The book of knowledge
A man received a book of knowledge
as a gift from a sage, for the man
desired to become wise.
When the man opened the book he found that it had one chapter titled;
"Birth," and the rest of the pages were blank. The man was confused and began to weep, thinking the sage played a trick on him.
The man approached the sage and asked why he gave him an empty book? The sage looked at him with concern and spoke: There are many knowledgable men who are not wise.
Knowledge is a great vessel on a turbulent sea. But it shall perish on the rocky shore 'less the ship finds a course to navigate its hazards.
You can be educated and taught how to do these things, but you must tiller
the vessel with an innocent heart that feels the raw innocence of the sea, and the hands of a plowman, who carves his furrows into the earth straight and true .
Know that to become wise, you must fill the empty pages in your book with
grief and joy, the beauty of love and the weight of love, compassion for the murdered and for the murderer, the pauper and the king, the atheist
and the priest. when you do these things, then you must suffer the sorrow of a thousand deaths.
Then and only then will the door of your house be open to wisdom's wondering. And if wisdom comes to you, it is because you have cleansed
your soul with the soiled towel of humility.
Realize that wisdom is not yours,
for one cannot own the sun but only to bask in its heat and light.
Wisdom is the breath of the elements, from yet a greater breath, and its clouds fashion keys to free doves from their cages. share bread to feed the hungry, and offer wine to enhance the dreams of humanity.
Wisdom has always been there, and will always be, and sits higher than the top of the oldest and highest mountain. And when you are noble enough to stand in its shadow down in its deepest valley, it may then be known only to your heart, finally unveiled in your tears.
And the sage turned his gentle weather beaten face toward the man and held out his hand, giving him a quill in which to write the pages of his book, then he smiled, turned again, and walked away.
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