Why Do Anything?

The Art Of Interaction In The Game Of Go

Torii, Kiyonaga, 1752–1815, artist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

If everything is essentially empty and formless, why interact with it? Why suffer the stress of defeat by challenging someone to a game of Go?

About this series

Go, also known as Baduk or Weiqi, is an ancient board game developed in China over 4000 years ago, and still played by millions today. But what elevates Go from that of other board games enough to be considered an art, a spiritual practice, even an expression of divine cosmology?

In this series, I’ll offer some of my reflections on what the game has to teach.

• The Rules And History of Go: A Brief Introduction
• The First Distinction: Letting Go Of Go
• Balance In All Things: How To Walk The Golden Middle Way In Go
• Why Do Anything? The Art Of Interaction In The Game Of Go
• The Way Of Endless Go: Playing With Infinity

Why Play?

A student asked a Buddhist monk, “If everything is empty and formless, if nothing matters, why play Go? Why shouldn’t I throw the stones on the floor, punch you in the face, and scratch my name into the Goban forever ruining it?”