Dzi beads, 19th of March 2010
Dzi beads are particularly valuable creations hand-made of stone with characteristic patterns that represent eyes. According to Wikipedia, the origin od dzi beads is not known, and it is thought that they appeared at least 3000 years ago. It is quite a mistery how they were made in such ancient times since they need to be drilled in order to be threaded on a cord, but also in regard to the stone coloring which requires some intriguing chemistry. Dzi beads are considered to be a powerful protection from evil eye curse. Apparently because of that, the dzi beads contain the eye patterns. The value of a dzi bead is related to the number of "eyes" it has. Today, the dzi is related mostly to Tibet where it is also valued the most.
On the two images above, I tried to interpret some of the characteristic patterns in all of the stones shown, except for the two that are closest to the observer (the first image) where I took some liberty. And then, I decided to take all the liberty so I constructed the dzi patterns exclusively from mathematical forms, the superpositions of Fourier-like functions (see below).
I still get the patterns that look like "eyes", but some "human touch", some kind of style is lost. My dzi looks much colder. In fact, in the "classification" of dzi, there is something called the "new dzi". Namely, due to the interest in ancient dzi, people started to make new variants of dzi, which are not nearly as valued as the traditional, ancient dzi. All the new "interpretations" of dzi were named the "new dzi" so my attempt would probably fit somewhere there. I doubt that Tibetans would like it.
Today when we say Tibet we immediately think of buddhism, but the dzi signifies some very old systems of belief
(religions?) that existed in the Tibet region. I made a little "investigation" and found out that, besides buddhism,
in Tibet there is a religion called bön, which has in time quite converged towards buddhism. Depending on the
interpretation, today it is thought of as a branch of buddhism or a separate religion. I don't know whether dzi iz related
to bön, but it seems to be still older.
But, when reading Wikipedia, one can really find all sorts of interesting things, including the fact that the
nature of "reality" is quite an important question in buddhism.
Anyhow, if one can trust the article in Wikipedia,
in different branches of buddhism, the reality is thought of in different ways. So, in different interpretational
traditions of buddhism one finds that:
- Reality is an illusion, not in a sense that it is a fantasy or unreal, but that our perceptions and preconditions mislead us to believe that we are separate from the elements that we are made of.
- Reality is literally unreal, kind of a long dream.
- Reality is impermanent because all the characteristics that we often associate with who we are, are not who we are because they are subject to change. The nature of our feelings, perceptions, and consciousness is changing.
- Reality is only relative. Still, there is absolute reality in which all the things are interconnected. In the deep essence, all the things are the same because they are made of the same elements. The differences between "things" are in quantity, not in quality.
- Reality of apparently outside worldly manifestations is in fact the energy of the individual. There is nothing outside or separated from the individual.
- There is a Final, True Reality, which is empty of falsehood, impermanence, ignorance, afflictions, and pain, but filled with enduring happiness, purity, knowingness (jnana), and omni-radiant loving-kindness (maitri).
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Last updated on 19th of March 2010.