12/31/2024
I originally wanted to become a scholar and an artist. From a young age, I read scientific novels and writings, and immersed myself in related art, nurturing my dream of becoming both a scholar and an artist. Yet, after a long period of wandering through life, I found it difficult to secure work that truly suited me. The only place that warmly welcomed me was Weizmann. It was there, while working as an instructor, that I developed not so much the disposition of a scholar or artist, but rather that of a thinker and essayist. In short, I learned the ability to communicate difficult concepts in a way that even children could easily understand.
The title of thinker is a privilege that can only be bestowed upon the most outstanding among scholars. For to reconstruct knowledge, one must already be standing at its very limits. For me—someone whose long years of wandering rendered the title of scholar meaningless—being able to play freely with ideas under the title of thinker is the greatest privilege of all.
By contrast, the title of essayist could be given to the most ordinary among artists. Their lives may appear simple and monotonous. Yet those who truly know how to appreciate the small joys of everyday life are the very ones who have grasped the Way (道) and understood Emptiness (空).
The common ground between the thinker and the essayist is this: neither requires sources. When recording thoughts that reach beyond the boundaries of knowledge, what need is there for citations? And when sharing the details of one’s daily life, what relevance do sources have? Here lies the greatest strength of the blog: it does not impose the obligation of citation, allowing one to express freely.
Because I wish to live a life that embraces both knowledge and life itself, I am deeply content with my present way of living. To fulfill my pursuit of knowledge, I will continue my study of the cosmos; to enrich my life, I will also continue my study of Buddhism. I am convinced that one day these two streams of thought and philosophy will merge into one. And I will continue to record this intellectual and spiritual chronicle.
Perhaps, in the end, achieving a measure of success as an instructor will be my true destination. The words of Jeong Yak-yong in Letters from Exile—that teaching children is his grandest plan and the most noble form of politics—resonate with me profoundly at this point in my life.
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