A Sojourn among the Avatars of Wisdom
Weather permitting, celestial navigation allowed the ancients to navigate across the unforgiving seas. Many a seafarer looked to the heavens for guidance and received it. What about us land dwellers? What guides us along the “river of life”? Not the constellations of stars that we are familiar with. What then? Most of us are familiar with quote books in which the advice is compiled by author or by subject. Each quote is like a star in an alien sky. It is only in relationship with other stars that enables celestial navigation to take place.
Accordingly, we look to the heavens for some pattern of stars that joins wisdom across subjects. In essence, we are searching for constellations of wisdom: a pattern in the sky that will guide us through the trials of life. What kind of narrative would serve as an atlas referencing the constellations of wisdom in the heavens? It should have the counsel from the world’s greatest sages. That would be a start. However, the end result would be exceptionally dry, like a parent lecturing a child before that youth has a chance to get a word in edgewise. Then how would the conversation unfold? It would be a dialog between the person seeking advice and the individual giving it. Since we’d all like to have our own private conversation with our favorite sage, we’d all split up accordingly.
But such dialogs wouldn’t be effective because the end result would be too discordant: there would be too many conversations going on at the same time and the resultant wisdom would not be conveyed. Perhaps a better way to impart knowledge would revolve around the adventures of a fictitious character, which calls for the suspension of disbelief. Moreover, a “fish out of water” story would be even better. One that involves leaving this realm and returning to it after having his hopes and dreams dashed, one that forces him out of his comfort zone. Add external conflict and self-doubt and we have instances in which the possibility for change exists for the protagonist, and by extension, for those who seek it. Consider A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom to do just that!
