#the equations are often used interchangeably anyway

[gothhabiba]

Hey, I saw "women, girls and femmes" used in activism (this is the first time I've come across it cause I'm not American) and I remembered that a while ago you posted something criticizing it? I don't quite rememeber your stance cause I didn't get that ohrase and when it's used. Is "femmes" supposed to be about transfeminine and feminine nb people or what exactly? I don't want to be critical of a phrase used in activism without understandit it.

the post you’re thinking of is probably this one

see also this brief comment on twitter

if you asked the people who use the phrase, I’m not entirely convinced that all of them would be able to tell you what it’s meant to designate--it’s a sort of signalling (of a group of positions that the person who’s using it is likely to hold?) that gets passed around in certain spaces

which there’s nothing automatically wrong with--consider for example what the word “houseless” rather than “homeless” signals about its user’s probable politics--but the criticism of the phrase that’s often brought up is that it equates “womanhood” to “femininity” (if you consider literally any source or genealogy of the word “femme” in English)

ostensibly the point of the phrase “women and femmes” in feminist discussion is to include people who don’t call or consider themselves “women” among the groups of people whom patriarchy harms, & therefore to be “inclusive” to nonbinary people who don’t want to be called “women”... but a couple seconds’ reflection (not to mention seeing the term as it’s actually used) should suffice to make it clear that this conveniently only ever seems to include nb people who were afab (and who look a certain way?) and therefore acceptably fall under the bracket of “perceived as women” (“women, femmes, and people perceived as women” being another version of this phrase that gets passed around).

so in its wording (“femme” from “feminine”), in its actual usage, and in its concept of how patriarchy works (purely based off of presentation or perception), it upholds a conception of “femininity” (of presentation or of, like, the body? which is obviously transmisogynistic) as the target and victim of “masculinity” (which includes anyone who doesn't fit their conception of what “women” look like)

for me this kind of equivocating (as in, not just saying “women”) is not only highly suspect for the reasons outlined above, but is also just sort of unnecessary. any feminist project should be able to theorise and articulate how power works without organising itself completely around individuals’ identities (although how identity operates is of course very relevant to any feminist project, & is in itself something that needs to be theorised). otherwise the insight that, as I said in one of the links above, there is no “perfect” subject whom the term “women” innately designates--an insight that is absolutely vital to being able to politicise womanhood, heterosexuality, &c.--threatens to be lost.

& the phrase “women and femmes” itself really doesn’t facilitate any actual theorising of womanhood as personal identity versus class membership, any theorising of nonbinary identity, &c.--it just collapses those distinctions entirely by saying “women and femmes” and yet using that completely interchangeably with how they would use “women” anyway

of course I’m not saying that every single person who uses the phrase consciously believes x misogynistic or transmisogynistic thing. but these are some of the criticisms of it that have been brought up over the past few years

also see my /tagged/women and femmes

#bc of course I have a tag for everything #Anonymous #women and femmes #mine

[midnightsgift]

The shoe fitting the crime (Part 1)

I’ve been quite hesitant about posting my take on the punishments as i tend to not articulate myself well during text posts. I tend to just type out my thoughts and post not caring much for how i structure myself. It felt as if to convey how i felt about something that is woven into multiple episodes deserved more care than my usual nit-picking of isolate moments. Something that i didn’t think i could do justice however, it felt as if i would be doing a dishonour to the themes of the show if I didn’t post my thoughts. Not that I’m saying they’re worthy enough to listen to, but shows like these are created to stimulate ideas, and my mind has been thoroughly stimulated. And with the end of the show approaching i thought this is the time before it’s too late. (Yes I am aware the title is not the saying, I’m obsessed with Malaphor)

Reality vs Media:

The thing I want to touch on here are two things in particular. I have two opinions which I think aren’t mutually exclusive. They are that media affects reality, what I mean by that is that media is something we consume and as humans we process this. It can be as ‘trivial’ as seeing a characters outfit and then a adopting a similar style, learning facts about a characters culture that may or may not exist within our own world or gaining an insight into a topic you once had a strong stance on. I remember growing up and believing if you weren’t fostering to adopt it was a cruel thing, it wasn’t until exposure through some of my friends and tv shows that I realise adoption isn’t always the end result nor the best option in certain case.

          This however does not mean that your opinions on characters would be the same if they existing in our reality. What do I mean by this? If we take them out of the circumstances of being able to observe them from afar, during an activity in which we detach ourselves from the consequence of their actions we may have a very different perspective of them. Media especially in the form of Movies and Shows (Plays etc.) focus in on characters, they shape the way we experience their (the media in question) worlds. We can often find ourselves more likely to sympathise with the main characters due to the fact we learn about them, we see the “logic”  behind their actions, where as we tend to only see the consequence of other’s actions on to the main character. I’m not saying this is clear cut, but it does mean we have this bias, intentional by the creators, to understand the main characters more. Personally I strongly believe, ‘Understanding something does not equate to Justifying something,’ but I can see that’s how I take to interoperate those words. I know people who colloquially use those words interchangeably. For example I’m into true crime, so I might say I can understand why serial kill their victim, be it due to craving power or sexual gratification. Something I do not seek nor justifies what they did. They actual also touch on this in the show as well which i love but i brought this up not for that purpose but how we consume the characters on our screen.

          What do I mean? I love Yo-Han and Sun-’ahs characters, i love characters like them. However i am also well aware of the fact i would most likely dislike them in real life. No amount of backstory or tragedy (generally speaking) would make me think manipulating and murdering people for self gain is a positive or justifiable trait. I’m not talking about murdering in self defence be it in the moment or SA victims fighting back, but these are grown adults. Yes Yo-han was an abused child who never knew affection (Understanding) but there is a period in our lives where the actions we commit become our responsibility. I’m not gonna give a definitive age because it’s a grey period even in my own life. But there has to be, and it sounds harsh, even typing it this out i feel like it’ll be misunderstood and that i have no sympathy which is not what i’m saying. Yes technically even in adult you can blame the root of your actions on your shitty circumstances but if you’re not actively trying to improve yourself, it doesn’t have to be all at one and i do believe it’s a very personal thing, then that becomes a you problem. Anyway i feel like i’ve got distracted within in my points, what i mean is that most ppl who love these two characters wouldn’t love them in reality it’s the separation and the ability to digest them how ever you’d like that makes them appealing.

          However liking these characters doesn’t mean you sympathise with murderers or are bad people. The thing about media is that we can like it for different reasons, i love this show but i also love ‘shitty’ predictable tv too for contrasting and similar reasons. When we appreciate shows we do so for a multitude of reason, the writing, the acting, the actors, the cinematography, the soundtrack.... 

This also works on the flip side it’s so easy to hate and nit-pick characters for even the smallest of flaws and to extrapolate from there. Something i will talk about in my other parts if i ever continues what ever this train wreck of a post was

Crime vs Punishment:

Intent vs Effect:

Justice:

#tdj #the devil judge #devil judge #kang yo han #jung sun ah #midnight watched kdramas #midnight watches TDJ

[literaticat]

Hi! For IP book deals, when it's a six figure deal, how much of that is for the author? Is it a fixed fee? And are book packing companies like Alloy considered as part of creating IP or is that separate?

(I'd like to just say for the record - there are a LOT more IP deals than you even know about and "six-figure IP deals" are pretty freakin rare, so uh -- I REALLY would not count on that unless you are literally famous? But Anyway.)

Just so we are all on the same page - a couple of definitions:

"IP" = Intellectual Property - Whoever has the rights to the characters/world/project, is the IP holder. So a book that you came up with all on your own? That's YOUR IP. A book where DC Comics owns the characters, that they hire you to write, is their IP.

So yes, this CAN be shorthand for big existing franchises like Marvel or Disney characters - but it also can refer to literally ANY Intellectual property. AND it can be shorthand for "the type of project where an author is hired to create a book for the IP holder" (as is the case in this question).

"WFH" = Work-For-Hire - WFH can be what you might think of as "IP deals" like the above -- but also, WFH can be, like, phonics books, those 8x8 cartoony books that are on a rack in the grocery store, textbooks - like, any book where you are just getting paid a fee to write the book, but you don't own the copyright.

People often use "IP project" and "WFH" essentially interchangeably - and they kinda are. An author of an IP project IS doing work-for-hire. But "IP project" sounds a bit grander, so is usually used when it is a book where the author is meant to use their own name to promote or it is Fancy in some way - whereas "WFH" sort of implies that the author is an anonymous cog in the machine and will not be credited, or barely credited.

There are different kinds of IP deals, and they might be structured in any number of ways. A few of them:

Franchise Properties: We're talkin characters you KNOW. Disney, Marvel, whatever. The current fashion is to hire relatively well-known authors from the world of say, YA or Kids Books, to write original novels based on popular characters and world. So like, Jason Reynolds writing Miles Morales/Spidey. Probably these authors will be paid a good amount, because well - their names and experience are the reason they got hired for this project. The publisher will DEFINITELY want to brag that they got stars to write their books! And the star author will promote them. The hope is here that it will draw in fans of both The Character and The Writer. THAT BEING SAID: what a "good amount" entails might vary a lot, depending on the popularity of the character and the author and the amount of work involved. And the author probably will only get a small royalty compared to an original deal, and they will not own the copyright.

Publisher-Generated IP: This is where the publisher creates a storyline/characters and hires authors to write the book, basically. You'd probably get a fee based on the amount of work, and whether or not you are experienced at doing this kind of work, and if you are bringing any kind of "fame" to the equation. You might get a small royalty, or a tiny share of subsidiary rights - or nothing. You won't own the copyright. If it is a bigger project, like a novel -- you'd probably use your name, and promote it just as if it was a "regular" book that you invented. There are MG and YA novels and GN and all kinds of books that you have definitely seen and heard of, that are Publisher Generated IP.

Book Packager projects: Book packagers are companies, like Alloy or Paper Lantern, for example, that create book projects complete with intense outline, character beat sheets, extremely detailed - then work with an author to create a whole "package" with an extremely detailed outline and sample, possibly even with artwork involved and just... it's a whole THING, that they then sell to publishers as, essentially, what will be a polished book. How those deals are structured may vary, but probably the author will be paid a small "token" amount for helping create the sample pitch material, and then if the project actually gets bought by the publisher, they will be paid a determined fee or percentage of whatever the packager receives to write the actual book, and possibly get a share of subsidiary rights. However - the packager will own the copyright, and they are getting the lions share of the profits in this scenario.

Uh I don't know if I answered your question, kinda got lost in the sauce there. It depends, I guess is the answer? lol.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

You know what pisses me off about fancasts of greek mythology that use poc? They only care about the representation of random Americans. If they had actually bothered to talk to a greek person they would have easily found a bunch of greek poc to fancast the gods as. It's so transparent that they don't care about actual representation at all and only do it for #woke points

Big Post coming, I couldn’t resist :P

The US is the only country in the world and Greek culture is just a prop, with Greece not being a real country - except when we ship cheese :P Only the US exsits for them. They actually do what racist people do: they ONLY see colour. They don’t understand that a Black person in Canada and a Black person in Saudi Arabia couldn’t be more culturally different.

And yes, if they want to cast the gods or demigods as poc, it would be great if they casted people of Greek heritage! For example if Zeus has a child with a woman of Taiwanese heritage living in Greece then the child will be “biracial“, as they call it. There would be no issue for an Asian looking demigod in Greece. And even the gods, if they want, can appear as a different race, but I will elaborate a bit on that:

Now, as you know, I am against racebending in general (for all cultures). But I don’t have such a big issue when someone says “I feel comfortable worshipping gods as my own race” (something they bash Greek people for :P) or “I want to imagine what this god would look like if he lived for many years in Ghana“ or “This model of color gives me vibes of this goddess. Perhaps she could be one form of a goddess” etc. Because, as we know, the gods can take any form they want. If they go to Somalia they will be the only one white as milk in a radius of five kilometers. So they may want to transform and blend in.

But here comes my genuine question: How much could and how much should the Greek gods blend with other races and cultures when there is not this need to blend in? I don’t mean as a matter of worship but as characters on the media. Gods that in their depiction have been repeatedly depicted as White Mediterranean suddenly decide to go to Nigeria and pass as Nigerians because??? Isn’t that a type of appropriation of race? Like, using the appearance of another race because of aesthetics?

And what about the difference in culture? The Greek gods represent a set of values and habits from Greece. What do they have to do with the Korean values? (Obviously there are universal values and ethics but each culture prioritizes different stuff and sees virtue differently.) What do they even have to do with the local Korean pantheon?? People say “Greek gods are universal” and this means that, yes, everyone can worship them. But they also use that argument to say that those gods, their stories and values would fit in every society of the world. In a fictional work, that means going to Somali Muslim culture and telling them “your god is not real, you are actually praying to a set of gods your culture never knew”. Like, how much Persephone represents Somali culture and philosophy, ancient and modern? Does she even belong in this culture? And can she only belong there if you make her Black? If no, why do you change her race?

Let’s go for the opposite scenario. Let’s say a native Greek becomes a Hindu. Does that mean that they have the right to present Lakshmi as a white mediterranean and change her innate Indian values to Greek ones, in order to make her fit the Greek mindset? So, her Indian regalia should go and be replaced by ancient Greek ones or traditional Greek clothing?

I mean, if someone is to support race bending, it has to go both ways. But because Americans have equated the Greeks to white colonizers (bc they are light skinned) their gods are free real estate. They have created their own scale of what should be altered and what should not, even when it comes to deities and figures from other cultures. And because they have worldwide influence their system is imposed on us, too. And if we don’t like how they depict our figures, we are in the wrong.

Anyways, my point was: As you said, they are so desperate for woke points that they only change a superficial characteristic - skin tone / race - and then suddenly, supposedly, this Hellenic deity is part of another culture ?? Like, you put Hawaiian native clothing to a man, you name him Poseidon and it’s “representation for Hawaiians, yey!“ ??? Why would they even need Poseidon? They have Kanaloa but even if he has the same domain as Poseidon they are not the same. They are not interchangable, as those fancasts often suggest.

I don’t see any depth in those fancasts because they are so superficial, only taking appearance into account if they want to be labeled progressive. More than that, it’s a system “to set things right” by doing this coloring mix and match (notice I only said “color”, not “culture” or “set of beliefs”) in a naive attempt to stop discrimination.

If you want to elevate poc and be inclusive to other cultures, look to other cultures with non US American lens and learn how they view this difference in appearance. Then, you can talk to the poc of this culture and understand their needs. And of course those Greek poc could be cast as Greeks in movies, since this culture is part of their lives.

Finishing this infinite Τed Τalk, I would like to say that I really enjoy the mixing of cultures and I would be delighted to see stories where Greek gods/people visit other cultures or non Greek gods/people visit Greek culture. One of my fave posts in this blog is when Cretans and Nahuas joined in a song about freedom. So, in case someone didn’t get it, I didn’t say we couldn’t celebrate or take part in cultures that aren’t ours.

#racebending #fancasts #answered #greek mythology

[miscellaneous--bones]

Negative Zero

The difference between reality and existence

3-19-2021, 3:58 AM, Serendipity

---

-0 is not a real number. It's opposite would be 0, which is neither negative nor positive, so it could not have a negative opposite. And yet, even so, -0 is a number that exists, because I made it so.

You can not plot -0 on a number line, or use it in an equation, because it is not a real number.

And yet, even so, I can do it anyway.

5 - 0 + 4 × 2 = 18

-0 exists, it is there, right along +4, but it is not a real number. But it still exists within this equation.

Existence and reality are often used interchangeably. And yet, there is a very certain, very important difference between the two.

Reality is subjective. Wether something exists or not, on the other hand, is deffinitive.

One can choose what they beleive to be real- in the sense of religion, feeling, events, even color. It is something subjective, something that one must find for themself, thats why there is such a thing as philosophy.

Existence is a simple yes or no question. Abstract, when defined, but simple in answer. To exist does not mean a thing must be tangible. -0 is not tangible, it is an idea if nothing more, but it exists still, because I've made it so.

Unicorns are not real. (Not that we know of, at least.) But unicorns exist. As an idea, as a creature. You can not deny the existance of unicorns, for they have been a very popular mythical creature for decades, centuries even. Unicorns exist, but they are not real animals. Unicorns, as we know it, are not tangible.

Does that mean that being tangible is what makes something real? No, because letters are not something tangible, and yet the alphabet is real. Once again, you must remember that reality is subjective. How "real" something is can be questioned, in some cases even measured. At the same time, if something is real, it is certain that it exists.

Existance is something that is both out of and completley in one's control. Once someone brings something into existence, they can no longer take it out of existence. Not even with death, because things like numbers or letters cannot die, but also because the thing still existed at one point in time. Things will be forever changed because it was there, even for a moment. Existence is permanent. Is reality permanent? Reality is subjective, so that is up to you to decide. Thats the whole point of something being subjective.

I've gotten off track, existance is both out of and in one's control. One can control whether something exists, by bringing it into existence, but one cannot bring something out of existance.

I'm not very good at mathematics, but I know that -0 is not a real number, and yet -0 exists still, because I made it exist.

#dipity rambles #writing #poetry #? #philosophy #?? #long post #late night thoughts #ask to tag #negative zero

[swiftfeminism]

so the discourse about how taylor swift only writes about romance has been done to death in terms of 1) it not being true 2) a sexist criticism anyway bc male artists don’t get criticised for writing mostly about romance

it’s been done to death so much that i’m still surprised everytime someone makes a joke of “is it another breakup song” or “is it another song about her ex boyfriend” whenever she releases music in 20fucking19

but there’s another layer to it that i never thought i’d see: the idea that none of taylor’s music is emotionally impactful or lyrically clever outside of “boy drama” or vengeance

i’ve been thinking about this. ofc my first instinct is to rebuke the idea that “none of taylor’s music is emotionally impactful or lyrically clever" (have you listened to all too well??) or the idea that all her songs are about romance or vengeance

but when i stop to think about it a moment i think i understand what they’re saying - not that she only writes about boys OR can’t write emotionally impactful or clever lyrics. it’s the idea that her music may be emotionally impactful and lyrically clever BUT only in the confines of romance: the idea that she can’t write emotionally impactful and lyrically clever songs about other topics

now we ofc know this is not true. a very recent example is “soon you’ll get better” but i really don’t think that’s the point

what it got me thinking about instead is the absolute reduction of any emotional impact or lyrical cleverness in love songs like all too well to...boy drama

the emotional impact or lyric cleverness is somehow less than bc the topic is romance

and i call BULLSHIT

and it got me thinking about how to have the topic of “romance” and “love” be used interchangeably with the topic of “boy drama”...is sexist. there’s no way around it. it got me thinking about the term “boy drama” and how it’s often used to deride the feelings of teenage girls for boys. struggle with unrequited feelings or a romantic relationship? boy drama. cry over a boy? boy drama. and there’s really no male equivalent? i don’t think the term “girl drama” is thrown around nearly as much in nearly the same way. the message is clear: romantic feelings when expressed from a woman can so clearly be reduced to “immaturity”. just look at how people responded to the lover album, how taylor shouldn’t have been writing love songs anymore at almost 30 as if the experience and emotion of love has an age limit? that apparently taylor was too old to have a crush (which is really just...feelings/attraction to someone pre- or outside an official relationship), that the feelings were somehow childish?

i can’t imagine if most of a man’s emotional impact or lyric cleverness were through love songs, that would be derided as “girl drama” or insignificant purely bc the topic is romance. infact i think most of the male songwriters that are praised are praised for writing beautiful love songs - there is no ifs, ands, or buts that somehow the topic of it being love makes it lesser than or that they can’t write emotionally impactful or clever lyrics outside of romance. it’s just seen as romantic probably bc we don’t expect men to be. but for a woman to be fully and unapologetic romantic is something to roll your eyes at. we’ve talked about a similar double standard before (he’s a romeo she’s a stalker) but this one is slightly different i think. it’s more like he’s a poetic genius she just writes about boy drama.

furthermore, a lot of taylor’s lyrics in love/breakup songs CAN translate to feelings outside a romantic relationship? so what if taylor originally wrote cold as you about a boy? people can listen and relate that to someone in their life who’s not a romantic partner?

tl;dr so what if most of taylor’s emotional impact and lyric cleverness comes from the topic of romance? if it was a man that would never make it a limitation of the emotional impact/lyrical cleverness or have the topic equated to “girl drama”

#i really wish that fucking link would work on mobile but it’s working on desktop #i’m going to tag this #double standards: he's a romeo she's a stalker #so you can click through on mobile #some heteronormativity here for obvious reasons about gender roles

[thatonegirljessy99]

Gongjunim (1/2)

Summary: You fall for Yoongi. Only problem? Your Namjoon’s little sister. Oops lol

Requested?: Yes! By @soulpunker58

Word count: +3.2K

Warning:Teasing, Fluff??

A/N: I AM SO APRRY I HAVEN'T POSTED ANY WRITING! I'VE HAD MAJOR WRITERS BLOCK BUT I PROMISE THE NEXT PART OF LONGING TO FEEL LOVE IS COMING THIS WEEK! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS! Also, credit to whoever created this gif. Sorry I don't know who made it. Anyways enjoy!

He had your mind spinning as he cupped your cheek sweetly and kissed you softly under the tree outside your house. His lips were so soft making butterflies burst into a frenzy in your stomach.

“I love you so much princess...”

“Oppa... I was so scared you wouldn’t feel the same way and I would make things...”

“Weird?”

“Yeah,” a giggle escaped your lips as you looked up at his grinning face before turning towards the darkness of the night hearing something.

“Y/N!”

“Present!” you scream standing up before being pulled back down to your seat.

The class busted into laughter as you looked around embarrassed, biting your lip awkwardly as your best friend sighed behind you.

‘Second time this week… fuck’

“I know Miss Kim, nice of you to remind me that. But I was asking if you could solve the problem on the board. If you aren’t paying attention I can always deduct participation p-“

Before the professor could even finish his sentence, your eyes were already scanning the board to analyze the problem and solve it faster than what most students could in the class.

‘Deduct participation points my ass’

“5i over 7 minus 4i would have the top and bottom multiplied by 7 plus 4i leaving the new equation for the denominator to be 49 plus 28i minus 28i plus 16. Once simplifying the denominator, you would have 35i minus 20 over 65 which would turn into 35i over 65 minus 20 over 65. So, you final answer in standard form would be negative 4 over 13 plus 7 over 13i.”

The class fell silent as they looked at your professor work out the problem on the board only to find you were right, as per usual. You were the youngest person in the class, math having always been your strong suite, and you were the only student that was known to have to switch classes when it came to math. Normally it would just be the teachers switching classes, but you had to go up stairs to the advance senior classes when it came time. Currently you were taking college algebra with a professor that loved to call out anyone he thought wasn’t paying attention. Which was you most of the time, but that is not the point right now.

“That is correct… please just look at the board next time Miss Kim. Or at the very least please take notes,” the older man sighed going back to teaching his lesson to the rest of the class.

-

“You are by far the biggest queen of bullshit I have ever met in the history of this school,” Sunny laughed as you guys walked out of the class and headed to the lunch room,” You were so far gone and yet you were able to make him shut up for the second time this week. I think you could set a school record for how many times you just bullshit your way through class. Now tell me what you keep day dreaming about. And I will not except anything less than the full story.”

“Honestly, it's some cheesy shit that you would see on one of out dramas. It’s me outside of my house with some guy that calls me-”

“Princess! Hey! How's my favorite girl?” a voice from behind you called out before you felt a long arm wrap around your waist to pull you close to his side.

A chill ran down your spine when you looked up to be met with that signature gummy bear smile that made your heart melt in a second. By now you would think you would be use to it from how often you saw this smile, but nope!

“Oppa! Aish! Stop it! Your being embarrassing!” you blushed pulling away from your brothers' best friend.

You’re not sure when your little school girl crush started for him but sometime during middle school you started to feel your cheeks heat up whenever the tall boy looked at you for too long or gave you a compliment out of the blue. Which for you came more often that you needed it to. Especially around a certain someone you should be blushing around.

“Tch, why do you have to be so mean to oppa. I’ve called you that since you were a baby,” Yoongi smirked letting go of you and bowed towards your best friend,” I remember calling that loser Bambi from how much she tripped in dance class.”

Sunny rolled her eyes and pulled Yoongi down to her height by the ear as she glared into his soul. In hindsight Yoongi would be smart enough to know not to say something like that to a girl like Sunny. But of course, he wasn’t, and now you were here.

“Mmm, don’t forget lover boy, I might be short but I’m still your senior one year and am top of the dance department on the girls end. So! Unless you’re my Hope, don’t ever fucking bring up my dancing again, got it Min Yoongi!” Sunny practically hissed through her forced smile at the cold face of Yoongi who was trying his best to not show exactly how scared or in pain he was.

Normally you would have understood if someone would have said that she was over reacting, but as students at the Conservatory for the Fine Arts of Seoul, Sunny had earned the right to be snippy with anyone that had something to say about her dancing. Just to get into this school was mission impossible but to stay in the school was a whole other level of stress. All the students here were considered the future of their industries respectively. Sunny was number one in the girl's department of dance, number two in the whole department. But that changed every other term since she and Hoseok interchanged spots whenever testing came around.

But the friendly competition didn’t hurt their relationship. Only Yoongi who didn’t know when to shut his mouth.

“Hey! Hands off the best friend,” your brothers voice boomed from behind the three of us as we got to the lunch line making me grown just from pure instinct.

Oh look, that person you definitely should not be blushing around!

“Oh, calm down, he can still use his other ear to hear his voice crack mid-way through a song,” she smirked letting go of Yoongi's ear finally.

Seeing Yoongi get ready to say something to her, your hand went to his wrist catching his attention as you smiled shyly at him making his cheeks flush before looking away as he rubbed his ear and walked over to your brother.

“Mmm, if only you could see how whipped you have him. I don’t think I have J-Hope wrapped that tightly around my pinky,” Sunny snickered in a low voice handing you a tray before starting to serve herself some food,” imagine if Rap Monster found out that his little sister had his best friend completely brainwashed.”

“Shut up.. It's not like that between us. I’ve known him before either of us got into the conservatory. He’s like a brother to me,” you started, feeling your cheeks begin to flush as you scooped rice into your bowl and covering it with chicken curry.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Save that for someone who believes it,” Sunny chuckled waving off your denial as she turned to smile at you,” but no one would ever believe either of you if they saw you two together, ma cherry.”

A deep sigh escaped you lips as you looked at your friend with a smile of pure amusement.

“Ma chérie... please remind me never to practice my French on you,” you laughed wrapping an arm around your best friend as you two walked to your usual round table.

As you two sat down you were quickly joined by Hoseok and Yoongi, both of them having two soda cans on their trays. Of course, then being followed by Namjoon who sat between Sunny and Yoongi.

“So how are my favorite girls?” Hoseok grinned as he placed a soda can down in front of Sunny, pecking her lips sweetly before taking a seat and winking at you.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t start flirting on my girl in front of me,” Sunny glared playfully at the bunny faced boy, elbowing him softly before beginning to eat the kimchi she had served herself too much of on purpose.

“Can both of you losers not hit on my little sister, please? I don’t need her being corrupted by you two weirdos,” Namjoon rolled his eyes while taking a long drink, Yoongi looking at you kindly before handing you the extra soda can he had brought to the table.

Smiling at Yoongi, you took the can and opened it before giving a side glance at Namjoon. It was not the first time he had made this type of comment, nor would it be the last as far as everyone could tell. To Namjoon you were still that 6th grader that was auditioning to get into the same school as him. You are the girl that goes from school straight to your house and practiced and did your homework and you have only one friend. Or at least that was probably what he thought as since he didn’t know about the times you went out to a few house parties here and there.

“Wow, you got her a drink and not me?” your brothers voice snapped you out of your small trance you had not noticed you had fallen into.

“Aish, Namjoon! Leave him alone. He’s just being nice. Unlike you, Yoongi actually cares about your little sister. You should be nicer to her. Poor thing is going to die single if your keep being such a helicopter parent,” Sunny snorted feeding Hoseok who nodded as he chewed through his mouth full of kimchi.

“Mm thanks for that kind reminder of my lonely impending death,” you grumbled getting a spoonful of rice and curry into your mouth.

Yoongi chuckled rubbing your back as you slouched forward not wanting to talk about your relationship statue. Or lack thereof relationship.

-

The rest of the day went by as ordinarily as it got. You went to your music classes, vocal performance, music theory, piano practice, dance practice, and your advanced classes, later waiting at the front gate to go home with Namjoon.

By now it was seven in the afternoon, many students still being inside studying and doing class work. It was a long school day but that was the price all of you were willing to pay in order to be the best of the best. After all, there was a reason why you had chosen to sell out your childhood for a shot at being a star.

As you waited, leaning against the wall, you couldn’t help but groan when you over heard a small group of girls that was in your dance class gossiping and giggling as they walked past you on their way home. All you could hear them talking about was the new kid in your class, Jungkook. Or as all the girls had begun to call him, Kookie. Why? Because “that Kookie could be my snack.” Gross. So fucking gross. Yeah sure he was a pretty good dancer, and your new partner for this first quarter, but it never ceased to disgust you how quickly girls in her class could fall for a guy just for his looks.

From: RM

Forgot to tell you I had a study group after school. You can head home or come to the library if you want to wait for me

Looking down at your phone as it went off, you quickly typed an answer just so he knew you had seen his message before letting a small sigh escaping your lips.

You start making your way down the street towards your shared apartment a few blocks down from the school looking up at the sky. It was funny to you how you basically never got to see the sun during the week anymore. Well you and all of the other student that lived in your district. Many of the students from the conservatory lived within the same area because the school didn’t provide dorms and many of the students came from many different parts of South Korea just to be a part of this place.

As you made your way up the stairs that lead to your building you noticed some fluffy mint locks that had been the result of someone buying the wrong hair dye and a blue and yellow jacket you were used to seeing in your house.

“Yo, yo, yo, Agust D,” your yelled running up to Yoongi and bumping him with your shoulder playfully making the guy readjust his glasses, "What up homie?”

Realizing who it was and what you had just said, Yoongi's face looked pained as he laughed and turned to look at you in amusement. After seeing you do this some many times you would think that he would be used to this cringy act but he was pretty sure he would never stop dying inside when you tried to act like what you thought a rapper acted like.

“Gongjunim, how about we make deal and you never do that ever again,” he laughed shaking your hair with his hand to mess with your hair, knowing you would just swat your hand at him to stop.

“Aw, but I’m just trying to be as cool as Agust D,” You chuckled fixing your bag on your shoulder before getting it taken from you by Yoongi as you two walked side by side up the road.

“You know I hate being called that right?” he asked giving you a side smile as he rolled his eyes,” if you're going to call me anything other than my name call me Suga. You know I like that a lot more when you call me Suga.”

“But all the girls at school call you it. ‘Oh, Agust D is so cute’ ‘no he’s sexy’ ‘have you seen his body roll, I literally die’. Oh, and my absolute favorite ‘have you heard his voice? I bet he could say some nasty things while he makes me forget my name',” you said mimicking the girls you had hear saying throughout the school on a normal basis.

“Oh, come on gongjunim. You know I wouldn’t have eyes for any of those girls. They love Agust D, I want someone who loves Yoongi,” he chuckled looking up to the sky only to feel a water droplet fall on his now,” hey why don’t we go into my house and you can have a drink with me.”

“Fine but let me just text Namjoon that I’m going to be out.”

“Mmm was he expecting you home?”

Shaking your head, no you two began to run up the rest of the stairs where there was a small building entry as rain began to pour over you. Quickly rushing into his living room as soon as he opened the front door, you both laughed at how soaked you had gotten in the short span of time and how both of you now looked like a mess. It wasn‘t the first time you two got caught in the rain but it had been a while so the feeling of running through it together brought back old memories of when you were both younger.

“How long has it been since we danced in the rain?” his voice chimed as he looked at the door and then back at you with a soft smile.

“Remember the dance from Trouble Maker I did for my audition?” You asked leaning back against the wall.

“Yeah, that was three years ago.”

“That was the last time I danced in the rain,” you mused looking down at the water spots on your shirt from running through the rain,” I have to dance it again with some guy from my performance class in two weeks.“

“Some guy? I heard that you got partnered up with Jungkook-“

“Please don’t remind me. Every girl is crazy about him in my year and we’re all two years older than him,” You groaned rolling your eyes before looking over at Yoongi,” Don’t you just love how the conservatory has high school and college students all in the same place.“

“You know they do it based on your level. And you only have one year left before you get to audition in front of all the companies and pray that you make it big, but until you get to join me on stage lets change into some dry clothing before you get sick in that outfit,” he chuckled placing a hand on the small of your back, leading you back to his bedroom.

“Shhh, what your brother doesn‘t know won’t kill him princess,” a smooth voice cooed into your ear as you giggled nodding.

His hands had been all over you as you two danced against each other and now he was leading you back to another room. It wasn‘t long before you got inside the room that your back was slammed against the wall, his lips on your neck, your hand in his hair. He was like a damn drug and you couldn’t seem to get enough.

“How the hell is it that you act like a child when I change in front of you, but I have never seen you bat an eye when those girls from your year flirt with you wearing practically nothing,” you smirk leaning against Yoomgi after downing your shot of soju.

You two had gone through three bottles of sake by now and you had gone from sitting across from Yoongi to almost sitting on his lap from how close you two were. Yoongi's arm was around your shoulder as he chuckles and shakes his head putting a finger your chin to make you look up at him.

“Damn you and that stupid smile,” he chuckled causing you pout as his smile widened at you.

“Y/N, you’re always dressing so cute to school, how am I supposed to see you as anything other than pure,” he teased poking the tip of your nose only making you frown.

“I’m not pure oppa... In fact, I can show you exactly how much I have changed since we were kids,” you whisper as you straddle his lap and moved his hands to your hips,” those dance classes are good for more than just dancing on stage.”

Biting his lip, Yoongi can’t help but check you out as you begin to move against him, grinding your hips onto him only causing his hands to begin to explore under the oversized shirt you had on.

“You’re my best friends' little sister... this is so wrong,” Yoongi hummed closing his eyes as you begin to kiss his neck, making him groan slightly as he felt your teeth graze the skin right below his ear and then pull on his earlobe.

“You’re not stopping me...” your voice cooed into his ear before a knock on the door interrupted your moment.

“Yoongi! Y/A-ah! It’s pouring out here! Let me in!”

“But that is...”

#suga x reader #yoongi x reader #bts #bts suga #bts yoongi #min yoongi #suga #thatonegirljessy #y/n x suga #yoongi #y/n x yoongi #Gongjunim

[awfully-sadistic]

He didn’t need to speak, he often didn’t have to but it was uncanny that he could convey a lot with just one look.

You really thought I would just forget about you? It’s not that easy.

He didn’t have to say those exact words and Dot didn’t need to glean the thoughts from his mind in order to understand. It wasn’t that she absolutely believed any part of that, either. With how everyone openly revered her as the Matriarch of their Haushold, perhaps it was a vain thought that anyone in it would have a hard time forgetting her. Yet how could she think otherwise with beloved Big Brothers and Sisters and even those falling in-between telling her constantly how much she was loved, needed? Not just wanted, but needed. It was very important that Dot understood that she was needed. Like how one needs oxygen, like how one needs water and food. Dot was their substance, Dot was their lifeblood. It would have been very foolish to believe otherwise, to question any of their devotion that crossed the line from a healthy dose of obsession and turn that notch up to 10 then break away the knob. There was no question that anyone in the Haushold would forget about Dot but the same couldn’t quite be said about her.

Consider she “forgot” about him. It wasn’t quite the same as him forgetting about Dot, right? However, one might argue that the two worked interchangeably especially if neither party had been involved with each other for a long time. Or could she claim, Instead, that she had actively pushed him aside?

No. That could have been worse to say, honestly. Absolutely worse. For someone who was already driven to a ten, who knows what that might do.

But that was exactly what Dot kept claiming.

“I hadn’t just thought about him like that in a while.”

“I don’t feel the same any more.”

“I haven’t thought of him as “mine” in a very long time.”

Perhaps Dot wasn’t aware that it didn’t quite work like that. In a Haus where the lines were blurred from the very beginning anyway, boundaries were non-existent. If Dot didn’t feel one way about a particular person, that just meant they had to work harder. But she wasn’t off limits. Perhaps she was forgetting that she put herself willingly in this spot, and for that, she shouldn’t complain.

The first few days were, understandably, rough. She didn’t understand why he was doing this. You can’t just make anyone love you, even if you locked them up in a room for a while and forced them to spend time with you. But what other option did he have for someone who was so coveted, in so much demand, that it was otherwise impossible to spend time with Dot on the fly without booking an appointment first. One might think that was an over exaggeration but there was a backlog of names that reserved the right to stay on client for a couple of weeks just to spend time with her in a virtual reality.

Eventually, screens weren’t good enough to watch her through. He wanted something substantial, he wanted to be able to reach out and touch her any time he wanted. And that was precisely what he could do right now.

Of course, she may be giving him that look of confusion, of slight contempt, right now but in time, she’ll come around.

But it’s been exactly ten days and she still hasn’t said it right.

“You can’t keep me in this place forever, Sergei.” Dot’s voice cut through the silence like a knife; she couldn’t help but have a little barb in her tone. It’s been ten days since she woke up in what was practically a gilded cage. She wasn’t kept like some heathen in it; there was a bed, a small enclosed bathroom, and even a little kitchen area. And plenty to do regarding entertainment such as watch television or pick out a movie he had set aside for her to enjoy. All of her favorites. There were plenty of books too, again, all of her favorites and even some board games. However, it was sometimes hard to play with just two people when a game required at least four. She wasn’t allowed her laptop, though. Or her phone.

Her cage was still a cage.

She could tell she was in the basement below the Haus property, its cavernous space able to hold large machinery she had been seeing through the glass that surrounded her.

“You can’t keep me here like... like...” Dot floundered, a little too weak to keep up the argument. She didn’t like confrontation and she didn’t like arguing. It was beginning to wear her down. “like some sort of prisoner of war.” she finally finished.

She heaved a sigh when he said nothing (as usual) and rested back against the bed. She would have stopped eating days ago as some sort of protest but Sergei nipped that right in the bud by force-feeding her himself. He had already proved she would also get the sleep she needed by any means necessary, too. Withholding by not taking care of herself was not working, at all. And it wasn’t like she could do anything to him.

“You’re going to be in so much trouble.” she mumbled, placing an arm over her eyes. Granted, she assumed punishment from anyone else having discovered that she had been missing. She could name a couple of her Big Brothers off the top of her head that were probably turning the Haushold upside down right now.

“It’s hard to see how he would be in trouble when he’s earned the right to win you over fair and square.” Albert Wesker spoke from the other side of the observation tank. You know, the type they use for experimentation. Who would have thought they would have turned it into a makeshift prison for her? She certainly didn’t see that coming.

Dot cringed only slightly. Not from hearing the new voice but from the realization that... in this Family, anything seemed to go. Unless she could get to an Enforcer before this finished, he was probably going to get away with this by the time he decided to release her. 

Of course, when she gave him what he wanted. 

Again, that was another frustration for her. No matter how many times she pleaded and promised, Sergei wouldn’t accept that she meant what she said--that she was willing to give them another try.

“It’s in your tone,” Wesker said, almost absently. His head was bowed and there was something he had been writing in. From Dot’s spot on her bed, she had no clue as to what that was and as curious as a kitten, walked to the huge observation window to find out. At least it gave her something to do and if she could make progress on getting out of her, the better.

Dot made a face to see that there were plenty of equations she did not understand reflected on a worksheet he was completing. She had no idea what they did down here but perhaps it was time to start regulating that. Instead of math, she focused her attention back to Wesker’s statement.

“What’s in my tone?” she asked. Then she looked over at Sergei. Ever since she got up, he had been watching her every movement. He mainly sat in the tank with her except when he went to get her something to eat.

“That you’re just saying anything to appease him.”

“Isn’t that... the point?” Dot asked, slowly taking her gaze away from Sergei and onto Wesker again. She almost took a step backwards when she realized he was staring back.

“Partly. But you have to mean it, dearest, and not just bargain for your freedom.”

That made sense but she wasn’t going to admit it. But it made her wonder, too. Was she saying things to bargain for her freedom? Or had she thought she was being truthful? She turned around, unnerved by the way the two were staring at her now.

“I can see where you’re getting that from.” she finally said. “I guess I wasn’t being completely honest. I figured it’d be easier to say what Sergei wanted to hear and then he’d let me go but...”

“That’s not quite working out for you, is it?” Wesker smirked with a tiny prick of teeth showing between his lips and if Dot would have seen it, she probably would have thrown something at the glass. But she could feel it at her back and she straightened her spine, sniffing delicately. Did he always have to be so smug? Or right for that matter?

“So... what can I do to prove that I want to try?” Dot asked, turning back around. Wesker observed Dot for a while before gesturing over at Sergei.

“Well, that is not up to me, dear heart. You are asking the wrong man.” then he added, “Because if it were up to me, you would never leave.”

Dot laughed nervously at that because there was no lie in his statement. Wesker was telling the absolute truth and there was no smile there to betray it. Finding it much easier to face Sergei right now, she met his gaze with a little hesitation.

“Will you be willing to um, help me...remember what it was like?” Dot asked with uncertainty, hesitation. She didn’t know how to better phrase it so she had hoped what she said was acceptable.

Finally.

Sergei was ever-silent as he mulled over Dot’s words.

Finally, there was some truth to them.

The door hissed open and Dot, startled, almost jumped at the sound. Was he letting her go? Wesker looked disappointed but nobody was paying attention to that. He nodded his dark head and gestured with it that she was, indeed, free to go. She stood, stunned, wondering if it had been that easy all along. 

One look at Wesker as she slowly and unsurely made her way out and she figured that it was... for the Russian.

“Shame,” Wesker told her in passing. “but maybe you’ll find yourself in there once again, who knows.”

Dot couldn’t even mock laughing because that was a frightening prospect and there was no doubt she might.

Yeah. They would definitely need to be regulated down here.

#{{ original drabbles: dot's feb prompts

[astroautist-blog]

Intro to Vectors and Scalars

You wanna learn physics? Awesome! Physics is often called the hardest science, but don’t let that deter you. Study physics and you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of our universe. What keeps stars burning? What are atoms made out of? What’s up with magnets? What is time, really? It’s cool stuff! But before you get to the existential crises, you gotta get a firm grasp of the basics. 

So! What the heck are scalars and vectors?? 

A scalar quantity is a measurement that just has a number (in the jargon we call it a magnitude). Time, mass, speed, and temperature are all scalar quantities.

A vector quantity is a measurement that has a number (aka magnitude) AND a direction. Displacement, velocity, and force are some vector quantities. 

Ok cool, but what does that actually mean? Before I get into that, it’s my god-given duty to give you the Introductory Physics Terminology Spiel™. So when you’re chatting with people, there are some words you might use interchangeably. Words like speed and velocity, weight and mass. But when you’re doing physics, it’s really important that you pay attention to the physics definitions of words! Speed, velocity, weight, and mass are four distinct thingies in physics! It can be confusing at first, but you do get used to it. 

Anyways, lemme tell you about some vector and scalar quantities we’re gonna be using. 

Distance is, well, distance. If you wanna get all fancy about it, it’s the measurement of the separation between two points. So, if I walk 3m to the right and then 2m to the left, the total distance I’ve walked is 5m. The important thing to know right now is that distance is a scalar quantity. There’s no direction, just good wholesome magnitude. 

Displacement on the other hand, is like the vector version of distance. It’s defined as the difference between two positions. Position, by the way? Another vector quantity. You can think of it as the distance from a reference point.

See how I put the little arrow in square brackets? That tells you which direction the stick person is from the tree (our reference point). It’s like, a physics crime not to write the direction of your position. Why? Because without direction, it wouldn’t be a vector! It would just have a magnitude, making it a scalar. 

So how do we find something’s displacement? Well, since displacement is the difference between two positions, that means subtraction. Check it out:

Hold up hold up what are those little hats over the letters for displacement and position?? Glad you asked! Those are arrows we put over vectors so that you can tell them apart from regular old scalars. Lowercase “d” without the hat would just be distance. With the hat, it’s displacement. Science!! (When you’re typing, you can make the letter bolded instead of putting an arrow over it since it’s a royal pain trying to get an arrow over letters. So, displacement can also be written as d)

Also, why on earth is there a triangle?? I didn’t sign up for triangles!!! No need to be alarmed, in this case the triangle is just a shorter way to write subtraction. You can do subtraction! Technically the triangle is called “delta”, it’s a Greek letter. You use it when you’re talking about a change in something. So ΔP stands for the change in position. Subtraction might seem like a silly thing to shorten, but trust me, it really helps you deal with more complicated equations. Also, there are other ways you can find a change in something besides just subtraction, and delta can represent those too. Math is fun!!

So, in summary!

Vectors have magnitude and direction

Scalars just have magnitude

Distance, a scalar quantity, is the separation between two points

Position, a vector quantity, is the distance from a reference point

Displacement (also a vector) is the change in position, written as d = ΔP

That’s all for now folks! Next time I’ll show you how to add vectors!

#physics #kinematics #math #motion in a straight line

[sciencespies]

Are humans still evolving? Scientists weigh in

https://sciencespies.com/humans/are-humans-still-evolving-scientists-weigh-in/

Are humans still evolving? Scientists weigh in

As a species, humans have populated almost every corner of the earth. We have developed technologies and cultures which shape the world we live in.

The idea of ‘natural selection’ or ‘survival of the fittest’ seems to make sense in Stone Age times when we were fighting over scraps of meat, but does it still apply now?

We asked 12 experts whether humans are still evolving. The expert consensus is unanimously ‘yes’, however scientists say we might have the wrong idea of what evolution actually is.

Evolution is not the same as natural selection

Evolution is often used interchangeable with the phrases ‘survival of the fittest’ or ‘natural selection’. Actually, these are not quite the same thing.

‘Evolution’ simply means the gradual change of a population over time.

‘Natural selection’ is a mechanism by which evolution can occur. Our Stone Age ancestors who were faster runners avoided being trampled by mammoths and were more likely to have children. That is ‘natural selection’.

Overtime, the human population became faster at running. That’s evolution.

Evolution can happen without natural selection

That makes sense for Stone Age humans, but what about nowadays? We don’t need to outrun mammoths, we have medicines for when we’re sick and we can go to the shops to get food.

Natural selection needs a ‘selection pressure’ (e.g. dangerous trampling mammoths), so if we don’t have these anymore, does this mean we stop evolving?

Even with no selection pressures, experts say evolution still occurs by other mechanisms.

Professor Stanley Ambrose, an anthropologist from the University of Illinois, explains that “any change in the proportions of genes or gene variants over time is also considered evolution. The variants may be functionally equivalent, so evolution does not automatically equate with ‘improvement'”.

Whilst some genes can be affected by natural selection (e.g. genes that help us run faster), other changes in our DNA might have no obvious effect on us. ‘Neutral’ variations can also spread through a population by a different mechanism called ‘genetic drift’.

Genetic drift works by chance: some individuals might be unlucky and die for reasons which have nothing to do with their genes. Their unique gene variations will not be passed on to the next generation, and so the population will change.

Genetic drift doesn’t need any selection pressures, and it is still happening today.

Natural selection is still happening in humans

As much as we have made things easier for ourselves, there are still selection pressures around us, which mean that natural selection is still happening.

Like all mammals, humans lose the ability to digest milk when they stop breastfeeding. This is because we stop making an enzyme called lactase. In some countries, the population has acquired ‘lactase persistence’, meaning that people make lactase throughout their lives.

In European countries we can thank one specific gene variation for our lactase persistence, which is called ‘-13910*T’. By studying this specific gene variation in modern and ancient DNA samples, researchers suggest that it became common after humans started domesticated and milking animals.

This is an example of natural selection where we have actually made the selection pressure ourselves – we started drinking milk, so we evolved to digest it!

Another example of humans undergoing natural selection to adapt to a lifestyle is the Bajau people, who traditionally live in houseboats in the waters of South East Asia and spend much of their lives diving to hunt fish or collect shellfish.

Ultrasound imaging has found that Bajau people have larger spleens than their neighbours – an adaption which allows them to stay underwater for longer.

There are always selective pressures around us, even ones that we create ourselves.

As Dr Benjamin Hunt from the University of Birmingham puts it, “Our technological and cultural changes alter the strength and composition of the selection pressures within our environment, but selection pressures still exist.”

Evolution can’t be stopped

So, evolution can happen by different mechanisms like natural selection and genetic drift. As our environment is always changing, natural selection is always happening. And even if our environment was ‘just right’ for us, we would evolve anyway!

Dr Alywyn Scally, an expert in evolution and genetics from the University of Cambridge, explains: “As long as human reproduction involves randomness and genetic mutation (and the laws of the Universe pretty much guarantee that this will always be the case at some level), there will continue to be differences from one generation to the next, meaning that the process of evolution can never be truly halted.”

Takeaway: Evolution means change in a population. That includes both easy-to-spot changes to adapt to an environment as well as more subtle, genetic changes.

Humans are still evolving, and that is unlikely to change in the future.

Article based on 12 expert answers to this question: Are humans still evolving?

This expert response was published in partnership with independent fact-checking platform Metafact.io. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter here.

#Humans

#Humans

[spiritionary]

Deities in Buddhism, Pt. 1: Devas and Devis

Hey, Mod Fire here! For those who have not grown up with Buddhism, are just beginning to research it, or have only seen depictions of it in pop culture, Buddhism can be very confusing. Many mix ups arise such as who and what buddhas are, whether Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy or something else, conflating Hinduism with Buddhism in many ways… it’s a lot to wade through if you haven’t studied it in depth, grown up with it, or actually converted to it. I can’t tackle every issue in one post (see my masterpost for more Buddhism topics), and so today I’m going to discuss a particularly big source of confusion: atheism vs. gods and goddesses in Buddhism.

But I thought Buddhists were atheists…

You could potentially call Buddhism panentheistic, polytheistic, monotheistic, OR atheistic and make a valid point. This is because the way that gods and goddesses are traditionally defined does not perfectly match up with how Buddhism views deities. There are also many different branches and sects of Buddhism, which have all changed over time, and so it’s difficult to classify all of Buddhism one way. In this post, I’ll be coming mainly from a Vajrayana Buddhist perspective as that is the branch of Buddhism that I practice.

Two Types of Buddhist Deities

In Buddhism, there are two types of spirits that I call “deities.” These are devas/devis and yidams. They are very different from each other and some do not classify yidams as deities, but I consider both yidams and devas to fall under the umbrella category of gods/goddesses/deities. In this post, I’m going to discuss devas and devis in both Hinduism and Buddhism, explain their roles in each religion, and discuss why this is significant to understand the prevalence of atheism in Buddhism.

Devas and Devis

The Sanskrit term deva/devi comes from Hinduism, and essentially means god (deva) and goddess (devi). For convenience, I will use the term devas to refer to both male and female in the same way gods is often used to mean gods and goddesses. Some of the big theological differences between Hinduism and Buddhism lie in how each religion views devas. This can vary between different branches of Hinduism, but generally, the many devas in Hinduism are manifestations or emanations of Brahman, the Ultimate Reality of the universe. Humans are believed to have souls or Atman, the eternal Self, which is really one with Brahman. By worshipping and working with devas, one is able to progress towards uniting their individual sense of Atman with the universal divine Brahman and become spiritually one with the universe.

Traditionally, Buddhism recognizes the existence of the Hindu devas and even features them prominently in art, literature, and the story of Siddartha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha, commonly known as “The Buddha.” When Shakyamuni Buddha reached enlightenment under the bodhi tree, the story goes that the demon Mara challenged his enlightened status. Shakyamuni reached down to the ground beneath him and called on the earth itself which was synonymous at that time with the earth goddess Prithvi, also known as Bhumi Devi. She is said to have protected Shakyamuni and bore witness to his enlightenment, attesting to his worthiness to be a buddha. Though many modern Buddhists do not often think of the earth goddess as having a role in Buddhism, this story is referenced frequently in Buddhist iconography through the bumispharsha or “earth-touching” mudra. Prithvi is just one example of many devas who not only get mentioned in important Buddhist stories but are described in a positive light as supporting or protecting Buddhism.

Where Hinduism and Buddhism Split

One might wonder if devas have been a part of Buddhism literally since its inception at the moment of Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment, then why are many Buddhists self-proclaimed atheists? Why does Buddhism have a well-known reputation for being atheistic? That’s because although traditional Buddhism has portrayed some devas like Privthi or Indra as being positive and influential figures, there is a very key difference between how Buddhism views devas and how Hinduism does.

Shakyamuni Buddha disagreed with the concept of Atman and Brahman, saying that neither actually exists. Instead of striving to become one with the universe, Buddhists strive to let go of attachments in order to become free from suffering and the cycle of rebirth called samsara. Within samsara, there are multiple planes of existence from being a human to an animal to a “hungry ghost” to a deva. Rather than emanations of the Brahman, in Buddhism devas are viewed as beings who are living much longer lives on higher planes of existence, naked to the ordinary human eye. However, unlike the Hindu concept of devas as eternal, in Buddhism devas may live eons but will eventually die and be reborn like any other being in samsara. Instead of being worshipped themselves, even devas can learn to practice Buddhism and hope to one day reach enlightenment just like any human being.

Devas in Buddhism Today

Hopefully, by now it’s clear why Buddhism has a very different idea of what gods and goddesses are than Hinduism and other polytheistic and pagan religions. Since the main principles of Buddhism discourage worshipping devas and don’t rely on any kind of belief in them, it’s not necessary for modern Buddhists to believe in them and so many do not, leading to a large majority of Buddhists today becoming atheists or functionally being atheists in the sense that they do not worship or interact with devas even if they believe in them.

It’s important to note that how the concept of devas relates to Buddhism and polytheism and paganism at large. Some people might argue that devas and devis are not the same as gods and goddesses in general. When comparing any religion its important to understand how deities have different properties and definitions, but deva and devi is so frequently used interchangeably with god and goddess that I think it is as acceptable to equate the terms as it is to call anything from vastly different cultures “deities.” One simply has to understand that the implications are different depending on whether you look at the same goddess Privthi from a Hindu, Buddhist, or another religious perspective.

My Personal Views on Devas

I think of deities as spirits that are at a certain threshold of power and influence - so the label deity to me is more a flexible perspective or classification of certain spirits. Personally, as a Buddhist, I regard the vast majority of gods and goddesses in polytheistic and pagan religions as deities and within that category of deities as devas. Not every Buddhist may feel this way, but to me, all the gods and goddesses of every major pantheon are devas and devis. I choose to think of them as devas because I also consider yidams, which I’ll explain later, to be deities as well but completely different from devas. I see them as being very super powerful spirits with a limited lifespan - they may live for eons and eons, but each one’s life will eventually come to an end.

I think of this like the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the planets - all are personified as deities and from a human perspective they’re super powerful and seem almost limitless, but eventually in millions or billions of years the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, etc. will all be gone away. I appreciate their influence, their presence, their power, and the roles they play in the lives of those who worship them.

I will often interact with devas and perhaps sometimes give offerings as a way of connecting with nature and practicing spirit work. But I do not worship or work with them in a very religious way. I work with devas much in the same way I would work with spirits, but I just see them as way more powerful and longer living.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the biggest take away from this post I hope is understanding that it does make a lot of sense when Buddhists describe themselves as atheists, and that is a totally valid classification for any Buddhist. It would also be valid potentially (depending on the person) to describe the way someone practices Buddhism as polytheistic or pagan. Although Buddhism states that worshipping devas is not going to help you become enlightened, it does not make someone less Buddhist to do so anyway. Not all Buddhists are vegetarians or adhere to every rule mentioned in the sutras just as not every Christian follows all the laws of the Old Testament. In fact, just as many Buddhists are atheist, many Buddhists do worship gods/deities/devas such as many Japanese Buddhists who may pray both to buddhas and to kami, Shinto deities.

So if you’re a Buddhist, know the dharma and do what works best for you and your path. If you’re not a Buddhist, remember that Buddhists have a wide variety of beliefs ranging from atheism to polytheism (and more).

~ Mod Fire

---> Have questions? Send them to us at SpiritFAQ!

#nature #buddhism #asian #hinduism #modfire #earth #deities #buddhas #devas #buddhist #buddhismpantheon #buddhistdeities #gods #goddesses

[jstvcky]

Easter: Realisations TBC

The following is a brief essay I began over Easter and am continually adding to, summarising the previous term and where I hope to go from here.

Spaces and Places.

Part 1:

Your space, home is a series of emotions. Your safe place

The words space and place are, for the most part, interchangeable but subtle differences in their usage highlight the differences between them. A space perhaps being more of a void, a pause whereas a place connotes a more settling promise, to belong. Though both tend to be used in relation to human needs, both physical and mental distance or comfort. Perhaps space suggests potential, and place as something realised.

A safe space

The place you belong

I need some space

Put you in your place

Spaced out

Out of place

Though similar, we don’t tend to put much thought into why they are not directly interchangeable. It seems we pick up idioms of how to use them in different contexts and that is all. If we were to consider swapping the phrases around do they create a sense of disharmony?

A safe place

The space you belong

I need some place

Put you in your space

Placed out

Out of space

What is the difference between space and place. A space becomes a place when it has meaning, this suggests the idea of phenomenology, or the complete experience of associating with or understanding an area to the extent of which it becomes familiar. We even designate spaces to become places. Often, community led projects such as regenerative programmes speed up the protective instinct we can gather over some areas. An almost territorial instinct to protect. The idea of ownership. That’s my space. A place is recognised, it has formed human attachment and is something you could perhaps pinpoint.

Let us begin by looking at their etymology.

Space: c. 1300, "extent or area; room" (to do something), a shortening of Old French espace "period of time, distance, interval" (12c.), from Latin spatium "room, area, distance, stretch of time," of unknown origin (also source of Spanish espacio, Italian spazio).

Place: c. 1200, "space, dimensional extent, room, area," from Old French place "place, spot" (12c.) and directly from Medieval Latin placea "place, spot," from Latin platea "courtyard, open space; broad way, avenue," from Greek plateia (hodos) "broad (way)," fem. of platys "broad," from PIE root *plat- "to spread."

Space is something abstract, without any substantial meaning. While place refers to how people are aware of/attracted to a certain piece of space. A place can be considered as space which has a meaning. The underlying theory for this way of thinking is the phenomenology, which tries to find the essential features of experiences in the direct and indirect experiences.

 What is Home

So, now we have established that people make a place. The relations we form between people, family, friends, companions. Those we share connections with become our community. You collect things and memories when travelling these become part of who you are, having them around you can make a place feel familiar but they aren’t necessary. Home is an internal thing, the way we feel bringing comfort.  

Home is where the heart is. How does a place become a home?

Ilse Crawford and her interior design are a perfect example of how we can positively change how we feel in space. Manipulating materials, colour schemes, functionality so we feel at home and relaxed in spaces new to us. She takes inspiration from her own family relations and the Scandinavian concept of Hygge something many places could take great benefit from knowing about. The whole experience and how we feel in place.

 Community and Social Art

Social art functions on the grounds that daily life can be considered as art. Working with recipes, taking a new mode of transport, repeated actions anything can be art, and anyone can be an artist. Art can also work socially, in benefiting active communities or attracting people to a cause. But art is not the sole producer of these interactions. People come together for a variety of reasons, people come together because humans are a social species, community exists as its own entity and will form its self. Art does not need to push these connections, it can but art does not need to serve a purpose in this respect.

 The importance of Space

(the land + relations/farming/sustainability)

Having a functional space can equate to a way of life, this can create a kind of sanctuary. The land is an important aspect of human contentment. The relationship we have with the Earth is one which is incredibly poignant and vital for our existence. We are not living in a symbiotic way with the earth, we are polluting and extracting too much farming to extremes are also an impacting factor in this.

Sustainable farming is something which could benefit our society intrinsically. Organically produced foods and eco living.

 Part 2:

Feeling uncomfortable in place

When you feel uncomfortable in a place it is difficult to function, it negatively effects your cognitive behaviour and feeling ill at ease. Comfort and Hygge are very important to people and to live a happy life you need to set aside time and place to feel content with your setting and so with yourself. Giving yourself time to relax. Essentially it would be similar to losing your home, returning to the familiar to find you have changed.

 Myself in place

Since returning from Erasmus I have been finding it very hard to find a settled place of my own, finding myself incredibly unhappy and unable to make anything that I really have wanted to.

Why I don’t need to make communities

Communities exist and form naturally if provided with a catalyst or even without. They are not something that I need to create as they will exist anyway. Due to myself feeling out of place I have become focussed on the central point of people as “people make a place” and have found that I have been very introspective of myself and critical, perhaps sceptic of my own relations in this place

 Part 3:

What I value for my own happiness

When I arrive at a new place, I get a plant something to care for and to nurture, before doing fine art I was going to study conservation/ecology

What I would ideally want to do

I want to work with plants, I want to learn more about them, growing them, their relations and their ecosystems. How we can protect them and live in harmony with the Earth sustainably. I want to make places of harmony, Utopias so that people can see that there is another way I want to be happy and surrounded by those I love and which I have skills in. The Land, Wildlife, Plants.

What I can do/my current plan

Talk to Daro Montag about environmental Arts// speak with the eden project/kew gardens// work in the green house ongoingly working with seeds etc// work with the gardeners to learn from them//work with the green living society to learn more about growing communities// look at organisations who change spaces and recognise the therapeutic nature of plants//make a plan for summer and next year// think about sustainability// farming// interiors// ecology// get advice and keep reading// maintain the desire and work for it.

If progress can’t be made and others can’t help me achieve my goals, consider leaving.

If this term is fruitless, it’s a waste of energy.