"Seeking perfect total enlightenment
is like looking for a flashlight
when all you need the flashlight for
is to find your flashlight."
- Lew Welch
do you think these people are looking for enlightenment?
is like looking for a flashlight
when all you need the flashlight for
is to find your flashlight."
- Lew Welch
do you think these people are looking for enlightenment?
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3 comments:
Roberta, this one is fun as well as intriguing. As to the picture, who knows? They found their flashlights, so they aren't looking for flashlights. They had a separate reason for wanting the flashlights - Signaling extraterrestrials? Watching bats? Helping create an interesting photo? So if you want enlightenment only so you can have enlightenment, Welch says "why bother?" But what if you want enlightenment, even (or especially) imperfect enlightenment, for some other reason? By the way, I seek partial enlightenment - what WERE those people doing? - Brad
brad,
you crack me up! but if they were seeking "perfect" enlightenment wouldn't they need their flashlights to search for their flashlights? at least according to Welch? :)
Roberta, I guess Welch thinks that "perfect, total enlightenment" has no other use than to find itself - hence the flashlight remark. Since the folks in the photo already got their flashlights for another reason, they've moved beyond what Welch is talking about (whatever that is). Reminds me of an actual, sermon remark by a minister years ago, talking about the parable of the young women who trimmed their lamps and those who did not (so the foolish ones had no light left by the time the bridegroom showed up). The preacher intoned mightily from the pulpit, "So! Would you rather be in the light with the wise virgins or in the dark with the foolish ones?" Snorts and suppressed chuckles ensued. The preacher didn't know why until somebody "enlightened" him! - Brad
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