Apr 19, 2025

'The Fish, The Net, And The Water' by Mauro Bergonzi

Once the fish said to the turtle: “I have heard about a huge thing that is called ‘the ocean.’ Does it really exist? I am looking around in search of it, but I can only see sand, shells and other fishes. Where is the ocean?” The Turtle answered: “The ocean is everywhere, inside and outside you, but if you look for a particular thing, you’ll miss it.” [...] All that you can perceive, know or understand is always limited to a particular form; it is not the Whole. It is only the map, not the territory. A map is made of several concepts and words that are linked together by the net of our thought, in order to give us a schematic as well as abstract view of the world we live in. It is just a useful tool, though unfit to capture the true essence of reality ... [Read more]

Seed questions for reflection: How do you relate to the notion that reality is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be experienced? Can you share a personal story of a time you were able to go beyond maps of reality and surrender to it instead? What helps you become aware that your belief in concepts has spontaneously collapsed?