The mirror often cracks before we know it. Shattering in dramatic fashion is the rarity, despite what you may perceive. How aware are when fissures first begin?
That is a complete thought. The elaboration is just a means to keep us both busy. I won’t do all the work for you; the path is richer that way.
Say less and give more.
There should always be two people involved in any project that enrolls a ladder. We might ask who is doing the work, the man who holds the ladder or the one who climbs. We might consider whether the student or the teacher should be praised for high marks in the classroom. But we err in drawing conclusions about who deserves credit for a task that can only be accomplished in tandem.
We watch the grass die and blame the gardener when the lack of rain is at fault. We blame the lack of rain when the gardener has been lazing about. More to the point, engaging our energy in finding a culprit prevents us from really seeing the problem.
Meanwhile, the seasons turn. The grass grows and dies. The buck’s antlers sprout and fall away.
And still, in the spring, who knows where the grass will rise and cover the moss and where the moss will reign? Who can tell doe from mate but the deer themselves? I can guess; but who wants to walk around rooting themselves in guesses?
It is much better to be present to the world as it unfolds. Surrender to the belief that you know nothing and claim the power to create real change. Ignorance is the greatest blessing it is possible to have in this life.
The less knowledge of the world that I hold, the clearer it becomes to me.
****
Many are lost in all the details. They meander about, barely scratching out a meager understanding from about five percent of the surface of reality. It is a futile attempt to get a handle on the situation around them. And these are the most “informed citizens” we have, the movers, shakers, and decision-makers.
Knowledge is just a means for the ego to brag. It’s a recipe, not for expansion or improvement, but to reiterate the self-importance of the knowledge-holder. At best, it’s the makings of a well-timed “I told you so.” Knowledge is not knowing.
Wisdom is something different. It places knowledge where it belongs, sees its proper place and keeps it there. From the outside it often looks like belief, but only through the burdensome lens of knowledge.
****
The shaman knows the tree in ways that the arborist could never fathom.
The arborist, knowledgeable of the tree, has medicine to save the tree. The shaman, knower of the tree, has access to medicine that can save the world. And here, we see the value of both the one holding the ladder and the one climbing it.
****
In July of 1492, I’d imagine a storm swept through the Caribbean Sea, as it does most years. Did anyone take notice that it came from the east and ascribe any special meaning? If so armed with this knowledge, what were their next steps?
Chieftain, shamans, my people, I have heard a message in the storm. The winds bring our destruction. We must prepare.
The crowd’s reaction dictates the details of what comes next but not the outcome.
****
There is only one sure sign of rain. It is the fall of the rain. All other knowledge of rain and the conditions that lead to it is meaningless. It is the ego, giving itself kudos again and again and again.
The fawn knows not when its mother will return. The milk tastes sweeter for it and the mama suffers the milking with more grace. The fawns dash about like drunken tyrants regardless.
****
A lot has transpired over the last month. Rages rising and subsiding. Hearts broken, beginning to mend and many mirrors falling to the floor in pieces. Were they broken before contact or only once they hit the floor? Does it matter when the result is the same?
Historians still call the 1970s a “Time of Malaise.” It all started to fall apart in 1968. The momentum springs forth again in 1980 and sets the U.S. off in a new direction. It’s a neat little story. But its just marketing. The ‘70s needs a new PR agent.
The '70s is the coming to fruition. It’s where all the action in the 1950s and 1960s resolves. Yet, anyone informed on the decade would tell a different story.
As ever, it’s helpful to ask why we believe something is a certain way. Delusion is the acceptance of illusion. Dissolution is still resolution.
And so, go forth. There are options as you do, many things to which you might ground yourself. Many little bits of knowledge exist to give you a sense of direction in the world. But be careful of the importance you place on “figuring things out.” Be curious about whether it adds value to your life or helps you to serve the world around you. Be cautious if what you perceive as knowledge is, in fact, just clever self-deception.
Much love and many blessings.
-Winged Bard
