He was full of a nausea which overpowered him like a distasteful wine, or music that was too sweet and superficial, or like the too sweet smile of the dancers or the too sweet perfume of their hair and breasts. But above all he was nauseated with himself, with his perfumed hair, with the smell of wine from his mouth, with the soft, flabby appearence of his skin. Like one who has eaten and drunk too much and vomits painfully and then feels better, so did the restless man wish he could rid himself with one terrific heave of these pleasures, of these habits of this entirely senseless life.
The above quote is from Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, which I finished the other day and highly recommend. It’s a short read and worth it. The quote describes how I feel today, albeit to a far, far lesser degree. Lazy and fuzzy-headed and sweaty and queezy from too much sleep and too much lounging about on the computer. I’m thinking of getting some energy drinks and pulling an all-night cleaning session; maybe that would life my spirits. Actually, if experience is any guide it will put me into a deep and morose funk; but at least the feeling will be distinct and pure.
Another quote from the same book:
“Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish.”
“Are you jesting?” asked Govinda.
“No, I am telling you what I have discovered. Knowledge can be communcated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”
“Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish.”
My teachings are easy to understand
and easy to put into practice.
Yet your intellect will never grasp them,
and if you try to practice them, you’ll fail.
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 70
also:
When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he half believes it, half doubts it.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud.
If he didn’t laugh,
it wouldn’t be the Tao.
Thus it is said:
The path into the light seems dark,
the path forward seems to go back,
the direct path seems long,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest are seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.
The Tao is nowhere to be found.
Yet it nourishes and completes all things.
Tao Te Ching, Chapter 41.
For what it’s worth.
If you haven’t read it already, I recommend Siddhartha to you in particular. I think you’d like it.
Thank you. I will certainly read it.
Wow…
I haven’t read that book since sophomore year in high school.. I should prolly do it again.. since I’m sure I’ll appreciate it a lot more now…
as for wisdom.. I completely agree.. you can tell people all the wise things that you know.. but until they physically experience what they need to.. in order to gain wisdom..
(not that everyone will gain such wisdom.. but it still requires long-term reflection upon your experiences to create wisdom in my view..)
okay.. need to go work out before I head out to the club tonight…