Collected Observations on Wisdom

Painting: Chuang Tzu Horizon
Original and Prints available.

The text from the journal painting above:

The ancient hermit poets sought wisdom
By remote mountain streams.
Status, power over others, held no interest.
— Chuang Tzu (4th century BCE). This interpretation was inspired by Thomas Merton’s fascinating book, The Way of Chuang Tzu.

I keep notes on a wide variety of subjects of particular interest. Here are my notes on wisdom, collected over the last several years.

• The basis of wisdom is the seeking of a positive future.

• Wisdom makes the lives of others better.

• Wisdom looks for, tunes into, the beauty of others.

• Wisdom is thoughtful, quiet, contemplative.

• Wisdom looks with skepticism at the flow of the mainstream culture that surrounds us, which is based on desire and fear.

• Wisdom avoids rushing, avoids frantic, desperate behavior.

• Wisdom avoids waste.

• Wisdom boils things down to their essence.

• Humans are complicated.

• Wisdom lives within its own center, and doesn’t depend on others or hook into others in an effort to achieve equanimity or peace.

• Wisdom is careful what it engages in, especially what it gets emotionally wrapped up in.

• Wisdom seeks harmony, the point of agreement.

• Wisdom believes in focusing on points of leverage where small action achieves a big result.

• Wisdom seeks transcendent beauty in nature, people and art.

• Wisdom knows how to relax mind and body.

• Wisdom is resourceful.

• Wisdom believes in the simplest, easiest way to accomplish an objective with the fewest moving parts.

• Wisdom knows it doesn’t have all of the answers.

. . .

Journal Question to Consider:

• How would you describe the role of wisdom in your life — wisdom as you define it?

. . .

To view enlarged on the Heron Dance website, visit here.

Changes at Heron Dance

I’ve narrowed the focus of my work to the creation of journals that explore questions at the core of a quality life. As part of that change, most of the art and books on the Zen Mountain Journal website are being liquidated or discontinued.

Details, including the liquidation sale, are here.