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Boethius - The Consolation of Philosophy - If plenty from her well stocked horn
Identifier
004862
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
An almost Buddhist description in that it attempts to point out the futility of endless desire and the pointlessness of man's constant craving for more and more - never happy, never content and never at peace. The translator calls it greed, but it is more correctly a sort of insatiability.
'no man is rich who shakes and groans , convinced that he needs more'
A rather apt description in the current very consumer and consumption based society we seem to be living now
A description of the experience
Boethius – The Consolation of Philosophy
If plenty from her well stocked horn
With generous hand should distribute
As many gifts as grains of sand
The sea churns up when strong winds blow
Or stars that shine on starlit nights
The human race would still repeat
Its querulous complaints.
Though God should gratify their prayers
With open handed gifts of gold
And furbish greed with pride of rank
All that God gave would seem as naught.
Rapacious greed soon swallows all,
And opens other gaping mouths;
No reins will serve to hold in check
The headlong course of appetite
Once such largess has fanned the flames
Of lust to have and hold
No man is rich who shakes and groans
Convinced that he needs more