Li Po wrote poems that asked questions. A common theme was drinking alcohol, but, when I read his poetry, I wonder if it was alcohol or his intoxication with the world he lived in? What is real and not real sometimes blurs boundaries and we ask questions about what is real and not real. Who is the leader and who is not appears in Li Po’s poetry.
Herman Hesse blurred the lines between Leo as a leader and Leo as a servant in Journey to the East. Who serves who? What does it mean to lead and serve? There is a Taoist quality in those questions.
Chuang Tzu in dream became a butterfly,
And the butterfly became Chuang Tzu at waking.
Which was the real—the butterfly or the man ?
Who can tell the end of the endless changes of things?
The water that flows into the depth of the distant sea
Returns anon to the shallows of a transparent stream.
The man, raising melons outside the green gate of the city,
Was once the Prince of the East Hill.
So must rank and riches vanish.
You know it, still you toil and toil,—what for?
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
I TOOK A COLLEGE PHILOSOPHY COURSE FROM HERMAN HESSE…ON SIDHARTHA…USING HESSE’S BOOK!
THIS, I understand is one of those classic paradoxes in philosophy. 🙂
It is.
I THOUGHT so! :0) It’s been a long time since college Philosophy for me.
Reblogged this on James' World 2.
I found this very interesting. Iwonder sometimes the same. Are the poet/artist drunk or on drugs? I didn’t think to much about this until recently. And I don’t know why I stsarted to notice – maybe because I’m getting older ( soon 50) or maybe because I’ve pretty close seen what damage alcohol does to a persons mind and perception.
I was about to post a video with Elvis for my mother in a post of mine. But looking around I caught myself looking for a video where he seemed to be sobver or not at any drugs. Because I find it so not worthy for the artist and the recipient – if the artist is on drugs.
Now it occurs to me all the time when I watch music videos of som favourite bands – most of them are high on stage. I don’t know why I see it so clearly now. I don’t judge them. I just find it sad.
The thougt of that our greatest poets have been writing the big works in a fog….I get shivers down my spine.
Thank you for another great post!
Some of them certainly have, but, when I read Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, Gary Snyder or hear David Whyte read his poetry I am sure many are operating soberly in all ways. I think the sad thing is many of the famous ones end up in places you are describing, which might more a statement about fame and its risks than creativity.
Thank you for an insightful comment.
Thank you for an interesting post!
You are welcome.