Adam Blatner

Words and Images from the Mind of Adam Blatner

My Dharma

Originally posted on September 5, 2017

It seems to me that we have many dharmas, worthy paths, duties. Mainly my paths calls on me to be a loving man to my family. There are many other things to do, such as maintain my health.

Aside from those, though, my dharma or path seems to be primarily to witness to ideas, and people may be influenced as they are ready, or not. I entertain the image of my writings being like an immune cell that manufactures antibodies that may find their usefulness somewhere else in the body. Only some of the antibodies they manufacture will find good use. Thousands of other immune cells are doing likewise. It doesn’t matter whether credit is given: “A shout-out to Immune Cell Charlie 3410! Also 3412, 16, 24, etc.!” Doesn’t happen. They just do their thing.

I really can’t help it. I think and  write. It’s my play, my pleasure. If someone does my work better, more power to him–-or her. This is my mythos. I don’t claim that it would work for anyone else. If it does, fine. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. I do my thing. The older I get the more the myth seems plausible that I couldn’t do anything else and be happy. Still, I do try to follow my wife’s encouragement to say it more clearly.

The older I get the more I can’t help but buy into the idea that I’m doing my thing, exactly what I should be doing, the only thing that I can realistically do. I can’t stop or I’d feel that I’m—well— not doing what I should be doing!

One Response to “My Dharma”

  • David Blatner says:

    “Do your work and do not become attached to the fruits of your labor!”

    I love your image of your writing being like an immune cell manufacturing antibodies. Ideas float into our ecosystem and that triggers the immune cell to act or react. But instead of just being able to create a particular protein, we are able to create a myriad different antibodies, and they change over time.


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