuitional aspects, the spontaneity of thoughts, they will come to accept that the object is NOT the sum total of all thoughts and it is ambiguous in its representation and interpretation. Thus, an object need not prove any definite set of thoughts. It is just an indicator of potential of thoughts. The act of creation is therefore, not just mathematics.