Vanishing point
- Jaya Härtlein
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
A vanishing point is a point on the image plane of a perspective rendering where the two-dimensional perspective projections of parallel lines in three-dimensional space appear to converge. (1)
In German 'vanishing point' is translated as 'flight point' - 'flight' here from fleeing, rather than flying. I found myself thinking about that today, not as an artistic method, but because I found myself living in a world ruled by a 'flight point'. Everything is directed and geared towards tomorrow morning, 6:45pm, when I leave the house to catch my flight to India.
I observed myself and pondered about what it is like to live my life towards a vanishing point ... it felt somewhat brutal - every moment needs to fit, be used and useful, so all can align with that goal: everything packed, the flat cleaned, stuff put away, food eaten up, flight checked in - all that. Also needing to see a doctor, buying a couple of things... you will know what its like! Ah, and writing this blog!
Everything becomes a means to an end, this end, that takes on enormous importance. And when things don't work the reaction is immediate. The check-in on the app did not work, and I was pretty p...ed off - it confirmed all my views that modern technology is totally overrated. And the people on the help-desk of the airline were less than helpful too. Probably underpaid! - Traffic was annoying on my bike on the way to the doctor. People are so inconsiderate to cyclists! - And on it went...
Yes, I tried to relax! No use. But I found something helpful in the end. I could see clearly that I was creating my suffering (and possibly contributed to that of some others), but could not find a way to sort myself out - until I saw that it was not my doing. I am not the creator of what is in my mind - and therefore also cannot sort it out. What a relief!
I could release it all once I saw that I had been caught up in the idea that the vanishing point is real. I was living in a view ruled by my belief in the reality and increased importance of this one point, disregarding all others. I was fooled by a stylistic choice, as the vanishing point makes something two-dimensional seem more real - a mistake in how I was seeing. It is an artificial construct, trying to make something real, that is not.
Every convincing painting starts with one decision that shapes everything else: how space is constructed. Perspective in painting is the system that makes a flat surface read as a three-dimensional world. (1)
This made me think about how our believes shape the way we see our world. Through the artificial importance I give to some events over others: what is in the foreground, what in the background when I look. And how, like that, so much of the world stays hidden, is not noticed. Other events rise up as enemies - as is written in the Bardo Thodol (The Tibetan Book of the Dead). Much more to be reflected on here ...
For now, I have been released from running towards the flight point. Check-in for the flight was unproblematic right now, and I hope the elements will not seem to rise up as enemies, but I will be able to dance my way with circumstances. Not towards a forced one-pointed perspective, but with panoramic vision to all sides. Because, hey, I will be in the Himalayas soon, treading the sacred ground of Naropa and other Mahamudra teachers - with clear vistas in all directions, which hopefully will clear my mind of all artificial vanishing points. We will be exploring some of the Bardo Thodol on retreat in Dhanakosa (Scotland) in August: Living with Uncertainty (21 - 28 August)
On a weekend workshop in Shrewsbury we will look at how it is to Meet both, demons and friends (5/6 September)
If you might be interested in joining a tour to Ladakh and Zanskar - here is the description and the dates for 2027: Himalayan Valleys
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Wishing you some relaxed weeks, with clear views in all directions.
thank you, great reminder! - Dhammasiri