Sudeep Adhikari

There is a Thin Line between Philosophy and its All Otherness

A Christian pastor asked the Zen Monk Seung Sahn
if he has seen God
in return, the monk replied, "I am wearing a blue robe"
and burned some incense.
Saying everything with nothing
is probably how you celebrate the sacred.

The other time a logician approached Paramhansha Ramakrishna
and challenged him to a debate on existence of God
he presented a brilliant diatribe,
in the language of lemma, syllogisms and razor-like reasons  
and all the time, the ignorant priest kept quiet
and finally said "how brilliantly Lord is talking through your mouth"
Logic is circular, experience is not.

Boddhidharma went to China
he kept quiet, watching a wall for 9 years
he did not invoke sutras, did not deliver a sermon, did not write books
and he is still the historical one  
who took Buddhism from India to China.
Beyond scriptures and schools,
 there are truths
as naked as the Himalayan peak.

Someone asked Buddha about the God, Universe and Man
he said nothing
a thin line between philosophy and anti-philosophy
is exactly the same line between ignorance and wisdom
and the divide between words and their meaning
a logical indeterminate
can be an experiential immediate, anytime.

Wittgenstein was born rich, and he was brilliant
Bertrand Russell thought he could be
the next philosophical voice from the West
and all he did was wrote a slim aphoristic book
that culminated to a meaningful mute
and went on to teach village kids in a pre-school.
Words are poison, philosophy is a morgue.

John Cage went to the podium
his band played nothing for 4 minutes and 33 seconds
there were sounds of muffled talks, coughs and breathing
and he thought  it was his best piece;
a friend of mine, who is a professor of English
said he used to perform 4'33" for his students
and used various instruments, Piano, of course 
But it sounded equally good on guitar, tenor sax, and vibes
and its brilliant death-metal covers on YouTube,
you should not miss.
The noisiest,
 are always the most silent.

Thoughts and philosophy
can only live a meaningful life 
when they become river, a fluid shape;

 A presence, lightened up by its own absence. 

(this appeared online at Peregrine Muse)

 

Sudeep Adhikari, from Kathmandu Nepal, considers poetry to be an impersonal act, largely deriving its content from unconscious psychic undergrounds. His works have recently been featured in Verse-Virtual, Arlington Literary Journal, Zombie Logic Review, Dead Snakes, UFO Gigolo, Literary Yard, The Peregrine Muse, Soul-Lit Magazine and Novelmasters.The author can be contacted at adhikarisudeep0@gmail.com.