The Second Opening of my Eyes
By Teklehaimanot Yemane
Eritrean Profile, Saturday, 29th of June, 2013
Most probably the first time to open my eyes could be the moment I was delivered from the womb of my mother. Irrespective of the level of perception acquired from my sense of sight, it is obvious that I had seen many new things for that new being, me, by that very occasion. I am calling this moment ‘The First Opening of My Eyes’, my eyes were made open to the world and its space, lands, air and waters and to the lights of the sun, the moon and the stars.
The transformation was immeasurably huge, from the very narrow and confined, but complicated cave in the womb of my mother to the wider universe as a space. After all my eyes were open to see and perceive this whole range of transformation. The move in every second and in every minute starting from that very moment was to understand the diversity of the world and that of the universe as a whole. That was not my intention, but my supposition – I am supposed to understand the complexity of the universe as is every human being. Since then I have encountered a number of sensations – sense of sight, aural, kinesthesia, gustatory, and the sense of smell, of which countless images have escaped forever and for always from my-could-be perception. If I were conscious of the fact that these sensations are the terminus for the level of perception and then the consciousness I could ever have, I would have tried my best to concur at least the majority of them. Alas many precious images escaped.
The First Opening of My Eyeswas the moment when I was brought to this world as a new being. By that very moment, nobody told me that I was brought as a student in a world-as-a-classroom and consciousness as a school natural setting. My life had to go on in its default settings – as per happenstances and/or happenchance. The world of formal education, when, one day came as an opportunity, had also only contributed the number of vocabulary to understand the objective world – as precise as matter and as detail as the atom – collectively what I would like to call - world as a matter or The Objective World. In The objective world the eyes see things; the other senses sense things and things become the core value of the default existence. As simple as this, lifegoes on with the relationship: man – sensation – matter. Once the eyes are open – freed from the womb this is the first opportunity and no doubt it is the foundation of human consciousness. But, few are dare enough to take this foundation to the next level that is the construction of their own worldviews in understanding with near perfect perception. Majority had to live the default life as I had done for more than twenty years. What is life if one does not sense it to the fullest, perceive it and then attempt to reflect what has been perceived? Majority of us live at the level of sensation with the mindset if things are fine to the senses, they are fine to life – life is just fair, if not a curse. We try to acquire the fulfillment of our desire by trying to acquireas many objects as possible – that objects whose role is to play at the sensation level, at the very terminal of life. If we do not attribute meaning to our sensations, feelings and emotions, definitely, life is in no way beautiful. Does this sense like there is another meaning to life? Of course yes, that is what I want to address in this inspired reflection.
Beyene Haile an Eritrean Author, Poet, Painter, Playwright, Thinker, Educator... is my source of inspiration in the renaissance of my consciousness. By the time I desired to meet him I missed him; when I felt frustrated, discouraged, and sad thinking I missed him, I met him – I met him in his third book - ‘Tisbit Bahgu’(literally trans lated as ‘The Expectation of His Desire’), speaking as alive and continuous. I found him when I needed him; I hope he will find me too. When I was placed in a narrow and confined mindset, when I was the extreme limitation of myself, when my expectations seemed to faint, when I came to notice my eyes were blind in life, I met him in this book, talking wide and open in altruistic manner. In the book, he created people totalk with, and these people are worth hearing and following. Reading that book I joined to the dialogue and consequently it became the source of my enlightenment to the hidden world. I am calling this moment ‘The Second Opening of My Eyes’, through this second opening I was able to see my inner space – that attributes meaning to life in beauty and in reality. Without knowing why, I have so many times said, ‘Life is Ever Rewarding’. But since that very moment I know why.I am sure his works has reopened many eyes in consciousness and will continue to, in the world long to come and as far as the universe we live in exists. In my own words - he is a continuous conscious speaker (educator).
He talks in his paintings, continues it in his books, did it in person in coffee shops – with the youth and kids, dramatized his phrases – changing stages, scenes, and forms, he continuously speaks – but of course his talk requires conscious ears and mind set to comprehend its message woven in his words. In his diverse art works, he tells us life is beautiful – its pain and joy, its hell and heaven, its darkness and brightness, its chaos and harmony ... because he attributes meaning to the images of his feelings and thoughts in life in his world, as he says it, “In my creative world, I have been able to live an exceptional life which would have been impossible in the real world. This in turn has given my life added meaning and still, that feeling gets stronger every day.” In search of the ultimate truth in life as a thinker and creative writer and as an altruist, ‘he desires to build bridges with letters, so people shall cross into other beings.’ He found happiness in the ART-LIFE dialogue, in the mind-matter connection he made. Opened many blind eyes and baptized them with his waters of consciousness. Not only he inspires through his writings, but also gives insights to the truths to be concurred, thoughts and feelings to be visualized; he corrects wrong perceptions, guides, systematizes organization and advices. In his last lecture, which I missed, he gave us, to the youth three advices: 1. Read, 2. Read, 3. Read. I have only recently understood what he meant: it is READING which enables us to sense the unreachable; otherwise we could end up unaware of what exists in this universe – both subjective and objective matters. And it is sensation that leads one to consciousness.
‘Dear Beyene Haile: With the limitation of my worldview and above all with the limitation of my conscious words, I may have limited your beauty; still, I am glad to dedicate this piece for your memory in this day. We are proud to have such a universal thinker and I am glad to be your son in the beauty and the reality of your creative world. By opening my eyes, you let me see my inner beauty.’
Eritrean Profile, Saturday, 29th of June, 2013
Most probably the first time to open my eyes could be the moment I was delivered from the womb of my mother. Irrespective of the level of perception acquired from my sense of sight, it is obvious that I had seen many new things for that new being, me, by that very occasion. I am calling this moment ‘The First Opening of My Eyes’, my eyes were made open to the world and its space, lands, air and waters and to the lights of the sun, the moon and the stars.
The transformation was immeasurably huge, from the very narrow and confined, but complicated cave in the womb of my mother to the wider universe as a space. After all my eyes were open to see and perceive this whole range of transformation. The move in every second and in every minute starting from that very moment was to understand the diversity of the world and that of the universe as a whole. That was not my intention, but my supposition – I am supposed to understand the complexity of the universe as is every human being. Since then I have encountered a number of sensations – sense of sight, aural, kinesthesia, gustatory, and the sense of smell, of which countless images have escaped forever and for always from my-could-be perception. If I were conscious of the fact that these sensations are the terminus for the level of perception and then the consciousness I could ever have, I would have tried my best to concur at least the majority of them. Alas many precious images escaped.
The First Opening of My Eyeswas the moment when I was brought to this world as a new being. By that very moment, nobody told me that I was brought as a student in a world-as-a-classroom and consciousness as a school natural setting. My life had to go on in its default settings – as per happenstances and/or happenchance. The world of formal education, when, one day came as an opportunity, had also only contributed the number of vocabulary to understand the objective world – as precise as matter and as detail as the atom – collectively what I would like to call - world as a matter or The Objective World. In The objective world the eyes see things; the other senses sense things and things become the core value of the default existence. As simple as this, lifegoes on with the relationship: man – sensation – matter. Once the eyes are open – freed from the womb this is the first opportunity and no doubt it is the foundation of human consciousness. But, few are dare enough to take this foundation to the next level that is the construction of their own worldviews in understanding with near perfect perception. Majority had to live the default life as I had done for more than twenty years. What is life if one does not sense it to the fullest, perceive it and then attempt to reflect what has been perceived? Majority of us live at the level of sensation with the mindset if things are fine to the senses, they are fine to life – life is just fair, if not a curse. We try to acquire the fulfillment of our desire by trying to acquireas many objects as possible – that objects whose role is to play at the sensation level, at the very terminal of life. If we do not attribute meaning to our sensations, feelings and emotions, definitely, life is in no way beautiful. Does this sense like there is another meaning to life? Of course yes, that is what I want to address in this inspired reflection.
Beyene Haile an Eritrean Author, Poet, Painter, Playwright, Thinker, Educator... is my source of inspiration in the renaissance of my consciousness. By the time I desired to meet him I missed him; when I felt frustrated, discouraged, and sad thinking I missed him, I met him – I met him in his third book - ‘Tisbit Bahgu’(literally trans lated as ‘The Expectation of His Desire’), speaking as alive and continuous. I found him when I needed him; I hope he will find me too. When I was placed in a narrow and confined mindset, when I was the extreme limitation of myself, when my expectations seemed to faint, when I came to notice my eyes were blind in life, I met him in this book, talking wide and open in altruistic manner. In the book, he created people totalk with, and these people are worth hearing and following. Reading that book I joined to the dialogue and consequently it became the source of my enlightenment to the hidden world. I am calling this moment ‘The Second Opening of My Eyes’, through this second opening I was able to see my inner space – that attributes meaning to life in beauty and in reality. Without knowing why, I have so many times said, ‘Life is Ever Rewarding’. But since that very moment I know why.I am sure his works has reopened many eyes in consciousness and will continue to, in the world long to come and as far as the universe we live in exists. In my own words - he is a continuous conscious speaker (educator).
He talks in his paintings, continues it in his books, did it in person in coffee shops – with the youth and kids, dramatized his phrases – changing stages, scenes, and forms, he continuously speaks – but of course his talk requires conscious ears and mind set to comprehend its message woven in his words. In his diverse art works, he tells us life is beautiful – its pain and joy, its hell and heaven, its darkness and brightness, its chaos and harmony ... because he attributes meaning to the images of his feelings and thoughts in life in his world, as he says it, “In my creative world, I have been able to live an exceptional life which would have been impossible in the real world. This in turn has given my life added meaning and still, that feeling gets stronger every day.” In search of the ultimate truth in life as a thinker and creative writer and as an altruist, ‘he desires to build bridges with letters, so people shall cross into other beings.’ He found happiness in the ART-LIFE dialogue, in the mind-matter connection he made. Opened many blind eyes and baptized them with his waters of consciousness. Not only he inspires through his writings, but also gives insights to the truths to be concurred, thoughts and feelings to be visualized; he corrects wrong perceptions, guides, systematizes organization and advices. In his last lecture, which I missed, he gave us, to the youth three advices: 1. Read, 2. Read, 3. Read. I have only recently understood what he meant: it is READING which enables us to sense the unreachable; otherwise we could end up unaware of what exists in this universe – both subjective and objective matters. And it is sensation that leads one to consciousness.
‘Dear Beyene Haile: With the limitation of my worldview and above all with the limitation of my conscious words, I may have limited your beauty; still, I am glad to dedicate this piece for your memory in this day. We are proud to have such a universal thinker and I am glad to be your son in the beauty and the reality of your creative world. By opening my eyes, you let me see my inner beauty.’