[Dandelion part 1 of 2]
I just realized,
I am a dandelion.
A lot of times I feel that documentary filmmaking is useless.
I made films about environment, mindfulness and loving kindness. From basic human rights to fashion waste. From ganja decriminalization to permaculture. From scientific discoveries to human psyche. I’ve been doing it since 2008. From photography to short films. From animation to long form documentaries.
But seeing the world over and over again, a lot of times I feel like giving up. I think most of the time the best decision in life is just to be a monk.
To be an astetic is to extinguish the flame inside of me rather than try to extinguish the flames of others. Changing the world inside of me rather than try to change the world outside.
Being a hermit is something that is real and achievable, bringing real impact on the world. At least one human being stops the greed cycle, the passion flames, the rat race, the clinging, attachment and hatred.
But whenever I am feeling hopeless about documentaries, about my calling in life, The Universe, Dharma, Ultimate Reality, God -or whatever people want to name that Majestic Macrocosmos- She always speaks softly, without words.
Today She speaks through a Dandelion. A nameless Dandelion. The Bandotan, a tropical dandelion 💙
[Dandelion part 2 of 2]
I’ve been learning about dandelions in permaculture. Dandelions fix the soil, no matter how bad and compacted it is.
Today I saw a dandelion while walking and feeling broken-hearted by the deforested land.
I saw that she keeps doing her job. Fixing the soil. Behind her is a massive cleared forest, ready for a palm plantation. As if she doesn’t care about the result. She doesn’t care about anything else than doing her job. Fixing the soil.
She fixes the soil, lives for a bit, then dies. Then her seeds go around, go wherever the wind takes them.
She is not great and majestic like a Bodhi tree, but she doesn’t care. She doesn’t need any validation, she just keeps doing her life calling. Her destiny -if we would like to say it that way.
Her seeds spread and keep on living, doing exactly what she is doing. Not for result and recognition. Dandelions are selfless, egoless. Just like Anatman.
And when the soil is finally fixed (don’t know when), when the forest is back, when the trees are fat and talls, when the wildings making love and families inside the forest … dandelions will die.
They will be gone unnoticed. No colonies of dandelions will live inside the dense forest. Their job is done. They finally can rest. The seeds could be dormant -for a while.
But whenever the forest is destroyed again, the dandelions will be back. Back very softly with their beautiful soft flowers, their gentle yet strong roots (could be cooked into delicious tea), fragile seeds. She doesn’t come as a heroine, she comes as nobody, and leaves as nobody.
I just realized. I am a nobody. Anatman is nobody. We are just doing our dandelions work stubbornly, not thinking about the impacts & results.
We come and go unnoticed. We care and create the unnamed. And that’s okay. That is beautiful to accept our calling and realize the Self which is non-self.
I still feel being a monk still one of the best ways of life. But the ways could be limitless if we follow the Path, the Dharma, the Holy Ghost, the Love, keep on listening The Sound of Silence.
Today I know.
I am a dandelion.
Thank you, sweet Dandelion. 💙
***in the photos is Bandotan = tropical dandelion.
