The Logos: The Meletic Testament (Chapter 16 The Wisdom)
Lorient Montaner
đź“ś Chapter 16: The Wisdom
1. In the quiet shade of the olive grove, Asterion spoke not to impress me, but to awaken my mind and soul.
2. Wisdom, is not the coveting of knowledge, but the art of knowing when to speak and when to remain silent—he said.
3. I preferred to listen with my wide eyes open and an attentive mind that was awakened.
4. The Meletic path is the middle way between such things as impulse and inertia Asterion taught.
5. He wore no robe of splendour, only the calm of one who had wrestled with truth and made peace. He was always a modest man in clothing and in thought. It was incredible at times to imagine that he was once born into wealth.
6. Do not chase virtue as a reward, be patient, and you will discover it, as you discover your truth—he told me.
7. The cicadas sang, but Asterion’s words rang louder in the soul that voiced in his wisdom displayed.
8. He would tell me to begin to know the self intimately is to know the mortal limits of desire.
9. And to know human desire is to understand the illusions of the world that distract people so easily.
10. I asked him—What is the highest form of wisdom achieved in life? My hope was that I could achieve it.
11. Asterion then replied—To live without any fear of the truth. And from that truth, to question it.
12. He taught us that the truth is not a sword, but a mirror of the soul. It wounds only those individuals who refuse to see their truth.
13. The Meletic does not conquer the world; he learns to walk beside it, as is loyal companion.
14. Power is fleeting, but clarity—clarity endures with the passing of time, and when we understand to distinguish power from clarity.
15. He warned and told us not argue with fools, for they are deaf to reason and loud in ignorance.
16. It was better to plant a seed in silence than to shout in the barren soil, where falsehood lies.
17. I wrote each word in wax and with the utmost attention, but the true inscription was upon his soul.
18. The wise man does not seek applause, only understanding. This is the soul of Meleticism.
19. And when understanding finally comes, it comes quietly, like the arrival of dawn.
20. Asterion would smile, not because he was certain all the time, but because he had learnt to deal with uncertainty.
21. I remember once asking him a curious question of mine—Is it wrong to desire greatness of life?
22. He looked at me calmly and said—It is not wrong to desire, but foolish to be ruled by it only. Never forsake your reasoning. Logic is only as good as the mind that understands it.
23. Greatness to him pursued for its own sake becomes a shadow that devours the light completely.
24. That day, I learnt that ambition without purpose is a path incomplete. Ambition by itself was closer to greed than to modesty. It was when ambition had purpose and meaning that it was complete.
25. Asterion never raised his voice to admonish us, yet his words carried the weight of towering mountains.
26. I tell you all, let your deeds speak, before you reveal your ambition—he often emphasised.
27. The Meletic in life, does not chase the wind blindly, but learns its direction wisely.
28. He taught us to be still is not to be idle, but to be attentive is the voice of the soul'.
29. The present world is loud and indifferent; wisdom on the other hand, is quiet and compassionate.
30. He would often pause before answering, as if listening to the silence itself within his soul.
31. A rushed answer to him was often a wrong one done in haste than in great reflection.
32. He told to let our thoughts ripen before we offer them blindly. Thoughts without reason are empty and hollow like false promises.
33. I once tried to impress him with cleverness, but he only smiled and said—Cleverness is the mask of insecurity.
34. To him, the wise man speaks last, and listens first. It is what is heard that means more.
35. If you must choose between being right and being kind, choose kindness—it is the deeper truth of man.
36. Anger is the flame of ignorance; do not feed it with selfish pride that will enrage the mind.
37. I asked him how to respond to insult, and he replied—With silence, if your dignity is intact, then your silence is enough to respond.
38. The Meletic he taught, does not fight every battle for victory; he chooses those worth his virtue.
39. To forgive is not to forget the self, but to free oneself from the weight of memory.
40. And in that moment, I understood that forgiveness was not weakness, but wisdom in motion.
41. Asterion’s wisdom was not merely spoken from his knowledge—it was lived by him daily.
42. He walked with the grace of one who had made peace with the world and with himself.
43. To him, wisdom is never to be mistaken for possession. Instead, it is a genuine practice man must reach.
44. It is not found in the written scrolls, but in the awareness, in patience and in restraint.
45. I saw how others came to him with numerous questions, and left with the sense of clarity.
46. He never claimed to be a sage above other men, yet he was the measure by which I judged all others.
47. The greatest virtue that a man can have, is to know what is enough in life—he professed.
48. He taught that excess is the enemy of peace, and modesty if the friend of the self.
49. The wise man does not gather more, but needs less of life. He was an example of that thought.
50. I asked him why he never sought fame, and he replied—Because fame is the echo of vanity. I am too old now to seek its rewards.
51. He would teach us to believe then that life could be our legacy, not only our name.
52. Virtue is not loud like the bustle of the city—it is quiet, firm, and enduring like quiet grove.
53. He me realise that wisdom was not a crown to place upon one's head, but a virtue to cherish.
54. Wisdom to him does not elevate one above others in life; it guides one amongst them.
55. He taught us to be wise is to be useful in our philosophy, not admired by the masses who listened.
56. I watched him give counsel to a grieving widow, and he said only to her—Your sorrow is known. Let it speak before you silence it.
57. In that unique moment, I saw that wisdom is not always an answer—it is sometimes a presence.
58. He did not rush to heal what must first be honoured. He told the woman to listen her soul more.
59. Virtue is not the absence of mere pain, but the courage to face it without bitterness.
60. And I knew then that Asterion’s wisdom was not merely a virtue to inherit—it was a light that others walked by.
61. I once asked him—Is virtue learnt or are we born with it? I often wonder which of the two is correct.
62. He replied without hesitation—Virtue is awakened. It sleeps in all men, but few dare to stir it before the ego.
63. To him, the Meletic does not force virtue upon others; he cultivates it within himself.
64. And by living it and being an example for others, he invites others to do the same thing.
65. Asterion believed that wisdom without virtue was hollow, like a temple without a flame or pillars.
66. Knowledge may entice men to believe that they are superior to others, but without wisdom, they are ignorant of their own actions. Only virtue warms the soul.
67. He told us to allow our wisdom to be tested in hardship and good deeds, for that is where its truth is revealed.
68. I saw him being mocked by sceptics or Cynics, yet he answered only with silence and a steady gaze.
69. To respond with anger is to admit they have touched your peace—he told me later.
70. He told me then to guard my inner peace as one would an ancient relic of the past.
71. To him, wisdom is not the absence of emotion, but the mastery of it. This was inspirational for me.
72. To feel deeply, but do not be ruled by feeling or emotion alone. Never forsake or forget our thinking.
73. To him, the wise man weeps in life his sorrow, but does not drown in that depth forever.
74. He rejoices, but does not lose himself in senseless pleasure that abandons the self.
75. Asterion’s virtue was not rigid in its practice or form—it bent like the reed, but never broke.
76. Adaptation to him is not weakness, it is the strength of the living that is like the change of seasons.
77. The selfish fool clings to his pride; the wise man lets go of what no longer serves his character.
78. I asked him once—What is the mark of a wise man? Truly, I have seen few of them in my life.
79. He answered—He leaves others better than he found them before. This is mark of a wise man.
80. And I knew then that Asterion had left me better—more patient, more thoughtful and more free.
81. In the agora, I heard men debate with thunderous voices, each seeking victory on their behalf.
82. But Asterion taught me an important lesson that the loudest voice is often the least certain.
83. Thus, we should not mistake volume for mistaken conviction displayed before others.
84. We should allow our words be few, but our meaning to be deep in its resonance.
85. I began to speak less as I heard him speak, and listen more—and in that silence, I grew as a man of philosophy.
86. The Meletic does not seek to win arguments for victories, but to understand the truths.
87. And sometimes, the truth is found in the space between words uttered. It is there, where our awareness blossoms.
88. Asterion’s wisdom was not a token of his praise, but more a sign of his knowledge.
89. Wisdom did not always protect me from hardship, but it showed me how to walk through it like a man.
90. Do not ask for an easier path, ask for stronger feet to be able to tread upon that path—he said.
91. He taught that virtue is not the coveted laurels of the ego—it is the courage of the self.
92. I watched him comfort a dying man who was suffering, not with promises, but with presence.
93. He told the man that the end is not to be feared, but understood and embraced for what it represents.
94. To live wisely is to die without regret and sadness in life. One is only mortal and nothing more than that in body, but in the Ousia, man becomes free.
95. That moment and those words taught me more than any previous lecture in the halls of Athens.
96. I realised that Asterion’s wisdom was not confined to theory—it was lived in gesture, in silence and in grace.
97. Heromenes, let your philosophy be visible in how you treat the unseen—he told me.
98. —The servant, the stranger and the forgotten—there is where your virtue is tested. Man must never be a slave to his desire or his indifference.
99. I began to see the virtuous life he described not in some eternal salvation, but in the kindness expressed by people.
100. And I understood that Asterion’s wisdom was not merely a virtue—it was a way of being.
101. As I grew wiser, I found myself repeating his words—not to others, but to myself in my solitude.
102. In moments of doubt, I would hear him say—Clarity comes not from answers, but from honest questions.
103. He taught us the belief to ask not what you want to hear, but what you need to know.
104. I began to see that wisdom was not a destination that one must reach, but a companion of life.
105. At first, it walked beside me daily without much notice, quietly, like Asterion once did before.
106. Do not fear or despise solitude, for it is the birthplace of our understanding—he said.
107. The Meletic does not flee from himself—he sits with his own soul to connect and to contemplate.
108. In my days of solitude, I found the courage to face my own contradictions of the past.
109. He convinced me that I was not my worst thought acted, nor my proudest moment.
110. I was the only one who chooses between them and what they mean to me to in the end.
111. I began to see virtue not as attainable perfection, but as persistence in my endeavours.
112. Fall, but fall forth. To fall is the easiest thing, but to rise up and continue is the hardest thing—he said.
113. He convinced us that each mistake was a teacher, not a punisher of what we did wrong.
114. When I failed in love, I remembered his words fondly—Do not seek to be needed—seek to be understood.
115. Love is not a possession of ours—it never was. Instead, it is a presence we experience.
116. And presence is the highest form of wisdom expressed. Love thyself and you will learn to love others.
117. I saw how he loved the world—not blindly, but bravely. In spite of the fact that he was dying, and I could sense that.
118. To love wisely is to love without the veil of illusion, and without fear in one to express love or to feel its rejection.
119. He showed us to let our heart be always open to new adventures, but not unguarded in its beating.
120. And so I learnt that true wisdom is not only a virtue—it is the soul’s quiet strength.
121. An elite Roman named Marcus Sertorius visited Asterion one day, who was near the agora. He was accompanied by his male slave. He had heard of Asterion' philosophy and wisdom. He wanted to know how to attain his wisdom.
122.—They tell me that you are a philosopher, whose wisdom is unmatched and enviable.
123. Asterion answered—If I was any other man I would be flattered, but as for my philosophy, it is for anyone to learn.
124. —How did you discover your wisdom? It must have taken you years to achieve in life?
125. No more than it took Socrates, Plato or Aristotle. All who came before me—Asterion replied.
126. Do you truly vision yourself, as wise as they once were?—The elite Roman enquired.
127. Asterion never gave an answer that demonstrated vanity—I am only wise as my philosophy makes me in life.
128. Asterion looked at his slave and asked him—Do you too come to me for wisdom?
129. At first, the slave was hesitant, knowing that he did not want to irk his master, before Asterion.
130. Speak, you heard the question. Do not bite your tongue—the elite Roman said to him.
131. —Who am I to ask for wisdom? I am no one to seek it from another man. I am only a slave.
132. Asterion replied with a great measure of influence—Wisdom knows no actual master. Know that well.
133. How do you know that is even true? Wisdom must have a master. If not it would be senseless—the Roman elite interjected.
134. —Do you think, you are wiser than a slave, only because you have power over him?
135. —That is foolish of you to say. Indeed, I am wiser. If not, I would be the slave and not the master. He is beneath me.
136. And yet, you come before me, seeking wisdom from a poor man. Is that not so?—Asterion replied.
137. What are you implying?—The Roman elite questioned Asterion with a brazen expression.
138. —I am not implying anything. You are the one who came to seek wisdom from me. Now, I have given to you.
139. —If you were me, what would you do with my slave? Would you dare to liberate him?
140. —That is a question you must ask your slave, not I. But know one thing, man was not born to be a slave to any god or man.
141. The Roman elite chuckled—But without slaves, how would our society even function? I am not a slave. I am an elite of Roman society.
142. —But you are a slave, to your desires and to your ego, but you do not see this, because you are enticed by your world of luxury than your wisdom.
143. The elite Roman left then, but before he did, he told his slave the unthinkable, which that he was free.
144. The slave was grateful to Asterion who told the free man—There is no need to thank me. Go now, and breathe the air of freedom. It will not last forever.
145. Asteron did not comfort him out of mere pity—he simply responded out of compassion for him.
146. For presence is the first gift of wisdom that any man could demonstrate to others.
147. And silence, the second is a gift that we often ignore or dismiss so blindly, because we do not care enough.
148. The third is the courage to walk away from one's enemies, and to never look back.
149. His teachings were never written, yet they etched themselves into the lives of those who listened.
150. Let your life be the lasting parchment, and your choices the ink that will remain—he once said.
151. If Meleticism is to endure, it must never become rigid. It must be willing to philosophise.
152. The truth is not a figure of an statue—it is a burning flame passed from hand to hand.
153. I feared that others would distort his words for their own gain, seeking power instead of clarity.
154. But he warned me—Do not guard my teachings like treasure—share them like bread unto the world.
155. We should let each soul taste and question, not swallow whole and be satisfied afterwards, with what that soul has discovered.
156. If they dare to reshape his words, let them—but hold them to our soul, not the letter.
157. I asked him once curiously—What if they forget you? How will your philosophy be remembered?
158. He smiled and responded—Then I shall have succeeded. No man can ever replace the true essence of my philosophy with imitations or falsehood.
159. The Meletic does not seek remembrance for his wisdom—only the resonance of its purpose.
160. If my voice faded one day, but the questions remained, I shall have lived well in my life—he said to me.
161. And so I taught—not Asterion’s answers only, but his way of asking and sharing his wisdom.
162. I taught many people to sit with discomfort, to listen to silence and to walk without maps.
163. And in doing so, I always felt him near—not as memory, but as lasting presence to me.
164. In his final season, his body betrayed him noticeably. This I can tell, as I look deep into his eyes.
165. His hands, once so expressive and steady, trembled then with no sign of recovery.
166. His breath grew shallow afterwards, like a candle flickering in the dusk that arrived before the moonlight.
167. But his eyes—his distinguishable eyes remained clear as they were always in their observation.
168. And in them, I saw no fear—only the quiet certainty of a man who had lived his questions and discovered his answers.
169. His body which had begun to betray him was reaching its end, but he was valiant unto the end.
170. The man and philsopher who once walked with the ease of wind now moved like rigid stone.
171. His movements became more difficult to control, but he never stopped philosophising.
172. His voice, once firm and convincing, faded in fragments—soft, but deliberate in their tone.
173. Yet his eyes as said, remained unchanged: clear, unwavering, full of the quiet fire of his wisdom.
174. He no longer taught with mere speech uttered, but with the authority of his wisdom.
175. Each breath he took seemed to carry a lesson to be learnt, and one to convey to others.
176. Do not mourn the fading of form, it is the soul that must remain awake— he had said.
177. I watched him closely—not out of worry, but with reverence for what he stood for and the man he became.
178. Even in his weakness displayed in his darkest hours, he was whole in his thoughts.
179. He asked for no physical comfort in life, only my presence and my patience as well.
180. Sit with me now, but bring no questions this time—he told me as I sat beside him, as he was chuckling.
181. So I sat, and the silence between us deepened with the moment that arrived with our awareness.
182. It was not empty—it was full of actual memory, of meaning and of quiet transmission.
183. Outside, the olive trees that he so often spoke of swayed gently, as they had for decades.
184. Their roots deepened as his breath slowed to the point that I feared for his death.
185. The sun moved across the wall, casting long shadows that were transparent and lingering.
186. He watched them form and pass, not with the longing of the soul, but with inner peace of the mind.
187. I did not speak. I had learnt that silence was the final form of listening that a man could honour a dying man.
188. And in that silence, I felt the weight of what he had given me—not as burden, but as inheritance.
189. His illness came slowly, like the dusk creeping across a familiar field that was waiting for the wind to blow it away.
190. He did not resist it—he welcomed it as one welcomes winter after harvest. He accepted his fate. He knew that his return to the Logos was near, as was his ultimate fate, which was his return to To Ena.
191. This illness too is a part of the cycle of life and death, and I shall walk it as I have walked all things before, with the knowledge that I have lived a long life—he confessed.
192. Pain visited him more often, but never stayed long—he met it with stillness and courage.
193. His body weakened even more with days and weeks that transpired, but his gaze grew stronger.
194. There was no sign of bitterness in him for his illness, only clarity and the acceptance of his fate.
195. Do not pity me I ask, I am not diminished—I only am distilled—he told me. Those words echoed in my thoughts.
196. Each day he would speak less, but his silence grew more articulate with his expressions.
197. I watched him rise gradually from his body, each movement was deliberate, like a current in the river.
198. He did not ask for help, even though I offered it. I was to be the only student from the others, who would be there before his illness and death at his bedside. He confided in me the most.
199. Let me carry what I can, for strength is not in what we lift, but in how we bear it—he said.
200. His breath became even more shallow with ever breath taken, but his presence filled the room with his wisdom.
201. Even in the grasp of his illness, he remained a teacher to me—not of endurance, but of grace.
202. He taught me that weakness is not our failure, and that fragility is not a shame to avoid.
203. The Meletic does not conquer suffering—he understands it with the knowledge of what it means.
204. And in those quiet conversations we shared together, I saw a man more whole than ever.
205. The olive trees outside bent so gently in the wind that blew, as if bowing to him out of reverence.
206. Light moved across his face that came from the sunlight, tracing the lines of a life well questioned.
207. I did not speak or utter a single word. I simply remained in my presence and stood by him in stillness. And in that stillness, I learnt what great strength truly was in him. I had also understood that his wisdom would pass unto me then.
208. He once said to me—I am sowing the seeds of Meleticism, for the generations to come, to harvest its abundance.
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