I think a precondition for sustaining yourself as an anarchist (of the nihilist variety) is the ability to leverage the “Nothingness” of life into an empowering position from which to define yourself continually. This is a great challenge as Nothingness brings within itself an overwhelming immensity. It infinitely stretches the evergreen question of “What is to be done?” by tacking on “when Nothing matters” to the end. The training wheels are off, there are no guardrails, Anything is possibleTM, blah blah blah. But limitless potential does little for me when given only finite energy, time, and space with which to pursue it. For many anarchists I’ve met, the nihilist position grows depressive and reactive rather than empowered and poetic (unless you’re into revenge fantasies, but that's another story). Nothing leaves Something to be desired, as it’s commonly told.

A refreshing perspective comes from the ancients, however—in 5th Century BCE China—who wrestled with this supposed “modern” problem of Nothingness millenia earlier than Stirner, Nietzsche, et al. Nihilism thusly earned the moniker of (a severely tardy) “European Buddhism.”

I appreciate the “empty” quality imbued in the Buddhist Nothing, which invites one to fill it, consume it, and use it (or not) in various ways. The invitation is reminiscent of Stirner’s Creative Nothing, a significantly empowered muse for anarchists.

From chapter 11 of Tao Te Ching:

Thirty spokes unite in the middle of the
wheel,
And because of the part between them
where nothing exists,
We enjoy the use of the carriage wheel.
Clay is formed into bowls and vessels,
And because of the hollow in it where
nothing exists,
We use them as vessels.
Doors and windows are cut into the walls
of the house,
And since they are empty space, we can use
them.
Therefore, on the one hand, we have the
advantage of what exists,
And, on the other, we utilize the non-existent.
Without that which does not exist, we
cannot take advantage of the wheel, the
vessel, or the house.
Without wooden spokes, clay, and walls,
we cannot take advantage of the space they
contain.
Ultimately, existence and non-existence co-
exist and are intertwined.

How does nothingness as emptiness supplement your understanding of anarchist negativity? Do you agree with the importance of empowerment in the face of Nothing? What’s your favorite anarcho-Buddhist overlap? How might a break from “European thought” be significant for anarchists?

LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION HERE!

Comments

nettles (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 06:47

To me anarchy being about nothing means it can be anything u want it to be. It's not anarchy if it's based on a fixed idea imo.

anon (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 08:23

In reply to by nettles (not verified)

It's neither anarchy if it's based on whatever you feel like. "Nothing" implies "nothing". Whatever" implies "whatever". Anarchy implies "the absence of rulers, governing bodies or authorities" (in any given relations and dynamics). Having some dude taking the role of an eminence or patriarch in your gang makes it an archy, not an anarchy... despite you wanting to put "anarchist" in every sauce.

nettles (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 13:31

In reply to by anon (not verified)

Anarchy isn't about authority but that doesn't say anything about what anarchy *is*. Saying that anarchy has to be something in replacement of authority would just be creating a form of authority imo.

lumpy (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 13:17

In reply to by anon (not verified)

you seem like a prick but this is a useful topic: negative definitions always have problems.
like what about the other 95% of the time when you're not literally opposing authority?

there's several classic modifiers to your statement, like forcing any authority to constantly explain and justify itself, subject it to relentless critique, better yet, make that the condition of any decision making role, that everyone has to like the outcomes

or decision making roles can be made temporary and rotate them around, or "authority" could be understood as only when nobody is allowed to question it, as opposed to when someone is trusted and makes a decision and so on and so on...

anon (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 12:12

In reply to by nettles (not verified)

might say that in distinguishing itself from authority anarchy creates an interminable ontological relationship to authority. thus, anarchy/authority is a system that includes both, each of which help define the other.

this is the regressive circular revolution of d&g or derrida. an anarchy that falls outside of the anarchy/authority stratum or system, that is unknowable by and to authority and the captured anarchy is truly ungovernable. this is your crux bc it remains to be enacted (seen) whether this outside is accessible. this is the basis of much inter anarchist and post- vs leftist argument and idpol, as we see.

Come on (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 08:56

Alright Im gonna be that guy. Why are you saying buddhist but quoting the tao? Those are very different and often at odds with each other. Please be more discerning.

anon (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 09:21

In reply to by Come on (not verified)

yes, thank you. Buddhism and Taoism are not the same. Not to mention, emptiness is not nothingness.

Lao Zerzan (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 09:53

In reply to by Come on (not verified)

Thank you, Come on. I was just writing a similar comment when I saw yours.

The continual (Western) pseudo-intellectual conflation of the Daoism and Buddhism, when discussing one or the other (yes, even Chan), is tedious Orientalism and spoils the entire point always.

Further, the yearning for a structured analysis of emptiness or nothingness (different things, btw!), and especially wu-wei, misses the point entirely.

Unfortunately this topic does not "break from 'European thought'” at its core.

To the point from a daoist-nihilist-anarchist perspective a beautiful reference is found in Daodejing 48:

Those who seek knowledge,
Collect something every day.
Those who seek the Way,
Let go of something every day.

They let go and let go,
Until reaching no action.
When nothing is done,
Nothing is left undone.

Never take over the world to tamper with it.
Those who want to tamper with it
Are not fit to take over the world.

Now go chop some wood.

<3 sutra (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 09:31

"The noble Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, while practicing the deep practice of Prajnaparamita, looked upon the Five Skandhas and seeing they were empty of self-existence, said, "Here, Shariputra, form is emptiness, emptiness is form; emptiness is not separate from form, form is not separate from emptiness; whatever is form is emptiness, whatever is emptiness is form. The same holds for sensation and perception, memory and consciousness. ""

<3 sutra (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 09:46

In reply to by <3 sutra (not verified)

The 5 Skandhas are – form, sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness.

Empty of self-existence, not blank like nothingness.

But, please, even Nietzsche thought nihilism was something to move beyond, not something to wallow in. This is why moving away from European thought is necessary at this juncture, European thought is stuck in its own feelings of superiority.

anon (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 11:12

sometimes i like to pretend i invented anarchism since all the baggage of other anarchists which i don’t like make me want to not be lumped in along with them. but i also need to hold on to anarchism to feel special so as to not be lumped in with normies. so i latch on to exotic seeming philosophies and edgy concepts, and feel special. so in that way, nothingness empowers me.

anon (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 13:48

My bad... this TOTW is DoA. Not only it somehow conflated the Nothing with emptiness (an empty glass is not "nothing", you fool... it's a glass with air in it. It's always relative, but the Void can only be absolute), but the author bluntly confuses Taoism with Buddhism?

I was expecting better-informed posts as starting point for discussion...

lumpy (not verified) Sun, 05/05/2024 - 14:29

sure, as much as i like it when rightists stop doing bad things because their brains turn to mush adopting a do-nothingist woo pseudo-spiritual philosophy, i don't like it when the same thing happens to the left and they stop presenting an effective opposition to capitalism, which is wholly convenient for the powers that be. but that's just me.

actual lumpy (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 13:43

In reply to by lumpy (not verified)

^ not even close to how i type or think but weirdly still almost correct?

not that anybody is presenting an "effective opposition" in the last ... 4 or 5 decades but that would be cool?!

i don't actually give af what "the left" is or isn't doing, it's more that capitalism is objectively terrible and going to kill us all, so basic self interest would strongly suggest "effective opposition" would be desirable

much like how you don't care about a fire fighter's politics while you're currently burning to death, it's like that

lumpy (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 16:20

In reply to by actual lumpy (not verified)

well i am glad we agree, actual. i hadn't encountered someone that has my first name as their last name, but at least it's someone who i can fully agree with. i think that as capitalism is burning us to death, i'd rather have someone try to put out the fire, than have someone think that the way to enlightenment is not trying to change things as they are. i want someone to extinguish the fire that is capitalism regardless of their politics. what matters is that they are effective fire extinguishers

anon (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 22:56

Zen is a neo-Buddhist approach, it does away with the ritual and doctrinal nature of formal Buddhism. It combines fullness and the Abyss into a humorous style of balanced existence in a universe dominated by life and death.

anon (not verified) Thu, 05/09/2024 - 04:29

In reply to by anon (not verified)

If you think Zen "does away" with doctrine and "formal" Buddhism, I invite you to go to a Zen temple in Asia, or a Zen temple in the US where they have bilingual services. When you see that sort of hyper-modern, minimalist interpretation of Zen, it's almost always done at "Zen centers" which cater to white people who are afraid of religion because their dad was a Southern Baptist. My local Zen temple is also Pure Land, when you walk in it's full of statues of deities and there are daily, formal liturgies performed. They also feed you a vegetarian meal and you don't have to pay $400 for a 'meditation retreat' where a white stock broker will tell you how Buddhism is really just applied psychology.

P.S. there is nothing 'neo' about Zen, it was founded in the 5th century. This makes it substantially older than the most popular schools globally, which were generally founded in the medieval period.

P.P.S. The institution of Zen in Japan was notorious for fervently supporting imperialism and even outright genocide; google "Imperial Way Zen."

anon (not verified) Thu, 05/09/2024 - 07:20

In reply to by anon (not verified)

Well said. I said basically this in fewer words three days ago and the authoritarian moderators deleted it because it's clearly a shitpost from one of their sockpuppets attempting humor.
Amituofo

anon (not verified) Sat, 05/11/2024 - 08:10

In reply to by anon (not verified)

Cool, you are referring to your interpretation of a particular writer. The other commenters overall point still stands: that is not representative of Zen in general.

anon (not verified) Fri, 05/10/2024 - 20:45

In reply to by anon (not verified)

No no no, I meant D.T. Suzuki's The Zen Non-Doctrine of No Mind, not the new age crap you have criticized. I agree with you, these New Age versions are what Suzuki described as "Mirror Polishers " obsessed with a sanctimonious cleansing of their thoughts with no regards to the existense of their ethical inner mirror, which is what real zen practicioners strive to eliminate. NooOoo mirrors, just living in the moment,,,spontaneous reaction, not heavy brooding meditation!

anon (not verified) Sat, 05/11/2024 - 00:43

In reply to by anon (not verified)

In addition, if one desires to be an authentic individualist, one must clear the mind of its mirrors, its acquired cultural delusions and its ideologies. Then one becomes again the infantile creative spirit unhindered by societal rules and restraints, yet retains an evolved empathically endowed consciousness, a lightness of psychological perception and emotional equilibrium which cannot fail to benefit all who have social intercourse with you. *sound of mirror shattering on concrete floor*

anon (not verified) Sun, 05/12/2024 - 05:17

In reply to by anon (not verified)

It requires a certain amount of self-discipline to maintain this equilibrium of detached awareness, of mindfulness and existence, seems contradictory, but it's a balancing act between crass materialism and the desire for authenticity in ones actions and relationships, if that makes any sense to the capitalist barbarians?

AnSyn (not verified) Tue, 05/07/2024 - 22:04

I often encounter nothingness in the workplace. It’s a great obstacle when organizing, as coworkers might think it’s pointless to unionize, specially given the time and effort it requires, and the many difficulties one faces along the way. It’s by maintaining a clear positive vision of concrete goals that one can aspire to persevere and overcome these challenges, and it’s this determination which we can call hope.

anon (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 17:19

In reply to by AnSyn (not verified)

You need more disco parties potlucks and/or family events if you wanna organize these days.

Seriously.

Understand the society you're into... unions these days look both lame and tricky for workers that got little employment security. But when done under the guise of entertainment and other social events you're both directly undermining a creeping corporate control tactic, and providing with a fun & beneficial smokescreen for discrete labor talks between workers.

AnSyn (not verified) Thu, 05/09/2024 - 15:21

In reply to by anon (not verified)

Of course I organized social activities as a way to recruit and mobilized. While I was happy with the amount of people that attended, they didn't want to do any self-management around important issues in our community. They were just there for the party. This has not discouraged me whatsoever as I still share memes with them in our group chat, with hopes of nudging them in the right direction.

Moe Fridim (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 16:13

Personally I've never seen the modern variant of anarcho-nihilism as having anything to do with nothingness (or much to do with the historic relation between nihilism and anarchism) but rather as a truncated affirmation of the presently existing system and its perpetuation, a positive affirmation of existent personal feelings of inadequacy and social isolation, of religious faith in the power of the system to overcome resistance, rather than some new profound examination of nothingness.

moo_cow (not verified) Thu, 05/09/2024 - 10:02

emptiness means "empty of what?" as the Heart Sutra says, empty of a separate self. empty of a separate self means context matters. that in fact all there is is context. emptiness is not nothingness, as has been said.

"I think a precondition for sustaining yourself as an anarchist (of the nihilist variety) is the ability to leverage the “Nothingness” of life into an empowering position from which to define yourself continually."

see, here is where this totw went wrong. how can you seriously entertain the notion of (even in scare quotes) the Nothingness of life? the nihilism you seem to cling to isn't even about nothing, but about rejecting bourgeois ethos. it's not that nothing matters, but that you / we get to choose what matters.

this (totw) sort of interpretation of nihilism seems to still be trapped in some transcendental notions of freedom. a hatred of the body, the Earth, of life oozes throughout.
to me, unless ones practice of anarchy is embodied in the messiness of life, the actual here / now of things-beings, it isn't much.

moo (not verified) Thu, 05/09/2024 - 10:11

In reply to by moo_cow (not verified)

stop copying me. also, your concern trolling is weak. if you endeavor to be detached in your preaching then be less concerned what other do with their practice.

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