Wiping the slate clean has long been synonymous with starting afresh or beginning a new era. Ancient monks used to symbolize the dawn of their spiritual journey with a clean pate or a bald head. The shaven head signified a baby or an innocent on the path. In today’s world however most bald men you meet would be a sad story of early hair loss!
I just wiped out a few hundred blog posts without hesitation as a response to an impasse I face in my life today. As a writer I wish to resurrect and revisit the early days of my writing (kindergarten i.e.) and start from there. In a Zen scenario I have before me an empty canvas and a brush dipped in black ink at readiness.
The pen is mightier than the sword; it is said. I however do not agree. Such an assertion would tip the scales in favour of intelligence of the mind over that of the body. As such this being the ruling of the day causing more of us to ignore the physical plane entirely and seek growth only via the mental plane. I seek to balance the two in my life towards a harmonious existence. This would be akin to the ideology of the ancient Japanese Samurai warriors who were well versed in the killing arts whilst also being proponents of fine arts such as calligraphy, painting and poetry.
I begin my journey with this prologue. I don’t know where I’m going but I’m on my way.