Charles Belbin

Sun Moon Lake, Plum Rain and Tea,
Reading and Writing

Rain pouring down
taking away the far
mountains, then the
near hills across the
lake, then the hilltop
pagoda just on the
other side, then
the lake itself gray
pouring rain up
into the green and
red blossomed phoenix
tree just outside
the rain drop dotted
window.  From the tile
tabletop the I Ching
contrapuntally says,
As the gentle wind
shapes the clouds,
so the wise refine
their bearing. And
Spinoza breezes in:
…the very first
foundation of virtue
is the endeavor (conatum)
to preserve the individual;
and happiness consists
in the human capacity
to preserve itself.
Mostly, Damasio points
out, through learning to
get along with each other,
recognizing conatum in
each other.  And further
paraphrases Spinoza’s
proposition as: I hold	
these truths to be
self-evident, that all
humans are created 
such that they tend
to preserve their life
and seek well-being,
that their happiness
comes from the successful
endeavor to do so, and 
that the foundation of 
virtue rests on these
facts.  Tea cup empty
but still the skies
continue to pour
their nourishing wisdom.