For the truly wise, wisdom is a curse

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Robinski78

[Quote statement]

Good point.

Imagine being the worlds wisest person… Then try to envisage, how often someone would be knocking on your front door, seeking an answer to something or the other… Your phone going day and night and the mail man, having to use the largest van, just to deliver your mail…
Such might be considered a ‘CURSE’…

Therefore, the first part of the statement would be relatively true - without question… That’s the way I see the ‘curse’ factor being applicable…

Also imagine being the world's wisest person with no one who really understands you and no one to whom you can really relate. In some ways, this could be considered a "curse" as well.

If I'm not mistaken, the Tibetan Master Tilopa searched and searched but could only find one person, Naropa, to whom he could transmit his wisdom. This lineage was short-lived with Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa being the four major personages.

Nisargadatta Maharaj was once asked how many of his students actually understood what he was communicating. His response was "maybe one".... "maybe".

I recall that one of Mara's temptations directed towards the Buddha was regarding the effort that Buddha had applied to discover enlightenment and whether the Buddha would find any one who would similarly apply himself/herself and understand what was being communicated. The implication was that the Buddha would become frustrated by the lack of right understanding in his disciples and thus should just leave the earth plane and enter nirvana. Obviously, the Buddha thought otherwise but it was an intriguing temptation.

Didn't the Delphic Oracle proclaim that Socrates was the wisest man in the world ? We all now how that turned out.

One can only imagine what it would be like to see clearly and yet no one understands you nor is anyone willing to make the supreme effort to understand.

In any case, wisdom is of ultimate importance even if there are some aspects of it that may appear to be a "curse".

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Within Silence

The ancient Masters
didn't try to educate the people,
but kindly taught them to not-know.

While I loved your whole post, what caught my attention most was:

"The ancient Masters
didn't try to educate the people,
but kindly taught them to not-know."

That seems to be consistent with one of my favorite Taoist sayings which was attributed to Lao Tzu: "In utter emptiness and complete silence, simply watch The Return".

Thanks for sharing !

Originally Posted by Vitality

Hi,

I found this statement in an online text - Musings of a Chinese Mystic, by Lionel Giles, [1906] when I was exploring about Tao and the Sage.

With the truly wise, wisdom is a curse, sincerity like glue, virtue only a means to acquire, and skill nothing more than a commercial capacity.

I have been pondering upon this since a few days. Any thoughts from the group members on this will help explore further.

Thanks!

sounds like an immature perspective.

[Within Silence]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

While I loved your whole post, what caught my attention most was:

"The ancient Masters
didn't try to educate the people,
but kindly taught them to not-know."

That seems to be consistent with one of my favorite Taoist sayings which was attributed to Lao Tzu: "In utter emptiness and complete silence, simply watch The Return".

Thanks for sharing !

Thanks Still_Waters.

There is much wisdom in "not knowing" and "not trying to educate" in complete silence and utter emptiness too. simply watch, simply watch and flow with whatever the moment brings.

Wisdom is a curse to them that truely understand it, it is an intoxication to which a man or woman is bound to till its term ended of which is then to say to the wise befalls that which also befalls the foolish. So the truely wise see it as curse;..

cuz it will wage its war to the perrson within himself to doe as wisdom pleads it to do, and yet the end of all is the same; there is no differance except for thouse who dont understand it, cuz they weary to be called wise amongst another just to say it is not a curse..

its an ego trip that slowly rages at the person it befalls into. Wisdom, seems to be a blessing, cuz it serves ones cause of ordeal, but in reality it charges ones essence into another dimension just to burden the person at hand with its wishes. Do it or dont but till one sees the fullness of wisdom one will not understand that it is always before ones door knowing, wanting to be played with till it runs one down, and how great the fall it will be. This therefor as it says is wisdom a curse.

To do with it or without it is truely greater, but to the newly peer they are into its cause, letting it run its cause like an intoxication, enjoying it like alcahole till one hits rock bottom, for it is against ones own true nature, but only seen at the end when rung out of space for ones own wishes. To guide wisdom into its course without turning to the left or right, is what makes one of true by sage.

i might have missed some pointers while writing, but this is as fassr as i can or could crry it in due to my understanding and settlement of this quote to be versed and true...

bondage

ie text was on the first two parts of the quotation

[FallingLeaves]

Originally Posted by Robinski78

[Quote statement]
With the truly wise, wisdom is a curse, sincerity like glue, virtue only a means to acquire, and skill nothing more than a commercial capacity. [/unquote]…

On second thoughts, I will throw in a couple of ideas, that might fit the bill…

Imagine being the worlds wisest person… Then try to envisage, how often someone would be knocking on your front door, seeking an answer to something or the other… Your phone going day and night and the mail man, having to use the largest van, just to deliver your mail…
Such might be considered a ‘CURSE’…

Therefore, the first part of the statement would be relatively true - without question… That’s the way I see the ‘curse’ factor being applicable…

I think that ‘skill’ being referred to as a mere commercial capacity, is a somewhat demeaning attitude, when taking into account the effective ways, means and methods by which an individual may have developed their ability to achieve or produce a particular requirement to something approaching perfection…

Therefore: I would strongly oppose such a suggestion…

To be honest, as for the remaining ‘sincerity sticking like glue and virtue being a means of acquisition’ - I’m ‘virtually’ - ‘stuck’ for words…

Robbie….

certain things are thought 'good' - but really the only 'good' lies in the agreement you can get from others by doing them. The truly wise have looked into such matters enough to consider this way of relating a foolishness. Very compelling, but a foolishness nonetheless.

To the truly wise, the idea that you would agree to doing these things all the time *just* so you know how to barter with others for a good material object or a good feeling or a societal position you esteem, seems ludicrous in light of what you get by standing off to the side and not partaking, and the whole thing falls apart.