Himalayan Times (1955)

Six

September 11, 1955

A CYNIC'S WISDOM

GEORGE N. PATTERSON

Mr. George Neilson Patterson,
dear to the romantic for his
romances with the hills, dales
and valley of Kham, pleasant to
the artists for his linguistic strain,
his love of art and his smiles
and winks in his conversations,
is both 'dear aud near' to me
for his 'wisdom' and his silky
beard—yet a baby—but for which
he would not have half the re-
cognition hi has to-day here
among young ■ footballers as
'Darhiwala', among the g neral

II gave my heart to seek
and search out by wis-
dom concerning many
things that are dore under
the sun; tbia sore travail
hath God given to the
sous of men to be exer-
cised therewith.

I gave my heart to
know wisdom, and to
search out madness and
folly; and I perceived that
this also is vexation of
spirit. For in much wis-
dom is much grief, and
he that increaseth know-
ledge inoreaseth sorrow.

I said to my heart:
This much have I seen,
that in many years there
is little wisdom, and in
few years great folly, that
the hoary head covers an
emptiness that the lips
of youth sound forth. That
knowledge is with the
reputable and understand-
ing with the accredited.
That the voice of wisdom

public as the reputed author of
'Tibetan Journey' and amongst the
suffering class as the great con-
querer whose matrimonial con:
quests abroad gave us the able
Dr. {Afrs.) Patterson to serveVie
ailing community with the surgeons
knife and thephysiciansstethoscope.

To the readers of the Hi-
malayan Times, Patterson needs
no introduction. Of late, being
busy arranging his manuscripts
for his publishers beyond the
seas, he was not able to write

THE AUTHOR

is never heard except
there be some folly. That
even a foo^may be known
for his wisdom if his job
is good and his clothes
are right. That true wis-
dom is to avoid wisdom
and follow folly in all
her pursuits, make her all
thy expressed desire for

for us but that lie has not for-
gotten us is proved by his 'WIS-
DOM'. I have hopes of more
and more WISDOM from him in
near f uture. The ancient philoso-
phers thought that w'sdom lay
with the old, and iniative with
the young and the two harness1 d
together contributed to the com-
mon good- The ancient wisdom
has been replaced, by a new set
of values which are evident only
to tho e who see. PUase rsad
now......Editor H. Times ]

many years, and at the
end of thy days be gra-
cious. That knowledge is
a great mistake and pride
of heart in man, and un-
derstanding an impossibi-
lity. That, in all thy
getting first get rich and
then get aspirations to
wisdom, is the ideal
among all the sons of men.

I laid me great plans.
I builded ma houses. I
planted me fields. I made
me gardens and parks,
and I planted trees in
them of every manner of
fruit. I acquired servants
and motor-cars; also I
had great possessions of
herds and flocks. I ga-
thered me silver and gold,
a wife and concubines.
And I became great and
increased more than all
that were around me:

Then I beheld a stran-
ge matter, that, as I in-