Life is a delicate, interconnected process, not a single entity.
Tamil philosophy contrasts ‘Uruvam’ (உருவம் - form, sensory) and ‘Aruvam’ (அருவம் - formlessness, abstract).
Form :
- Physical objects (chair, body)
- Measurable things (temperature, weight)
- Concrete actions (walking, eating)
Formlessness :
- Abstract ideas (love, time, gravity)
- Emotions (happiness, fear)
- Thoughts, consciousness
Life manifests as form, yet its essence is elusive, suggesting formlessness. How do you personally see life?
Is it primarily form, a sensory-perceivable process defined by biological functions? Or is it more akin to formlessness, an abstract concept, a set of principles beyond physical form?
Is life, in your understanding, simultaneously ‘form and formlessness’?
This is a fun question OP. I’m glad you asked.
For my answer, I’m going to go with I see Life as an entanglement between the form and the formless. Whether Life leans primarily towards form or formless will vary from species to species, organism to organism, cell to cell as the ratio of entangled form and formlessness can change based on a variety of factors and circumstances.
To give an example, I would view birds as leaning more to entangled formlessness, whereas something like elephants would lean more to entangled form.