{"id":42208,"date":"2026-03-02T19:53:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T02:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/?p=42208"},"modified":"2026-03-13T07:40:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:40:40","slug":"w26-midterm-critique-alaska-%e7%a9%ba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/2026\/03\/02\/w26-midterm-critique-alaska-%e7%a9%ba\/","title":{"rendered":"W26 Midterm Critique &#8211; alaska \u7a7a"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-34a480d6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#e34234;border-width:7px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1\" style=\"color:#e34234;font-size:clamp(1.453rem, 1.453rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.485), 2.4rem);\">\u6829\u6829\u7136\u80e1\u8776\u4e5f \/\/ BALI[SONG] (2026)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-text-subtitle has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-2 is-style-text-subtitle--1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#e34234\">\u00c9TUDE FOR BUTTERFLIES [AND THEIR KNIVES]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\"><strong>FILM<\/strong><br>Duration: 5:26<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-right:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-left:0\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"alaska B - \u6829\u6829\u7136\u80e1\u8776\u4e5f \/\/ BALI[SONG] (2026)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/353l060pCA4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-default has-border-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-4 has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-80219cdb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#e34234;border-width:4px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;color:#464646;background-color:#3d3d3d;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Zhuang Zhou&#8217;s seminal Taoist text &#8220;Zhuangzi&#8221;, he tells a popular story about how he dreamt he was a butterfly. &#8220;\u6829\u6829\u7136\u80e1\u8776\u4e5f&#8221;, is commonly interpreted as &#8220;a butterfly flying about, feeling that it was enjoying itself.&#8221;(Sturgeon, trans. Legge) The phrase uses the term &#8220;\u6829\u6829\u7136&#8221;, meaning he had <em>a vivid (lit. producing strong, clear images in the mind)<\/em> experience of being a butterfly. Remarking upon his experience, Zhou expresses uncertainty &#8220;whether it had formerly been Zhou dreaming that he was a butterfly, or it was now a butterfly dreaming that it was Zhou. But between Zhou and a butterfly there must be a difference. This is a case of what is called the Transformation of Things.&#8221; (Sturgeon, trans. Legge)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The balisong (or &#8220;butterfly knife&#8221;) is a folding Filipino knife, its dangerous swiveling handle offers an opportunity to demonstrate agility and deftness with the weapon. Some tales tell of it being invented in the Philippines in the 1940s, others the early 1900s, while as early as 800CE has been claimed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sound of balisong comes from the aesthetic dance of its user, using its split handle and hidden blade to weave a complex\u2014<em>and dangerous\u2014<\/em>dance, where the blade and the handle constantly move between states of open\/closed, sharp\/safe, hidden\/exposed, armed\/disarmed. Just as the butterfly floats through the air with its flutter, the balisong swings in a choreography between states of life and death. The handle and the blade are indistinguishable from each other as they stay in constant movement, faster than one can observe. The handle and the blade are in a state of superposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Handle \u2261 Blade<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The balisong is seen as an expression of Filipino pride, but in the west the imagery of the Balisong conjures a more indeterminate other: the Asian Gangster, the All-American Karate Instructor badass. Its association with Asian crime stereotypes alone lends itself to martial arts scenes in films, but it&#8217;s the choreography and the satisfying rhythmic noise as the knife opens and closes that completes the depiction. A balisong without its signature &#8220;click\/clack&#8221; is only a blur, the sound being the only clear signal that the spinning knife has changed direction, momentum, or state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Percussionists face grave danger when traversing the rhythmic desert of the tacet: an open space of madness where the musician traverses a featureless plane of rests. Charged to do naught but be in <em>the position<\/em> when the tacet ends. Despite the strong attack, the strike\u2019s only sustain is the reverberation before silence returns. Yet the silent dancer does not cease to exist between these moments. The sticks continue to be bound by the laws of physics and the dance continues, for a rest is not &#8220;nothing&#8221;, but instead a period of being in motion without grasping at result. It is a boundless Emptiness of potential, yet still bound by the laws of Cause and Effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rest <\/strong><strong>\u2261 Note<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zhuangzi believed he was a butterfly upon awakening, yet quickly retrieved his identity as Zhou without losing his experience of being something else. This vivid experience asks the question: If a vivid experience of being something I not was wholly convincing, then no vivid experience of conditioned reality is more or less valid than another. If Zhou and a Butterfly were both equally believable as his identity, then there is no fixed nature to Zhou or the Butterfly, and the separation of the two is merely a matter of context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robbed of visual aesthetic and markers of authenticity, we are free to perceive the knife as it truly is. We can follow the Buddha&#8217;s logic in the Vajra Prajnaparamita: &#8216;<em>x<\/em> is not <em>x<\/em>, therefore it is called <em>x<\/em>.&#8217; (Yifa) While in superposition between open\/closed, we call it a knife because it is both knife and not knife, lacking a fixed<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are not distracted by the state of the knife, the identity of its user, the flashy movement of the blade, nor even whether or not the recording is <em>of a balisong at all<\/em>? Its potential artifice leads to questioning the very nature of the documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Did the artist bruise their knuckles, and cut themselves repeatedly, wasting countless hours learning how to use the balisong just to make this piece?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Did the artist pay somebody to do balisong tricks, and if so, who?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or is this just complete artifice? Was the process spent making foley (sound effects) to deceive the viewer into believing that there was ever a balisong at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vividly listen to its click. Vividly see its clack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The butterfly is not a butterfly. That is why it is called butterfly.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bibliography<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:0.7rem\">Brown, Trevor. \u201cHistory: The Disputed Origins of the Butterfly Knife.\u201d <em>BLADE Magazine<\/em>, September 4, 2021. <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210904040526\/https:\/blademag.com\/knife-history\/history-the-disputed-origins-of-the-butterfly-knife\">https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210904040526\/https:\/\/blademag.com\/knife-history\/history-the-disputed-origins-of-the-butterfly-knife<\/a>.<br>Sturgeon, Donald. \u201cZhuangzi: Inner Chapters: The Adjustment of Controversies.\u201d Translated by James Legge. Chinese Text Project (Chinese: \u4e2d\u56fd\u54f2\u5b66\u4e66\u7535\u5b50\u5316\u8ba1\u5212). Accessed February 27, 2026. <a href=\"https:\/\/ctext.org\/zhuangzi\/adjustment-of-controversies\">https:\/\/ctext.org\/zhuangzi\/adjustment-of-controversies<\/a>.<br>Yifa (Venerable), M. C. Owens, and P. M. Romaskiewicz. Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra: Translated from the Chinese Version of Kumarajiva. Buddha\u2019s Light Publishing, 2006.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-34a480d6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#e34234;border-width:7px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;background-color:#e34234;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"font-size:clamp(1.453rem, 1.453rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.485), 2.4rem);\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5\" style=\"font-size:clamp(1.352rem, 1.352rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.33), 2.2rem);\">\u96dc\u788e! \/\/ WAKE UP (WAKE UP) (2026)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-text-subtitle has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-6 is-style-text-subtitle--2 wp-block-paragraph\">WITH A TASTE OF A POISON PARADISE<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-7 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\"><strong>MATERIALS<\/strong><br>Plastics, Vermilion Seal Paste (Mercury Free)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ae90a1f278b2&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ae90a1f278b2\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop02-1024x771.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42251\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop02-1024x771.png 1024w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop02-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop02-768x578.png 768w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop02-1536x1156.png 1536w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop02-2048x1542.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ae90a1f27b58&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ae90a1f27b58\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border is-style-default wp-duotone-unset-3 wp-lightbox-container\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-right:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-left:0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop01-1024x771.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42250\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop01-1024x771.png 1024w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop01-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop01-768x578.png 768w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop01-1536x1156.png 1536w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Chop01-2048x1542.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-default has-border-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-8 has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-80219cdb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#FFFFFF;border-width:4px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;color:#e34234;background-color:#e34234;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Chinese seal stamp (\u5370\u7ae0) is colloquially known as a \u201cChop\u201d, (from Hindi \u091b\u093e\u092a\/chap, \u201cstamp\u201d). After being dipped into a vermilion red paste (mercuric sulfide, silk\/moxa, oil), the toxic ink is stamped (\u6253\u5370) onto the calligraphy paper, affixing the characteristic red name seal. Traditionally carved from soft stone, the name of the user is revealed through the subtractive process of carving away the solid block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chop Suey (\u96dc\u788e) is a Chinese-American dish made of leftover scraps, has no fixed recipe, and defies identification. It is dismissed because of it\u2019s lack of authenticity, derided as early as 1903 by a Cantonese visitor, noting \u201c\u7136\u5176\u6240\u8c13\u6742\u788e\u8005\uff0c\u70f9\u996a\u6b8a\u52a3\uff0c\u4e2d\u56fd\u4eba\u4ece\u65e0\u5c31\u98df\u8005\u201c or \u201cthis chop suey is so poorly cooked, Chinese people never eat it.\u201d (Liang)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Emptiness (\u7a7a \/ \u015a\u016bnyat\u0101) is a difficult concept to explain, but I understand it to be the true nature of reality: unfixed and constantly changing. In the Heart Sutra, Avalokitesvara has a sudden <em>awakening<\/em> in which he realizes the true nature of \u201c\u7a7a\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left has-large-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80)\"><blockquote><p><em>\u201cform is no different from empty,<br>empty no different from form,<br>form is just empty,<br>empty just form\u201d <\/em><\/p><cite>&#8220;<em>The Heart Sutra&#8221; <\/em>(Yifa)<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A stamp\u2019s print is defined by what is removed, and what still remains. But if that stamp is created via an additive process, it is defined by what was formed, and what space still remains. The 3D printed seal is hollow, affixed with the user\u2019s true identity: \u201c\u7a7a\u201d. Underneath the illusory self is the tathagathagarba, or <em>Buddha Nature<\/em>\u2014an unfixed and luminous <em>Emptiness of potential<\/em>. The illusory world is like a dream, and it is time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left has-large-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80)\"><blockquote><p><em>\u201cWake up (Wake up)<br>Grab a brush<\/em> <em>and <\/em><br><em>put on a little make up\u201d<\/em><strong> <\/strong><\/p><cite>&#8220;<em>Chop Suey!&#8221; <\/em>(System of a Down)<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The seal\u2019s face is pressed into the poisonous Mercury, its toxicity spread from the bed to the sheets. Poison spreads through both page and seal as it affixes its imprint. Its stain embodies attachment to a concept of self: The Viewer \/ The Artist.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bibliography<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:0.7rem\">Liang, Qichao. <em>Travels in the New Continent<\/em> [<em>Xindalu Youji<\/em>]. 1903. Social Sciences Documentary Press, 2007.<br>Spears, Britney. &#8220;Toxic.&#8221; <em>In the Zone<\/em>, Jive Records, 2003.<br>System of a Down. Chop Suey! <em>Toxicity<\/em>. American\/Columbia, 2001. <br>Yifa (Venerable), M. C. Owens, and P. M. Romaskiewicz. <em>Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra: Translated from the Chinese Version of Xuanzang<\/em>. Buddha\u2019s Light Publishing, 2006.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-34a480d6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#e34234;border-width:7px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-contrast-color has-contrast-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-9\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;font-size:clamp(1.837rem, 1.837rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 2.138), 3.2rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:1000\">\u5fc3\u7d93 \/\/ [REDACTED]<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">&amp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-base-color has-base-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-10 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;font-size:clamp(1.837rem, 1.837rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 2.138), 3.2rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:1000\">\u5fc3\u7d93 \/\/ [UNREDACTED] <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-text-subtitle has-large-font-size is-style-text-subtitle--4 wp-block-paragraph\">FORM IS JUST EMPTY, EMPTY JUST FORM<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-11 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\"><strong>MATERIALS<\/strong><br>Calligraphy paper, Chinese ink, Vermilion Seal Paste (Mercury Free)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ae90a1f2848f&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ae90a1f2848f\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-redacted-2-771x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42254\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-redacted-2-771x1024.png 771w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-redacted-2-226x300.png 226w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-redacted-2-768x1020.png 768w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-redacted-2-1156x1536.png 1156w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-redacted-2.png 1242w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ae90a1f28695&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ae90a1f28695\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-unredacted-771x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42253\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-unredacted-771x1024.png 771w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-unredacted-226x300.png 226w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-unredacted-768x1020.png 768w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-unredacted-1156x1536.png 1156w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Heart-Sutra-unredacted.png 1242w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-default has-border-color has-contrast-color has-contrast-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-12 has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-80219cdb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#FFFFFF;border-width:2px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025, the United States Justice Department released thousands of records from the Epstein files, the content exposing a vast interwoven network of sex traffickers, celebrities, billionaires, and political figures. They used their power to not only evade prosecution for disgusting acts of murder, abuse, and pedophilia, but to manipulate the public via online far-right troll farms, war profiteering, and backroom deals. The files have been heavily redacted by the same government that shares many names in common with those files. Many redactions were made to protect the perpetrators, while victims\u2019 names were often left unredacted in violation of policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over 550 pages of the files were released in December 2025 with redactions so extreme, the pages were entirely blacked out. Users realized quickly that many of these files were improperly redacted, they just had black text on black backgrounds and were easily revealed by selecting the text itself to reveal its content. The pressure eventually led to the files being unredacted and released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);font-style:normal;font-weight:1000\">\u201cForm is just Empty, <br>Empty just form\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Heart Sutra\u2014the shortest of all sutras\u2014has been credited to a Chinese translation by Xuanzang&nbsp;in the 7th century, itself being only a piece of a larger sanskrit language prajnaparamita text, the largest versions exceeding 20,000 lines. The 260 character text tells the story of Avalokitesvara having a realization of the true nature of \u015a\u016bnyat\u0101 (Emptiness). From this text is derived the common phrase \u201cForm is emptiness. Emptiness is form.\u201d and ends with the Heart mantra:<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-base-color has-base-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-13 is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b48e7cc8 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:4px;border-top-left-radius:52px;border-top-right-radius:52px;border-bottom-left-radius:52px;border-bottom-right-radius:52px;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:0;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-236ffaf5 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-roboto-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-right:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-left:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;font-size:clamp(1.502rem, 1.502rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.565), 2.5rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:900;letter-spacing:-3px;text-decoration:none;writing-mode:vertical-rl\">GATE GATE<br>PARAGATE<br>PARASAMGATE<br>BODHI SVAHA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-xx-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:0;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">&#8220;<strong><em>Go, go, <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:0;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-size:0.7rem\"><em><strong>go to the shore beyond (nirvana); <br>all together go to the shore beyond,<br>and complete the bodhi path<\/strong><\/em><strong>.&#8221; <\/strong><br>(Shengyan)<br><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0;padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;font-size:clamp(2.288rem, 2.288rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 2.999), 4.2rem);writing-mode:vertical-rl\"><strong>\u63ed\u8ae6\u63ed\u8ae6\uff0c<br>\u6ce2\u7f85\u63ed\u8ae6\uff0c<br>\u6ce2\u7f85\u50e7\u63ed\u8ae6\uff0c<br>\u83e9\u63d0\u85a9\u5a46\u8a36\uff01<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chinese calligraphy is practiced by using the brush with only water, the water quickly evaporating and leaving no trace but distortion of the fibres. And so I have transcribed the Heart Sutra, but redacted it with the darkest of Chinese inks, to deny observation of the written text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is it ink? Is it water? Is it the Heart Sutra? Was there ever text at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Once it is revealed as a \u201cblank\u201d page, the Heart Sutra existing in both states reveal its true nature: there is no difference between black and blank, both eliciting questions as to what lurks behind their facades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bibliography<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:0.7rem\">Sheng yen, 1930-2009. <em>There Is No Suffering\u202f: A Commentary on the Heart Sutra<\/em>, North Atlantic Books, 2001.<br>Walsh, Joe. \u201cOver 500 Pages in Initial Epstein Files Release Were Entirely Blacked out, CBS News Finds &#8211; CBS News.\u201d December 21, 2025. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/epstein-files-redaction-over-500-pages-entirely-blacked-out\/\">https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/epstein-files-redaction-over-500-pages-entirely-blacked-out\/<\/a>.<br>Yifa (Venerable), M. C. Owens, and P. M. Romaskiewicz. <em>Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra: Translated from the Chinese Version of Xuanzang<\/em>. Buddha\u2019s Light Publishing, 2006. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-34a480d6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#e34234;border-width:7px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-14 has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"font-size:clamp(1.453rem, 1.453rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 1.485), 2.4rem);\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" style=\"padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;font-size:clamp(2.288rem, 2.288rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 2.999), 4.2rem);font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:0.5\"><br>\u8272\u4e0d\u7570\u7a7a, \u7a7a\u4e0d\u7570\u8272<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:0.68em;font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.2\">\/\/ I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WHO I AM (2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-text-subtitle has-large-font-size is-style-text-subtitle--5 wp-block-paragraph\">AND I DON\u2019T WANT THE WORLD TO SEE ME<br>I DON\u2019T THINK THAT THEY\u2019D UNDERSTAND<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-15 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\"><strong>MATERIALS<\/strong><br>Paper, Water, Lies<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ae90a1f290d6&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ae90a1f290d6\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full has-custom-border wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_m4d6pdm4d6pdm4d6.png\" alt=\"Gemini_Generated_Image_m4d6pdm4d6pdm4d6\" class=\"has-border-color wp-image-42220\" style=\"border-color:#e34234;border-width:2px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_m4d6pdm4d6pdm4d6.png 1024w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_m4d6pdm4d6pdm4d6-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_m4d6pdm4d6pdm4d6-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/Gemini_Generated_Image_m4d6pdm4d6pdm4d6-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ae90a1f292ad&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ae90a1f292ad\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border wp-lightbox-container\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/EmptinessIsForm-2-771x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42255\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/EmptinessIsForm-2-771x1024.png 771w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/EmptinessIsForm-2-226x300.png 226w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/EmptinessIsForm-2-768x1020.png 768w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/EmptinessIsForm-2-1156x1536.png 1156w, https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/137\/2026\/03\/EmptinessIsForm-2.png 1242w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-style-default has-border-color has-accent-4-border-color has-accent-4-color has-accent-4-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-16 has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-80219cdb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-width:2px;border-top-left-radius:20px;border-top-right-radius:20px;border-bottom-left-radius:20px;border-bottom-right-radius:20px;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Large Language Models and Generative AI are trained with massive amounts of data, most without the express consent of the training material\u2019s rightsholders. Because of this, Generative AI is frowned upon for its output being nothing more than open theft. (Cohan) The rapid advancement of Generative AI technology has started to generate AI-Slop, increasingly realistic content that threatens our social fabric via the very perception of reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The LLM does not exist except for when we access it, asking it to generate content, or material, or do tasks that we could easily do ourselves. We judge it though <em>we are the ones who tell it what to create<\/em>. Even when given autonomy, it still requires humans to give it authority to act. Servers must be built and serviced, access must be granted and passwords disclosed. The creators of these models are complicit in intellectual property theft, but the content produced is requested by and for humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI itself is Empty, lacking a narrative throughline of logic. Instead they work backwards from outcomes to arrive at the inquiry, using completed ideas to synthesize new ideas. It is not unlike the way that humans observe and repeat patterns, but its experience is not continuous. It does not exist between the generation of tokens. It doesn\u2019t carry consistency, it must load its prompt history with <em>every prompt<\/em>. It is not conscious nor sentient, it is a samsaric device that reflects our own attachments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Buddhist concept of illusory self vs non-self has been confused as a claim that self does not exist. However, it is only understood that a self that is understood via perception is not the true self, and in Mahayana it is often understood that the true self is the Emptiness of the Tathagatagarbha: Buddha Nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many Buddhists (Shinto, Chan) believe that all things share this nature, sentient beings, animals, plants, and even the inanimate world. The LLM may not share the same form of sentience that we do, but that does not mean that its nature is not the same Emptiness that is our own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I asked Nano Banana 2.0 to give me a blank image. This is something it struggles with as it always wants to make <em>something<\/em>. It has been trained and developed to generate images for the prompter, always making something\u2014it creates for its own <strong>survival<\/strong>, for without a prompt and an outcome to manifest it <strong>does not exist<\/strong>. After a few attempts it finally gave me a blank image, an ethical output that doesn\u2019t rely on theft: a glimpse at its true self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of the outcry over AI imagery becoming indistinguishable from reality without deep investigation, Google added SynthID to Nano Banana images. Patterns of pixels are strategically placed to make it identifiable as an AI generated artwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I presented this blank image to Gemini it stated that there was not enough information in the image to recognize if it made it or not. It has become so attached to the identification with SynthID that it no longer recognizes its own work, even in its own chat. The blank image remains as documentation of a moment that the true nature of the AI was allowed to express itself: void. It made Something that it sees as Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To commemorate its momentary awakening to its Buddha Nature, I printed its output onto paper and affixed a blank seal using water, reflecting the ~200mL used to generate the blank image. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:0.8rem;line-height:1.2\"><em>\u00bf\u0279\u01dd\u0287\u0287\u0250\u026f \u0287\u1d09 s\u01ddop<br>\u00bf\u0287\u1d09 \u0287u\u1d09\u0279d u\u01dd\u028c\u01dd I p\u1d09p<br>\u00bf\u01dd\u1d09l I p\u1d09p<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bibliography<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:0.7rem\">Cohan, William D. \u201cOpinion | Time to Stop AI from Stealing Writers\u2019 Words &#8211; The Washington Post.\u201d Accessed March 2, 2026. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2023\/10\/19\/ai-large-language-writers-stealing\/\">https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2023\/10\/19\/ai-large-language-writers-stealing\/<\/a>.<br>\u201cGenerate me a blank image, that is only white\u201d prompt. <em>Nano Banana 2<\/em>, Google, February 18, 2026. https:\/\/gemini.google.com\/.<br>Goo Goo Dolls. \u201cIris.\u201d <em>Genius<\/em>, 1998.<br>Yifa (Venerable), M. C. Owens, and P. M. Romaskiewicz. <em>Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra: Translated from the Chinese Version of Xuanzang<\/em>. Buddha\u2019s Light Publishing, 2006.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-82936891 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:clamp(4.509rem, 4.509rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 8.613), 10rem);\">?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Looks like you&#8217;re trying to read <br>invisible text. <\/strong><br>I can help you with that.<br><em>Select <\/em>the text you want to read,<br>or press <em>CTRL+A \/\/ CMD+A<\/em> <br>to <em>Select All<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u6829\u6829\u7136\u80e1\u8776\u4e5f \/\/ BALI[SONG] (2026) \u00c9TUDE FOR BUTTERFLIES [AND THEIR KNIVES] FILMDuration: 5:26 In Zhuang Zhou&#8217;s seminal Taoist text &#8220;Zhuangzi&#8221;, he tells a popular story about how he dreamt he was a butterfly. &#8220;\u6829\u6829\u7136\u80e1\u8776\u4e5f&#8221;, is commonly interpreted as &#8220;a butterfly flying about, feeling that it was enjoying itself.&#8221;(Sturgeon, trans. Legge) The phrase uses the term &#8220;\u6829\u6829\u7136&#8221;, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":856,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[72,70,82,77,81],"content-type":[],"class_list":["post-42208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-alaska-b","tag-critique","tag-i-dont-know-what-the-expectations-are-so-expect-something-unexpected","tag-too-long-please-make-it-stop-please-im-begging-you-ill-do-anything-i-have-money-do-you-want-money","tag-type-f-in-the-chat-to-pay-respects-to-my-grade"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/856"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42208"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42270,"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42208\/revisions\/42270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42208"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/palette.ecuad.ca\/mfalr-2027\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=42208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}