Wisdom from the East

 

There is a pocket-sized booklet of quotes from such notable dispensers of wisdom as the Dalai Lama, Lao Tzu, Suzuki, Matzu and Jiddu Kaishnamati and others. Now these are not necessarily household names, but their quotes perpetuate the myth that wisdom only comes from the Eastern Zen masters.

It sorta makes some sense that anybody living a celibate life in a mountain cave without social media might have some clarity of thought.  Strangely, Trump was not quoted, only Biden, “Now here’s the deal.” Mud often gives the illusion of depth.

I flip through the pages which are little more that rip-offs to put in your shirt pocket for the day’s devotion, like wisdom from a fortune cookie. Now only the Chinese restaurants serve fortune cookies you know.  The last one I got read, “See Rock City.”

Let’s take a few of these tidbits of wisdom and see if they fit into our polarized, pressurized, and socialized life. Try this one: “Enjoy your problems.” You have yours, I have mine. My latest is trying to enjoy this new knee that Santa brought 45 days ago. What have I discovered? Compassion is short-lived.

Here’s a good one from Suzuki somebody-or-other: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”  Have you noticed that everyone considers themselves an expert in something? I did once. Until I discovered that “Not creating delusions is enlightenment.” So much for picking stocks.

Now Ma-Tsu has a good one for everyday meditation if you’re into that sort of thing: “The tighter you squeeze the less you have.”  I picture my palms open to the heavens, my prayer ascending thereto, my petition for mammon, lots of it. I see a Ben Franklin float down into each palm, my fingers squeeze them tightly. Then the heavens speak, “Son, you have to let go to get more.” Oops. Such irony.

I don’t know what age one has to attain to understand that everything’s changing, and nothing remains the same. But whenever enlightenment reveals it, we’ll agree with this one: “One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.” Amen?

How many times have we faced a dilemma that seemingly was a Gordian knot, a conundrum unsolvable by the human mind? And if Google can’t help, where do we go for a solution? We’re not alone. Back a few centuries ago a fellow named Wumen Hukai was advised to “Live by letting things happen.” He meditated on this for a few years and came up with: “Since it’s all too clear, it takes time to grasp it.”   Maybe it’ll clear up the confusion of your gender or personal pronoun.

Such wisdom. Can it all emanate from the East? It’s difficult to find much around here these days, on the airways, the newsprint, the constant blabber of Twitter. So let me pass on to you one of my favorites pontificated by a South Georgia friend: “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”  Avoid the herd.

Enough of this silliness. Now down to business. We’re in the Christmas season and encounter ‘wise men from the east’ following a star. Ask any woman if they believe there are ‘wise men.’ They’ll answer, “No such thing.”  They won’t be joking. 

Anyway, these star gazers were called ‘magoi, a Persian word meaning ‘star experts.’ They followed a star to Jerusalem seeking the Christ child. We know they were wise because they weren’t duped by King Herod. And they found the answer in a manger in Bethlehem. We should take serious note of the duplicity of authority these days.

Back in the summer a mockingbird sat on the office deck railing and sang its heart out. So many tunes. It was a joy to hear it. We’ll celebrate Christmas by singing our old familiar hymns: Angels We Have Heard on High, Away in a Manger, Silent Night, O Holy Night, Joy to the World and others. Perhaps we’ll even spot a special star, or satellite. 

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An ancient Chinese proverb is applicable: “A bird does not sing because it has an answer: It sings because it has a song.” And we will sing our songs because we, like the ‘wise men,’ have found The Answer.

May joy fill your world and health fill your stocking this Christmas. Merry Christmas from The Weakly Post.

 

Bud Hearn

December 21, 2022