Amazing Limericks about Inner Wisdom

According to Plato, we never really learn anything new. We only remember what we already knew when we dwelt in the realm of Forms, before we arrived in this world of ordinary imperfection. So goes the theory of anamnesis from the Meno dialog.

The following series of limericks about Inner Wisdom explores exactly that kind of knowledge. Those are the things that no one can teach us. This is the wisdom you gain when you seek to know thyself.

Act One
There’s a drama in which we act out
You could brood over what it’s about
But wait for the cue
And you’ll know what to do
Like a seed that knows just when to sprout

Going for the One
Straighten your mizzen and steady your oar
Set sail for the hub of your centermost core
Arrive at the middle
Unravel the riddle
Return to the One and debark on the shore

Inner Visions
Pseudo-scientific, or so it’s been called
Tell that to the Greeks — they’d be shocked and appalled
For knowing thyself
Is the key to good health
Your life can’t be measured, but only recalled

Higher Appetites
Our race was awarded a wealth of awareness
A thirst for the truth and a hunger for fairness
A knack for reflection
And deep introspection
But genuine insights are still such a rareness

City in the Clouds
Demolish your castle and open your eyes
Tear down the walls and dismantle the lies
The framework is flawed
So drop the façade
For the kingdom inside is your secret surprise

The Book of Life
In need of a place to begin
We open the novel again
To search for our souls
In deep rabbit holes
But the answers we harbor within

Gnosis
Seeking salvation outside will bring strain
Authority bent on controlling your brain
Professing exclusion
With lies and illusion
So trust in yourself and evade the profane