I've been reading a book called Buddhism Without Beliefs, by Stephen Batchelor (1997). He has this quote by Marcel Proust as an epigraph:
- We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world.
My prompt is:
Have you made your journey through the wilderness? or
What wisdom arose from your unique journey through your wilderness? or
What wilderness in your life does Proust's quote inspire?
by the way, for a good time look back at #todayswritingprompt -- it's been a while, but we're back
I’m finding words of wisdom in a wishing well A frog is croaking at me with a mild truth to tell “My patience is a rainbow and at the end I find A delicious golden fuzzy buzzing muncher of a fly . It fills me and fixes me and let’s me play again As I ring around the rosy I wonder what is next. “ I send a bucket down to fill with water and clear my head My slippery green friend eyes the mark and jumps right in . Up and up and up he cries I haul him to the top I take a nice big swig he cries “this was my dearest hope Out in nature I will find the rainbow’s start, ahoy! I am full up out the downspout to seek the sweetest joy.” . Along he hops I wipe my brow and take my own sweet time Then clamber in the bucket waiting for my big muncher fly
Yes, wisdom in everywhere for sure, in a wishing well, in a frog, in a fly. Especially if being in the ever-present moment is enough, except for when an army of well-armed frogs want all the flies. Or when the flies rise up en mass and smother the frogs. Some of the thoughts on my mind, rene, -- but I do love your poem.
I have not. But I can see that I am in the woods. Do you think that everyone finds this wisdom? Maybe for some it’s only at the end? For others, that are seeking it, it comes sooner? I had a friend named Ralph. I’ve mentioned him here before. He’s dead now, but at one point he was a 90 year old hubskier. Ralph found wisdom and he could see that we were searching for it. He said, “you are in the productive phase of life. Raising kids, pursuing careers, building friendships. There will be a time for reflection and giving back. I wish I could have more insight in to the import of the moments while I’m in them. I’m in the wilderness.