African wisdom
The four ways of the being....
In Africa, words that are able to be translated by the word symbol are numerous and cover various semantic zones. Nevertheless, they all evoke a crossing point between the visible and the invisible worlds, the manifested and the non-manifested worlds, the world below and the world beyond. The relationship between these two worlds is in the hands of a mediator or wise being.
The true Wisdom does not refer to a human knowledge, but a supra-human, metaphysical Knowledge. The wise being having access to the Knowledge takes on various appearances. In the Chinese tradition for example, he likes to merge into nature or the crowd so as to be totally unnoticed. In other traditions, African notably, he likes to conceal himself under childish, absurd or incisive features as in the following lines:
- The one who knows
- And knows he knows
- Is a wise being
- And has to be followed.
- The one who does not know
- And knows he does not know
- Is a seeker
- And has to be guided.
- The one who knows
- And does not know he knows
- Is a sleeper
- And has to be awakened.
- The one who does not know
- And does not know he does not know
- Is a public danger
- And has to be killed.