One day is a lifetime. Every day is me, but it's not me, just like this life is me, the next life is me, and it's not me. In the film, I scaled a person's life into 24 hours to represent it.
The sun will rise from the horizon, and then set from the horizon, everything starts from nothing and finally returns to nothing. We all live in the laws of nature, for nature, human is insignificant, can not shake the established rules. For instance, Zhu(2009) expressed that from the perspective of the whole organic whole of the universe, there is no change in life and death, or in other words, the individual and local changes in life and death are just a great epidemic process of its endless life and growth, a metabolic process of its huge organic whole to maintain its existence, which has necessity and rationality. If nature is a ruler, our life and death are nothing but a matter of letting nature take its course. It is mentioned in Chinese Taoism philosophy theory: A human being's life is a coming-together of breath(Qi). If it comes together, there is life; if it scatters, there is death (Chuang Tzu, nd). There will always be people leaving, and there will also be people coming. There is a Chinese scholar (Zhu,2009) expressed that everything, including human beings, has a continuous cycle of life and death in it.
In western culture, there is a theory named Optimistic Nihilism which means there is no underlying meaning to life from a perspective of hope. Compared to these two different theories, there is a common point that people finally will end their life, and point out how we face our life. Jones (2017) suggested that we are alone in the universe, more or less completely unable to see the spots of space dust. Add to this problem of our infinite short life and inevitable death, you already have the perfect secret of survival fear. If our life is the only thing we experience, then this is the only important thing. Therefore, short life is in order to tell people how to plan your life well and cherish your time. Death actually is not a terrifying problem, we should shift an attitude to look at it.
In this film, there are two performers, one is a ‘human’ who played by me, another is ‘X’. Combine the Chinese and Western cultures, this image is nonsexual and abstract. In Chinese culture, it means so-called ‘Dao’. The ancient book ‘Sutra of Pure and Calm’ mentioned that the majestic Dao has no shape, but it gives birth to heaven and earth; the majestic Dao has no desire, but it moves moon and stars; the majestic Dao has no will, but it rises myriad of objects. I don't know its name, just give it a firm name Dao. Therefore, ’Dao’ is invisible, inaudible, and untouchable, but is existent.
In western culture, as similar as the god, we know it, believe it, but never see it. In other words, it seems like the rule of nature, all of the life forms follow it, thus, in the film, it exists anywhere, and watches us, we have the connection, but it is invisible.
I am generally divided our life into four stages, from the newborn, growth, polishing, to the final perception. Just like a practice, the end of this life is death, but what we should focus on is not the end, but the experience along the way. So, death is just a different form of life, maybe it is a door, is the starting point of the next section of the road.
When the first ray of sunshine hit us, we were sent to this world by the X, our soul is contained in this body. The warm sunshine is like a switch, telling us that the unknown is coming, driving me to wake up my body. At this stage, everything is new, upward, beautiful, and protected.
Slowly, we move forward day by day, learning, receiving, holding together for warmth. It's like playing house games when I was a child. Under the laws of nature, people make their own rules of the game for survival, which are regulated, guided, explored, and established. Constant absorption, groping for their own creed, began to shape “I".
The beating of the heart constantly reminds us what is alive, although every day will not be satisfactory. In life, we are mercilessly beaten, fall, climb up, fall again, climb up again. Maybe I cannot recall the purity and cleanness when I first came to this world. The plain white canvas has been painted with colorful traces of life. Beginning to think about the meaning of existence, self-doubt, negation, break, overthrow, seek, and rebuild. Accepted the cruel operation of the game, rolled a circle in the glass slag, scarred, but still trying to find their own crevice, and then suck that sweet. For example, Roman Roland(1906) said: “there is only one true heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it”.
In the end, we look back at the way we have come. We put down all our regrets, are unwilling to accept all the frustrations, become more intelligent, and get back the purity of childhood, just as Shakespeare said in ‘seven ages of the man’: “That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion; Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
All the experiences become a ladder, and then shape the present ‘I’. At the end of the film, it is metaphorical. ‘I’ turn and walk away, which is the exit and the entrance of the unknown.
Reference
Chuang T., (nd). CHUANG TZU
Josh J(2017) The Philosophy of ‘Optimistic Nihilism’, Or How to Find Purpose in a Meaningless Universe. Available at: https://www.openculture.com/2017/10/the-philosophy-of-optimistic-nihilism-or-how-to-find-purpose-in-a-meaningless-universe.html (Accessed at: 26 December 2020)
Lao-zi. (nd). Sutra of Pure and Calm
Xiaopeng, Z. (2009) The characteristics and modern significance of the Taoist view of life and death, Zhuzixuekan, (2)
Romain, R. (2009) Michelangelo. BiblioLife Publications.
Shakespeare, W., & Furness, H. H. (1963). As you like it. New York, Dover Publications.