Fire & Fire

Proverb

Jade is useless unless worked; a man is useless unless educated.

Poem

Heaven’s hand is heavy on us
Do not mock sacres things.
I am ancient, and speak the truth
But you, children, are puffed with pride
My speech may be senile
But you laugh at tragedy,
So your troubles will spread like flame
Until there is no hope left for you.

Meditation

Take time and trouble to learn. 
Listen before you offer advice. 
Look before you judge. 
In the I Ching, the oldest Chinese divination and wisdom book, 
it speaks of the stranger, 
the odd one who breaks into out smug, 
content worlds and makes us think again. 
You may need to stand back and think more deeply,
learn more humbly, what is really important, 
or else you may find yourself consumed – 
like fire upon fire, which swiftly fails, 
for it has nothing of substance to feed upon.

©Loes Raaphorst 10/2005