Confucius said...
At fifteen I set my heart on learning;
At thirty I took my stand;
At forty I had no more doubts;
At fifty I was aware of the decrees of Heaven;
At sixty I was obedient to those decrees;
At seventy I just followed my heart’s desire, without overstepping the bounds (of the Tao).
I find the business of being a human person absolutely fascinating. Not least, the fact that being is so simple and elegant but cannot ever be described. And yet we never stop trying.
The Hebrew word for wisdom, I believe, is best translated as “skillful living”. Life is the business of continually being able to continue being. Putting the two together, wisdom is...
The skill that enables us to continue being skillful.
Many books have been written about this subject. The Bible and the I Ching are two that have stood the test of time. They deal with the question of ‘how to live’ in very different ways. Here are some materials that might help you explore these inexhaustible classics.
The I Ching is a structure as much as it is a text. The words are enigmatic to say the least. It makes little sense to read from beginning to end; it is a book of divination.
It works like a Rorschach blot. The situation we are in or the question we are facing brings a certain ‘set’ to our consciousness. Small pieces of text like, “Crossing the river: the foxes tail gets wet.” can take on associations from this ‘set’. Consequently our situation is seen in a new light.
The Yi Jing attempts to present this book through its structure in different ways.
Seeking spiritual fulfillment, hunger for life, or a need for answers; these are as pertinent today as they ever have been. For most of us want to know how to live well. But many are put off by traditional jargon, are left cold by appeals to Biblical ‘authority’, and readily shun any whiff of Christian culture.
Living Well argues that seeking the lowest place opens up possibilities many miss, not least the opportunity to drink from our own personal Living Well.