The High-Level Diagram

In the world of Information Technology, specifically Systems Analysis, there is a particular topic where we would emulate an organisation's flow of data with a DFD or Data Flow Diagram. In the rudimentary stages of the diagram's development we would start with a simple "Level 1" diagram or a high level diagram. This high level diagram (HLD from here on after) just gave a very basic yet vague idea of the process involved with the flow of data.

The most amount of understanding you may get from a HLD is - in the case of a business that sells computers- Customer places order, business provides product. That doesn't say much now does it? That does not say much of the process, or any of the internal workings on the part of the Computer Business. Heck it doesn't even speak about suppliers that the computer business may rely on.

Now the reason I drew this example is that on life's journey there are things that come to your attention. It seems that people are easily willing to accept their own ignorances as the absolute answer. For example, In conversation with a girl she happened notice my beads that I wear around my arm. These beads are of Chinese origin so she asked,

"Are those Buddhist beads"
"Well I wouldn't call it that but they do have the Chinese symbol for prosperity on it" I replied
"So are you like Buddhist?"
"I follow the doctrine and I base my statements on the noble eightfold path, and Dao de Jing (by Lao Tsu), but it's not like I go around saying 'Buddha bless you' or anything"
"Oh well do you do the mantras or meditation things" said the girl with a slightly scornful look
"What's a mantra, a chant not? You do that everyday of your life"
"What do you mean?"
"Well..." I now turn to another girl involved in the conversation "as a Catholic don't you say hail mary like 12 times?"
"Well like ten but yes"
"And even when you tell youself something everyday constantly that is a mantra, and it will come to pass"

Eventually the girl who asked the questions originally, understood what I said but also said that she cannot go "that deep".

I wondered though how deep is it to understand that a mantra is no different from a sentence uttered many times. When we constantly recite lyrics from a song, that too becomes a mantra. The only difference is the WORD... "Prayer" - "Mantra" the meaning is the same. This is an example of the HLD or what I call it the "Level 1 Theory", where people only look and the surface area of a scenario and arrive at their discrimination from it. Of course the Words "prayer" and "mantra" are physically different but if you delve deeper you would know that their meanings are the same.

This problem goes across the board from Religion to our Speech patterns, all the way back to our perceptions of people. We tend to look at the surface area of the person and pass our judgments from there. No? Of course you do - "He looks like a nerd", "Wow she must be an idiot if she's wearing that... it's so old fashioned" - No harm done right... or so you think.

Let's consider the inverse on the subject of appearance. People use this idea to portray an image (well that's stating the obvious not?). But now you're a bit more aware. The thing is though...The joke's on you, because the people who wear the clothing in question actually expect that you apply this form of judgement to get the attention they desire. The guy who dresses in the all black with the mass amounts of gold obviously is trying to inject some sort of fear in his male observers and a sense of ruggedness and the "rude boy/good sex" idea into his female observes.

These situations have occurred countless times, yeah it's now called a stereotype.

Now away from the clothing issue... What about the ever sensitive "Religion" issue or the "Race" issue. Aren't we simply judging from a surface point of view. My belief system is based on Tibetan principles and yours is based on Roman catholic beliefs. Yes we have our differences on the surface but at the deepest levels aren't we both supposed to be on a path to finding heaven on earth for us and others? What about skin colour? Sure races have their physical differences but ironically, we all function the same physically! Mentally every human is different, but fundamentally all brains perform a function not?

My friend, accepting the diversities in all people and finding connections is the key to happiness. We must love all and only fight for the preservation of this love, a genuine love, unbiased, unrestricted, UNLIMITED!