Wisdom and Deeds

What a "deed" is remains mysterious indeed. What must first be noted here is that a mental act can be a deed if it braves uncharted territory, or brings back unbeknownst treasure, while a whole series of physical acts may be nothing but meaningless toil, carried out but useless. It is wisdom, it seems, that gives value to an action.

But what is wisdom? Knowing what is appropriate in this moment. Can it be that simple? Is it not more mysterious? Yet it is the mind meeting the mysterious, for each moment unfolds its own moment, near-ungraspable, and only the most witty may know it for its size, guessing the good guess and meeting the moment's mystery. What is good for this moment, this little grasp of time in our hands? That is wisdom. Not goody-two-shoes good, mind you, but the full fruitfulness of the situation's purse --- can you ripely pluck its profit, and share it out, as needed?

If there seems something shrewd to wisdom, there is ; if there seems something strong to wisdom, there is ; if there seems something sharp to wisdom, there is. Even the wise are ever being fooled, for mystery stupefies us all, and it takes luck to gain the edge on unfolding, and guess it good and true.

The good man asks, what advantage can I bring to my folk through my living? Let a man conserve, yet take advantage. Return nature to her principal, let a man enjoy her wages a'plenty, and bless the community with the interest. You get to live a good life if you can get it, as full of pleasure and comfort as you can muster, up to your ripe and full enoughness, but a good man asks, what advantage can I bring to my folk through my living? And then dares those deeds ; though she may fail, she still persists, even turning the tables and odds to sift the greater guess, that is wisdom.

Wisdom gives an action value. With immense practicality, wisdom decides the profit of this moment, and learns us on to pluck it.