Non Appearance concept 无相

A:"I would like to talk about the Buddhist concept called non-appearance 无相."

B: "That sounds intriguing!
Non-appearance is a profound concept in Buddhism; how do you relate it to your own life or experiences?"

A: The concept of non-appearance is not only a guiding principle for personal cultivation, but it also has profound socio-ethical implications. For me, a peaceful mind refers to inner equality and non-discrimination, and cultivating this mindset helps eliminate prejudice and discrimination in interpersonal relationships.

B: That's a beautiful perspective! Cultivating a peaceful mind can truly transform how we interact with others. How have you seen this concept influence your relationships or community?

A: I practice the core concept of transcending prejudice, equal treatment, and honest integrity across cultural universality.

B: It's inspiring to hear how you apply those principles in your life! Do you find that these values are reflected in your community, or are there challenges in promoting them?

A: Excessive emotional fluctuations often impact inner peace and the clarity of judgement. For example, emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness naturally arise and dissipate like rolling clouds. Practitioners can experience these emotions without being swept away by them.

B: That's a wise observation! It's fascinating how emotions can come and go like clouds, and recognizing that can really help maintain inner peace. How do you usually practice grounded during those emotional fluctuations?

A: Neither suppressing emotions nor indulging in them, but observing the process of emotional change without transcendent attitude.

B: That's a profound approach! Observing emotions without judgement can foster a greater sense of awareness. Do you have any specific techniques or practices that help you maintain that transcendent attitude?

A: For example, I no longer fully identify with specific labels such as occupation, wealth, ethnicity, or gender, but instead maintain an open and liberated self-perception. This approach both acknowledges the necessity and functionality of identity labels in social interactions and prevents me from confined or restricted by them.

B: That's a refreshing perspective! Embracing an open self-cognition can really broaden one's understanding of others. Have you found that this mindset affects how you connect with people from different backgrounds?

A: In education, I cultivate an open mindset and pluralistic thinking. In counselling, I try to break free from solidified self-cognition and form more possibilities for myself. In social work, I promote understanding and integration between different groups.

B: That's a fantastic approach! Your work in education, counseling, and social work sounds incredibly impactful, fostering understanding and growth.

A: The fast pace and high pressure of modern society often lead individuals to experience various emotional problems such as anxiety, depression and anger. Traditional emotional management method often emphasize controlling and suppressing emotions; while non-appearance thought provides a wiser and more effective approach by observing emotions.

B: You have highlighted an important issue in today's fast-paced world, and your approach through non-appearance truly insightful!

A: By observing the emotion, it not only reduces the intensity and duration of negative emotions but also enhances individual emotional regulation abilities and psychological resilience.

B: That's such a powerful way to approach emotional regulation! Building resilience through observation rather than suppression sounds like a valuable skill for everyone, especially in our busy lives.

A:  I think individuals can improve interpersonal relationships by reducing the labelling others' cognition. Rather than simply categorizing others as certain types of people, it's important to understand their complexity and multifaceted nature with an open mindset.They also need to cultivate empathy and compassion. Basic respect and care for others should not change based on their social status, appearance, or ability level.

B: You've shared such valuable insights on empathy and the complexity of human relationships! It's so important to appreciate each person's unique experiences and foster respect regardless of their background.

A: At the social level, the practical applications of non-appearance are primary manifested in reducing social conflicts, embracing multiculturalism, and innovating social governance.

B: That's a compelling way to frame non-appearance in social contexts! Embracing multiculturalism and fostering innovation in governance can truly create a more harmonious society.

A: Typically, the roots of the conflict often lie in parties' excessive attachment to their own positions and identities, making it difficult to understand and accept opposing viewpoints.

B: You've articulated an important point about how attachment to our identities can hinder understanding and acceptance. Encouraging open dialogue and empathy can definitely help bridge those divides and  foster more constructive conversations.

A: In the era of globalization, people from different cultural backgrounds increasingly live in the same social space, and cultural diversity has become an important characteristic of modern society. However, cultural differences often lead to misunderstandings, prejudice, and conflict.

B: Absolutely, cultural diversity enriches our societies but can also create challenges. Promoting mutual understanding and open communication is essential to navigate those differences and build a more inclusive community.

A: We must treat different cultural traditions equally, avoiding cultural superiority and discrimination. Additionally, we should focus on cultural innovative integration, which means exploring possibilities for collaboration and innovation between different cultures while respecting their differences.

B: You've captured the essence of cultural equality beautifuly! Embracing innovative integration while respecting differences can lead to a more vibrant and harmonious society. Have you seen any successful examples of cultural integration in your community?

A: In the Malaysian context, the festive celebration across cultures during Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas are noteworthy.There are common open house where people from all ethics groups are welcome. Additionaly, food culture serves a bridge, with Malaysian cuisine such as nasi lemak, roti canal and char kway teow showcasing the fusion and coexistence of Malay, India, and Chinese cultures.

B: That's a wonderful example of cultural integration! Celebrating diverse festivals and sharing cuisine really brings communities together and highlights the beauty of multiculturalism. Can you give  other country's cultural integration examples?

A: Yes, I would like to highlight the context of Singapore as well. The HDB living model enforces ethic integration policies to ensure balanced racial representation in housing estates, it is a good model. Additionaly, there is a bilingual policy in education, where Singapore education system ensures that all students learn English and their own mother tongue to facilitate a harmonious society.

B: That's an excellent point about Singapore 's approach to ethnic integration and bilingual education! It's inspiring to see how policies can promote harmony and understanding among diverse groups.

A: How to embrace economic integration and cultural exchange in a new globalisation world is an important topic too.

B: That's crucial topic! Embracing economic integration alongside cultural exchange can enhanced cooperation and mutual benefits between countries, ultimately fostering a more interconnected and understanding world. What specific aspects of integration are you more interested in exploring?

A: In practice, the concept of non-appearance can guide the following of cross cultural humility, which means learning about and understanding other cultures with a humble attitude, avoiding cultural arrogance and prejudice. Cultural empathy, which means trying to understand the world from other cultural perspectives, and experiencing different values and lifestyles, and cultural innovation, which means seeking innovative possibilities in cultural exchange and promoting cultural development and progress.

B: You've highlighted some fantastic aspects of cross cultural exchange! Cultural humility, empathy, and innovation are all essential for fostering genuine connections and promoting growth in our increasingly globalized world.

A: Constructing global identity is important also. The challenge require collective human efforts to solve, thus necessitating the construction of global identity that transcends boundary of nation, ethnicity region.

B: That's a profound insight about constructing global identity! In today's interconnected world, fostering a shared of identity help us work together to tackle challenges and promote understanding across boundaries.

A: This will promote peace in the world, especially like Syria, Iran, and other nation which have contradicting values in cultural issues.

B: Absolutely, fostering a global identity could play a significant role in promoting peace and understanding in regions with deep seated conflicts.

A: We must examine the values of technology in creating a global identity, ensuring that it's application aims for comprehensive human development and overall social progress, rather than simply pursuing efficiency and profit. We should consider the needs and interest of diverse groups, to prevent technological developments from becoming a new source of inequality and division.

B: You've raised an important point about the role of technology in fostering global identity while ensuring it promote social progress and equality.

A: I think the modern values reflected not only in theoretical innovation contributions but also in practical guidance significance. We can look into that also.

B: It's fascinating how modern values can influence both theory and practice, shaping our approach to innovation and social progress. What practical examples of this you think are most impactful in today's society?

A: In today's society which is overloaded with information,  the concept of non-attachments surface appearances provide an effective coping strategy, allowing us to maintain inner clarity and stability.

B: That's a thoughtful perspective in a world filled with information, maintaining clarity and stability while not getting lost in surface appearance is crucial for making informed decisions.

A: We have to filter out irrelevant information and noise, which requires deep thinking. This means not being satisfied with a surface understanding of information, but rather deeply contemplating the essence and meaning behind it. We must maintain a certain psychological distance while receiving information to avoid being influenced by its emotional colouring. Additionaly,  we should periodically conduct digital detoxes to give our brain and mind space for rest and reflection.

B: Those are excellent strategies for navigating today's information -rich environment! Digital detoxes can be particularly refreshing, allowing to recharge and think more critically about the content we consume.

A: We must align with the requirements of creative thinking. The non-appearance thought provides a philosophical foundation and methodological guidance for self-questioning and transcendence.

B: That's an intriguing approach! Creative thinking often thrives on questioning our assumptions, and having a philosophical foundation can truly enhance our ability to innovate and transcend conventional boundaries.

A: As Steve Jobs said, the "stay hungry, stay foolish" philosophy embodies the innovative value of non-appearance thought. This beginner's mind encourage people to let go of existing preconceptions and frameworks, facing problems and challenges with a learner's attitude.

B: That's a powerful quote from Steve Jobs! Adopting a beginner's mind can open us up to new ideas and perspectives, fostering creativity and resilience in the face of challenges.

A: The concept of non-appearance also encourage flexible thinking, which means not being limited to a single way of thinking; but rather being capable of approaching problems from multiple angles and levels. Openess of concept means maintaining an open attitude towards new ideas and possibilities, not easily denying or rejecting them. A courage for experimentation, which involve daring to try new methods and paths, without fear of failure and setbacks. Integrative ability, which refers to the capacity to innovatively blend seemingly unrelated elements and concepts.

B: Those are fantastic insights on the importance of flexibility and openess in thinking! Embracing experimentation and integrating diverse concepts can lead to truly innovative solutions and a richer understanding of complex issues.

A: I would like to touch on ecological wisdom inspiration, which is a holistic way of thinking. This means viewing human as part of natural ecosystem, rather than as separate from nature. It involves recognizing interdependence, which refers to relationship between human and nature, where human welfare is closely linked to the health of natural world. The concept of sustainable development involves meeting contemporary needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs. Furthermore, simple living practices encourage reducing unnecessary consumption and waste, and pursuing a simple yet meaningful living.

B: Those are profound concepts regarding ecological wisdom and our relationship with nature!

A: I would like to highlight the lack of emphasis on mental health and spiritual well-being in modern society  In fast-paced high-pressured modern life, many people face psychological problems such as anxiety, depression and loneliness. Traditional psychology methods often focus on symptom relief through behavioural change, while the non-appearance concept tries to achieve inner peace and freedom by changing cognitive patterns and psychological attitudes.

B: That is an important topic! Focusing on cognitive patterns and psychological attitude can provide deeper, more sustainable solutions for mental health challenges, leading to genuine inner peace and resilience in a fast-paced world 

A: However, in society which emphasis on identity and cultural inheritance, completely delabeling might be viewed as a betrayal and denial of traditional culture.

B: That's a thought provoking point. Balancing modern approaches with respect for traditional culture is crucial, as it allows for growth while honoring out root and the values that shape our identities.

A: For example, in the medical system, the distinction between doctors and patients is necessary. This distinction not only helps clarify responsibilities and authorities but also helps maintain the professionalism and safety of medical services. If we completely eliminate this identity distinction, based on non-appearance thought, it might lead to chaos in the medical system and the decrease in medical quality.

B: That's a valuable perspective. Maintaining a clear distinction between doctors and patients is essential for ensuring quality care and safety in the medical system, while still allowing for compassionate and collaborative relationship.

A: In our real social lives, which are full of concrete contradictions and conflicts, transforming abstract philosophical concepts into practical methods and achieving ideal goals in complex real environments are practical problems that non- appearance thought encounter.

B: That's a challenging yet vital question. Translating abstract concepts into practical methods requires adaptability and collaboration, allowing us to navigate the complexities of real life situations, while striving for those ideal goals.

A: In conclusion, I believe that achieving non-appearance thought requires long term cultivation and practice. However, the fast-paced nature of modern society and the demand for immediacy often conflict with these long term needs.

B: That's a good conclusion. Cultivating non-appearance thought certainly takes time and dedication, especially in society that often priorities quick results over deep understanding.