Marionettes
When those who pursue knowledge
do not see the influences of their ideas they are not content.
When debaters cannot present their views in an orderly manner
they are not content.
When a critic finds nothing which can be faulted
he is not content.
They are all confined by external restrictions.
— And further more…
Those who have strength pride themselves
in performing difficult tasks.
Those who are audacious and courageous
thrive in times of tribulation.
Those who can wield swords and spears
take pleasure in fighting.
Etc., etc…
Those who fluctuate with circumstances are only content when there is change. If they find opportunity they will turn it to their advantage. They all follow the same path with the regularity of the season and do not change themselves. They are caught up in external things and urge their bodies and inner nature to succumb to the pressure of things.
They do not return to themselves in all their life.
Ah, this is sad.
Zhuangzi trans. by Hyun Höchsmann and Yang Guorong, Book 24 Xu Wugui
“Return to the self”
Perhaps offering a definition for this phrase shows that one misunderstands the point… This advice surely is different for each of us. Who doesn’t discover him/herself to be a marionette of circumstances? Not that one is ever detached from what the body and mind requires to function. In my case that amounts to a 2/3 cup of cheerios and about a cup of milk in a bowl every morning. But how many books do I really need in order to be satisfied? Surely a good deal less than I own. I can only hold one at a time in order to read. I think the thrust of the text is invariably we permit circumstance to occupy us with with how we deploy our inherited gifts, or the skills gained through education, or due to our profession.
The author declares that you and I are not the author of our own lives. Utterly predictable, an “effect” of circumstances would be the summation of a “normal” person’s life. Without a scintilla of self-reflection. Never that pause, in order to return to the center.
Yes, the center escapes definition, and maybe that’s the tao.
Marionettes…
We are sad, even tragic mammals.
4 thoughts on “Marionettes”
Yes, my friend, I also feel that “we are sad, and even tragic mammals.” There are many of us (though not enough) who view the circumstances of living as floating in an ocean of dysfunctionality. That somehow we have been given the gift of greater insight into the destructive behavior of our own species. Now, when I reread the statement I just made, it sound pejorative and rather smug. There is no doubt that the feeling of smugness creeps into my senses at times when I consider our plight.
This then begs the question which I’m hoping you or one of your other more erudite readers may be able to shed some light on: Did Socrates also suffer from smugness? He certainly was able to see the dysfunctional qualities of the ruling class as inherent in ancient Greece and would pass along his thoughts, both to his students and also to those who were threatened by his philosophical musings. My guess would be an affirmative to that question. It’s difficult to imagine anyone who firmly believes they have greater insight into how something works, not feeling at least a small sense of smugness in recounting those insights. Perhaps that’s just projection on my part, but I think the smugness quality is ingrained in human nature (to a degree).
Thoughts on this would be appreciated.
I believe that elitism is inevitable if one is fortunate to encounter books, to read intensively, to keep company with others who have a passion for learning. Circumstances are a matter of fate: to show up here, aware that you must play the hand you were dealt.
I remind myself from time to time that what I have received from others is a gift beyond monetary value. I am duty bound to pass on what I can, to transfer the baton to any one that is running in the same direction as I.
Nietzsche clearly was elitist in attitude. He didn’t think that self-awareness was for everyone. The typical citizen prefers to entertain away his life. The house can be afire and he is not to be disturbed as long as “his” team is in the playoffs.
I think I smell something burning!
From the moment we are born we are taught that we must conform to social, ethical and moral standards, if we want to succeed in this life. Those of us with insight seek the Tao for within the Tao we are constantly changing and evolving, constantly being reborn as we travel through life.
An individual or group who does not follow their insight or embrace the Tao becomes the Marionette, the puppet and NOT the puppet master. Those people soon learn there are two groups in life: the haves and the have-nots.
However in order to reach a person’s full potential you must understand and embrace more than just a single thought. Those who are truly blessed in this life will understand and blend aspects of the Tao, Christianity, Judaism, Confucianism, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism to name but a few.
No one of the aforementioned religions are perfect for all have been put to paper by man who when they scribe twist or distort teachings to fit their individual wants and needs.
Therefore to succeed WE must dissect and select the truth!
Good friend, that is how it appears to me as well.