the stonecutter

duirtree

[cite] Lynn Cornish:[/cite]

Knowledge is a very important 'commodity' in civilization, as is study and learning. These promise power and success, and keep the system chugging along.

...nothing wrong with that. My hope is that, through mindfulness, we can see through the complicated constructs of our world and maybe get a glimpse of what is real.

My thought is that as long as humanity touts the value of knowledge, how can we bring ourselves to accept its profoundly shallow insignificance? The two views evoke conflicting emotions, don't they?

The only true 'knowledge' I've found is knowing the depth of my own ignorance, which I perceive more clearly day by day. I'm going to be a blithering idiot by the time I kick the bucket! As chapter 71 put it:

[chref=71]To know yet to think that one does not know is best;
Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty. [/chref]

Geeez, I'm going to start coming across as one of those Bible thumping / quoting evangelists aren't I. Okey, I know.... what do you mean going to? Anyway, I've got to try to catch up with buddy1 and his record number of posts!

duirtree

there was once a lowly stonecutter. although he was very good at what he did (cutting stone), he always wanted more. one day while he was working, he looked at his boss ordering the other workers about. now, this lowly stonecutter wished to himself "oh, how i wish i could be the boss! just look at the power HE has!"
instantly, our stonecutter finds himself -quite literally- in the boss's shoes!
"wow!" he thinks. "i'm the BOSS! not just some lowly stonecutter".
then, he sees a prince walking by with the usual assortments of guards, courtiers and the like.
"i wish..." and WHAM! he was the prince. "now this is real power" he thought. "more than a lowly stonecutter, or even the boss".
but after a time, a great storm came. lightning, hail and great winds began tearing the village apart.
"why, that storm is even more powerful than a prince!" he thought. "just imagine if i was that storm, the power i would hold!"
and he became the storm. with lightning, hail, and great winds he destroyed the village - all the while revelling in his newfound power.
but when the winds had stilled, he looked down...and saw that something had not been destroyed by his strength. the rocks!
"these rocks can endure anything" he thought. "surely this is true power!"
so he became the rocks.
but he wondered if he had really found true power...surely there was nothing stronger than he was now? why, if a great storm could not subdue him, then who could?

and then he remembered a lowly stonecutter...

Michigander

I came across this parable last fall. I told it to my Freshman English class when we began our Utopia unit.