Those powerful of us who are capable
To regulate the freaks of nature,
Nourishing their faculty of knowledge
By means of their serenity, and
All throughout life they abstain from
Employing that faculty in action,
They must be pronounced thus
To have also nourished their serenity
By means of their knowledge.
When the faculty of knowledge
And serenity thus blend together,
And they nourish each other, then
From the nature there come forth
Harmony and duly ordered method.
But once they try to rectify others,
While their own virtues are beclouded,
It is not worth to accede to them at all.
If a try is made so to accede to them,
They also will lose their true nature.
Your poem brings up images of monks meditating with content expressions on their faces. Maybe ultimate knowledge and acceptance can bring forth serenity. I don't know. I am nowhere near that state.
A delicate balance, yes. I imagine striving for such potentials (can be) bedeviling at times. Perhaps a pure interaction can be achieved with prayerful discernment and discipline. Who knows. When there are moments of balance, though, I can imagine it being an undeniable state of mind. Do you know I have that exact image you used on a poem I wrote several weeks ago. How very strange. Enjoyed your thoughts, Alexander. Peace... r
The interaction of serenity and knowledge is a unique one as laid out in this poem. It is interesting how you suggest that they feed into each other an angle of thinking that is quite original, "then from the nature there come forth harmony and duly ordered method." Indeed. What would be the good of having knowledge if you didn't have serenity?
While Debtors prisons no longer exist, many people continue to be persecuted for crimes related to poverty or inability to repay money owed to municipalities. This practice remains in an injustice that needs to be rectified.
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