The basic character of humankind is that of a seeker. The ‘Art of Seeking’ is an idea that has changed the ‘perspective’ of humanity. The holy curiosity, desire to know, desire to seek made humanity to take strides towards progress and success. The author has tried to explore multitudes of undercurrents of ‘seeking’ through literary reflections in the present article.
The Art of Seeking: An Eternal Journey to ‘Knowledge’
If you are drained of seeking, are you drained of learning? Seeking unfolds experiences at different facets of life, at different moments from commuting in a metro, reading in a café, driving in a car, shopping in a busy market, spending time with nature, watching the sun dropping or engaging in an interesting conversation. There are no barricades between the seeker and nature, the seeker and the world- it is then a fuel to keep life going, to the casual seeker that runs through different directions, to the mindful that seeks for quietness, they turn their desire to the distinctive scents of nature. Half the time I try remembering how dissatisfied they would have been, to think differently and deeply. Why? Not that they are pessimistic, but to put it simply- they are seekers. They are not completely happy; I suppose they are half-happy, half-fulfilled; More keen to notice the detail of everything, in a way willing to live with it, as much as the skin could adapt to the warm and cold air.
The ‘art of seeking’ is a noble idea – it came through a keen interest in reading, both pleasant and unpleasant concepts. I often think of the state of uncertainty in a pandemic, the grasp of missing opportunities, anticipation of acceptance, the closeness of depravity, these are all present in experiences. Everything we experience is thronged with perspective, everything around- be it activities or experiences, is enough to make it overbearing- it is the undercurrent at most times. Perhaps, these are the afflictions that a seeker in nature is definitely fleeing from, there are clearly limitless ways to see.
In this respect, remarkable poets as Mary Oliver, David Whyte and Tialila Kikon, conceive the ‘art of seeking’- a nudge to sugar coat simplicity- not to contradict somebody else, but to look upon the spectrum of ideas. When the writer is guided by this sense, sometimes it takes time to appreciate the emptiness, the more the time it consumes to lay off the hope, the more it holds to be true in my presumption. Seeking is an instinctive quality, brimming with silence – this is what makes it an artistic endeavor. The gravity of seeking is not impulsive or a casual affair. Some fiddled with and troubled over, some have acquired the toil of a static look- a slouched back, a droopy eye and jutting “writer’s bump” – To an observer this looks arduous. Quite interestingly, this appearance is the kind that never leaves once acquired and what’s there to do with the static look? Everything about this look was obtained from scratch; it worked to sketch out rays of colors into different perceptions. It is hard to catch, as one has to allocate many years to discover how to seek and I know for sure, ‘they have not lost their mind’.
The profound ‘art of seeking’ below the coating of despair, is joy. And, where birds have nested to find joy of being at home, Mary Oliver turns to nature for acceptance of all ordeals. To me, acceptance and joy seemed to be an outgrowth of seeking, it takes to reciprocate sensitivity. Finally, genuine joy comes out slowly as a poem, as a birdsong. In the poem “The Way” included in the book Felicity, She recalls: “For how many years did I wander slowly through the forest. What wander and glory would have missed had I ever been in a hurry!” (Oliver). Seeking Joy like Mary Oliver is harder than we can imagine, a word certainly surge to define this desire for the unchanging vitality of their spirit is in: Seeking.
Many would abandon the purpose of seeking and many would incorporate it. The latter speaks of returning to nature, to notice “beauty”, such an idea is not polarized. It is not written intermittently to be disposed of. To say one is writing or reasoning about a thing is in evidence, to believe about that thing. And in this creative affair, to get outweighed by our needs in our bones- is stirring. David Whyte in the book Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words discloses this obstacle that we are all running from. His charm to casually gather his patience alone but an acceptance to ever feel too much at present, and never giving a little thought to the time in passing, the balance lies in retaining the same temperament. In David Whyte’s word, “the scattering of the first spring apple blossom, the turning, spiraling flight of a curled leaf in the falling light…Beauty is the harvest of presence…”(Whyte). It is in the willingness to be present and what we find along the way. Perhaps, this is one reason why some people seek and find it inaccessible to them while some prefer to seek in the other edge of silence.
In the Silence of Nature, Tialila Kikon sees it underneath the inmost depth that many fail to notice. The sound of hope in the murmurs of the pandemic does not meddle in waiting. In which the wait for the sun is in a personal note, not because of the temporality of the song to unite the theme of time, in seasons, pursued by chirping and each day’s distant scenes of the sun but an untouched puddle of cold and warm rays. She writes “Sometimes hope is but a sparrow singing in a hurry on a cold and misty January morning. Waiting surely for the hiding sun to appear” (Kikon). Assurance of hope lurks in ambivalence, like the bird waits to soak the sun rays to remember each time it evades.
There is so much seeking to contain empty pathways of our life. We can seek everywhere. I might wake up feeling happy one day and the next day, without. Today, the only difference is my fingers are cramped, my pen has dried up and my rambling thought finds a way in writing because I am moved by the art of seeking.
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr Hewasa Lorin, Dr. Aniruddha Babar, Dr. Pfokrelo Kapesa, Rinsit B Sareo, Meren Lemtur and Kvulo Lorin.
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