This is the first blog post in Imaginations series about the purpose of Imaginations between Realms.

Imaginations from between Realms is founded on the conception of ignorant wisdom: knowing of non-knowing. Ignorant wisdom holds that a person cannot independently be comprehensive in knowledge. Thus, wisdom should be tempered by open admittance of one’s ignorance and the borders of knowledge. Ignorant wisdom is therefore exemplified by modesty. Ignorant wisdom acknowledges the fundamental equality of individuals and aims to verify it in practice. 

In Imaginations between Realms we hold that person’s knowledge is not only finite, but it is also not independent. This is not to imply herd mentality or an uncritical approach to knowing. Rather, wisdom and knowing are interconnected to other beings. Wisdom and knowing thus arise dependently in contact with other beings. In accordance with dependent arising, we hold openness to be an essential part of knowing which is manifested by respecting other beings.

Lastly, curiosity is an integral part of knowing. Curiosity enters the stage in answer to the call of the previous attributes, modesty, and openness; modesty regarding the limits of one’s knowledge and openness in answer to dependent arising should, we hold, engender curiosity regarding other beings and their views. Yet curiosity is also an end in itself, without which modesty and openness could not be exemplified to their fullest potential. 

In Imaginations Between Realms our aim is to promote action and new ways of doing, under which these three attributes of ignorant wisdom are cultivated. Yet we also imagine between the realms: between being and doing. Thus, ignorant wisdom and its attributes are already a reality, not only an end result toward which action strives towards. Because of this dual and paradoxical nature, Imaginations Between the Realms will result in imaginative ways of interpreting and solving contemporary social issues and subjective hopelessness.

In addition, ignorant wisdom will further question prevalent discourses in society and social sciences, thus leading the mind to imagine beyond this prevalent thinking to come up with creative and novel solutions. The imaginations in our enterprise will present a challenge to a thinking person, but a fair challenge: to encourage the person to step up from under the oppressive spirit according to the means and skills of the person. To summarize, we stand in a space of dependent arising, in which everyone is needed, but in their personal capacity, to form the vision we have.