Passing of the Gods by David C. Smith
~The Ways of Men~
Between Counselor Nihim, consul and brother to a foreign king, and Salia Queen of Arcadia. The two are discussing matters of the nature of Men in the Queen's bedchamber in the midst of a world war.
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“ Nihim said to her, “my master Toshin said that it is a good thing to understand others, but true awareness comes only from knowing oneself. I think, Queen Salia, that you do not know others, yet you suffered from others actions towards you. You have allowed them to make you into something -- someone that you do not understand. Now you try to understand yourself. You look for you, but nobody has given you the light, they have only taken the light away. Because if this your searching is fruitless and confusing, and you cannot even know where to begin.“
….later in the same chapter scene…
“he does this for me?” “he does this because of you”.
“and do you think he will make war upon this city? Will Agors answer to war? Sill we go to war Nihim?” She asked.
Standing behind her, and speaking from somewhere she could not see him, Nihim said. “ War is a sad thing as it is. Is it not difficult to understand it is merely the last resort of societies that feel their self interests threatened; and these societies are merely composed of people who have sworn allegiance to some common idea. These ideas go to war. Ideas born out of ignorance and prejudice. It seems to me, that when you ask me, Queen, if your husband and my brother will go to war because of you, you see yourself as the fulcrum between two conflicting opposites. Such is not the case.”
Wars often times are committed for excuses, not reasons: and those excuses are rooted in fear and ignorance and prejudice, while the real reasons are hidden elsewhere, like a sword within its scabbard, or gold within its purse. Consider this: every living thing in the world is intent first of all things with preserving itself; this is a truth. Yet all things too are born to die, and all their powers ro preserve themselves
cannot prevail against this natural law. So what is to be done? In the matter of humankind, Most of us deny this Ultimate fact and make excuses and certain ideas that ignore the reality around us. We rely upon token concepts that do not explain but seem to.
Animals, Toshin teaches us, preserve their essence by protecting their brood. Man, toshin teaches, preserves his essence not only by protecting his brood but endowing his societies with purposes that seem as profound as nature's purposes.
So. . . Though man might lose his life. Still he assumes that he has insured the purpose of his life by helping to preserve that which gave his life meaning. Doing this, he feels like he has conquered death.
Men institute their ideas, beliefs, and passions into the very fabric of their societies. When a new life is born it is welcomed with celebration; Yet when new ideas are born, old ideas are seldom relinquished: And this is because men seldom test the ideas upon which they have based their societies. People do not seek the truth the that will challenge them, but desire only comfort that will sustain them: Old familiar ideas -- Like old familiar habits -- are the most comfortable. Thus we may commit ourselves to actions which, for the sake of old familiar habits. permit unfairness wrongdoing or evil. And still believe these things to be right and correct. Because we remain in a place of comfortable old habit. And truth must bow to custom, not custom to truth.
So Queen Salia. . . you ask me if your husband and my brother will go to war. I ask you to reflect on these things that i have told you: that men will preserve themselves and what they identify with at any cost. I leave you to decide whether or not we will go to war.
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