Introduction

Gatekeeper: Welcome to the third chapter. In this chapter, we are going to become acquainted with the teacher who recounted the past twenty articles for us and explained each of them to us. This time, we want to use a fresh method to understand his thoughts; we want to see what he says and what he has to say when confronting real life—the very life flowing around him. For this purpose, we can utilize a medium; for example, we can ask him which part of a specific film and which concern raised in it was important to him. Perhaps in this way, we can invite him to share with us what he has in his mind and what he has experienced himself; thus, we can become acquainted with the thoughts of this teacher from another angle. If you agree, for our first meeting in this new chapter, let us ask him what his opinion is about the film "A Man for All Seasons." Of course, let us remember that we do not want him to interpret the film for us, recount its historical realities, or comment on its dialogues; no. We want to see which part of this film attracted his attention. Now we will step back to see what he will say.

The Teacher's Discourse

Greetings to all of you. I am glad you invited me again to be by your side. Now I see all of you before me, and I am glad that you would like to become more acquainted with my intellectual space. You asked me how I am doing these days and in what situation I find myself, through the lens of the film you chose yourselves, namely, "A Man for All Seasons." You want to know with which part of this film I see myself most closely aligned. There is a scene in this film where Thomas More is sitting in court, with some people by his side and judges placed before him; he speaks with those judges, is confronted with the prosecutor's questions, and with witnesses who have come to testify. If you want to know how I, as a teacher, feel right now, I must say that it is as if I myself am in this very situation. Those who are around me these days are the same ones in whose company I spent years and with whom I shared what I had in my mind; people like you who are listening to my words right now.

I remember I liked to say this sentence many times: "My thought is harmless, my speech is harmless, and my action is also harmless." Those who stood by my side and are now spectators around me are the same ones with whom I spoke over the past fifteen or twenty years; I recounted my intellectual space to them, put my worldview at their disposal, and played the role of an accompanying teacher; the very work I want to perform for you now as well. Let us consider that we are in the early years and I want to speak about a subject that is almost common among all of us: that we live among those whom I label the "Grown-Up(s)" [1]. My point is that in my worldview, the people around me are big, they consider themselves grown-ups, but they have characteristics that are not to my liking. One of these characteristics is that they do not read books (do not study) and have mostly imitative lives. Their words and speeches are nothing but the repetition of what they have heard around them; in the family, in the school, and in various places.

Many times in my conversations with you, I have emphasized the point that in order not to become the "Grown-Up(s)", the way is to engage in study and research. I have said many times that the "Grown-Up(s)" do not bring reasons for their actions, but rather manufacture excuses; they are excuse-seekers and fault-finders. the "Grown-Up(s)" are always in pursuit of more enjoyment/possession, as if they are in an unwritten and unsaid race, and all their efforts are to collect more; as if they have a warehouse that they want to fill with various items. For them, the quality of what they perform is of no importance; it just must be done, it just must be experienced, and even that is a repetitive and useless experience. One of the subjects you can ponder is this very state of being a "Grown-Up"; and know that the "Grown-Up(s)" also suffer from various diseases.

In this very race, they envy one another, play tricks on each other, double-cross one another, are not loyal to each other, and eliminate one another. They are tool-oriented (instrumentalists); meaning they look at everything only as a tool. Humans have a specific duration for them; as long as they have a benefit for them, they use them, and as soon as they are no longer useful, they easily and with any excuse cut the connection because they no longer have a function for them. I tried to say how a "Grown-Up" is, and my proposal is also clear: try not to be a "Grown-Up" and not to suffer from these diseases.

I took you to a space where I have raised these very topics for years; in the previous articles, I also said this in a specific way. Now let us return to the space of the same film you suggested. Now I am sitting on the same chair and looking around; the faces are familiar to me, they are the same people I lived beside for years, and now they want to put me on trial. They say your methods, your words, the actions you performed, were not correct; but I have always told them that I know the reason for their presence here was the very warning I had given before: becoming the "Grown-Up(s)"; because the "Grown-Up(s)", for the sake of their own interests, eliminate their teachers.

There is another scene in this film that can be attractive: the presence of a witness in the court who, to reach a position and status he dreamed of, gives false testimony; he attributes something to the opposing party that never happened, and to reach his desired position, he tramples honor underfoot. It is an interesting scene where the prisoner asks the head of the court to provide an opportunity for him to see the emblem that the witness wears around his neck. If you have seen the film, you remember that there he says to the opponent that if a man gains the whole world but loses his honor, he has gained nothing; let alone becoming the attorney general of a city like "Wales". He wants to say that honor is a very important subject, and you know that honor is among the characteristics of refined humans, not the "Grown-Up(s)".

This scene reminds me of the closest person to whom I recounted my thoughts and beliefs for years—with which you are also somewhat acquainted through the previous articles—I spoke of the quality and outcome of works and decisions, I spoke of how our problems begin from families, and I reminded him of where his problems originated. He was so close to me that I put whatever was necessary at his disposal; as a teacher accompanying him, to reach the position or dream he thought was special, he committed the very action that we see from the tongue of the witness of the story in this film: he attributed things to his teacher and raised issues that he himself, in his loneliness, when he ponders them, knows are not true.

Another part of the film can also be considered: the final part, where the family of this person visits him in prison and asks him to take back his word and live like others. I have also seen myself in such a situation many times; the advice of others as to why you do not live like the rest, like other the "Grown-Up(s)". But the words that are exchanged there in the prison cell are as if they are the very things I want to say to you; I want you to understand why I never want to live like the "Grown-Up(s)". Because in my view, life is not to reach a special enjoyment and possession; life is only a Visionary encounter. This is the very sentence I have said in various presences before: life among humans is a Visionary encounter, an observation, an understanding; just as it is also said in new discussions that human is a receiver (perceiver), must come and meet and see what is reflected in their mind from this meeting.

Yes, I too do not want to be a "Grown-Up" who only participates in a race to reach things, mimic the people before them, and for this possession, do anything. That part of the film is also interesting to me; as if I can imagine myself there as well when it is suggested to abandon this way and live like the rest, and I still say no, I want to remain an observer of the Vision; I have no race with anyone, I do not tell lies about anyone, I do not need to speak behind anyone's back, and I have no special dream for which to trample everything.

The final part of the film is also interesting to me; where the person goes to welcome death himself and is ready, and says a beautiful sentence: I know that the One whom I want to go to meet will not deprive me of His meeting. There too I can say I have a common feeling.

Gatekeeper: I do not know how much this method of conversation attracted your attention; but I tried to use this medium. If you have seen the film, I suggest you watch these parts I mentioned again with more precision and put my words beside them; perhaps by seeing these scenes, you will become more acquainted with my mind. Now it is time to go; I hope to be able to speak with you again, this time on another pretext. Thank you for paying attention to my words.

Footnotes: [1] The term 'grown-ups' is derived from the book Tistou of the Green Thumbs written by Maurice Druon and the book The Little Prince written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.